That’s a good thing, because calling and preparation go hand in hand. Passion without formation burns out quickly. Paul told Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
Preparation is a form of stewardship.
Building Support Systems
When Donna and I moved to Buffalo, we had heart for mission but not much of a support network. We learned the hard way that mission is not a solo project. It’s the body of Christ on the move.
One of the great obstacles to mission sending today isn’t lack of opportunity but resistance. It can be resistance from those pushing against God’s calling, or from well-meaning parents and grandparents who don’t want to see their loved ones go. I understand that tension—I have daughters myself. But we have to remember that these are not our children to keep; they belong to the Lord who sends them.
Pastors and leaders, we have an opportunity to help students and young adults discerning God’s call. They need mentors, prayer teams, and sending churches. We need to develop a culture of sending, for them and their loved ones. They need a community that celebrates calling, and provides pathways toward preparation.
Churches once had Sunday schools, mission societies, and weeknight gatherings where global mission was central. As things have shifted and simplified, pastors must intentionally reintegrate mission into their discipleship ecosystems: preaching, prayer, small groups, and leadership development.
Every church—no matter its size—needs a clear pathway for identifying, mentoring, and sending those whom God calls. That might include mission awareness classes, partnerships with agencies, or simple commissioning moments in worship.
When your church celebrates obedience publicly, it normalizes sending. It says to the congregation, “This is what we do—we send our best.”
The Fruit of Obedience
If someone had told me at 21 that I’d one day serve as a dean of a seminary, a missiologist, and a church planter, I would have laughed. That wasn’t the plan. The only plan was obedience—the next faithful step. Yet obedience has a way of opening doors you could never unlock yourself.
The Lord often entrusts greater responsibility to those who prove faithful with small beginnings. Church planters become trainers. Missionaries become mentors. Pastors become mobilizers. That’s how God multiplies his work.
That’s the focus of our pastors’ and church leaders’ cohort at Urbana 25. I hope you will join me there. Because the challenge before us now is generational. The “great century of missions” may be behind us, but the next great century can begin if we will again say “Yes” to God’s call.
