Reflection Questions

Chapter 1: The Lay of the Land

• How might your retirement dreams change if you embraced your later years as a ministry asset and a stewardship rather than a liability?
• What did you find most interesting or surprising about the responses of missionaries to the idea of older people joining their teams?  
• What are some of your favorite ministry memories? Can you imagine doing something similar in a new culture and location?

Chapter 2: Taking Stock

• In what ways do you match your image of a good missionary? In what ways do you not?
• What attracts you about ministry or life in another culture?
• Is there a part of the world where you would love to live and could make an impact for the gospel?
• What life circumstances affect your availability for global missions?‍
  
  • Family obligations: Who depends on you? What does your family need from you now and in the next few years? How are they likely to respond to the idea of you moving overseas, or to a different part of the country?‍
  • Spiritual maturity: How strong is your walk with the Lord? How involved are you at church? How well can you explain the Bible and the basics of the Christian faith?‍
  • Physical health: How healthy are you? How much energy do you have? What doctors, medications, or treatments do you need access to?‍
  • Emotional resilience: How good are you at managing change and handling stress? What situations make you anxious? How much do you feel a need to control your surroundings?‍
  • Finances: How much longer do you expect to work? What income sources do you have or anticipate in retirement? What ongoing financial obligations do you have?
• What does finishing well mean to you?
• Are you ready to dream? Willing to listen? Brave enough to explore?
• What is holding you back from wholehearted involvement? What do you need to process? Are you ready to move forward in confidence and faith, whether you go to the mission field or not?
• How has the Lord used you in the past? What kinds of ministry involvement have been fruitful? What have other people recognized in you?
• What factors and events have shaped you? What has God helped you overcome?
• What skills and experiences has God entrusted to you that could benefit the global Body of Christ?
• What kind of needs on ministry teams or in sending agencies can you envision meeting?
• Who do you already know who might be able to help you learn more?
• What is God giving you a new opportunity to do?

Chapter 3: Counting the Cost

• How can you find accurate information about the aspects of cross-cultural life that concern you?
• Are you ready to depend on the Lord and on His people for provision, no matter the ratio of fundraising and self-funding you choose?
• What relational losses might you realistically experience if you pursue global missions in the next chapter of life?
• Are you open to learning a new language to the level that makes sense for your ministry? Are you willing to ask for help when you need it?
• Do you believe global missions is worth the cost? If so, are you prepared to make the sacrifices?

Language-learning questions to ask prospective teams:

• Who do you think I’ll interact with most of the time?
• How much study would it take for me to be independent in daily life (shopping, transportation, etc.)?
• What will my relationships with locals be like?
• How will people react to me if I don’t speak their language? How will they react if I do?
• How do most missionaries in this area learn language?
• What resources are available if I need extra help?

Chapter 4: Staying Close

• How can you connect with unreached communities in your area? Who could you befriend and encourage?
• How might you be able to use your skills to support a sending agency?
• What missions opportunities might technology make possible for you?

Chapter 5: Setting Out

• What is your logical next step toward the mission field?
• Who do you need to update about your interest in global missions?
• What factors are most important to you as you consider joining a sending agency?

Concluding Story

• Are you curious if you’d enjoy market shopping and living out of suitcases? Are you a godly person interested in moving to a dangerous place? Or, like Angie, an available person who wants to introduce people to Jesus?
• Would you like a few extra people to hug you in heaven because you were a part of bringing the gospel to their homeland?