Visiting the Mission Field I

August 23, 2008 – 2:17 pm

In 1999, I had the privilege of accompanying Rob Howell on his survey trip to Tanzania. I had been overseas before, but never for this kind of missions trip. It was incredible and life-changing. Since that time I’ve been able to travel many times to foreign fields and I’d like to offer a series of brief posts as encouragement to do the same for any current and future pastors who are reading this.

My reasons won’t be offered according to rank or importance, simply because it’s hard to decide which is most important (and they overlap with each other some). So, while it might not be my top reason for visiting the mission field, here is my first: It is an incredible learning opportunity! Most of us can be great missionary theoreticians, but until we get out into the field with the practitioners we will be lacking an important ingredient for missions leadership in the local church.

That means we go to the field to listen and learn. Don’t go with a bag full of pat answers. Go with a heart to really understand what that field is like, what the challenges of gospel ministry there are like, and how your church can better pray and help the missionaries. Pastors are almost always in the position of leadership and teaching, but deliberately go to the field to follow the lead of the missionary and learn from him. Of course, you’ll be ministering too, but don’t get so caught up telling that you aren’t asking!

When you get back, make sure you remember that one visit to the mission field makes you as close to a missiologist as learning the Greek alphabet makes you a Greek scholar! I’ve been to East Africa ten times and still feel as if I am swimming in the shallow end of the pool when it comes to understanding ministry there. It takes time to figure out what we don’t know and then look for the answers, and I would imagine few things are more frustrating for missionaries than a pastor who, after spending one week on the field, talks like an expert on missions. Go back to the same field several times to see the progress on the field (and in your knowledge of it). Go to several different fields and ask questions about working there, then think about the commonalities and dissimilarities between fields.

I know that it takes money and time to visit the field, but it is really easier than many (most?) people think. Go, as a learner, and your life and ministry will be changed!