Singleness does not have to be an obstacle to going — it can be your greatest gift in serving.

Sacrificial giving does not have to begin once you have a ‘real job.’ Consider building the habit of giving into your life now!

Why do we need to honor our parents as we pursue God’s mission? Because He asks us to.

During a season that is meant to bring glory to God and allow Christians to give back to others through service and generosity, why not also be intentional to be missional? Here are ten fun, easy ways to live missionally during the holiday season and during your winter break!

What does honoring your father and mother mean for someone who may desire to go overseas but their parents disagree with their decision?

If there’s some possession, pursuit, or passion that we have not subjugated under His rule we dare not call ourselves a true Jesus follower.

Although the Bible has a lot to say about money and how we handle it, the most foundational truth is this: all money is God’s and should therefore be used for His purposes. 

So you want to be a sender?  Great.  But how do you decide where to give?  Here are a few guidelines for choosing where your money goes.

How to pack for your mission trip like a pro.  Ten killer tips from Todd Ahrend.

Wishing your parents were supportive of you going overseas?  Here’s some great advice from someone who has a passion for missions---and is as a parent, too.

“You’re an embarrassment to the family – you shouldn’t be begging, looking for a handout!” I was stunned by my aunt’s exclamation as we ate lunch at a restaurant near her retirement community. Clearly, she didn’t understand my lifestyle of missionary support raising, nor did she agree. She made it plain that she would not participate in my financial support.

Support raising can be daunting, no matter if you've done it before or this is your first time.  Here's a quick list of do's and don't's that will help you get started confidently. 

Be a learner not a knower. Be a server not a master. Be a listener not a speaker. Go with only the expectations that you are open to God’s plan and you want to be used in any way he wants to use you. Go with the heart that you have been sent by God. Act like a diplomat of God’s kingdom, because you are.

It is easy to be critical. I was once listening to a teacher from a European country lecture at a U.S. seminary on the evils of short-term missions. It was a highly critical lecture (with which I largely agreed), but there was no direction for what was appropriate in short-term missions. I don’t think he realized that he was actually participating in what I would classify as a short-term missions trip—a full-time intensive visit to another culture for a focused time of vocational ministry.

Short-term missions is fraught with problems, and many wish such trips did not exist, at least in the common form today. Robert Lupton says, “Contrary to popular belief, most missions trips and service projects do not: empower those being served, engender healthy cross-cultural relationships, improve quality of live, relieve poverty, change the lives of participants [or] increase support for long-term missions work.” Ouch! What follows will surely frustrate many.

The missionary movement, once filled mostly with trained vocational ministers, has slowly gotten younger and less trained. Now, due to students’ flexibility, most trips are geared for those between 15 and 22 years old. It seems that almost anytime I travel overseas I see a pack of students wearing the same colored shirts with a Bible verse on the back that announces their intentions.

Inviting an international student home with you is one of the best ways to welcome them to our country and demonstrate the love of Christ.  But we know bringing an international student into your family can be a little intimidating, so we asked Andy Pearce for some advice. 

The term "unreached" was made popular by mission leaders seeking to prioritize ethnic people groups with little or no exposure to the Gospel. Today, the term has become a catchword used by all kinds of ministries that do not necessarily focus on unreached people groups.

Ignorance is bliss but it can also be deadly. One of the most dangerous misuses of Christian phrases I’ve heard recently is the overuse of the phrase, “unreached people group.” I’ve heard people use that phrase to talk about efforts to reach college campuses, friends, clubs, and neighborhoods. It is a term that has been used more and more in the Christian subculture to validate missional status quo rather than raise the alarm for people groups who are entirely cut off from the gospel.

In this excerpt from his book, Hold Fast, Josh Cooper talks about the dangers of materialism. 

Josh Cooper tells us that support raising is not unbiblical, but an un-american idea. Taken from his book Hold Fast.

In this excerpt from his book Hold Fast, Josh Cooper encourages us that debt is not the end of the world. 

Josh Cooper helps bring clarity to the chaos of "calling." Taken from his book Hold Fast.

Taken from his book Hold Fast, Josh Cooper talks about the danger in minimizing the gospel. 

Josh Cooper talks about the truth that Jesus is the only way. Taken from his book Hold Fast.

Taken from his book Hold Fast, Josh Cooper talks about missions and your family. 

Take a look at what Josh Cooper's book Hold Fast has to say about relationships and missions. 

Taken from his book Hold Fast, Josh Cooper with guest writer Sarah Allen, talks about companionship and community.