Questions you would ask Missionaries

nightbusheretic14

nightbusheretic14

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I will be going on a missions trip in a few months from now. This is supposed to be a learning experience, but I don't know what to ask the missionaries. Can you guys help me out? If you were going on a trip to the mission field, what kind of questions are you curious to ask missionaries?
 
aleshanee said:
nightbusheretic14 said:
I will be going on a missions trip in a few months from now. This is supposed to be a learning experience, but I don't know what to ask the missionaries. Can you guys help me out? If you were going on a trip to the mission field, what kind of questions are you curious to ask missionaries?
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as with any foreign country that one intends to take up residence and work in.......... it;s important to know what things you should avoid doing so as not to give offense unnecessarily.......... it;s also important to know what things you can do... or simple customs to adopt... that the locals will find pleasing and therefore accept you more readily.....some things americans find amusing are considered serious insults in some foreign countries..... and the opposite is also true..... some of the things they might brush off easily can dig into an americans most serious hang ups.........  depending on your purpose for being there you may or not want to please them.... or offend them... either way......... but those are still good things to know even if your intention is to pass through a country unnoticed....... but vital if you intend to work with them...minister to them effectively..... or convert them to your own beliefs........

just my opinions..... but it;s a few things i picked up from family members who do a lot of work in foreign countries...... and also from seeing mainland americans come to the culture that i live and make horrendous mistakes.....  8)....
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A former pastor of mine started his ministry out of college as a missionary to a tribe in Indonsia, IIRC. He said that when he and his bride moved into their hut, they came back from ministering and found all their stuff gone. That night the older missionary couple that was training them, gathered around the tribal people and told the new missionary couple to rant and rave and scream and demand their stuff back. My pastor asked why thinking it was inappropriate. The older missionary explained to him that the village understood if he cared about his stuff, he would care about them. So he went on a staged rampage then went back to his hut. Next day, all his stuff was outside his door and the people respected him.

Knowing the culture I would think is crucial.
 
"What does your wife wear to bed?"

:p
 
I think I would contact the missionaries before I left on the trip and ask them what I could do to be a help to them and a blessing to their ministry during my visit.  I would make it clear that I do not view this as a vacation, but that I want to minister to them.  It may be that the missionary needs a strong back to haul buckets of sand and hand-mix cement for the church building, or help digging a well, or someone who can bring a new computer module and install it in his truck, or cut lumber with a handsaw to make some benches.  Maybe he would have a book he would like for you to bring, or a topic of study he would benefit from some in-depth conversations with someone who is willing to study ahead on the same theme.  Whatever the need, ask how you can help, then show up ready to be a blessing.
 
Vaccinations... see vaccinations thread for details ;)
 
How do you feel about Jack Schaap being incarcerated? Fair or unfair?
 
Ask them why missionaries are need in those countries when the Gospel there are plenty of churches that have been there for years and years that a national should have taken over years ago.

There are something like 3000 Baptist missionaries in the Philippines. How many more are needed with big American money supporting them???

Go where this is a need.
 
groupie said:
Ask them why missionaries are need in those countries when the Gospel there are plenty of churches that have been there for years and years that a national should have taken over years ago.

There are something like 3000 Baptist missionaries in the Philippines. How many more are needed with big American money supporting them???

Go where this is a need.
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The irony is that other countries send missionaries to America. My FIL is friends with one, came out of South Africa for the purpose of making disciples so he started a church in the Chicago area. :)
 
groupie said:
Ask them why missionaries are need in those countries when the Gospel there are plenty of churches that have been there for years and years that a national should have taken over years ago.

There are something like 3000 Baptist missionaries in the Philippines. How many more are needed with big American money supporting them???

Go where this is a need.
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How do you get this number?  What is your source?
 
Here is a start

https://www.bwanet.org/about-us2/statistics

Philippines

Baptist Conference of the Philippines, Inc. 430

Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, Inc. - 1,000

Convention of Visayas and Mindanao of Southern Baptist Churches - 1,700

General Baptist Churches of the Philippines, Inc. - 247

Luzon Convention of Southern Baptist Churches, Inc. - 452

PHILIPPINES
  Peter & Nenita Denisi
  Frank Denisi
  David & Virginia Diamante
  Rick & Gaylene Fannin
  Phil & Rachel Frasier
  Christopher & Ivy Hurst
  Layne & Nelia Jones
  Rick & Rebecca Martin
  Rose Pyles
  Bruce & Jeanne Rice
  Douglas & Becky Sisson
  Jonathan & Ellen Sparks
  Robert & Susan Tevault
  Eddie & Rebecca Trimble

And your KJO Baptist list

http://fundamental.org/fundamental/churches/index.php3?action=listchurchesincountry&countryname=Philippines
 
Wow, they are loaded with missionaries.
 
Loaded with IFB and Baptist churches. They do not need any more missionaries there. They are tripping over one another.
 
groupie said:
Loaded with IFB and Baptist churches. They do not need any more missionaries there. They are tripping over one another.
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So, some of the reason could be attributed to the areas response to the gospel. Some would say missions money should go where people respond. The amount of missionaries needed should be in proportion to the response as opposed to the population.

Germany, Australia, The UK, Canada, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, The USofA are "hard" fields.

The Philippines, much of Africa, Mexico and much of South America, "soft" or "fertile" fields.

The argument is , if I apply wisdom to missions, shouldn't I invest my money where the the Great Commission affects the largest volume of people? Invest everywhere, but more where the response is greater.
 
Personally, I think people should be more focused on being missionaries in their own back yards. For people who are interested in international missions (as an additive to the primary call in their own backyards...you don't neglect the former for the latter.), I recommend highly transparent, qualified groups who work with the indigenous churches (e.g. Compassion International). As far as "it's not legal in some countries for missionaries to hold a job", it become a moot point if you go to that country in order to live, work, and create a life where you will naturally focus on being a missionary in your backyard.

A good question for a foreign missionary (or someone going on a foreign missions trip): why should we spend all the money on travel and everything else when there is a ton of need in our local church and neighborhoods, places where we can have a lasting impact as a result of long-term relationships we are able to build?
 
[/quote]So, some of the reason could be attributed to the areas response to the gospel. Some would say missions money should go where people respond. The amount of missionaries needed should be in proportion to the response as opposed to the population.

Germany, Australia, The UK, Canada, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, The USofA are "hard" fields.

The Philippines, much of Africa, Mexico and much of South America, "soft" or "fertile" fields.

The argument is , if I apply wisdom to missions, shouldn't I invest my money where the the Great Commission affects the largest volume of people? Invest everywhere, but more where the response is greater.
[/quote]

They need to train nationals an turn it over to them and move on.
 
So, some of the reason could be attributed to the areas response to the gospel. Some would say missions money should go where people respond. The amount of missionaries needed should be in proportion to the response as opposed to the population.

Germany, Australia, The UK, Canada, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, The USofA are "hard" fields.

The Philippines, much of Africa, Mexico and much of South America, "soft" or "fertile" fields.

The argument is , if I apply wisdom to missions, shouldn't I invest my money where the the Great Commission affects the largest volume of people? Invest everywhere, but more where the response is greater.
[/quote]

They need to train nationals an turn it over to them and move on.
[/quote]I agree, but it still doesn't change what I brought up.
 
It is a never ending cycle fueled by American money. The PI is not fertile, its easy.
 
I would ask a missionary a two-fold question:  How long have you been on the mission field?  How many churches have you planted and turned over to a national in that time?

In my opinion, a new missionary should have a different answer than a seasoned missionary who has been on the field for a number of years.

I suspect that, as a percentage, our churches support more “expat” pastors than bona fide missionaries.  I think of a bona fide missionary as moving around…planting churches, training up nationals to take over those churches, and moving on to another area to do the same thing.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

That being said, if a church wants to support an expat pastor, they have every right to do so.  But they should be aware that they are supporting a pastor who has chosen to plant himself in one place and is not “in the business” of planting churches. 

Perhaps my opinion of what constitutes an effective mission endeavor is faulty, because some of those expat pastors actually do have effective outreach programs.  But what happens when those people they have reached through an English language, sports or youth camp/program return home and have no local church to disciple them?

And to bring my thoughts full circle, are we in America providing effective discipleship to new believers in our own established churches?

Hmm......
 
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