BI-VOCATIONAL
MISSIONS PRIMER

LW and his wife were well-settled in Singapore with stable careers, a loving home, and an active church life. Relocating overseas was, in their words, “the last thing on his and my wife’s minds”. What unfolded over the years that followed would unexpectedly reshape everything.

LW had not set out looking for a new chapter. He had a stable job, a loving home, and was actively involved in his local church. Yet, through a series of persistent invitations, a visit to City S, and a surprising turn of events with a revised job offer, they “sensed God’s clear leading”.

"After prayer and seeking confirmation as a family, we stepped out in faith and moved to City S. Throughout the whole process, we continued to witness God’s provision; from securing school placements for our children to finding suitable accommodation.”

The family settled into an international fellowship. LW hosted a small group of expatriates and taught foundational "Faith 101" classes for new believers. It was a meaningful start, though largely within the expatriate world they had moved into.

After three years, he was assigned to Kuala Lumpur for over a year before returning to City S. This time, something felt different.

"My wife and I felt led to serve among the local S community."

They were introduced to a Canadian couple hosting a weekly Bible study for young S believers - about 25 to 30 people gathering each Monday evening. The moment they walked in, both sensed it.

"We immediately sensed that this was where God was calling us."

Alongside the Canadian and an American couple, they served the group. What struck them deeply was the hunger they encountered with members travelling long distances, showing up faithfully regardless of weather, pressing in for more of God's Word. Together with their co-labourers, LW and his wife had the privilege of walking alongside these young believers, witnessing genuine spiritual growth and even baptisms in the simplest of settings, including in a bathtub.

After two years, LW was transferred to another country. When he and his wife returned to City S fifteen months later, they found that both the Canadian and American couples had gone home. The group had stopped meeting entirely.

It was a sobering moment. But rather than mourn what had been lost, they reached out. About ten former members were willing to restart the Bible study. This time, however, LW and his wife approached things differently. Recognising the uncertainty of their stay, they were far more intentional. They did not simply lead the group, but they went about equipping members to lead themselves.

"We focused on discipleship, equipping them to lead Bible studies and take ownership of the ministry."

They organised evangelistic gatherings during Easter and Christmas, encouraging members to invite friends and they saw the attendance grow. The diligence the group members showed in preparing and leading the studies themselves was, by LW's own account, remarkable and provoking.

After another two years, LW and his wife returned to Singapore permanently. God graciously provided another Singaporean couple to lead the group for a season.

Today, the group continues to meet independently, welcoming new members and thriving without its founders present.

"We stay connected with them till today, encouraging them and praying with them."

LW reflects on the journey with deep gratitude and on the two lessons he carries with him.

"The first: engage early in local ministry wherever you are. The second: always begin with the end in mind."

The instinct to settle into the comfort of an expatriate community is understandable. But LW's story shows what becomes possible when a believer looks beyond that circle and asks where God is already at work. And the second lesson is one every bi-vocational witness in an uncertain posting needs to hear.

“We often do not know how long we will remain in a foreign country. Circumstances can change quickly, and relocation may come with little notice. Therefore, it is vital to disciple local believers intentionally so that the ministry can continue even after we leave.”

The group in City S did not need LW to keep going. They just needed to be equipped. That, he would say, is the work.

JL, 67, is married with two grown children who are now working and married. A retired engineer, academic, and long-time church deacon, JL spent his career building expertise in Operational Research, never imagining it would one day become a vehicle for gospel presence in City J.

JL began his working life as an engineer in a multinational company. A scholarship enabled him to pursue doctoral studies in Operational Research, after which he served in an MNC before spending the final fifteen years of his career as a university lecturer. Throughout those decades, he remained a faithful church member - serving as a deacon, facilitating a small group, volunteering in overseas church projects, and going on mission trips.

One year before his retirement, JL began asking a quiet but pressing question: "How can I retire meaningfully?" This sparked an exploration of what he would do with the time and skills he had accumulated and how he could use them for God's work.

An invitation came to visit City J, to explore whether his expertise in operational research could be put to use in a farm social enterprise. It was an unexpected door. JL walked through it thoughtfully and in the spirit of discernment.

There were real concerns to weigh. JL had a health condition that required him to be cautious about extended time away from good medical care. His doctor advised him to limit overseas trips to no more than two weeks at a time, at most three to four times a year. He went - but within those boundaries.

Adjusting to life in City J was not as straightforward as he had anticipated. JL had to navigate language barriers, different workplace norms, and a significant shift from the structured corporate and academic environments he had known for decades to a more fluid, developing context. The pace was slower. The rhythms were unfamiliar.

There were moments of quiet uncertainty. At times, JL questioned his own relevance - unsure of how much he was truly contributing beyond the tasks at hand.

What changed things was not a programme or a project milestone. It was the people and actually getting in touch with their lives.

During his time with the social enterprise, JL was occasionally asked to share during devotions. Slowly, he got to know the people around him - their home situations, their challenges, their struggles. He began to see the community more clearly: the daily realities of life there, the complexity of the environment, and just how difficult it is to minister and serve effectively in such a context.

That understanding did not discourage him. It sharpened his prayers. He began praying specifically for the team he worked alongside and for the needy and marginalised community around them. Back in Singapore, members of his cell group prayed for him whenever he travelled. One member made a point of checking in on his wife to make sure she was doing well.

The support was quiet but steady - a small picture of the church holding one of its own.

Reflecting on the journey, JL shared: "It is exciting to see how God can use me to contribute to His Kingdom - bringing and showing His love for the people. I thought I was just filling my time meaningfully after retirement. I didn't realise God had already prepared a place for me."

JL did not set out to be a missionary. He set out to be used by God. It was in that posture of availing himself as an offering that God quietly positioned him as a witness - present, relational, and faithful in the place already prepared.

JL's story reflects the providential nature of vocational witness, not only in active careers, but even into retirement. What began as a post-career engagement became an open door for gospel presence, relational witness, and quiet influence over time.

YT is a 32-year-old software engineer and consultant. Over time, YT grew to understand that every Christian is called to live missionally through every aspect of life. The question was no longer whether to participate in missions, but whether God was calling YT to do so locally or overseas. Recognising the many privileges of growing up in Singapore - materially, spiritually, and otherwise - serving overseas felt like a natural next step. After much prayer, YT relocated to Tokyo with three objectives: to be a Christian in the marketplace, to actively serve in a local church, and to explore running a business that could uplift others and bear witness to Christ.

YT had opportunities to participate in short-term mission trips and even attended a Christian conference in Tokyo, but missions always seemed like something meant for other people. At the same time, there was a strong sense of calling towards the marketplace, and for many years these two callings felt mutually exclusive.

"I always saw it as either missions or the marketplace, not missions at the marketplace."

Over time, that understanding gradually shifted. While attempting to build a side business founded on Christian values, YT realised that, in many ways, this was an exploration of doing business as missions, even without knowing the term at the time.

Around the same period, YT found himself at a crossroads professionally. Through conversations with friends and church leaders, together with much prayer and discernment, YT decided to take a step of faith and participate in God's mission overseas.

Having lived in Japan for only about a year and a half, YT describes this season as still being an early one.

While prepared for possible spiritual and emotional challenges, it was the physical and mental demands of everyday life that proved unexpectedly difficult. Moving overseas also meant living independently for the first time after spending many years with family. Setting up a home alone in a foreign country required countless decisions and responsibilities, often leaving little time or energy outside of work to rest or continue exploring business ideas.

Language and culture presented another challenge. Although YT expected the adjustment to take time, it was frustrating not being able to communicate, connect, and serve as effectively as back home.

"I felt helpless and found myself thinking that it'd have been more “efficient” to just stay and serve back home."

Throughout this journey, God faithfully spoke through friends, missionaries, and church leaders. Again and again, YT was reminded that participating in God's mission, whether locally or overseas, is not a sprint but a marathon.

More importantly, YT's perspective shifted from focusing on doing to simply being.

"What God seeks is not efficiency or 'ROI' (else Jesus' time on earth might have looked very different), but rather faithful servants and willing hearts."

This has become a lesson that YT continually returns to. Living overseas has also deepened YT's appreciation for incarnational ministry. Just as God came near to humanity, YT has come to see that participating in God's mission means drawing near to people, not as a saviour or outsider, but through empathy, presence, and genuine relationships.

“With that, even my unseen, boring life takes on meaning. It helps me gain empathy and reflect just a little of how God is not a distant deity, but rather is up close and personal.”

Although one of YT's original motivations for moving to Japan was to be a witness in the workplace, it was easy to lose sight of that purpose amidst the routines and demands of work.

However, the shift in perspective has been a continual reminder that work itself is not simply a means to an end, nor does ministry begin only after the workday is over. Instead, the workplace is where God's goodness and love can be reflected through everyday interactions. Faithful witness through daily life thus becomes all the more significant.

“Ultimately, I think that it’s not so different from being a witness at the workplace back home, although Singapore’s 18% Christian population is greatly different from Japan’s <1%, which makes it so much more vital to be a witness here.”

Recently, YT had the opportunity to share briefly about the Christian faith with a colleague during a conversation about relationships. Although the colleague had heard of Christianity, they knew very little about it. In imperfect Japanese, YT explained that the Christian understanding of God is that of a loving Father rather than merely a giver of rules; a perspective that surprised the colleague.

It was a simple conversation, but an encouraging reminder that God can use even ordinary moments to open doors for the gospel.

“I can continue to be salt and light, and always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that I have.”

Although YT made the decision to relocate to Japan independently, his home church chose to come alongside by providing financial support, prayer, regular check-ins, and ongoing encouragement.

YT also partners with OMF, whose network provides practical support, encouragement, and community while serving overseas. Knowing that both the church and OMF continue to pray faithfully has been a constant source of encouragement throughout this journey.

Serving overseas has reminded YT that missions are often imagined as doing big things; organising events, leading programmes, or going on mission trips. Yet God is just as present in the ordinary rhythms of everyday life.

Reflecting on the example of Jesus, YT has come to value what is often described as incarnational ministry.

"Missional living is not just doing good works or preaching the gospel, but living a faithful life that seeks after the one true God, and simply being present with his people and loving them as they are, rather than seeking to come with the 'right answer' or agenda."

It is a lesson YT continues to learn: to seek God not only in the exciting or the extraordinary, but also in the ordinary, and to remain faithful wherever God has placed them.

For many years, missions was not a part of JN and TT’s plans. Like many Christians, they assumed missionary work was reserved for those who were uniquely called and specially equipped to serve overseas. Their desire was simply to remain faithful wherever God had placed them.

Their perspective expanded in 2024.

Earlier that year, JN had facilitated a storytelling and presentation workshop during a missions agency retreat. Months later, the base leader in Central Asia remembered that workshop while helping to establish a new university. The university was looking for lecturers in communication and design, and JN was invited to teach storytelling and presentation skills to meet that need.

After much prayer, the couple decided to make a short-term trip to Central Asia - TT for one week and JN for three. The timing also coincided with their tenth wedding anniversary.

During the trip, God reminded them of a shared thread woven through their relationship long before they were married. As a child, JN had participated in a short-term mission trip to country K. Years later, TT had spent six months in country K during a university exchange programme.

Looking back, they recognised how God had quietly been preparing both of them long before they realised it.

While teaching at the university, JN found himself deeply moved by the students.

“I felt their hunger, not just for knowledge, but for mentorship and spirituality too.”

Around the same time, the family sensed God giving them the phrase, “sow the harvest.” They felt prompted to offer what God had cultivated in their family over the previous decade and sow it into the lives of others.

After continuing to pray together, JN and TT made the decision to relocate with their family to Central Asia the following year to serve with the sending agency while teaching at the university.

Neither of them had expected to be called into missions. Today, they simply count it a privilege.

“If God has called, who are we to say no?”

Five months into life overseas, the transition has brought both joy and significant challenges.

One of the hardest adjustments has been watching their youngest son settle into kindergarten. With only one English-speaking teacher in the city and cultural differences shaping how children interact, the experience was often difficult for him. Some evenings, he would stand by the front door and quietly say that he wanted to “go home... take [an] airplane and go home.”

Everyday life also required patience. Simple tasks - from obtaining a phone line to registering the children for school, often involved far more time and unexpected steps than anticipated.

At the university, teaching presented its own challenges. Although students were expected to have a working command of English, language barriers often meant adapting lessons to varying levels of understanding. At the same time, financial difficulties within the university left many lecturers unpaid for months, leading to staff shortages and increased uncertainty.

Ministering in a creative access nation also required a different pace. Rather than expecting immediate opportunities to share the gospel, JN and TT have learned that relationships must first be patiently cultivated through trust, consistency, and genuine friendship.

Although they have only been in Central Asia for a short time, one lesson has continued to shape their perspective: God is, and always will be, in control.

As a family, they have intentionally begun practising what they call “grace-spotting”; looking for small, everyday moments that reveal God’s kindness and thanking Him for them.

Sometimes it is as simple as JN losing his way, only for one of his students to appear unexpectedly and point him in the right direction. At other times, it is seeing prayers answered in surprising ways, such as TT meeting a local Pentecostal pastor who “just so happened” to live upstairs while they were praying for opportunities to connect with local believers.

Rather than waiting for dramatic miracles, they have come to treasure what they describe as God’s “divine winks”; small blossoms of grace found in ordinary moments.

They have also witnessed God working within their own family. As challenges have increased, so too has their children’s dependence on prayer.

One afternoon, when the electricity unexpectedly went out, TT wondered aloud whether they had forgotten to pay the bill. Their youngest son simply replied, “No need to pay, just pray.”

For JN and TT, moments like these have become reminders that God is shaping not only their ministry, but also their family.

Their adaptability to the different roles they play in this season was inevitably shaped by their season of preparation in Singapore where JN took on the role of stay home dad and TT, full time in the marketplace. While their responsibilities are different now, they do not see this as “role-reversal,” but as God’s way of teaching them to serve as one team.

“If anything, we are able to empathize and work together better now. We don’t see it as role reversal, that’s not how we think. Instead, we see it as working as a team and in step with whatever the Lord puts in front of us.”

That shared posture of flexibility, empathy, and mutual support has become an invaluable foundation for life and ministry on the field.

Living missionally has taken on a deeper meaning than JN and TT first expected. While sharing Christ remains central, they have come to realise that mission begins with living incarnationally, becoming part of the community, learning the language, appreciating the culture, eating with local families, and embracing the posture of learners rather than experts.

As they settle into life in Central Asia, they are discovering that faithful presence is not built overnight. It requires patience, curiosity, and a willingness to learn from the very people they have come to serve.

“We become like babies, learning to ‘talk, walk, eat’ from scratch.”

This posture shapes both their ministry and their everyday lives. At the university, JN intentionally creates space for conversations that extend beyond the classroom. As part of his Storytelling and Branding module, he shares personal testimonies that invite students to reflect on their own values, identity, and sources of hope. Rather than forcing spiritual conversations, he seeks to cultivate an environment where they can emerge naturally.

Beyond the classroom, the family is equally intentional about the way they live.

“We are intentional at being witnesses, living a life worthy of the gospel. This means showing others the fruits of the Spirit that emerge in our family, and leaving room for the locals to ask where this came from... but then pointing towards Who was the one who gave these to us.”

The same conviction also shapes how they serve the wider community. JN has begun walking alongside local believers, praying with them and encouraging them as they minister within their own communities. He also had the opportunity to share about relying on the Holy Spirit during a local home group gathering.

That spirit of hospitality has extended to the university as well. When financial difficulties left many professors unpaid for months, the agency team organised weekly “Pizza Wednesdays,” inviting faculty members to gather over a meal. More than meeting a practical need, it became a way of caring for colleagues with dignity and creating space for genuine relationships.

Over time, faculty members began asking why their team was so different, why they continued to show such generosity and joy despite difficult circumstances. For JN and TT, these moments have become reminders that the gospel is often first encountered not through programmes, but through lives faithfully lived among the people God has called them to love.

Throughout this journey, JN and TT have been strengthened by the partnership of both their church and sending agency. Their church provides financial support alongside regular pastoral care, including monthly conversations with the missions pastor and check-ins with a trusted couple from the congregation.

Before leaving for the field, they also received pre-field training through the sending agency, equipping them for both the practical and spiritual realities of cross-cultural ministry.

Together, these relationships have provided the encouragement, accountability, and support needed as their family settles into this new season.

For JN and TT, the journey into missions begins not with a destination, but with intimacy with God. Discerning God’s call starts with seeking Him, because only a close walk with God can reveal the next step.

“The question was never, ‘Should I go for missions?’ It is, ‘God, do I know Your heart?’ And this is only a question you can answer yourself.”

They also believe that God often prepares His people long before they realize it. Looking back, what seemed like ordinary seasons of life became pre-field training. For JN, years of being a stay-at-home father equipped him to care for his family while serving on the mission field.

TT reflected that remembering God’s sovereignty keeps them humble. Missions are never about being indispensable, but about faithfully playing the part God has given, even if it means simply preparing the way for others.

“God can raise anybody any time He wants.”

Above all, life on the mission field has taught them to depend on God daily. Whether facing major decisions or ordinary routines, they have learned to go to God first. Their encouragement to anyone considering missions is simple: to be very hidden in God, know His heart, and trust Him to lead the way.

Both J and A had Christian influences outside of their families when they were growing up. It was not until university, however, that they personally sought the Truth and encountered a community of believers among their peers who aspired to live out the gospel holistically.

They recall that initially, the distinction between “mission” and “overseas volunteerism” was unclear. Through greater discipleship, however, mission became synonymous with apprenticing as a disciple of Christ with full integrity - living missionally. Alongside that, they also identified a special place for living and working among those in countries with barely any Christian witness and a lack of access to practical needs for living well.

Despite what initially seemed unlikely, God swung wide the doors for them to take no-pay leave for a year to explore serving professionally in exactly that kind of context.

Shortly after arriving in rural City L - in a Creative Access Nation - both J and A each faced their own set of difficult and existential questions.

J had been brought in to raise quality standards at a dental clinic. He recognised soon enough that he was hitting a wall. Introducing meaningful change proved immensely challenging without a full understanding of the constraints of a low-resourced setting and the norms and habits of the local culture.

For A, there was no clear vocational scope before she arrived on the field. What confronted her instead was something more internal - “an attachment to significance, titles, and visible works, usually disguised under the Christian buzzwords of stewardship and excellence, but undergirding a sense of identity and worth that needed to be grounded in Christ alone.”

As they journeyed on, J began to notice a stirring passion for something well outside his job description. Rather than waiting until patients were in pain and needed treatment, he found himself asking a deeper question: how could they help communities take ownership of their own oral health in the first place? Counterintuitive to the role he had been hired for, it felt like the more important and lasting issue.

God, as a master weaver, brought the threads together. J’s dental expertise and A’s background in public health converged, along with her unexpected involvement with a local school, to give shape to an oral health education programme for students.

“In His timing and wisdom, we were once again reminded of how He prepares us in advance for good works and in the most creative way possible - one that also speaks into the secret dreams of our hearts.”

The oral health education programme dubbed by J as the “dental gospel”, became an opportunity to integrate faith into something as easily overlooked as the oral cavity.

“We could share about the love of God seen in the intricate design of our teeth, the decay of the world seen in our oral diseases, and the grace of God seen in the natural and external tools He gives us to fight decay and remain healthy.”

The response was encouraging. A Christian student shared that the programme had awakened his appetite to understand more about his faith and how to integrate it with different areas of his life - a small but meaningful sign of what faithful, patient presence can stir in others.

J and A have appreciated the manifold support of their sending agency and local church, who supported them through financial provision, regular check-ins for encouragement and prayer, and practical help with safety and transition needs.

“We are also very thankful for a group of prayer partners assembled from different stages of our lives, joined by a common heartbeat for God’s glory in the nations and for our discipleship.”

They reflect that “these different forms of support express how we are truly different parts of the same body, actively on God’s mission - led and initiated by the Head who is Christ.”

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” - C.S. Lewis

It is because of the gospel message of Christ, J and A reflect, that they truly see - even as they make space for the mysteries of God in between.

“It is our desire that as we see more fully, we may also share clearly our regained sight with those around us - pointing to the healing grace of God in Christ that has always been, and will always be, there.”

Growing up, H regularly met missionaries who were family friends, quietly living extraordinary lives of faith. Their stories planted seeds that would only bear fruit years later. One childhood experience left a particularly deep impression: visiting believers who worshipped quietly despite significant pressure and hardship. Their joy, courage, and steadfast faith revealed a picture of Christianity that was both costly and beautiful.

“I was captivated and moved by their stories of faith and joy through persecution.”

Those seeds continued to grow during their time studying overseas in university. Within the first few months, H was deeply moved by what some seniors said about their recent mission trip. As they shared, H became unexpectedly overwhelmed with emotion.

“I remember weeping and knowing that I had to make the trip the coming summer.”

Soon after, H joined a short-term trip that would become a defining moment. What began as a single experience soon developed into a pattern of pursuing God’s heart for the nations. University holidays became opportunities to visit different regions and people groups. Alongside these experiences, H became deeply involved in worship, prayer, and student ministry, helping to cultivate communities committed to seeking God and interceding for the nations.

Closer to home, opportunities also emerged to serve migrants, refugees, and those living on the margins of society. Looking back, H recognized that God was shaping not only a love for unreached peoples, but also a heart for those often overlooked.

“My heart was stirred for the nations, and I couldn’t look back.”

Returning home after university proved unexpectedly difficult.

Beyond the challenges of reverse culture shock, H struggled to find a community that shared the same passion for worship, prayer, and missions. Professional commitments required H to remain in a government role for several years. While meaningful, the season often felt like a delay rather than progress, watching various friends go into the field in the meantime.

“I felt back in Singapore no one really understood, talked about, or pursued these things. Everything, including how church was ‘done’ felt too controlled or comfortable.”

H also began making exploratory trips into regions that had long been on their heart. Although these visits were filled with answered prayers, they also exposed the realities of cross-cultural ministry - uncertainty, spiritual opposition, difficult conversations, and moments of personal inadequacy.

“I remember coming back feeling that maybe I wasn’t ready.”

Yet the call never disappeared.

Instead of allowing the years of waiting to diminish the calling, H recognizes that God used them to deepen it. H gathered regularly with other believers to intercede for colleagues, workplaces, cities, and the nations. Opportunities also arose to integrate faith naturally into professional life through workplace prayer gatherings, discipleship, and conversations about the gospel.

At the same time, H made a personal commitment to dedicate annual leave each year to missions, returning repeatedly to regions where God had placed a burden on their heart. Through these visits, long-term relationships with local leaders gradually developed.

“Looking back, these were experiences that also shaped how I learnt to integrate my faith and work… He also showed me clearly that my years working there were preparation for the field.”

Throughout those years, H wrestled honestly with the cost of obedience - having to give up career progression, financial security, and professional recognition for His kingdom. But God’s steadfast love and words of encouragement throughout the years helped to shape and position H’s heart towards the marginalized in the nations. This culminated in the decision to finally step away from full-time employment after nearly a decade in the workplace.

“After 8-9 years of work, things were going really well, but I had a strong sense that the season was changing. So I decided to quit my job to intentionally explore something in the nations.”

One significant moment solidified H’s decision. Only days after leaving work, H met former classmates who spoke excitedly about career achievements, new homes, and financial milestones. While it made H wonder what had been given up, it led to an unexpected realization that such lifestyles were not personally desired.

“There and then, I also realised that theirs was hardly the life I wanted, and I had a moment with the Lord when I realized that money no longer had a hold on me.”

During this season of discernment, God placed a region on H’s heart, paving the way to be planted there. After spending several months learning the language, culture, and realities of the community, H joined a humanitarian organisation serving long-term on the ground. Rather than focusing only on short-term projects, the vision was to establish a sustainable presence that would faithfully serve local communities over time. Excellence in humanitarian work is not viewed as separate from ministry but as an expression of it. For H, this work became the meeting point of two lifelong passions: the unreached and the marginalized.

“The work I am doing now really marries my two great passions of working with the unreached and the marginalized - in the nations in a cross-cultural context. The NGO practices integral mission - where we focus on both the demonstration and declaration of the Good News.”

The impact of this witness was evident in unexpected ways. On one occasion, a local staff member overheard residents in a refugee camp talking among themselves at a coffee shop after observing the team’s work.

“Look at what these foreigners do.. they must worship the true God.”

For H, moments like these served as powerful reminders that faithful service can point people toward Christ even before a word is spoken.

Daily work also became the primary context for discipleship. Relationships with local colleagues created opportunities to mentor, pray together, study Scripture with those who were curious, and journey patiently with individuals exploring faith. Moments like these affirmed that faithful service often opens doors for spiritual conversations.

Encouraged by the transformation seen among volunteers and workers who have served alongside the ministry, many of whom have themselves developed a deeper vision for God’s mission, H started thinking about what it would look like to disciple not just individuals, but organisations.

Throughout the journey, H experienced both encouragement and limitation from the wider Christian community.

Local church leaders and friends consistently affirmed H’s calling and supported many of the early exploratory trips. Yet because the ministry pathway did not fit traditional models of missionary sending, there was little structure for long-term care, member support, or intentional commissioning.

As a result, much of H’s preparation came through personal initiative - reading, conferences, cross-cultural training, mentoring relationships, and years of practical experience.

Although several mission organisations provided valuable teaching, encouragement, and community over the years, H ultimately entered the field through the organisation that would become both an employer and a ministry platform. While entering officially as an employee of the international organization, she pioneered the development of the organization’s Singapore branch, including developing an entirely new ministry arm that brought them into direct service of special needs children in a region scarred by conflict, sharpening both their missional reach and gospel witness.

Reflecting on this experience, H offers a thoughtful encouragement to churches.

“Ideally, I think the local church in particular can play a really pivotal role in helping to discern a person’s call, and being the anchor that supports them spiritually, emotionally, and practically throughout the journey.”

Looking back, H no longer sees the years of waiting as lost time but as years of formation. The original call to the nations remained unchanged, but its expression became clearer as God shaped character, clarified gifting, and refined motivation.

“While it took a long time from the initial call to going to the field long-term, I think that also helped to test and refine my call so that I knew that it was not something that I had made up or desired for more self-serving reasons, and so that God could form my character while I waited.”

Ultimately, His greatest preparation happens while we are learning to wait.

R is a Singaporean in her early 40s, serving with a humanitarian organisation that has established mental health services for an unreached people group persecuted and displaced by war. She joined after thirteen years as a social worker in Singapore, entering the field through employment with the agency itself. She sees her profession not as a means to an end but as her genuine offering to the community she serves. She is sent and supported by her home church, which fully underwrites her fundraising so her mind and time are free for the work.

At 17, R was searching. She wanted her life to mean something.

She read the biography of Mother Teresa and was arrested by the sight of a woman giving her life to the poorest of the poor. It was the first stirring; one that led her to a degree in social work, and, a year later, to Christ.

“When I came to know the Lord and learnt more about His heart for the nations, I realised this is how I can fulfil the call of being a Christian and serving the disadvantaged at the same time.”

The burden grew slowly. She began to see her social work career not as a detour from her calling but as its training ground; five loaves and two fishes, prepared to be offered.

R returns often to a profound conviction: if we are grafted into the Abrahamic line to share His blessings, we share Abraham’s call to bless the nations. There were no dramatic moments - just a quiet conviction that sometimes required leaving the familiar for unchartered fields.

Eleven years passed between the first conviction and her leaving behind years of tears, prayers, mentors, and the Lord’s favour in orchestrating circumstances. Then, after thirteen years in social work, she was connected with a humanitarian organisation that was starting a mental health service for a people persecuted and displaced by war.

She was ready.

The transition brought challenges on two fronts.

The missional context was delicate. R serves among a community whose religious identity has been the very reason for their persecution.

“Humanitarian work cannot be a façade for evangelism,” she reflects. “I believe that true missions is when we love them as persons first, not as targets to be reached, in the same way that Jesus first loves us and meets us at where our needs are.”

She anchors her posture in the incarnation. “As we become the hands and feet of Jesus, we put a face to the name of Jesus, and those whose hearts the Lord has prepared would naturally be drawn to Him.”

The vocational context brought its own learning. Cross-cultural work asks a Singaporean to loosen her grip on how things ought to be done.

“Singaporeans, in particular, need to withhold the tendency to impose our ways of working on them, and constantly ask ourselves - does the need to do things a certain way come from my Singaporean or biblical values?”

Where local practices diverged from Scripture, a different question surfaced. How do you disciple a group of young, aspiring adults toward biblical values; before they know the God of the Bible?

That question led to staff workshops on biblical values at work. Local staff know the organisation is Christian. They respect its faith and its holy book, and free of pressure to convert, many are open to how Christian values shape the way work is done.

Something began to catch.

Staff started to change practices as they discussed core values; doing things out of love, forgiving those who offend us, letting our yes be yes.

One moment stays with her. A local staff member shared he had decided to forgive a group of ill-behaved teenagers who caused mischief. Rather than call the police, he invited them into a sports programme where he might quietly impart good values.

He had been reading the Bible in his own time.

The team operates under watchful eyes. Authorities have made clear that sharing faith at work is not permitted. What has grown instead is a witness carried in the ordinary rhythms of relationship - the primary pathway for a bi-vocational witness in a restricted context.

Local staff have become friends. They know the work is done out of Jesus’ love, not because it is announced, but because it is lived. With excellence in the profession. With friendship outside it. Home visits. Hospital visits when a family member is ill. Long conversations about life. And many, many prayers.

With each answered prayer comes a quiet acknowledgment from friends who are watching: our God is good. Not many are yet ready to count the cost and follow. But the ground is being tilled.

R speaks of the church not only as her sending church, but as the wider community of believers who have carried her. Her first church journeyed with her and affirmed the call. A missions agency prepared her over the final years before she was sent, though it did not become her sending agency in the end. Her current sending church has taken on the full weight of her fundraising - a gift that frees her mind and time for the work.

Beyond her sending structures, a wider network holds her up. Seniors in social work and counselling support her with case consultations and member care; critical for the mental well-being that lets her thrive on the field. Friends send texts and prayers, reminders she has not been forgotten.

“I can’t ask for more.”

R’s story shows what long, patient preparation makes possible. Eleven years between the first conviction and the day she left. Thirteen years shaping the skills the field would call on. Mentors poured out at every stage; spiritual, professional, theological, missiological.

But the encouragement she offers those feeling a tug toward the nations is simpler.

“Take time to nurture your relationship with the Lord, and He will show you His heart.”

And she is clear about what preparation is worth if the first thing is missed.

“Ultimately, it is not about the call. All these count as nothing if we do not answer our first call - to love the Lord first.”

V is a Singaporean in her early 30s who founded a startup ecosystem platform across West Asia. The platform engages local partners in policy-making and provides angel investments for early-stage startups in countries within that region.

As founder and operator on the ground, she holds credible professional standing and legal legitimacy in a region otherwise closed to traditional missionary presence. Her vocation and mission have been integrated from the outset and she is in the early years of learning what this looks like in practice, with clarity about the call and open hands about the shape it will take. She is a missions worker sent and supported by her home church in Singapore alongside a sending agency.

At 19, everything changed for V.

Through a series of visions during her post-junior-college gap year, God placed a call on her life to West Asia. It did not remain a spark of inspiration. It settled into a conviction that would shape every academic and career decision in the years that followed.

Trained by her sending agency, she spent that gap year in a West Asian country with a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) serving refugees in their relocation process. The experience gave her a first close look at God’s compassion for the lost and the least.

During her third year of university, a mandatory internship became an unexpected door. V was accepted, by what she calls a miracle, into the United Nations Refugee Agency and deployed to one of its largest West Asia operations. There, a second conviction took root as a growing heart for entrepreneurship, formed by watching small business owners empower their families in the middle of hardship.

From that point on, every stage of her career - from the United Nations, to the Singapore Government, to a Big Tech company – was chosen with the long horizon in mind. Employment was not incidental to her calling. It was the deliberate pathway.

The path forward was not without friction.

V grew up in a sizeable Singaporean church whose parameters for missions were refined but narrow, mostly focused on direct church planting across a set of Southeast Asian and South Asian countries. West Asia, and the Creative Access Nations more broadly, sat outside that map.

While serving in the Young Adults missions awareness ministry, V was at one point asked to stop spotlighting issues in countries deemed “too dangerous.” Having to bear these tensions in the midst of a growing clarity of call required trust and patience in the Lord.

What steadied her, she reflects, was the settled nature of the conviction itself and how she was preparing for the Lord to place her anywhere, for however long. She trusted God’s perfect leadership in all of it.

V’s turning point came with a role as a regional Market Launcher at a Big Tech company. She asked to cover emerging APAC markets, a request that granted her deep ecosystem access across many Creative Access Nations.

She worked directly with governments, top investors, and the largest conglomerates and startups in each country. More importantly, the role functioned as intentional preparation. She was cultivating the exact skillset, network, and professional credibility that a long-term deployment in West Asia would require.

Soon, she began praying about returning to the region God had first called her to. This time, carrying everything she had learned and everything that had been deposited in her, she prepared to be there for the long haul.

The confidence to leave Big Tech came when God provided V with a “Moses” figure; a seasoned investor and businessman in his 60s, introduced through Antioch21 circles.

Together with this mentor, a core team, and a group of volunteers, V launched an entrepreneurship building platform providing seed capital and mentorship to founders in the Levant. The platform is not a facade or a side project layered on top of ministry. It is a real, sustainable business and it is also the ministry. The two are one and the same, cohesively integrated.

Their prayer is simple and specific:

“To be salt and light amongst the tech scene of these countries, including future CEOs and changemakers and to steward businesses in a redemptive fashion.”

Because the business is genuine, its relationships are genuine. The founders they invest in, the local partners they engage, the government policymakers and private sector leaders they sit across from; these are not access points to a ministry that happens elsewhere. They are the relational fabric through which witness, mentorship, and where the door opens discipleship happens. The marketplace itself is the site of the work.

Though she is roving in geography, moving between capitals in the Levant and beyond, her commitment to the region itself is fixed.

Her sending agency was central to V’s initial years of preparation. Their spiritual mentorship and cross-cultural training gave her a framework for engaging people from very different backgrounds, with both gospel intentionality and genuine respect.

In her late twenties, V found a new church home in a community with a missional heart. From the outset, the church had embraced her bi-vocational calling. They had given her platforms to rally the wider community around this work and had stood with her for the long haul, rather than simply supporting a short-term trip.

V’s story is a reminder that God is not limited by our own plans, and that He rarely deploys His people in ways we would most anticipate. A gap year in a West Asian country, a UN internship, a government role, a corporate posting in Big Tech – none of these initially looked like “the mission field” from the outside. The Lord however was leading V knowing very well what He was doing.

It is a picture of a life given and made ready in and out of season. A life in which the settled conviction of the call at 19 quietly shaped every subsequent decision, until vocation and mission became one. What that will look like in ten years, V does not yet know. What it looks like now is a business, a team, and a growing set of relationships across the Levant, offered to the Lord to use however He wants.

She is clear-eyed about where Singapore stands in this moment:

“As Singaporeans, we are seeing the increasing momentum of being an Antioch and a sending community. We are blessed with a plethora of opportunities across all walks of life, including our education and career. We need only be intentional about using them to glorify God and to make Him known.”

Her closing conviction is unadorned.

“God is calling many to the harvest. Let us answer.”

K is a bi-vocational missionary tentmaker who has served in a Creative Access Nation across multiple roles over 2 decades. Her journey is one of long obedience, lifelong learning, and a conviction that God is sovereign not just over the church, but over every aspect of society and creation.

K became a believer in her early teens and was quickly and deeply involved in church ministry - youth ministry, teaching adult Bible class, and engaging in campus ministry during her university years. After a recommitment in her late teens and completing the Perspectives course, she knew with clarity that she would be a tentmaker in a Creative Access Nation.

From that point, preparation became her posture. K attended seminary in the evenings, completed Precept Bible courses, went on short term mission trips, and used Operation World to pray for the nations. During periods of study and work, she attended fellowships across numerous denominations, gaining exposure not just to different cultures but to different traditions of faith. She attended all sorts of courses to prepare herself professionally and for ministry, attending seminary part time.

The attraction to serve in a Creative Access Nation, she reflects, stemmed from her enjoyment of challenges. Such nations tend to be harder to enter, harder to remain in, and are less reached. She accepted the challenge. The preparation for spiritual growth, for acquiring people and ministry skills, for building professional credibility, and for confirming her calling - took approximately ten years.

On returning from overseas studies, the Lord led her clearly to work at an international charity while she continued to pray about completing her professional training. She eventually obtained her professional certifications while working in the marketplace, then resigned to explore a one-year tentmaking assignment in a Creative Access Nation. What began as an exploratory year - filled with meaningful conversations with local colleagues, young people and other professionals - eventually led to long term service.

The decade of preparation launched her into the work at the opportune time. With God’s clear call and a solid foundation already in place, K was able to pack her bags and move to the field within a few months.

“Part of the preparation was many conversations with church and organisational leaders, forming a prayer base and knowing what to say to different groups of people - be that family, friends, or colleagues.”

She arrived having already done her research on the country, the culture, and the professional landscape. Retooled for teaching at a tertiary institution, her goal was deliberate.

“The goal was to do a really good job, build rapport and relationships, understand the dynamics, and probe the boundaries of what could be done - creatively. This led to open doors for creative activities and many meaningful conversations.”

The next season brought a shift into training new tentmakers and serving on the leadership team of a non-profit engaged in poverty alleviation, community development, education and health - work that matched the stage of development of the country at the time.

As the country grew economically, K pursued further education, recognising that different services would be needed. She returned to serve in the creative business and social space following a major event in the country, leveraging networks developed over years of study and service. She built partnerships and collaborations across different sectors.

After a short sabbatical, the next stage involved Business as Mission which required her to acquire new corporate skills that opened doors for engagement with professionals across all sectors, as well as opportunities for equipping local leaders. Eventually the business was sold upon her return to serve as the national director of an organisation. She is currently on another assignment, remains bi-vocational, and continues to pursue further studies.

The Perspectives course was more than an introduction to missions. It was a catalyst.

“Attending the Perspectives course, which allowed us to meet many agency leaders and practitioners, was instrumental in keeping the flame alive. God’s constant reminder to keep the commitment to be a tentmaker and ready for deployment kept me focused on preparation.”

From the early days to the present, K’s philosophy has remained consistent: lifelong learning and growth, while being strategic to provide value added services that match the stage of development of the field of service. Underlying all of it is a conviction she holds firmly - that God is not just God of the church, but sovereign over every aspect of society and creation, and that we manifest His attributes when we work in sync with His Spirit to bring His goodness and redemption wherever He places us.

She describes her commitment as one of “integral mission - which embraces both the proclamation and demonstration of faith as part of the biblical command that our faith be manifested through both word and deed.”

Church support followed the proposed budget of her affiliated agency. Across the different stages of service, support was at times partial; when income from employment or business covered a portion. Other times at full, when more time was given to direct ministry.

The relationship with the agency similarly evolved to match the type of service, the tentmaking strategy, and the context of each season. Early discipleship took place in the church, and later through para-church organisations, secular institutions, and the affiliated agency.

For those exploring service in a Creative Access Nation, K’s counsel is grounded and specific. Beyond standard discipleship, she encourages preparation through studying the lives of Joseph, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Paul, and the book of Acts.

“This helped a lot when there were very limited fellowships and one had to be mindful of the CAN environment with its restrictions, yet relying on the creativity our Creator God gives us to not just find opportunities but make them - while humbly leaving the results to Him.”

She is equally candid about the tensions of tentmaking.

“Tentmaking can be stressful as you have your professional work or business goals which integrate with your ministry goals, but we all only have 24 hours a day. It is easy to economise on some of the spiritual disciplines when we are stretched - but we need to manage our time and energy wisely and remember that our doing must flow out of our being.”

Above all, she returns to a simple conviction: obedience matters more than sacrifice - though obedience often involves some sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).

“So, when we see our peers, especially as a year of service turns to five, then ten, and twenty or thirty - we are filled with joy, have confidence in God’s grace, provision, and promises, and know that our reward is in Heaven.”

D and J, both in their 30s, are business owners and missionaries based in City T. From their years in the marketplace and running a business, they have come to see how everyday workplace culture and interactions can be a powerful way to introduce shalom - wholeness, well-being, and peace - into the lives of employees. They are sent and supported by their home church through a missions agency.

Both D and J were deeply rooted and active in their church youth ministry from a young age. Those formative years engraved on their hearts a desire to serve God not just within the church, but “wherever we went and whatever we did.”

Over time, different paths began to converge. J took up language studies at university. D travelled frequently to City T for journalistic work. Through this time, both began to receive a vision. Together, it became clear that they would do missions through their work in City T, just as the Apostle Paul had done as a tentmaker.

In 2018, D and J started a business in Singapore. From the outset, the company was designed with a missional posture in mind - built fully remote and intentionally structured to provide work and employment for people from across Southeast Asia.

Over the years, they built a diverse team spanning the region. The business also gave them space to spend more than a year in City T, exploring potential missions work while continuing to run their company.

Running the business proved to be its own preparation for the field.

“Running the company gave us an important foretaste of handling cross cultural relationships in the workplace, and taught us valuable lessons on how businesses can be used to showcase the love of God in day to day work.”

This ranged from the simple and obvious, such as having fair employment practices, to the complicated and heartbreaking.

“For instance, choosing to offer grace time and again to an employee who was going through an extremely challenging life situation, only to watch her leave for another company when she got back on her feet.”

The pain of that experience was not wasted. It was formative.

Through these experiences, a conviction took shape. God was not merely calling them to run a good business. He was calling them to use business as a pathway and access for something deeper.

“Through this experience, it became clear to us that God was calling us to be missionaries in the business world. Specifically, He has given us a vision to start a business as mission - to use business as a way to introduce shalom into the lives of employees, customers, and even the church too.”

Today, this vision has taken concrete form: a retreat space in City T offering soul care through programmes, people, and place. Between their first exploratory stay in the city and their return last year, they spent those years preparing for the work ahead - pursuing theological studies, continuing to serve in their home church across worship, cell, and missions ministries, and stewarding their company thoughtfully by raising leaders and making decisions in a Christ-centred manner.

Today, D and J are in the active work of building - not just a business, but a presence. Sent through the Methodist Missions Society, they carry responsibilities both to the local church in City T and to their sending church in Singapore. It is a full and layered calling.

“We are still learning how to balance these different areas of our scope of work, and walking alongside our church community in Singapore and City T to see business as a possible form of ministry.”

The retreat space they are building is designed to be exactly that - a place where the rhythms of work, rest, and community create the conditions for people to encounter God. Shalom, made tangible.

D and J are sent and supported by their home church through the Methodist Missions Society. In addition to starting and running a business, they carry responsibilities to serve the local church and conference - a scope of work that is broad and, at times, demanding.

They remain positive and clear-eyed about the tension this creates, sharing that they are “still learning how to balance these different areas of our scope of work and walking alongside our church community in Singapore and City T to see business as a possible form of ministry.”

D and J anchor their journey in the words of Jesus in Luke 14 - a passage about counting the cost before building, before going to war, before committing to follow. Jesus uses multiple metaphors to illustrate the cost of being His disciples, making clear that the cost might well be absolute - taking everything from our lives.

“From running a business to going back to college to serving in the church, we have both slowly learned over the years the need to be prepared to give up everything, carry our cross daily, in order to follow after Him. In the mission field, this is truly an everyday reality.”

But they are equally clear that God is a good Father who watches over them and is faithful to lead them.

“God is not a cruel overlord who demands everything from us and gives us nothing in return. The peace and joy we enjoy when we trust and commit to Him wholeheartedly is unlike anything the world has to offer.”

Their prayer, whether in work or in life, in Singapore or in City T, remains simple and anchored.

“Despite the cost, we will find ourselves most satisfied in Him - and give all the glory due to Him.”

JK is 56 years old - a husband, a father, and by his own account, once a rebellious youth and a wild horse in his young adult years. Trained as a sound engineer, God had a different path in mind. He has served as a missionary for over two decades and is today a pastor called to the nations, with a pioneer’s heart, especially for the least, the last, the lost, and the unreached.

“There was a season in my life when I simply wanted to be part of something bigger than myself. What I did not realise then was that this desire was the beginning of God’s invitation into His heart and mission for the nations.”

What started as a personal longing has become a lifelong calling - to go, to build and disciple, and to serve where He leads.

JK comes from a broken home. It was his grandmother who raised him, and life was not easy. At 13, during a difficult season, he came to know the Lord at a youth Christmas party. It was a simple moment but it changed everything.

A few years later, at 17, he attended the Joshua 21 Summit, a youth missions conference. Something shifted deeply.

“I felt like I heard God’s call very clearly. I remember seeing pictures of Unreached people groups from the 10/40 Window, and something about those faces stayed with me. It wasn’t just information - it felt personal.”

The words that formed in his heart were: “Till they dance before the Lord.” That phrase gave him a picture of people from every nation worshipping and bowing before God. It has remained rooted in him ever since. Short term missions trips followed, each one deepening his understanding not just of missions but of God’s heart for the nations.

“My understanding of missions began to grow, but even more, I began to understand God’s heart for the nations. I started to realise that missions is not just about what I do - it’s really about Jesus. About who He is, and how much He loves people.”

He attended the School of Ministry at Tung Ling Bible School, where he encountered missionaries whose lives carried a different quality - the way they listened to God, the way they obeyed Him, the stories they carried of healing, deliverance, and salvation.

“For someone like me, it was eye-opening. It stretched my perspective so much. I remember sensing a quiet question in my heart: ‘Would you live your life like that?’ And my response was simple: ‘Yes, Lord.’”

He and his wife went on to attend the School of Frontier Missions with Youth With A Mission - a season that expanded his vision far beyond short-term trips and introduced him to the strategic, long-term work of reaching the unreached.

As part of a nine-month internship, JK was given two options: to serve among an unreached people group in the Highlands or another group in the Middle East. He wanted the latter. That door closed. The former opened instead - and those nine months became a defining chapter.

“It was during this time that my calling as a missionary became very clear.”

Towards the end of the internship, an invitation came to help pioneer a new work in a large region, serving among people in the Highlands. It felt like the beginning of a new chapter - one where the call of God was no longer something he simply carried in his heart, but something he was stepping into with his whole life.

“They helped me take what had been growing in my heart for years and turn it into a clear ‘yes’ to God’s call.”

The transition into the field brought both encouragement and practical complexity. JK found the relational environment surprisingly life-giving; connections formed quickly, and friendships across networks and international communities provided a solid foundation. Language was an initial barrier, but it became an unexpected doorway into deeper cultural engagement and community belonging.

“A key transition during this time was moving from being perceived as a guest to becoming an insider within the local community. This required intentional effort, consistency, and trust-building over time.”

A major factor in the smooth transition was the strong support he received from both the church and the missions agency.

“Their effective collaboration created a stable and encouraging environment, allowing me to focus on building relationships and settling into the context.”

JK did not begin his business until about a year into his time on the field, allowing space to better understand the local environment before launching. When he did begin, the registration process proved lengthy and complex. As one of the first to register a foreign company in that area, he had to navigate unfamiliar systems and extended timelines.

“Despite these challenges, the process became unexpectedly fruitful. I built strong relationships with individuals across various government departments, many of whom I remain connected with today.”

Looking back, JK identifies his internship as the moment everything became real - not just understood, but experienced.

“It wasn’t just a revelation - it felt like a revelation experience. Something shifted inside me. Missions was no longer just an idea or something I was taught. It became personal.”

A second defining moment came through witnessing a tragedy that came upon a family known to him. He saw them burned while serving as missionaries.

JK was there when it happened. What stayed with him was not only the weight of the loss, but the response of the Church.

“The way believers came together, stood with the family, and continued in faith - it spoke loudly to me. It showed me that missions is not just about going or doing something for God. It can be costly. And yet, we are never alone in it.”

These moments reshaped his posture - towards greater surrender, a willingness to walk into difficult places, and a settled acceptance that following God’s call is not always comfortable. But they also gave him something else: a deep and unshakeable assurance that God is faithful, and that this journey is never walked alone.

JK and his wife began simply - one local team member, lodging services without food and beverage, and a deliberate decision not to rush. Each step of growth was measured and patient, ensuring that every new development remained deeply rooted in their core mission and values.

They established a clear principle early on: “My ministry is my staff.” This conviction shaped their structure and priorities. While they maintained professionalism with their customers, their primary focus remained on discipling and investing in their team.

“Our business was intentionally built upon ministry - not the other way around.”

Two distinct but unified teams emerged over time: a Business Team focused on operational excellence and sustainability, and a Ministry Team focused on discipleship and spiritual growth. Though their roles differed, both worked toward the same goal.

The café became the central hub - a shared space where all team members contributed regardless of role, creating unity, shared responsibility, and natural interaction. Staff lived together in shared quarters. Regular working hours applied to everyone. One-on-one discipleship happened after hours. The rhythm was intentional and the community it built was real.

Over time, what began as a small initiative grew into a thriving, mission-driven operation spanning multiple business expressions and a committed core team of 38 local staff members. The model that emerged was simple but powerful:

Discipleship + Community + Business = Business With a Mission

“Throughout this journey, we have witnessed lives transformed through consistent discipleship, shared living, and intentional engagement. The integration of faith and work has not only strengthened our team but also created opportunities to share the gospel in authentic and lasting ways.”

JK’s local church played a key role in his sending and long-term support, working closely alongside the missions agency throughout. Central to their approach was a clear value: “supporting the calling of the person and not just the project.”

With that conviction, they funded him for the full duration of his mission work in the Highlands with consistent financial support, and directed all revenue from the business toward church planting.

“They were very releasing and chose to trust the Lord in the process with me,” he recalls with gratitude.

The support was not merely financial. JK’s cell group stood with him and his family faithfully throughout their time on the field, and the church remained actively involved - with pastors and cell groups making yearly visits to the Highlands.

“I was deeply supported by my church community. The church also remained actively involved, with pastors and cell groups making yearly visits, which meant a lot to us.”

Practically, the church ensured that the needs of JK and his family were met - covering daily living expenses, annual flights home, and providing consistent prayer support and spiritual covering.

The missions agency complemented this with strong on-field support. JK had a close relationship with his field supervisor, which gave him guidance, accountability, and encouragement throughout the journey. The agency also cultivated a strong sense of community through team life and yearly conferences - times of deep spiritual renewal, encouragement, and alignment.

“Together, the partnership between my church and the missions agency gave me both the covering and the community needed to serve effectively and sustainably.”

JK’s journey did not begin with a business plan or a strategy document. It began at thirteen in a broken home, at seventeen in a conference room staring at the faces of the unreached, and at every subsequent yes he offered to a God who kept asking more of him.

His anchor scripture - the Great Commission - is not a programme he follows but a commission he has absorbed into his bones. To go. To build and disciple. To serve where He leads.

For those who come after him, he leaves three hard-won convictions from more than two decades on the field.

“Many want to do discipleship, but not many know how to create the environment for discipleship.”

“Start small, fail small, and fail quick.”

“Disciple my people, and I will lead them to the location. Wherever they go, that’s where your company will expand.”

After more than two decades, the words that first formed in his heart at 17 have not faded. “Till they dance before the Lord.”

K and T are a couple in their 60s. They felt a call to be missionaries and discovered, through decades on the field, that professional coaching was the tool that helped open doors for the gospel.

Their desire has been to empower Christians through Christ-centred coaching. They believe every Christian is God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, and their passion has been to help others find clarity in their God-given calling, and pursue the missional work He has prepared for them.

K and T discovered their missions calling not through a sudden dramatic moment, but through years of quiet preparation and deliberate obedience. As an engineer and an IT professional respectively, they sensed God’s call to missions early and began equipping themselves intentionally - getting involved in missions prayer, initiating cross-cultural outreach among diaspora students and workers, and attending missions trainings. They tried to live simply and stay debt free, carrying the posture of being ready to go or stay, whatever the Lord willed.

Despite this, they could not find a church willing to send them as tentmakers. Then, finally, one did.

“Finally, we found a church that was willing to send us in our 40s, with two young children aged two and seven.”

God led K to resign and undergo one year of in-house training to prepare for missions. They were sent as missionaries by their church and were seconded to a Business-as-missions (BAM) organisation in a Creative Access Nation, in order to sustain their presence in the country. Later on, they transitioned to a bi-vocational missionary model, which better suited their situation on the ground.

Their goal on the field was clear from the beginning: disciple local believers and develop leaders for the house church. What was less clear was how to sustain presence in a restricted context while doing that work.

The original plan was for K to serve as a consultant for T to accompany as spouse, with the focus on discipling local believers and developing leaders for the house church. But this door closed before it had properly opened, due to a misunderstanding.

Without a defined role in the BAM company, K had to experiment with different initiatives and pioneer various efforts, but made no headway. One early attempt - a faith-based entrepreneurship and career training programme for young people - proved unsustainable after a few runs. At home, the pressure was equally real. The initial years were, by their own account, wilderness years.

“As a family, the initial years were very difficult - we felt like we were in the wilderness. Our children often fell sick and found it difficult to adjust as third culture children. T had to stay home to care for the family. Our neighbours would often spy on us to find out what we were doing. Spiritual warfare was real, and this led us to learn more about the spiritual authority of Jesus over darkness.”

Compounding all of these was the absence of a formal partnership between the BAM company and their sending church. Both parties had different agendas, leaving K and T caught between the call to focus on disciple making and planting house churches on one hand, and the pressure to do substantive marketplace work that would generate revenue for yearly visa renewal on the other.

“The lack of a proper agreement between our sending church leader and the BAM company leader caused us to feel stretched trying to meet both their mission agendas.”

With no clear roles and a growing sense of fatigue and scattered focus, K and T sought God afresh on how to reach the locals. They conducted self-development training for university students, led a team in post earthquake disaster relief, and tried many other things. K travelled frequently. The work felt directionless.

The turning point came when the Lord led the company to send them for International Coaching Federation’s certified coach training. What they discovered was a new way of doing what they had always wanted to do.

“We began to shift from teaching - downloading information - to coaching: reflective listening, asking powerful questions, and drawing out the potential God had placed in others.”

They moved from programmes to people, from platforms to presence - spending more time in prayer, personal ministry, and one-on-one and small group work, empowering people to take ownership of their own growth in life, career, family, and ministry. It also enabled them to better integrate their work and their calling.

A second turning point came through an unexpected door. Broken families among the local staff drew them into pre-marital and marriage counselling. During one session, there was a demonic manifestation. Led by the Holy Spirit, they cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus, with their children supporting them through prayer and worship.

“That experience made us far more aware of the reality of spiritual warfare and the power of God, and we became much more intentional in prayer.”

Their church later sent them for training with Ellel Ministries. The fruit has been lasting - transformation in marriages and families, and some of those they counselled went on to disciple others.

Having an identity as professional coaches opened doors that had not previously existed. K and T found themselves coaching senior leaders and managers of secular companies - building relationships as they empowered people to become better leaders, and creating natural opportunities for the gospel.

The coaching work was real and professional - but it was always in service of something larger. Alongside the marketplace work, they mentored and coached small group leaders and church leaders in disciple making. The Lord opened further doors to support young local leaders in cross cultural mission training.

Eventually, they were certified as coach trainers, equipping marketplace and church leaders to become more empowering in their own leadership.

“Some of the young men and women we mentored and coached gained clarity of God’s calling on their lives and followed that call in a very difficult environment. We are thankful that today, some of them are leaders and pastors in the house churches.”

K and T are grateful to their sending church, which provided their living expenses, and to the BAM company, which provided the work visa, their housing, and education for their children. They are equally grateful for friends and supporters who prayed and gave sacrificially.

The road was not without institutional disappointment. Their church field leader felt they had not met his expectations, and they were later re-categorised from church missionaries to bi-vocational missionary status, resulting in lower financial support.

In spite of this, they reflect with grateful hearts:

“Through it all, God has been faithful in providing for us - through health challenges and unpredictable circumstances alike.”

Looking back, K and T see God’s hand even in the hardest chapters. The initial setback of not being able to work with the local church in disciple making was, they now believe, a blessing - one that forced them into more authentic roles suited to the creative access environment.

For those heading into similar tensions between sending churches and field organisations, they offer a practical word.

“The tension we felt between the expectations of our sending church and the BAM company could have been resolved had we requested both parties to sit down early, discuss, and establish a formal agreement on our roles and their respective expectations.”

Re-entry to Singapore was a very difficult season - caring for ageing parents and supporting their children through their own transition. Yet it was also necessary and pivotal.

In the midst of that season, God led them to start a coaching company, which gave them an identity and helped them refocus on their bi-vocational calling. Today, they serve as missionary coaches within their church, supporting new missionaries in their transition to the field and providing re-entry debriefing and coaching for returned missionaries as they transition back to life, work, and ministry in Singapore.

“Not to us, LORD, not to us - but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” - Psalm 115:1

S and Y are first-generation Christians who came to faith in their teenage years and have never looked back. Shaped by the Navigators in the mid-1980s, they caught the heart of God for His kingdom early and have been walking toward the unreached ever since.

Their call to be missionaries was clear from the start: to make disciples among an unreached people in a Creative Access Nation. Their professions - medicine and teaching - were the means that allowed them to stay on in a nation where no missionary visa existed.

S and Y came to faith in Jesus in their teenage years. Being followed up by the Navigators in the mid-1980s, they caught the heart of God to labour for His kingdom, starting right where they were, in the Navigators’ teenagers ministry. Back then, missions was still something at the back of their minds. They were focused on reaching out and discipling teenagers in Singapore.

But God was already laying deeper foundations. Both first-generation Christians, they were on fire from the moment they embraced the gospel. By the late 1980s, as various missionaries came and shared their stories at Navigator camps, they began to see what God was doing around the world. Something stirred.

The defining moment came during the closing response at one of those camps. S walked to the front and gave his heart fully.

“God, wherever You lead me, I’ll go. Whatever You ask me to do, I’ll do.”

In His grace, God opened the door for S to study medicine and for Y - his wife-to-be - to receive a teaching scholarship. What began as God’s providence became, in time, a deliberate strategy: their professions were not careers to be set aside for ministry, but the very means by which ministry became possible.

Graduating from university and entering their respective vocations brought real pressure. Work was demanding. Moving from the Navigators into a church setting after getting married brought further adjustments. With the weight of two professional careers and a new marriage, the temptation was real - to push the call to missions to the periphery, or to some unspecified point in the future when life was more settled.

“It was very tempting to push the call to missions to the periphery or some other space in the future.”

The road ahead could easily have narrowed into the comfortable and the convenient.

What kept them on course was community - mentors and church leaders who prayed for them, encouraged them, and refused to let the call go cold. Without that, S reflects, the road to missions would have been impossible.

But the moment that brought absolute clarity came through grief. A close friend of S’s died suddenly during an overseas military training - a man in the prime of his life, gone without warning. S and Y had already been convicted not to give God their leftover years - not to serve Him in missions only when careers were established or financial security was achieved. The news of his friend’s passing sharpened everything.

“God’s timing is mysterious. The time to serve Him wholeheartedly is now.”

The loss of his friend did not only produce despair. It produced clarity.

From that point on, S and Y followed whatever direction God led them in preparation for the field. They attended a tentmaking course organised by Discipleship Training Center and completed their church’s in-house one-year internship programme. They made deliberate, countercultural financial choices - convicted by the motto: “Live simply, so that you might simply live.” They chose to live beneath their income. At one point, with their first son newly arrived, they lived on a single church intern’s stipend - two qualified professionals, voluntarily stepping back.

“It was very counter-cultural then and really tough at times. But God was showing us that the one who puts bread on our table is not ourselves but Him.”

It was a season of leaning into God’s provision and remaining in a posture of dependence; a lesson that has stayed with them through everything that followed.

“To this day, He remains the Faithful One who keeps us in good health and provides us with the means to serve Him.”

Their pathway into the field reflected the hierarchy of their calling. They entered first on student visas, spending time learning the language and culture before anything else. They then sought the vocational footing that would allow them to remain long-term - S in medicine and Y in teaching. If a direct route into church work had been available, they would have taken it.

S and Y are clear-eyed about the debt they owe to the community around them. The support they received - from family, church, mentors, and fellow labourers - was never primarily financial. It was something harder to quantify and more sustaining.

“Through years of preparation and of going to the unreached people group in a sensitive place, we felt uplifted by the precious faith and like-minded community who walked the journey of missions with us.”

That community did not simply send them off and move on. They walked the journey together.

Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Without the sacrifices and faith lessons of their missions journey, S and Y reflect, they would never have been in a place to truly identify with the challenges their friends face in coming to Christ on the mission field. The cost of following Jesus in a context hostile to Christianity - they have seen it up close, and they know it far outweighs anything they themselves gave up to serve God.

“In fact, the cost of following Jesus in a place that’s hostile to Christianity far outweigh all that we have given up to serve God. And when we, together, see what God is doing in the mission field through the years, we cannot agree more that it has all been worth it.”

They did not give God their leftover years. They gave Him their best ones - and brought everything they were, professionally and personally, with them.