On MCN’s team, we currently have three mission mobilizers. If you’re like many people, you might look at that job title and think, “What does that mean?”
Steve Hawthorne (who co-edited the Perspectives missions course) defines mobilization as “helping God’s people to move with God in His Mission.”
While a recruiter tries to get people to fill specific positions, meeting quotas and matching job requirements, as mission mobilizers we realize only God can call people into missions. What we want is to help people follow His lead. You can think of mobilizers as coaches or guides.
How can a mobilizer help? We are here to listen, talk, and pray with people about missions. We have served in global missions ourselves and have worked with missionary candidates and missionaries on the field all over the world. We can share information and our own experiences, listen and help people process their own gifts and calling, and pray with and for them as they follow God’s lead.
What is a call with a mobilizer like? A call with a mobilizer could look like a lot of different things depending on what stage a person is at and what they are looking for. We love to hear about a person’s experiences with missions and how Christ is growing them and ask questions to draw out some of these motivators and fears or barriers to missions. We can share ideas about how particular experiences, gifts, and talents might fill a need on the field. Maybe someone is curious about what life on the mission field is really like, and we can share our stories from the field as well as the stories of other MCN mission partners. A person might have questions about the application process, requirements, or skills needed as a missionary. We have answers and resources about this that we can walk through. Maybe family is not as open to cross-cultural missions as the candidate is. We would love to talk and pray about that. We can make connections to a mission partner or overseas field. Or maybe a person just wants someone to pray for and with them as they take the first step in exploring missions or discerning Christ’s call. Each call will sound different as we meet people where they are.
How do I know if I’m ready to talk with a mobilizer? If you’re interested in missions and want to talk about it, we want to have that conversation. There’s no commitment in talking and no threshold of interest or readiness you have to reach before you reach out. Talking to us isn’t a commitment to go overseas. It’s just a way to invite another voice into the conversation. (And don’t worry about “taking up our time.” Talking with you makes our day every time!)
How does a mobilizer walk with you through the discernment and application process? Again this is different in the details for each person. It typically starts with conversations about where God is moving you and what he is pointing out in your life. Those conversations help mobilizers give you information about possible fits, and also help us pray for you. If you decide to consider serving overseas with MCN, we will walk you through every step of the application process, from the application itself to the interview to onboarding and training. Throughout the process, we are there to talk, pray, and guide – trusting that however God leads will be good.
What is a mobilizer’s goal? We want to see you engage in God’s mission in the way He has called you to do. If this is overseas with MCN, awesome! If this is overseas with another organization, awesome! If this is praying for missions, supporting a missionary financially, encouraging a friend to go, connecting your church or classroom with missionaries, or educating others about God’s mission, awesome!
We’re all on the same team and on the same Mission – and that mission is God’s. If there’s any way we can help you engage with missions, we are excited to be there. Just reach out!
As the book The COACH Model reminds us, “Spiritual discernment is a social, not individualistic process.”
You’re not alone in this.
Together in HIS Mission,
Emily, Kourtnie, and Kayla
