Choosing a mission

How do you choose one mission to join when there are many great agencies? Do you even need a mission agency? Start by figuring out who you are. What are you passionate about—a particular kind of ministry, a country, a people group? Think about your gifting and what interests you. Your unique experience may also affect your decision. Now that you have narrowed down the options, recognize that mission agencies also have distinct personalities. Here are some questions to ask:

  • What is the leadership and organizational structure?
  • What is the mission’s stated purpose? Is it accomplishing that? How? Do these goals excite you?
  • Is the mission growing?
  • How does the mission relate to the churches at home? Does it serve and support the local church?
  • How does the mission relate to the churches overseas? How do the missionaries relate to the local believers and leaders? Are they servants or rulers?
  • How are finances and support handled? How are support requirements determined?
  • Will they train you to raise support?
  • Is the mission a good steward of funds? Does the mission publish annual audits?
  • For married couples, are both spouses accepted? How does the mission handle families?
  • What roles are open for women, married or single?
  • How does the mission care for its missionaries? What initial and continuing training is offered?
  • Does the mission have a good reputation?

If you feel God is leading you into missions, talk with your pastor, mission professor, and missionaries you know. SEND International may or may not be your first choice but we would be happy to talk with you. We are open to all your questions and we’ll do our best to give you helpful answers. You can read more about how SEND cares for its workers here , or click here to get in contact with a mobilizer in your area.

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By Michelle Atwell December 23, 2025
When God First Widened My World: Remembering Urbana 1996 I still remember the winter air. It was December 1996, and I was a junior at Oakland University in Rochester Michigan, serving as a small group leader with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship—the ministry that had profoundly shaped my faith since my freshman year. I was growing spiritually, serving faithfully in my local church, and stepping into leadership on campus. Attending Urbana felt like the natural next step. Urbana only happened every three years, and I knew that once I graduated, I might miss the chance altogether. My church believed in that moment enough to cover the cost. They entrusted me—and my campus minister—with a van full of college students, driving from Detroit to Champaign-Urbana during the quiet days between Christmas and New Year’s. I had heard the stories: thousands of students, passionate worship, a clear call to live fully for Jesus. What I encountered exceeded every expectation. A Campus Taken Over by the Kingdom Buses poured in from every direction, unloading students onto a snow- covered campus. Dorm rooms filled. Cafeterias buzzed. The entire university seemed overtaken—not by noise or spectacle, but by a quiet, collective hunger for God. For the first time in my life, I met students from places far beyond Michigan— Harvard, Loyola, Wheaton. My world was expanding in real time. I don’t remember every speaker or session. What I do remember is the unmistakable clarity of the invitation. God was bigger than I had ever imagined. Not just personal. Not just local. He was King of the nations. And there were people—millions of them—who had never heard His name. The question was simple, but it felt weighty: Would I commit my life, in whatever way God asked, to the Great Commission? Explore God’s leading toward the nations with a SEND missions coach.
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