Is Missionary Training School For Me?

When people come across Global Frontier Missions and our Missionary Training School, it’s usually because they’ve been introduced to the reality of unreached people groups and have found themselves in a position where they may not know exactly what to do… but they know that they have to do something . 

That place of seeking and discerning how to pursue the heart of God for all peoples to know and worship Him is beautiful, but it is also a very vulnerable time marked by a host of uncertainties and questions. We recognize the joys and challenges of being in such a place, and our Missions Advisors seek to be sensitive to you and the Spirit of God as you’re asking questions and discerning the best next step for your life.

In that, we spend a lot of time answering questions about our 5-month Missionary Training School (MTS) in Clarkston, GA , and there are some fairly common questions that come up that we’d like to make accessible to you as you might be considering whether MTS is right for you.

A: Considering the reality of three billion people who don’t currently have access to the gospel, this is definitely a legitimate question. There is a sense of urgency in realizing that up to 42% of the world doesn’t even have the chance to say “yes” to Jesus at this point in time, and we should be moved to action when faced with the state of the world. However, it is possible for us to overemphasize the urgency of the situation and to underestimate the ramifications of sending people to the mission field without holistic pre-field training and adequate whole-life preparation. Recent studies and statistics as well as stories from throughout history have shown that most fruitful and deeply-impactful ministry is taking place after the first 8-years of a missionary’s career, and there are a significant number of overseas workers who aren’t even making it to the 5-year mark. While many of the reasons for leaving the field have been unavoidable, some could have been prevented with holistic pre-field preparation. There’s an increasing awareness in the missions world that pre-field training isn’t just a good idea before sending out cross-cultural missionaries, but that it’s absolutely necessary if we want to truly set people up to thrive as long-term ambassadors of Christ among the nations. So let me rephrase the question and ask you… If pursuing some type of holistic, pre-field training before you go to the mission field slows you down a few months on the front-end but sets you up to last on the field for several more years on the back-end, would you consider that a worthwhile investment?

A: The short answer to this question is no, you do not need to already be associated with a sending agency before you apply for or attend MTS, although you certainly can come through MTS if you’re already affiliated with a sending agency. Each semester of MTS is a unique mix of individuals who are connected with a sending agency and those who are not. We are prepared to walk alongside people in both of those stages of the journey, whether by cooperating with the student’s agency or by helping the student find a good fit for them going forward.

A: MTS is structured around three main components that we could simply sum up in three words: Head (knowledge gained in a more formal, classroom setting), Heart (character development obtained in a informal, relational context), and Hands (cross-cultural discipleship and evangelism skills applied in a non-formal, true-to-life setting). We don’t separate these elements into different sections of the program, but they are all integrated and woven together throughout the 5-month training. From week one of MTS, our staff are seeking to engage your head, heart, and hands simultaneously, which results in a holistic approach that has proven to be highly effective for our graduates.

A: This is a loaded question, and the answer could be very nuanced and multi-faceted. However, if you’re a follower of Jesus who is passionate about seeing Him made known among the nations and wants to be both mentored and equipped for cross-cultural discipleship and evangelism (whether that is overseas in the 10/40 Window or stateside among immigrants, refugees, and international students), you are an ideal candidate for MTS or a similar program! A holistic training program like MTS is vastly different from a degree in Intercultural Studies from a university or having gone on a missions trip, and so having done either of those things definitely does not preclude you from a training like MTS. If you would like to share the specifics of your situation and talk through whether or not MTS would be a good fit for you, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our Missions Advisors! We’d love to discuss this question with you and your specific situation in mind!

A: In the past 10 years, over one million people have immigrated to Atlanta from all around the world. Clarkston, which is located right outside of the city, is home to thousands of refugees who have tragically had to flee for their lives from their own countries. This creates a unique melting-pot of culture within this one little famous town. It’s been said that there are over 50 different nations and 90+ unreached people groups represented in Clarkston. So while we could offer this training overseas, one of the beauties of it being stateside in an ethnically diverse area like Clarkston is that it opens the door for you to experience incredible cross-cultural interactions and relationships with people from literally all over the world.

If you have additional questions, check out our MTS FAQ webpage or connect with one of our Missions Advisors today!

Written by: Laney Mills