Monthly Fellowships

The purpose of these monthly fellowships is to provide a vehicle for future missionaries which can carry them all the way to the mission field.

These groups rest on two core beliefs:

1. The most encouraging person for me to regularly meet with while on my journey to the nations is another person on the journey. We share the same commitment. We face the same difficulties.

2. Currently, no vehicle exists which can continuously help prospective missionaries all the way to the field. Regular participation in such a group can provide that continuity.

Membership: Open to anyone seriously considering becoming a missionary. New members join at any time. Current members leave the group for the mission field, but continue relating with the group. New groups form when membership grows beyond eight people.

Facilitation: Group members with leadership gifts start, coordinate and facilitate the monthly meetings. A co-leader is recommended so that the group continues when the leader leaves for the field.

Coaching:  A variety of mission professionals (missionaries, trainers, recruiters, mobilizers, etc.) can be invited to help coach the members of the fellowship. Together, the members and the mission professionals design content for the monthly meetings based on the needs of the members.

Content: The Global Mission Handbook book may be used in a variety of ways as a primary reference tool for these groups. Some examples include (but are not limited to):

A. Launching A New Group: With an opening orientation the first month, work through the chapters of the in each subsequent monthly meeting.  Have a small group discussion of journal and worksheet entries completed by the group members each month.

B. Needs Based Application: Select sections of the Global Mission Handbook that each member needs based on where they are at on their journey. This may be done with guidance from an outside mentor. If enough group members are on the “same page” that chapter can become content for the monthly meeting.

C. As A Reference Guide: Coaches and the group leader personally assigns homework and suggests application ideas and steps based on various chapters of the Send Me! workbook. This method works well when new members join after most of the group has already worked through the entire book.

For more about these fellowships contact John McVay.

Editor's note: The Journey Deepens Monthly Fellowships are one adaptation of the ministry category called "Fellowships of Future Missionaries."  This approach has various names and formats as it is adapted by different local churches, city-wide mission networks, existing mobilization ministries, mission agencies and campus ministries.