Young adults may change the way we do missions

Christian young adults see missions as something important. But they want to change the way it is done. You may be surprised to see what they say yes and no to.

Aged in their mid 30ies the young entrepreneurial couple from Europe sensed God’s calling to Asia. Thus, they decided to sell their businesses, and bring their money, skills, and faith with them into the unknown. Fundraising was not an option. Instead, they wanted to make a living through their work. In many ways they experienced that God had prepared the ground. Now they have served the Lord and the society they live in for close to ten years. Their jobs have provided for all their financial needs.

The future of missions

This couple is pioneering what the future of missions most likely will look like if today’s young adults will be allowed to decide. 31 percent of young adults asked in a survey conducted by Barna Research last year, say that they consider going as entrepreneurs if they are to serve God and do missions in another nation. A similar share (32 percent) says that they would consider going as business leaders. In the survey young adults are defined as people aged 18-34. Their interest for using entrepreneurship and business in missions is twice as high as in the group aged 35 years and above. Asked whether missionaries should run businesses, seven of ten young adults answer either “always” or “sometimes”.

Mission ointment

The survey is conducted among what Barna Research labels as “engaged, churchgoing Christians” in the US. These are people who amongst others attend a protestant church at least once a month, are engaged in the church outside of the services and have made a commitment to Jesus that is important in their lives. The survey results serve as ointment on open wounds for everyone who has feared that new generations of believers will see missions as less important. 71 percent of the teenagers asked answers that missionary work is very valuable. 72 percent of the young adults say the same. 50 percent of the young adults are open to going. They do however desire to find new ways of doing missions, and they are very skeptical towards the fundraising model of supporting those who are sent. “27 percent of the young adults state that missionaries never should use fundraising as a way of financing their work,” says the Barna report that is named “The future of missions”. It quotes one representative of the younger generation who has been on a short-term missionary trip:" I have fundraised but will never do it again. It is not right to ask others to pay for my dreams, in my opinion. It cheapens the work.”

Tent-faking

The Barna report shares several stories about entrepreneurs and professionals who have used their skills to serve God and people. Allan is one of them. He was a church planter for more than 12 years. Over time he felt called to the financial sector to do business as mission. Now he goes “wherever jobs and Jesus are needed”. He also trains missionaries to become good businesspeople. “When business as mission first started, we just dressed missionaries up in business attire. They were not tentmakers, they were tent-fakers,” he shares. Now he works to change this. He also helps professionals onto the mission field. People who have spent their lives getting MBAs and running great companies are no longer second-class Christians, but can have an immediate Kingdom impact,” he shares. The Barna Research report urges mission leader to help young people to use their imagination when it comes to how they can serve as missionaries. “We must ask what kind of conversations we can lead to help people broaden their understanding of “missionary”, states the report.