# Is it biblical to recruit for missions?



## Pergamum (Dec 19, 2010)

?

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Why or why not? And how and how not?


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## Herald (Dec 19, 2010)

I suppose it depends on what you mean by _recruit_. If a missionary is making a personal appeal (via a missions conference, newsletter, furlough visit etc.) for workers, that may be perfectly fine. The same goes for a missions board visiting a bible college, seminary, or church. There is nothing wrong with making the need for workers known. The next step is a bit different: determining a call to missions. That is where the local church steps in.


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## Ivan (Dec 19, 2010)

At Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, all of the students were asked to consider if God was calling them to the mission field. I considered it and I was not. I don't know of any harm this did, although there were those who started the process and droppped out of it at some point. I suppose that may have caused some angst from them.


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## au5t1n (Dec 19, 2010)

Are you asking about recruiting missionaries (i.e. men ordained and called by the Church to take the gospel somewhere) or their various fellow-workers who help out with the needs of the new church and community?


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## Wannabee (Dec 19, 2010)

Some "recruiters" offer hard sale heavy guilt trips to attempt to get folks into missions. This sort of recruitment is worldly and should be avoided. Often they get what they ask for too, with missionaries who are not ready.

But I do think making needs known and offering opportunities to possible missionaries is a good idea. This is a good place for short-term missions. Some say the return isn't worth the expense and work. If done well, I disagree. It fosters vision for missions and helps take out the romance so that people see it for what it is; a glorious, and yet very difficult, work of Christ.

I also think it's fine to approach anyone who is already serving or has shown their faithfulness and ask them to go as missions. In this it seems we're too sensitive to stealing pastors. But the church should have a vision for sending out the best she has to offer, and that often would be the main preacher. The elders can work with the next guy. They already have the training, knowledge and resources. Send the guy who is mostly likely to have the greatest impact for Jesus.


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## Herald (Dec 19, 2010)

Wannabee said:


> Some "recruiters" offer hard sale heavy guilt trips to attempt to get folks into missions.



Joe, this is why local church guidance is so important. Elders can cut through all the heavy-handed sales tactics.


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## jambo (Dec 19, 2010)

A mission agency may send someone to a church to speak about the work in a particular country and explain the needs. It is up to the Holy Spirit to convict people that is for them. It's a bit like the parable of the sower. Some people with a real sense for adventure or a desire to escape their current dull situation or any number of other reasons may express a desire for foreign mission fields. But when the first of many obstacles confronts them they give up. Those genuinely called don't give up and get there in the end. Others hear the needs and may be moved to think that someone should should do something but they are not convinced it is them. Those genuinely called are convinced and it is this conviction from the Holy Spirit that gets them there in the end.

In terms of what the recruitment message is one needs to be balanced and careful. It is easy to build up anti-Catholic or anti-Moslem or anti-whatever religion. It is easy to paint an overly dramatic picture of a missionary situation or to highlight encouragements to such a degree that makes people think the missionary is super blessed and that they will be too if they can get there. Or to highlight discouragements and hardships that make people think the martyrdom of the missionary is inevitable and that he is super brave for even being there.

When I was engaged in deputation work I just simply preached and may have used illustrations from the missionfield. If anyone was interested in missions then they could talk with me privately afterwards. My experience was that if ten people spoke to me nine of them were not really interested or were just not equipped or just plainly not suitable. Only one person may be genuinely interested but for every ten people who appeared genuinely interested at the initial stage, 7-8 would drop out before officially starting the selection process whilst only one of the two or three who embark on the selection process would make it through. For every 10 who make it though the selection process less than half will be on the missionfield ten years later.

---------- Post added at 10:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 PM ----------

Actually I don't think I answered the question posed. The answer is yes. The Apostle Paul asked for helpers or sent some of his companions to help others. Although the Macedonian Call was a unique vision to Paul but I think there is a principle there of responding to cries for help.


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## Scott1 (Dec 19, 2010)

Can you be more specific in the question? E.g. Who recruits, to whom is the recruiting done, and what do we mean by missions?


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## Wannabee (Dec 19, 2010)

Herald said:


> Wannabee said:
> 
> 
> > Some "recruiters" offer hard sale heavy guilt trips to attempt to get folks into missions.
> ...


 
Absolutely. I was actually thinking of your post when I wrote that.  Thanks for pointing that out.


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## Pergamum (Dec 20, 2010)

What are some of the best practices and worst practices you have seen?


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## cih1355 (Dec 20, 2010)

Wannabee said:


> Some "recruiters" offer hard sale heavy guilt trips to attempt to get folks into missions. This sort of recruitment is worldly and should be avoided. Often they get what they ask for too, with missionaries who are not ready.



Hard sale heavy guilt trips or high pressure tactics shouldn't be used to get people into missions. God doesn't want every Christian to be a missionary in a foreign country. You don't have to be a missionary in a foreign country in order to seek first God's kingdom or to offer your body as a living sacrifice.


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