Okay, you think God may be calling you into missions and you're ready to explore ...

So now what do you do?

-Consider a time of fasting and prayer. Use the time to allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart, to reveal your motives, to point out areas of sin, and to draw you to worship God. Read and study the Scriptures, and commit key portions to memory. Spend time in quiet reflection as well as in fervent prayer.

-Seek the counsel of godly, mature spiritual leadership. Start with your family. Talk with your pastor or superintendent. Do other mature Christians and those in authority over you affirm your desires, or are they hesitant? What cautions do they have? Discuss this with friends who know you well. Does missionary service seem to fit you from their perspective?

-Communicate with a missionary. Commit to pray for and support a Free Methodist missionary. As appropriate, e-mail or write letters sharing your vision for the future. Ask questions about life as a missionary. Subscribe to our World Mission People magazine (it’s free) and also to our e-mail updates: Hotline for weekly points of prayer and Explore FM Missions to stay in touch and be challenged as you consider a future in cross-cultural service. Send us an e-mail (ExploreMissions@gmail.com) to request subscriptions (be sure to include your physical address if you want to receive our magazine).

-Become a student of world missions. Read biographies of missionaries and other current books about missions. Enroll in the "Perspectives on the World Christian Movement" course. Read up on missions on the internet. Attend a good missions conference.

-Discover your spiritual gifts and use them in your local church. Hone your skills, gifts and abilities by contributing to God's work right where you are. Be willing to stretch into something new!

-Get some adequate training along the way. Although we have many opportunities, most of our missionaries have had some level of post high school education. A missionary doctor will need the same training on the field that he or she would need at home. Bible training is highly recommended, and in most cases required. Specialized service requires other types of training. (For example, if you want to serve as a missionary doing maintenance for an in-country mission, you must have some "fix-it" training.)

-Consider some short-term missions assignments. VISA Ministries (Volunteers in Service Abroad) is a great place to start. VISA information is available on this website.

-If you have a particular country or region in mind as a possible place to serve, study it in-depth (learn about the people, art, authors, culture, political situation, popular religions, geography, etc.) and consider beginning to learn the language. Call or e-mail us to find out about the Free Methodist Church's work in that country and who you may contact for more information. (Note: Not all missionary candidates are fixed on one country or area for service – if this is the case with you, we are more than happy to suggest options and assist in your exploration.)

-Contact us to discuss your questions and get advice about where you might best invest your life. When you are ready, begin working with FMWM and your local pastor or superintendent to begin the application process.

Learn about the ExT candidate process.  Take the fifth step.

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