What You Need to Know Before Becoming a Missionary

Jessica Purdy • Oct 18, 2019

Missionary life can be both a wild adventure and, at times, a struggle. But there is one thing for sure — being a missionary is a learning experience. Whether you’re getting ready to head to the field, or you have years of missionary experience, there is always more to learn.

I talked with some of our missionaries about things they wish someone had told them before they went to the mission field.

Find the right fit

Just like with anything else, no missionary work will be all fun all the time. There is no such thing as a perfect fit. But some types of ministry are better suited to certain people than other types — and the right fit for you may be something you don’t know about yet.

TEAM missionary Steve Dresselhouse wishes that he had known about the business as missions model earlier in his missionary career. He was on the verge of burnout when God showed him how kayaking could open doors for the Gospel. Steve now runs a kayaking tour company in Mexico that he uses to build relationships and win hearts to Christ. Through this outreach, his house church plants are growing, and he has more energy for discipleship!

Steve is doing something he loves — Kayaking — and using it as a ministry. His outreach through his Kayaking tour company is helping people grow closer to Jesus.

Before you head to the field, try to explore a wide range of ministry possibilities . A TEAM missions coach can help you look at all the options and figure out what might be the right fit for you! And remember to hold plans loosely, knowing that it may take time on the field to find your best fit.

Realize there will be good and bad

Even the best ministries in the world have difficult days. TEAM missionary in Mexico Ellen Shepard advises, “ One thing would be not to let yourself go up and down on the roller coaster of ministry life. Be in it for the long haul and know that there will be good and bad days in it .”

Some of these ups and downs are bound to come from members of your ministry team.

Don’t be surprised or discouraged by interpersonal conflict between missionaries,” says TEAM missionary Miles Douglas. “Our expectation when we went out 35 years ago was that missionaries are on a pedestal spiritually and are above petty conflict. Not true. Missionaries are no different from Christians anywhere, and there will be conflict on the field .”

A group of missionaries sit on a blanket in the park to talk.

Because missionaries are people, they aren’t perfect. And because they aren’t perfect, that means there is sometimes conflict that needs to be worked out.

Steve Dresselhaus also suggests taking basic counseling classes to help with interpersonal conflict, as well as the pastoral parts of ministry.

Keep things in perspective

It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of ministry. Attendance numbers fluctuating, continuous fundraising, event planning, relationship building, logistics, navigating a foreign culture — it’s a lot. And the details of your ministry are definitely important, but ultimately they are not why you are there. You are there to show people the love of Jesus .

“People will remember who you are — as a person, as a spouse, as a family — more than they will remember things you teach and preach,” says Ralph Shepard , TEAM missionary to Mexico. And TEAM missionary David North says, “ Success is more about day by day walking with God than big visions .”

That’s why it’s important to make sure you are taking care of yourself as well as taking care of your ministry. “ Self-management is so important — taking care of yourself, taking time to rest, spending time in the Word and in prayer, ‘filling your well’ by reading good articles and books,” says Ralph.

Keeping things in perspective, and taking proper care of yourself will help you avoid burnout.

Rely on God

It sounds cliche, but remember that you aren’t going to the mission field alone . God is leading you there, and He will be with you while you are there.

“Don’t have unrealistic expectations of yourself, others, the importance of your role, or your living situation,” says Miles. “ The fewer expectations you take to the field, the better it will be when you get there .”

A woman sits and reads her Bible

Reliance on God doesn’t end once you are funded and on the mission field. It is important to maintain your relationship with Him at all times.

God will work in and through you during your whole time on the field, but that doesn’t mean it will always be easy. Sometimes relying on God can be one of the hardest things we have to do. But we can learn a lot from these times.

Over the years, we came to realize that what God wanted to teach us was at least as important as the ministry we expected to have with others ,” says Miles.

Heading to the mission field can be intimidating, but it’s always good to be as prepared as possible before you go. Are you a missionary? What things do you wish someone had told you before you went to the mission field? Let us know in the comments!

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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