• Missionary candidates should have been discipled as Christ followers prior to this training. The discipleship process should include at least the following:
  • • Clear expression of their desire to follow Christ and that Jesus is Lord of their life
    • Water Baptism
    • Six months to one year of one on one or small group discipleship meeting regularly for Bible Study and Prayer during which questions and life issues are discussed and worked through with a mature follower of Christ
  • The missionary candidate should have experience of regular personal devotion and have an initial commitment to the following biblical truths:
    
    • The authority of the Bible for the church and believer
    • God as creator and redeemer
    • Jesus as Lord, Son of God, and messiah
    • The Holy Spirit
      • Who brings grace,
      • Empowers the Christ follower for holy living and service
      • Leads and guides the believer
• Christians must have a strong personal foundation of faith. While there is no specific length of time we can identify for this process, as we move toward the end of this age, Christians will face hardship and Christian families will face those hardships together. Therefore sufficient time growing as a Christ follower and establishing personal rhythms of faith such as daily prayer and devotion, regular study of scripture, seasons of fasting and seeking God, and experience as part of a group of Christ followers, even if that group is small in number, are critical aspects of the foundation upon which a life of Christian service can be successfully built.
• Practical training activities
  • Spiritual Formation
    
    • Regular prayer and devotional times
      • Personal prayer and devotion (daily)
      • Small group interaction (daily if possible)
      • Family Devotions
    • Practice caring for the spiritual life of the missionary’s family including both spouse and children. If the missionary is not married they most likely will be one day and they will be building churches with families. So in every case this is important experience.
  • Discussion Groups
    
    • Every lesson must be discussed in the learners’ primary language. Discussion should include:
      • Content understanding
      • Contextual issues such as culture
      • Application of the teaching: personally, in the family, and in outreach ministry
    • Discussion groups are best done in person but if that is not possible WhatsApp, Zoom, or other online tools can be used
  • Outreach activities:
    
    • If possible going out 2 by 2 or in small groups is excellent for evangelism
    • If it is not possible to do evangelism in this way here are some alternatives:
      • Role Playing – practice sharing one’s testimony or sharing about Jesus with others in the program
      • Learners can list 5 possible people they would like to share Jesus with and whom they feel they could intentionally build a relationship. List their people; pray for them by name daily, begin a relationship with at least one during their training.
      • Find or create opportunities to pray for the sick:
        • Pray together that God will release His anointing and healing power
        • Use anointing oil when possible, lay hands, be led by the Spirit
        • If possible students may pray for the sick during weekly church services. If that is not possible be creative.
  • Church planting activities – specific to those working in Muslim dominated or unreached areas.
    
    • Experience small group and house church dynamics together as students train. Many missionaries come from a church setting that is larger and more established than they will begin as missionaries among unreached people groups so it is essential they spend time together functioning as a small church. Other missionaries in training have never experienced even a small or house church gathering and for these it is also important they develop a vision for how the church will be that they will plant and then multiply.
    • Experience small group discipleship as a leader/facilitator

Thoughts and Guidelines for Training Missionaries and Christian Leaders

• The level 1 certificate is intended to be a 50/50 mix of practical training and academic study. Each course can be done in 1 week so a typical time frame would include 10 weeks of classes and 10 weeks of practical training. Incorporated into the materials provided in each class are discussion questions and activities that can help the learner to allow the Spirit to work the truths more deeply into their lives. When combined with time at home, travel, and other considerations that would be approximately 6 months to complete the level 1 program.
• Ministry is built upon relationship. Therefore, it is essential that the leader who will be sending out missionaries by personally involved in their training. By this the missionary and their apostolic/sending oversight work together in close personal relationship with a common sense of purpose and vision under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. As sending organizations grow the relational component can be lost which will often lead to primarily a financial connection and then to differences of vision and purpose and eventually failure.
• Sending organizations should consider working through the training provided on the Go with Jesus site for missionary trainers and senders.