What is a Christian mission organization?

A mission organization, or sending agency, recruits, trains, sends, and supports workers who share the good news of Jesus across cultures. Examples include Wycliffe Bible Translators, YWAM, and Operation Mobilization.

How do I choose a mission agency?

Start with your local church, which can point you to agencies it already trusts. Look for a good fit with your calling and skills, sound finances and care for workers, and a clear commitment to the gospel and to local churches.

Christian Missions

Christian Mission Organizations

Christian mission organizations, often called mission agencies or sending organizations, exist to recruit, train, send, and support workers who carry the good news of Jesus across cultures. Some are broad, such as YWAM and Operation Mobilization; others are focused, like Wycliffe Bible Translators for Scripture translation or Mercy Ships for medical care. Most work hand in hand with local churches, both the ones who send and the ones being planted.

What a mission organization does

A sending agency handles what one church cannot do alone: screening and training, cross-cultural preparation, on-field care, member support, finances, and safety. It lets a worker be sent well and cared for over the long haul.

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Romans 10:14-15

The kinds of agencies

Broad sending agencies, such as YWAM (Youth With A Mission), Operation Mobilization (OM), SIM, Pioneers, and Frontiers.
Bible translation agencies, such as Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL International. See Bible translation organizations.
Evangelism and media agencies, such as Cru and The JESUS Film Project.
Relief and medical agencies, such as Samaritan’s Purse and Mercy Ships. See medical missions.
Church-planting agencies and networks. See church planting networks.

How to find and partner with one

Ask your church which agencies they already trust and support; sending is meant to be shared. A church can vouch for an agency, help you discern a fit, and stand behind you. Find a church to begin, and if you lead one, see our tools for missions.

A word on safety. Many workers serve in places where being known as a Christian missionary is dangerous. Trustworthy sending agencies never publish the names, exact locations, or family details of workers in sensitive or restricted regions, and neither do we. If you are exploring this, follow a real organization’s guidance on discretion, and pray for those you will never be able to name.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Christian mission organization?: A mission organization, or sending agency, recruits, trains, sends, and supports workers who share the good news of Jesus across cultures. Examples include Wycliffe Bible Translators, YWAM, and Operation Mobilization.
How do I choose a mission agency?: Start with your local church, which can point you to agencies it already trusts. Look for a good fit with your calling and skills, sound finances and care for workers, and a clear commitment to the gospel and to local churches.

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Behind every mission is a Person

All of this, the sent workers, the translated Scriptures, the songs on the radio and the books on the shelf, exists for one reason: so that people who have never heard might hear of Jesus, and love him. If you have never met him yourself, you do not need a passport or a program to begin. Read his own words, and see. The Gospel of John is a gentle place to start, and it costs you nothing but a little quiet and an honest look.

Meet Jesus Read the Gospel of John Ask for prayer

Jesus Christ is Lord.

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