There’s a widely accepted myth in the world of mission that needs to be busted. It is this…all missionaries are preachers.

The truth is that Pioneers use anything and everything that allows them to share the Good News. After all, Paul was a tentmaker. And if you think that was outside the box, you should see what today’s missionaries do to introduce people to Jesus:

1 Farming

Yes, you read that right! Combine a business background with a passion for good produce, and you get a perfect platform for mission. Coffee, fruit, chickens…you name it. 

2 Performing arts 

Tucked away in one corner of the world is a creative community of God's people who make Jesus known through life and worship, music and art. “I see unlimited potential,” writes one worker. “Music, film-making, poetry, dance, storytelling, drama, painting, crafts, etc. can be used to live in relationship, communicate truth, and express worship.”

3 Tourism adventures

Snorkeling, rock climbing, diving, trekking, surfing and visits to waterfalls. Running a tourism adventure company lets these workers build and develop relationships with their local employees.

4 Trades 

People who use their hands to build and fix things are in high demand! These workers use their skills to teach sustainable and affordable building techniques and help implement culturally appropriate technologies on a community level. In doing so, they are able to share the love of God in practical ways.

5 Being a family

This might sound strange, but in many places around the world—particularly countries where families are torn apart, kids are orphaned, fathers are killed by war—a Christian family that honors God can demonstrate in word and deed what it means to follow Jesus.

6 Business

Can you imagine the opportunities to bring glory to God through running an internet café, a bakery, a restaurant or a consulting company? On a business level, meaningful engagement with local customers could bring new life. Ingenious!

7 Media

You only need to spend a few minutes on CommNetMedia.com before you see the way film, photos, graphic design and stories bring glory to God. What is CommNet, you ask? CommNet is a team of creatives who use their skills to capture and share stories of God at work across the globe—advocating for the unreached. 

One Pioneer living overseas writes, “I get to do what I enjoy doing everyday. Sometimes I feel like a fraud, because I don’t fit the old missionary mold.”

But God created us to have talents and desires in order to reflect the different parts of His image. And His message never changes: Jesus loves the whole world. The means by which that message is delivered is up for grabs. How will you use your unique gifts and interests to share?

Find out how you can be a part of God’s global mission by checking out Pioneers short- and long-term opportunities.


See this original article on Pioneers-Australia's blog.

One refugee explained to a reporter* that the sea is the only country without visa requirements. Many have risked dangerous travel by boat across the sea to find refuge in Europe, and some of those risks have ended in tragedy. Many others actually arrive and find that border restrictions are increasing.

And tensions continue to rise in Europe as refugees search for asylum and a fresh start. One particular hotspot of activity is the Hungarian-Serbian border, where the influx of refugees has already doubled from last year’s totals. The eyes of the world have been focused on Budapest in the last two weeks as Syrians, Afghanis and other victims of war have been detained from trains and kept from crossing the border by a new razor wire wall. Some asylum seekers protest their detention by refusing to eat and drink until they are able to cross.

Though the situation is dire, God is mobilizing Pioneers on the ground in nearby areas to join forces with local Christians and humanitarian aid organizations to bring relief and a message of hope.

One of Pioneers’ core values is innovation and flexibility—something in high demand during this crisis—allowing many of our field workers to shift gears to provide medical attention, set up warm water washing stations, distribute kits with essentials for hygiene, share coats or blankets for the increasingly cool weather, give food and water and pray for them in the name of Jesus when the refugees are willing. Many refugees just need someone to hear their story. Pioneers listen and look for opportunities to share the story of how a life in Jesus can bring hope.

Would you consider making a gift to our Pioneers on the ground in Hungary to help them provide for the needs of the refugees they meet every day? If so click here. You may also want to contribute to a wider effort to help victims of war around the world. If so, take a moment to check out our Victims of War project. 

*NPR Morning Edition report on September 15, 2015.

Pioneers in Europe are responding to the refugee crisis as travelers from Syria and Iraq make their way to Western Europe. These victims of war live daily in hopes of finding a new place to make a home for their families. And Pioneers on the ground are doing their best to help meet physical, emotional and spiritual needs while they are in transit.

Read the story of one miracle God did for a sick, pregnant Syrian refugee at this Budapest train station.

See a broader view of what Pioneers is doing to help refugees through the Victims of War Project.

In the 12 plus years Victoria lived in Hungary, she had never seen such desperation and chaos. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians, Iraqis and other refugees arrived en masse at Hungarian borders, bus depots and train stations. The crowds of hungry, tired migrants set their eyes on the safety of Western Europe, and Hungary stands between them and their longed-for sanctuary.

Children roamed the sidewalks as their parents sat on cardboard and flattened mattress pads. Young men read graffiti from other travelers written on the walls. All awaited the next leg of their journey. Would it be by bus, train or perhaps another tiring day on foot while being exposed to the rain and cold?

One day at the station, Victoria and her coworkers noticed a woman sleeping at the base of a stairwell in the overcrowded train station—now operating as a makeshift migrant camp. As they started a conversation, they learned the woman was sick, pregnant and unsure of when she would be able to leave. Without blankets or a jacket, another bitterly cold Hungarian night seemed impossible to endure.

Victoria, having seen God work one miracle after another for these migrants, listened and offered to pray for her in Jesus’ name. The woman gladly accepted the prayer, grateful that someone would care enough to sit and listen to her story.

Five minutes later, Victoria got a call from a teammate. They had just received a cash donation from some friends and used it to buy sleeping bags for the refugees. They bought hundreds. Victoria was shocked. Her teammates could not have known she had prayed only minutes earlier for this exact need!

Victoria returned to the station and found the woman. Her eyes lit up as she saw the sleeping bag. Of all the people struggling through this crisis, God specifically heard her prayer and provided both healing and a sleeping bag. She shared her gratitude.

This is only one of countless stories of how God is revealing Himself and His goodness in spite of a truly terrible situation. Click here to view the photo essay of the refugees Victoria and her teammates met.

Would you like to get involved in our efforts to provide care and hope to refugees? Learn more by viewing our Victims of War Project.