Pathways to Mission

At SIM, our staff will work with you and your church to find a ministry which suits your unique calling, gifts, and season of life, whether you’re just finishing school or university, raising a family, navigating an empty nest, or enjoying retirement.

We will support, equip and encourage you in your journey, and place you alongside others who share your calling.

Short-term ministry

Serving short-term is a a great way to step into mission. You can go to just about any location where we have ministries. You can go on your own or as part of a team, for anywhere from a couple of weeks to a year. The ideal time is one to two months, because this gives you a richer understanding of the ministry than something which is little longer than a holiday.

It gives you the chance to see ministry in action and learn directly from those already serving. A short-term trip is often the start of longer term involvement.

This pathway is suitable for young adults, retirees, or anyone exploring mission.

Mid-term ministry

This would typically be for one to two years and would involve working with your local SIM office to find the ministry which best suited your passions, gifts and skills. It can be appropriate for those who want a deeper understanding of mission and how it works in practice, before committing to long-term service. It may also be appropriate for those who want to encourage their church to fully support them in mission work.

This pathway is suitable for young adults, families, or those who sense God’s call to mission.

Long-term ministry

If you feel God has called you to long-term mission, we’d love to journey with you. We have many opportunities to serve in communities where Jesus is least known. Typically, you would spend up to two years learning language and culture; giving you the opportunity to share your faith with your teachers and others in the community. 

After that, you’d step into more formal ministry, based on your passions, skills and gifts and on your team’s strategy to reach the local community with the good news of Jesus.

This pathway is suitable for people who sense God’s call to long-term mission work.

“If it’s God, don’t fight it. Can it be overwhelming? Can it be scary? Yes, it can be but if we’re in the middle of His will, we’re safe no matter where we’re going… let Him walk you through it.” 

Internships

Internships are a more focused version of short-term mission, with a clear role and ministry from the start. You would serve in this specific ministry for a designated period of time. 

This could include serving in healthcare, education or within a local church, gaining hands-on experience while contributing in meaningful ways.

This pathway is suitable for those looking to explore a specific area of mission while developing your own skills and understanding.

Volunteering

If you’re looking for something flexible, volunteering could be the perfect fit. You would give your time without needing to raise financial support for living costs, and you can decide how much time you’d like to give each week. You would have a great deal of flexibility in when, where and how you serve.

This pathway is best in a ministry in your home country.

Missional Business

Business can be a great way to do mission, especially in places where it is difficult to speak openly of Jesus’s desire to bring people into his kingdom. It is significantly different from other pathways to mission and SIM is very open to new ways of doing this. Possibilities include:

• Starting your own business: This is a key way of doing mission in places where it is difficult for Jesus followers to share their faith. It requires a strong entrepreneurial spirit, very good business planning and a strong desire to share your faith with employees, clients and others in the business world. 
• Working for an existing business: This is sometimes called Professionals in Mission. You would look for a job in a company in a country where Jesus is least known and operate as a full-time employee. You would seek to share your faith with your colleagues and through the relationships you build in the community. 

This pathway can be served either full or part-time.

Specific mission work opportunities

This is a very obvious pathway! If your work experience has given you a particular set of skills which are readily transferable around the globe, we can use you. Examples would include teaching, healthcare and office administration or leadership. We always have many unfilled ministry opportunities. It may be that your experience makes you the perfect fit for one of them, so have a look at our current opportunities. If you feel God calling you to a role, do get in touch.

Find your pathway

Some of these pathways naturally overlap, so the best way to find the one that’s right for you is to have a conversation with us. We’d love to come alongside you, exploring how your passions, skills and gifts could be used to share the gospel with communities who have yet to hear about Jesus.