Stephanie Gutierrez (00:00) Welcome to another special episode of the Modern Day Missionaries podcast. Today is part two of a two-part series we’re creating for you to be able to share with your family, your friends, your supporters who want to better understand what it means to be a missionary and might be wondering if they are also called to missions. So if you missed part one, make sure to listen to that one first before this one. And maybe you are that friend of a missionary and your friend shared that with you. Maybe you are the one who is wondering about missions.

Maybe you were Googling this and this video popped up. Well, today’s episode is for those who have come to the Holy Spirit-led conclusion, I’m called to be a missionary, or at least I think I’m called to be a missionary. You’ve walked out some of the steps that we talked about in part one, and you’ve gotten some confirmation that this is something that looks like you’re called to do. So now what? Well, I am here today with Modern Day’s executive director, Marvin Slaton.

And we are going to get extremely practical today. So get out your notebook. We’re going to talk about what your next steps are once you know you’re called to be a missionary, once that’s been confirmed in your life. And again, if you don’t know, check out part one. So Marvin, how exciting is this? They are now entering this wild, slightly breathless stage where you realize God’s calling you to something very unique, pretty crazy, a little or a lot nerve-wracking and really exciting. Where does one begin?

Marvin Slaton: (01:27) Yeah, Stephanie, I love that question. And what I like is that I want to keep people from being at the mercy of Google, right? And so I think it starts when it’s like, man, I know I’m called to be a missionary and I’m looking at what’s next. I’m thinking, what are my options, right?

And so, but for most people, I would say almost all people, there’s a very limited grid of understanding there. And that’s why I say I don’t want you to be at the mercy of Google discovery of knowing your options. And so I think when you know you’re called to be a missionary, there are actually five prominent options out there. These are kind of bigger, larger level options. I’m not saying this is totally comprehensive at all, but I think these are five of the major options you would find the vast majority of missionaries are in. And so I think the first option that you have to consider when you’re launching out to be a missionary is starting your own nonprofit. And when I start with that, I know that can seem very daunting to say that from the beginning, starting your own nonprofit, a 501c3, and all that that entails, right? All of the paperwork and the paying and all of the infrastructure creating and all of those things. But I would say this is for a very small amount of missionaries. It’s a very select few amount of missionaries. And but I think it is for missionaries.

And I’ll just create an example. Let’s just say you have, you know, there’s a missionary family and they’re wanting to raise, I don’t know, $4,000, $5,000 a month to live well on the field for their family, okay? But they could be involved in some type of ministry efforts, whatever that may be, that may cause them to raise large amounts of money for their ministry efforts. Maybe it’s something like $10,000 plus a month.

And I think when you get into larger amounts of money that you’re raising, specifically from ministry-focused efforts, I think that’s when a missionary has to really evaluate, you know, is establishing a nonprofit and all of that infrastructure underneath that nonprofit, is it worth going that direction? And honestly, those are really the only people that I would direct that way.

I’m sure there’s other situations where a nonprofit makes sense. But from my perspective, it’s those who would be setting out to raise large amounts of money from the beginning. So again, though, this would be very few, right? Very few people would actually fall into this category. But I just wanted to make everyone aware as we’re creating this grid of understanding that starting your own nonprofit is a viable option.

Marvin Slaton (04:26) I would say secondly is being sent by your denomination. There are lots of believers out there who are called admissions who have, maybe they were brought up in a certain denomination and they have a wonderful, rich relationship with their denominational church. It could be the Methodist denomination or the Baptist or the assembly of God, whatever the denomination is, there can be a large amount of missionaries who have that great relationship with the denomination. And so I think that is always an option as well. But the reality is that there’s also a large group of people who they don’t go to denominational churches. And so that isn’t really an option. I would say if that is an option for you as a missionary to seek out your church leadership and to walk down the road of conversation there to see what that would look like to be sent by your denomination and be a missionary on the field representing the Methodist Church or the Baptist Church or whatever it may be. But it’s a very viable option and honestly it can be the best option.

Marvin Slaton (05:40) And so I think a third option here is being sent by a missions sending agency. And there are a number of wonderful sending agencies that are out there in the world and in the US. Here at Modern Day Missions, we’re partnered with quite a few of those missions sending agencies. But this is where the sending agency, if you sign up to be a part of the sending agency, this is where they are going to train you, they’re going to equip you, they’re going to send you, they’re going to be pastoral care, they’re going to be quality control, all of what I call the whole kit of services. The mission sending agency is going to offer that for you. And so, and again, there’s a lot of wonderful ones out there.

What I will pause and say though, Stephanie, is that many times with the mission sending agency, they have a very specific vision and ministry they want to accomplish. And they also typically want to accomplish that vision in a certain country or region of the world. And I bring that up because, you know, as you’re processing being called to be a missionary, there’s, the Lord is probably highlighting, you know, a region of the world or a country or a certain type of ministry. And what he’s highlighting to you or what you feel called to, it may not necessarily line up with the missions sending agency’s vision.And so, and a lot of times with the mission sending agency, they don’t have necessarily the flexibility to include maybe outlier visions, you know, or additional countries into their framework because they are so well established in that ministry and in those nations. so, but many times it can be a wonderful fit. And I always encourage people to look at different mission sending agencies, whether it’s Operation Mobilization or Pioneers or TEAM, there are a number of good ones out there.

Marvin Slaton (07:48) And so I think a fourth option is being sent by your home church. And I light up when I say this because I love this option. So many believers, they have a good relationship with their home church. And sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes their home church is a mission sending church. That’s part of their DNA. It’s part of their infrastructure, and they are able to send out missionaries. They’re able to also provide the financial platforms and the administrative backing and all of the things for a missionary to go out from their home church to the nations and for that to be a healthy relationship and partnership. I love this option. I love it when people have a healthy relationship with their home church and the home church is behind missions. Like it’s part of their their vision and the ethos of people of who they are. And I’ve just seen it be really successful on the field this option.

Marvin Slaton (08:51) But I think segueing there Stephanie is the fifth option and what I like to call like a hybrid model or a hybrid option which includes the home church and this is where we get into Modern Day Missions. So at Modern Day Missions we are a partnering organization. So that means we partner with home churches or other organizations. So we come alongside you, the missionary, and your home church or the organization that you’re directly doing ministry under. And we provide some of the infrastructure, the administrative arm, the finance arm, the marketing arm, the care resource portion that can help the missionary walk out their healthy calling. And so it’s a little bit of a hybrid model where an organization like Modern Day Missions and there’s other ones out there, but like Modern Day Missions, partners with the home church or partners with another organization like a YWAM and provides those services that are needed for the missionary.

And so again, going back to the beginning, it’s a daunting question, right? It’s like I’m called to missions, Stephanie, I’m called to go to the nations, but what’s next? And it’s so important to understand your grid of options. And really the five that I just talked about are the main five options that can kick the ball down the field for you and can get you further down the road. And I think ultimately most missionaries, they find themselves operating within one of those options as a missionary.

Stephanie Gutierrez (10:31) Well, and I would echo that Marvin, and I appreciate how clearly you laid those out because in my time, living overseas. And now I know people in every single one of those options, and they’re all good options. So this isn’t like one of those things we’re laying out where you present all options and lead up to the best option. They’re actually all valid, great options.

I think for the missionary, you need to ask yourself, what do I need? What does my family need? So I’m looking at the financial piece, what does it cost? What are maybe some of the processing fees? How do those differentiate between different ones?

What are some of the rules and requirements? What is the vision? Do things line up? What do they require of me? What am I able to give? We found ourselves in that situation when we moved. We had two sending home churches and so we had the relational backing, which was so wonderful. But our churches did not have the capability to be able to process donations and we weren’t great at tech back then. So that’s where Modern Day came in and was such a great fit for us, because we had the relational backing, people who loved us, who were praying for us.

But most people who are going are gonna have a combination between churches or organizations that are supporting you and then individual supporters. So the churches could send the funds to us, but individual families and people who want to be a part of it, they weren’t able to process their donations. And I hear this all the time. And that was the beauty for us with Modern Day is that they could process funds from churches or organizations, but also from individuals and issue tax receipts at the end of the year and do all of the really nitty-gritty stuff that is so not fun to do on the field and help us get a web page and communicate better. that was, we got love and support, but then we also got a lot of the tech pieces. So that was how we ended up coming to Modern Day.

But for everybody out there, like Marvin said, do your homework, look into your options and find out which one is best for you. Maybe talk to another missionary and ask them, what they’ve chosen and why they’ve chosen it.

Okay, so as a missionary, you’ve looked at these five options, you’ve now selected one. Now it’s time to step into some stages of preparation. So Marvin, what are the next steps? How can they begin to get prepared?

Marvin Slaton (12:41) Yeah, so I think there’s three main areas, Stephanie, that people get prepared. And I think they’ll probably be pretty obvious to everyone. But I think it always starts, you know, when our calling is to be a missionary, it starts with the spiritual component, right? and preparedness there. And I think again going back to we have to make sure that this vertical relationship, know, us and Jesus, the one who’s calling us to the nations, the one who the Great Commission is about, that we’re healthy, that it’s right, that it’s good, you know. And what happens there though, and why I say it’s so important in this preparation phase, is that when that relationship is good, when it’s healthy, it gives you a peace and it gives you a confidence. And what do we all know when you are about to step foot on foreign soil for your calling to be a missionary with all of these new normals of language and customs and food and everything else, you are going to need a heavy dose of peace and confidence.

And so I think it really starts there, you know, with your relationship with Christ letting Him deepen in you that peace and confidence as it applies to your calling. I think also what coincides with that is relationally getting prepared with your covering church or organization, whatever it may be, with your family and friends, just across the board that there is preparedness and relationship there. Being intentional with your relationships. You know, if you are going out as part of a church covering, that you’re having the important conversations, you know, that you’re covering the details, you know, that you’re prioritizing communication with your covering church or organization. And for goodness sake, please make sure that your family and friends are all well communicated with. They have understanding.

Marvin Slaton (14:43) And I think, Stephanie, that you’ve provided a space for them to ask questions, for them to voice their thoughts or their concerns and to have input there, you know, that it’s a two-way street, you know, with our friends and family. And so I think that relationship piece is critical because if you step out into foreign soil on the mission field and you have fractured relationships, especially with key people, you will feel it even if you’re 6,000 miles away. You will feel it and it will be something that you’re having to at minimum process on the backburners of life. And that’s not something that you need or your spouse needs or your children’s need. And so I say be intentional with your relationships. Have the conversations. Have the hard conversations. Have the hard conversations and so that all of the bases are covered relationally.

Marvin Slaton (15:38) And then I think lastly there in that preparedness is the financial piece and I would say with the financial piece, Stephanie, that it starts with a plan of action. You don’t luck into being a good fundraiser. That’s just not how it works. You have to have a plan of action. And what I would say, Stephanie, is I think the resource that you’re providing here with the MDM podcast and the people that you’ve interviewed here, like the Rob Parkers of the world and the Fully Funded Missionary, and Elias, the president of Modern Day and all of the rich fundraising content that we even have on our podcast site and the articles on our main website at www.modernday.org, I think can go a long way in opening people’s minds and getting them prepared for a plan of action when it comes to fundraising. Cause what we don’t want to see is people to step out onto the field, right? And already be at a deficit…already be at a critical place and become a burden to those that will be the community that they’re around, you know?

But I guess I would say it like this, Stephanie, you would start in a place or a mode of crisis from the beginning financially. And so you don’t want to do that. You don’t want to do that financially. You don’t want to do that relationally. And you sure don’t want to do that spiritually. And I know that it may sound daunting to cover all of these bases, but again, we’re talking about your calling, right? Like this is why you were put on this earth. This is your calling. And so it’s worth going the extra mile, doing the hard work, doing the due diligence to cover all of your bases spiritually, relationally, financially. And I think if you do that, I think everyone can walk onto the field and be prepared in a pretty healthy and a pretty good way.

Stephanie Gutierrez (17:40) I could not agree more with those three things. Having seen people do it well and not do it well.

And I think one that I would add to that is really looking at your emotional and mental health, and then looking at your physical health. So a health aspect to that. So what is your physical health like? Are you in some type of crisis? Are you needing to go to the doctor for a bunch of different reasons? Do you have some risk factors? It’s important to really assess your health. And that doesn’t mean that you can’t go on the field if you’re believing for healing in a particular area, but it’s good to go with eyes wide open so that you’re able to see what kind of medical care is available to you. If you’re being called to a really rural area where there is nothing available, but let’s say that you are struggling with something or you have a condition like diabetes perhaps, and you need access to medications, thinking through those health pieces is really important, getting a plan of action and determining where you serve based on some of that.

And then your emotional and mental health, I would say as well. If you are in a place where you are at a crisis, with relationships as you said, Marvin, or in your mental health. Maybe talking to a therapist, maybe looking for a counselor who knows a bit about missions or who knows about living abroad and getting yourself in a healthy place in your soul. So we’re getting healthy like you said, Marvin, in your spirit. You’re healthy in your relationships, you’re healthy in your finances and in your mental and emotional health. And yes, that does seem like a lot, but you’re about to make an overseas move or to move into a different cultural context.

And so that we can serve the people we serve well, it is really important to make sure that we are in a good place. And that’s what we’ve been leaning into so much at Modern Day. That’s why we’ve started with all the resources and the podcasts, because we believe that healthy missionaries can serve well. And it’s not perfect, missionaries. We’re not looking to get you at 100% in every one of those areas, but there is a level of strength, at the very least, not an area of weakness, that you’ve got the support you need in all those areas.

So, Marvin, they’ve looked at all those and now it’s time for them to determine when. They’ve checked their boxes. That checklist is coming together. They’ve got to the bottom and they’re looking at when. How do you determine when you go on the field?

Marvin Slaton (19:52) Yeah, it’s a great question. And I think there’s, you know, there’s a few key things that you have to really look at and assess. You know, you can start with, you know, just kind of baseline the time of year. You know, I use the example

You know, you’re going to, let’s just say Peru, Stephanie, where you guys were, and you’re going to go to partner with the church and you plan to go their busiest week where they’re hosting a conference with thousands of people. You know, that’s probably not the best time for your family to enter into Peru because everyone is consumed, right? Everyone is consumed with responsibility and just, just the timing is just off, you know?

Or maybe it’s holidays in a country and no one’s there. Maybe everyone’s traveling that would be your community around you and no one’s there. Or maybe you are going to be in a nation and it has the potential for extreme weather and you’re going right in the middle of typhoon season or whatever it may be for your country. There’s all kinds of factors to consider here, but I just think the time of year, your calendar for your family, the calendar for the church and the organization you’re serving under, the calendar for the country that you’ll be in, the weather calendar…all of those different components I think are worthy of considering and throwing into the assessment of when is the right time to launch out.

Marvin Slaton (21:25) And so I would say with that is family readiness––assessing and being considerate and intentional with your family. If you’re married, okay, we’re not dragging each other to the mission field, okay? Even if you know that the calling is there for both of you, you’re not rushing each other to make this happen within a certain timeframe. And so always assessing and being considerate of your spouse, of your children, and all of the situations, maybe it’s schooling,

Or maybe it’s training in an area or education, whatever it is that your family’s involved with that you’re assessing and being considerate of those things. And really, Stephanie, that expands beyond your immediate family. It can expand to your family at large and what’s going on there.

And then not only your blood family, but it can be the family overseas as well that you’re going to be partnering with the most or the team of families there. So just collectively family readiness is a key thing to be considerate of and assess and make sure, you know, everyone has their I’s dotted and T’s crossed there at those moments.

Marvin Slaton (22:42) And I would say just to expound on what we talked about earlier of knowing when to launch out is financial preparedness. Don’t start in a bind. Don’t start at a place of stress. Don’t start at a critically negative place in your finances. And so we can’t stress this enough. I know that modern day is mainly a financial organization, but it is so key. And it’s not just being called to be a missionary, but whatever you’re called to, finances is going to be a key component there.

And so, you know, when you’re considering this launching out, I think it’s always being aware of where your finances are. What I’m not saying, Stephanie, is that you have this goal amount that you have that you want to be at, and maybe it’s unrealistic and you can’t go till it’s there. I’m not saying that. I’m saying a realistic goal, you know, that’s set, that’s confirmed by wise counsel around you, you know, and reaching that goal, you know, so that it can provide peace for the launch out to the nations, you know. And so I think definitely a financial preparedness.

Marvin Slaton (24:00) Then along with that, you know, are you ready to be received wherever you’re going? Are people ready to receive you? You know, the church you’re going to be working under, or the organization, or whatever that looks like, that infrastructure that’s going to be around you, that community that’s going to be around you, are they ready to receive you? And being considerate of them and that team. Is it the right time? Is it the right season? And that can look all kinds of different ways, but that is so pivotal when it comes to knowing when to launch out is I want to be launched from somewhere in a healthy way. So I want to be exiting somewhere in a very healthy way, but I also want to be entering somewhere in a healthy way. And that means making sure that people are at a place, leaders are at a place, your team’s at a place where they can receive you to make that entry really palatable for everyone, not just yourselves. And so we don’t want to be putting people out from the beginning of our missions journey, right? And so I think those are just a few things. It’s not a comprehensive list at all, Stephanie, but I think there’s a few things to consider. You know, once you’ve identified this calling, you know, you’ve seen your options, you know, you know, the agency or the organization you’re going to go with, you know, and you’ve been getting prepared. I think those are, you know, some of the main things to consider when launching

Stephanie Gutierrez (25:28) And I would agree, you touched on the big rocks today. So everybody’s going to have their own little rocks and little pebbles that they need to figure out. But this is a great starting point for everyone who is feeling that they are called to be a missionary. And so just want to end, Marvin, with those who want to do their homework and they’re looking into that fifth option and would like to know more about Modern Day and what that option looks like. What would be their next step in contacting Modern Dtay?

Marvin Slaton (25:53) Yeah, yeah. Good question. So obviously https://www.modernday.org/ our website.

You’ll be able to read and find out any information there you would like. Specifically, we have a Become a Missionary page that walks you through the steps in becoming a missionary with us. On that page, you will find an online fillable application that you can fill out and submit. And then we’ll begin to take your hand and walk you through the process of the application and the vetting and then the approval and the onboarding and all of those things. And so…

I would say the website is a great resource there. If you would also like just kind of a personal touch, you have other questions you would like answered, you can email us at info at info@modernday.org  And I still oversee those emails because I love it. I love to be the first touch point with prospective missionaries there. And every week, Stephanie, I have zooms set up with prospective missionaries where I’m able to answer their questions you know, and talk video to video, you know, and give them, you know, all of the information or at least a good bit of the information that they need to help them make the best decision. And so I think those are the key ways there that people can connect with us.

But also I would just say the resource side that we’ve mentioned, https://mdmpodcast.org/ is also a huge way. If people want to consume the podcast and get that training and equipping and preparation, I think the podcast could really help them and they can also sign up. You do a phenomenal job on the curated newsletter that’s sent out each week. I can sign up for that and get that with all kinds of resources to help them on this journey. So I think those would be the first initial starting points there. Those are really good. And yes, we would be honored to resource you and walk with you in this journey.

Stephanie Gutierrez (27:46) And Marvin, this isn’t in our podcast notes for today, but I’m just feeling prompted––let’s just pray right now for everybody who’s listening who’s feeling that discernment.

So, Father, we just come before right now and we just lift up every person who’s listening, who is in this discerning process and who is feeling called to become a missionary. Lord, this is a big deal. Marvin and I have been there before. We know what this feeling feels like. It’s weighty. It’s exciting. There’s so many emotions around it. And it implies action, Lord.

And so right now, for those who are listening, who are taking that next step. we just ask that you would give them wisdom as they look at these five options. Help them as they are doing their homework and their research and all this, Lord, that you show them what is the right option for them. Lord, help them as they begin that preparedness process of getting themselves healthy, getting themselves holistically prepared to be able to go on the field. Reveal to them the specific ways, Lord, in which they can grow and get ready. And Father, we just thank you that you give them the right time to launch out, help them to find the right country to serve in, the right community to serve in, the right organization to serve with. And I thank you that as they find it, Lord, that something just goes off in their soul, that they feel it and know this is where I’m supposed to be.

So we ask that you open doors that you need to open, Lord, and that you close doors that need to be closed, that you direct their steps, that you give them favor, that you provide for them financially, Lord. And we thank you for the way that they are responding to the Great Commission, Lord. Bless them, surround them with your favor and guide them in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Well, Marvin, I’m excited for everybody who’s getting ready to take some next steps. Thanks so much for what you had to share today.

Marvin Slaton (29:32) Yeah, it was a joy being on Stephanie and I think we gave people a great starting point and created a grid for them to move forward in. So I’m excited for people who are called to the mission field for sure.

Stephanie Gutierrez (29:43) And at Modern Day we’re excited to see how we can serve you in this process. We will see you on our next episode.

Since 2008, Modern Day Missions has been providing financial, administrative, and marketing services to Christian missionaries around the globe. We’re currently partnered with more than 1,000 missionaries in 75 different nations. If you or someone you know are looking for a nonprofit covering to fulfill your mission’s vision, Modern Day could be the answer you’re looking for. Find out more at https://www.modernday.org/