“Is God calling me into missions?” you wonder. You ask yourself, “How can I get clarity about all the thoughts going around in my mind?” The path to missions can feel overwhelming and that’s where a coach comes in, someone to help you make sense of your thoughts, someone you can trust to guide you on the journey. Imagine the relief if you could find someone you can talk to, someone who will listen without judging, someone who asks questions to help you process. Such people exist, they are called coaches.

From initial questions wondering about where your life’s journey will take you to gaining certainty of God’s call on your life, having someone to process with will make your story so much easier. And when you decide to pursue a path into missions, someone to guide you on the journey will ensure you get to where you want to go.

Not everybody who can help you on this journey will call themselves a coach. Some would say they are just being a friend, but they have the wisdom of being able to ask the right questions to get you thinking. Look for someone with spiritual maturity and approach them to see if they could be a listener, someone who will take an interest in you. Look for someone already in ministry who would take time to answer your questions.

If it’s specific questions about missions and how to live out your faith that’s on your mind, talk to a missions coach in a mission organisation such as SIM. They can help you engage in God’s mission right where you are or answer your questions about how to work cross-culturally.

Whether it is a friend, a respected person in ministry or a trained coach, the goal is to have someone who can speak into your life, help you clarify your goals and guide you to get where God is calling you. It’s hard going it alone and more often than not, it is easy to give up. Becoming what God wants you to be and feeling ready and equipped for missions is an awesome place to be in. A coach can help you get to this space and help you experience joy on the journey.
-Helen Cowie

“Before I went to serve at Sahel Academy in Niger, SIM put me in touch with Lois and Dave Freeman, who had also been to Niger, and spent some
of their time at Sahel Academy.

“It was so helpful to talk to someone who knew the country and the school I was going to. Since Niger is such a foreign place for Kiwis to visit, I really appreciated connecting with others who had been there. Lois also put me in touch with a couple of young women who were also serving in Niger, and I was able to establish friendships with them, before I landed.

“While I was there, Lois and Dave come out to Niger for a few months so I got to reconnect with them. It was so helpful to have others who understood the context I served in, particularly when I was processing some of the challenges.

“The mentoring, support and guidance Lois and Dave provided has turned into an ongoing friendship and I regularly connect with them in New Zealand. That friendship has been an unexpected gift that has come from my time serving in Niger.”
— Nicola Burrows

If you’d like to know more, contact Helen here