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

Every Christian should live life with an open Bible and an open map.

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.

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.

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.

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 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. 

Before going on a mission trip, you're usually busy preparing everything you need to take with you.  But how do you prepare spiritually?  Here's a 30-day guide to help you do just that. 

Most people have no idea that some of the most important steps in raising support are after you get home from your mission trip. 

When it comes to missions, you’ve probably heard that the person you marry can make or break you.  Sounds a little dramatic, right? But what if someone told the other side of the story?  Hear the story of Valerie and her advice to young people today.