Is God calling you into the mission field? Do you long to share the gospel of Christ with someone who has never heard His name or in another country?
Having that pull on your heart and knowing God is calling you into the mission field can be scary, especially when you are unsure what difficulties you may face or where you may be called to go.
Questions of whether you are physically capable or you need special training may start to crowd your mind. You could even start to doubt the calling the Lord has placed in your heart due to the fear of the unknown. But, they say knowledge is power, and we want to give you the best tools to understand the wonderful opportunities presented to you through our mission program both here at home and abroad.
One of the first things to know is that there are levels of mission trips. Each one is a different challenge level that helps you to understand the difficulties you may face as well as the blessings that can be yours through such an opportunity to serve.
Level One Missions
A level one mission trip is the best way to jump in as a newbie and get a feel for the heart of the Flint Baptist Church missions program. At this level you will have all or most of the creature comforts you are accustomed to: American food, lodging, and culture. Not much changes for you on a level one mission as this could be practiced in your own backyard by helping at the local food bank or traveling somewhere in the United States to help serve a community of fellow believers. It’s an excellent place to learn how to share the gospel for the first time and practice sharing your testimony!
An example of this is our yearly Colorado trip where we help Calvary Severance in Severance Colorado with their summer VBS program and outreach to their local community. The wonderful blessing of air conditioning, a good old fashion american cheeseburger, and the ability to sleep in a comfy bed is all available to those who serve.
Level Two Missions
The next step up is a level two mission trip. This may look similar to our Belize Bible college trips. At a level two you are still accessing some of those comforts we take for granted here at home. You may have air conditioning at night when you sleep, or in a car ride, you will be fed wonderful food, and be blessed by the comradery created with your fellow team members by the new experiences you face. Our purpose here is to immerse you in sharing the gospel in a new culture, but without the culture shock!
At a level two mission trip you will face different challenges than you may have never encountered before. These trips leave US soil for different parts of the world. On these trips you will serve most, if not all, of your time outside, you will be immersed in a new culture, new food, and the beauty of making connections with people outside your normal sphere of influence.
Level Three Missions
Even more challenges arise with a level three mission trip. A great example of this is the Amazon trip. Here you will find your accommodation may be on a boat or hut, and your bed is a hammock. The conditions that you live in and serve in will be more primitive yet you will have access to wonderful food, interact with interesting people, and face situations in your service that you may need more intensive training on before you ship out. We want you to have lots of practice sharing and teaching Jesus as you get comfortable loving others in a new culture.
This level of serving is definitely beyond the borders of America. Be prepared to face your fears of different plant and animal life. But also prepare your heart for the unimaginable joy you will witness as you bring the LIving water and Truth to the people you serve!
Level Four Missions
Last, but I assure you, not least, is our level four mission trips. These are the most intense of them all and will require more training and possibly gear then any of the others. A great example of a level four mission is our trip to Guatemala.
This is a type of trip where you must be physically and mentally prepared to go into the wilderness. You will most likely be cooking your own food, and trekking yourself and supplies out into the wilderness to meet the people in their villages and more remote living conditions. We will have the opportunity to love other cultures well, often taking them the gospel as well as medical and dental supplies.
There will be few creature comforts on these trips so enjoy the air conditioned plane ride there and back! Be prepared for the training you may need to go through before leaving, and know that even on your hardest day you will be making a difference to someone who may have never seen someone outside their own village before.
Every type of mission trip that Flint Baptist Church has to offer is an exciting adventure that will change your life if you allow it. If God is calling you to the mission field, be not afraid! He will give you the endurance and strength you will need at the right moment. In the meantime please feel free to contact our Missions Director, Jana Bishop, or anyone of our congregation who you know has participated in one of our mission trips.
If you feel the tug on your heart to serve in such a way then trust God to lead you where you are needed. He never fails to show us His love and purpose when we let go and trust His will.