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What does it take to go from feeling called to missions to actually reaching the field? And how can you trust God through the challenges of raising support? In this episode of The Missions Show, hosts Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford welcome Ken Lorow, Director of PreField Ministry at ABWE, who helps prepare and coach new missionaries. Together, they discuss the steps toward missionary service, the biblical foundation for raising support, and why having someone walk alongside you can make all the difference. Through personal stories of God's faithfulness, including a young boy's gift of two pennies, Ken shares how God uses the support-raising journey to build faith, deepen relationships, and prepare missionaries for long-term ministry. They also offer practical advice for inviting others to partner in missions and explain why prefield ministry is about much more than raising funds. Whether you're exploring a call to missions or preparing to go, this conversation will encourage you to take the next step in faith. Key Topics How ABWE coaches prepare and support missionaries before and after reaching the field Why raising financial support is biblical and an invitation to partner in God's work Stories of God's provision during seasons of uncertainty Practical tips for building relationships and inviting ministry partners How prefield ministry builds faith, confidence, and spiritual maturity The value of prayer, church partnerships, and depending on the body of Christ Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email [email protected].

In this exclusive Overtime episode of The Missions Show, hosts Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford continue their conversation with ABWE missionary coach Ken Lorow about the vital role churches play in sending and supporting missionaries. They explore how churches can work together to provide stronger financial support, why building partnerships with both churches and individuals matters, and how sending churches can help missionaries connect with new ministry partners. Scott shares practical ways missionaries can find opportunities to share their calling, even when churches have limited time or resources. Ken also offers advice for veteran missionaries, encouraging them to strengthen relationships with their ministry partners through personal communication, prayer, and genuine care. Throughout the conversation, one message stands out: missionary support is about more than finances. It's about churches, missionaries, and ministry partners working together to advance the gospel.

How should missionaries teach deep biblical truth in cultures where storytelling, rather than reading, is the main way people learn? In this week's episode, Alex and Scott explore “character theology”—using the people, events, and overarching story of Scripture to help believers understand who God is and what he has done. They discuss why missionaries should resist choosing between biblical stories and systematic theology. Instead, the stories of Scripture can give life and context to doctrines that might otherwise seem abstract. Alex and Scott also consider what this means for pastors, teachers, and everyday Christians. From God’s holiness to Christ’s finished work, the Bible teaches theology through a sweeping story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. By becoming better biblical storytellers, Christians can help people better understand sound doctrine, see how all of Scripture points to Christ, and grasp the good news in a way that engages both the mind and the heart. Key Topics: Teaching theology in oral and preliterate cultures Balancing Bible storytelling with systematic theology How Scripture’s stories reveal the character of God Using chronological Bible storytelling in missions Connecting the Bible’s overarching story to Christ Applying biblical storytelling in preaching, discipleship, and evangelism Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email [email protected].

What is God’s mission—and how does the church fit into it? Christians often talk about being “on mission,” but before asking what we should do, we need to understand what God is doing. In this episode, Alex and Scott talk with Justin Schell, author of The Mission of God and the Witness of the Church, about the biblical story of God revealing himself and drawing people into communion with him. From Genesis to the Great Commission, they trace how God’s desire to dwell with his people shapes our understanding of both the church and missions. The conversation also explores the church’s role as God’s witness in the world. Good works can display something true about God, but people need the proclaimed gospel to know the saving work of Jesus Christ. Rather than viewing the church simply as a tool for accomplishing mission, Schell explains how God’s mission leads to a people who know him, worship him, and invite others to share in that joy. Key Topics: What we mean by “the mission of God” God’s desire for communion with his people Why the church is more than a means to accomplish mission The church’s calling to bear witness to Christ The relationship between good works and gospel proclamation How the Great Commission fits into the whole story of Scripture Explore your calling to global missions at ABWE's 24-Hour DEMO event. These events, held throughout the year, help individuals and churches explore how they can help fulfill the Great Commission and explore God's calling on their life and church. Learn more at https://demo.abwe.org. Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email [email protected].

In this bonus Overtime episode, Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford put the main episode’s theology into practice by asking a simple question: How should God’s mission shape the way we preach Scripture? Looking at their recent sermons from Psalm 110 and Romans 6, they explore how Christ’s reign, the call to repentance, our role as his ambassadors, and our joyful obedience to God all carry implications for missions. Their conversation shows that preachers don’t need to force a missions application into every passage. Instead, faithful preaching will regularly reveal God’s purpose to draw people from all nations to himself—and challenge believers to consider how their whole lives can serve the cause of the gospel.

In the final installment of the Defining the Missionary Task series, Alex and Scott explore what it means to entrust the mission to others. The missionary task doesn’t end when people are evangelized, churches are established, and leaders are equipped. Healthy churches should grow into sending churches—taking responsibility for making disciples, planting churches, and carrying the gospel to other peoples and places. But multiplication rarely happens overnight. Alex and Scott discuss why lasting missions movements are built through patient, faithful work rooted in Scripture rather than shortcuts or strategies designed to produce quick results. Missionaries must lay strong foundations while trusting God for the fruit, helping churches mature enough to carry the mission forward. The result is a growing, global partnership in which churches that once received missionaries become churches that send them. Key Topics Entrusting the Great Commission to local churches and leaders Why healthy churches should become sending churches Pursuing multiplication through patient, faithful ministry Building strong biblical foundations for future generations Balancing the needs of mature churches with reaching the unreached Measuring faithfulness without relying only on numbers or quick results Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email [email protected].

Are missionaries doing their job if they never work themselves out of one? In part three of the Defining the Missionary Task series, Alex and Scott turn to a vital part of church planting: equipping local leaders. Healthy churches need qualified men who can shepherd, teach, and lead God’s people. Drawing from Jesus’ example with the disciples and Paul’s investment in leaders like Timothy and Titus, they discuss why missionaries must do more than carry out ministry themselves. They must prepare others to carry it forward. Alex and Scott explore how missionaries can identify, train, and gradually entrust responsibility to local leaders without abandoning them or holding on to control. They discuss the importance of biblical and theological training, character, mentorship, teamwork, and giving developing leaders room to grow and make mistakes. Ultimately, equipping leaders is about preparing faithful believers who can shepherd healthy churches, raise up more leaders, and help the gospel continue to spread. Key Topics Why healthy churches need equipped local leaders Analysis of Jesus’ and Paul’s models for developing leaders Knowing when to release responsibility to local leaders Training leaders without paternalism or condescension Prioritizing biblical knowledge, character, and hands-on mentorship Preparing leaders to equip the next generation Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email [email protected].

Why must missionaries seek to establish churches? In part two of a four-part series on the missionary task, Alex and Scott move from evangelism to the next step: establishing healthy local churches. They explore why the church is not a Western institution or an optional addition to missions, but central to God’s plan for his people. Those who trust in Christ are saved into a community where believers gather to hear God’s word, observe baptism and the Lord’s Supper, care for one another, and grow together in faith. Alex and Scott also discuss what a biblical church can look like across cultures and why missionaries should focus on more than seeing individuals come to faith. Without healthy churches, new believers can lack the teaching, leadership, fellowship, and accountability they need to mature and reach others with the gospel. And while not every missionary will serve as a church planter or pastor, every missionary can use his or her gifts to help establish and strengthen local churches that worship God and make disciples. Key Topics Why establishing churches is central to the missionary task What Scripture teaches about the nature and purpose of the church The biblical marks of a healthy local church Adapting church forms across cultures without losing biblical foundations The dangers of making disciples without establishing healthy churches How every missionary can play a role in church planting and growth Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email [email protected].

What is at the heart of the missionary task? In the first episode of a four-part series, Alex and Scott explore why essential to the missionary calling is that they must clearly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and call people to repent and believe. While mercy ministries, relationships, and other forms of service have an important place in missions, they cannot replace sharing the gospel in words. Alex and Scott also discuss what faithful evangelism looks like across cultures. Missionaries must learn the language, understand how people view God and sin, ask good questions, and patiently help people understand the story of Scripture. Yet cultural sensitivity should never become an excuse for silence. Whether the fruit comes quickly or takes years, missionaries are called to faithfully make Christ known and trust God with the results. Key Topics Why evangelism is essential to the missionary task Proclaiming the gospel through both words and actions Calling people to repent and believe in Jesus Christ Overcoming fear, rejection, and distractions in evangelism Sharing the gospel clearly across languages and cultures Using the story of Scripture to build a foundation for understanding the gospel Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email [email protected].

What does it take to send missionaries who are prepared not only to go, but to stay and faithfully serve for the long haul? Alex and Scott talk with Brooks Buser, president of Radius International, and Pat Daly of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary about the church’s role in sending well-equipped missionaries. They also discuss the upcoming Missionary Conference and its focus on helping churches recover a biblical vision for taking the gospel to people who have little or no access to it. Brooks and Pat make the case that zeal for missions must be matched by deep biblical knowledge and practical preparation. They explore why language is an important way to identify where gospel access is still lacking, how churches and training organizations can work together, and what can happen when workers enter cross-cultural ministry without adequate preparation. Key Topics: Why the local church must take the lead in sending missionaries Reaching unreached language groups with the gospel The need for both theological and practical missionary training Moving young missionaries from zeal to lasting biblical conviction The dangers of syncretism when cross-cultural ministry moves too quickly How churches, seminaries, and missions organizations can work together to prepare workers Explore your calling to global missions at ABWE's 24-Hour DEMO event. These events, held throughout the year, help individuals and churches explore how they can help fulfill the Great Commission and explore God's calling on their life and church. Learn more at demo.abwe.org. Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email [email protected].

In this Overtime edition of The Missions Show, Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford continue their conversation with Brooks Buser of Radius International and Pat Daly of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Brooks shares how God is growing Radius through expanding training programs in Mexico, Asia, India, and Africa, as well as opportunities that introduce young people to missions. Pat describes similar growth at Greenville Seminary, where an increasing number of students are considering missionary service and praying about how God might use them among the nations. The conversation closes with a challenge to resist allowing the needs of our own churches and communities to eclipse Christ’s command to go: important work remains at home, but the nations still need to hear the gospel, and the church must continue preparing and sending faithful workers.

This exclusive premium episode of The Missions Show explored the spiritual challenges missionaries can face on the field and after returning home. Alex Kocman, Scott Dunford, and several missionaries discussed how isolation, fatigue, cultural pressure, unmet expectations, and difficult transitions can leave field workers vulnerable to discouragement, disillusionment, moral failure, or even abandoning the faith. They emphasized the importance of strong theological preparation, meaningful accountability, pastoral care, healthy missionary teams, and consistent involvement in a local church. The conversation also examined what it means to finish well in missions. Scott candidly reflected on his own unexpected departure from the field and encouraged missionaries to slow down, rest, care for their families, invite wise counsel into major decisions, and avoid making transitions from a place of exhaustion or frustration. Ultimately, the group stressed that a missionary’s identity must remain rooted first in Christ—not in a particular ministry, location, or role—and that sending churches carry a serious responsibility to prepare, shepherd, and support those they send.

The Missions Show is consolidating its premium membership on Patreon, creating one central home for The Overtime Show and other exclusive features that aren’t easily supported through Apple Podcasts. Because Apple doesn’t share subscriber information, memberships cannot be transferred automatically. To avoid paying twice, cancel your Apple subscription by opening your iPhone’s Settings, tapping your name, selecting Subscriptions, choosing The Missions Show, and tapping Cancel Subscription. You’ll keep your premium access through the end of your current billing period, and The Overtime Show will continue to be published on Apple for the full term you’ve already purchased. Annual subscribers can simply set a reminder to switch when their subscription expires. When you’re ready, visit Patreon.com/TheMissionsShow using a web browser and use promo code WELCOMEBACK50 to receive 50% off your first month. The code is valid through November 23. Thank you for supporting The Missions Show. Your support matters more than you know, and we look forward to bringing you more bonus episodes, premium content, and exclusive features on Patreon.

Should Christians want to be losers? In this episode of The Missions Show, hosts Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford talk with pastor and author D. Michael Clary about the ideas behind his book, Loser Theology. Clary challenges the belief that Christians are somehow more faithful when they are suffering, struggling, or losing. Scripture teaches believers how to endure hardship faithfully, but that does not mean suffering should become the goal. For missionaries and ministry leaders, this distinction matters: faithfulness may require sacrifice, but Christians should not seek hardship simply to prove their devotion to Christ. The conversation also explores a healthier view of success in missions. Faithful ministry often means years of patient work with little visible fruit, and results ultimately belong to God. Yet that truth should not lead Christians to passivity. God calls his people to take initiative, use the gifts and opportunities he has given them, proclaim the gospel, love their neighbors, and pursue the Great Commission with courage. Key Topics: Why suffering should not become a measure of Christian faithfulness The danger of romanticizing martyrdom and difficult ministry How missionaries can remain faithful when they see little visible fruit Balancing God’s sovereignty with human initiative and responsibility Why ordinary, faithful Christian service has eternal value Taking risks for the Great Commission while trusting God with the results Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email [email protected].

In this OverTime episode of The Missions Show, Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford continue their conversation with D. Michael Clary about “loser theology,” turning their attention to the church’s place in culture. They explore whether Christians should view declining cultural influence as a sign of faithfulness or whether that mindset can become an excuse for passivity. Building on their discussion of suffering, success, and Christian agency, the conversation challenges believers to resist measuring faithfulness simply by whether the church appears to be winning or losing. Instead, Christians should faithfully pursue the Great Commission, seek the good of their neighbors, and use the influence and opportunities God has given them for his glory rather than assuming cultural retreat is inherently virtuous.