Steps You Can Take
1. Our site is designed as a portal or “one-stop-shop” for mission information and research. Use it! We want to make it easy for you to find out about missions and opportunities you may never have heard about, so follow the links and pray that God will direct you in the right path! If you hit a dead end try again. All the agencies we partner with are reputable and meet the ethical and governance standards of the peak missions body in Australia, Missions Interlink, so we are confident they will treat you well.
2. Identify where you are in the process of becoming involved. Think and pray about where you might like to be involved. Consider your gifts, abilities, trainings, life experiences and interests.
3. Complete and register a Personal Profile Form, and view the list of matches generated. (After registering your profile, you will also be able to download the paper – “Finding Your Calling”.)
4. Visit our FAQ page and if you don’t find the answer you are looking for contact us.
5. Check out the “Agency Top Needs“ regularly listed by our Partner agencies, to search for opportunities for service which may fit your skills and giftings. Partner agencies regularly enter details of their five top opportunities suitable for Second Wind people. You can access this service without first registering your profile.
6. Talk to your pastor, church elders (deacons), other spiritual advisors and friends. Seek their advice as you share your interests and possible mission options. Whatever you do, your home church is very important in the process.
7. Enrol in a Perspectives or Kairos Course to expand your understanding of God’s heart for missions, and learn about current issues (see our courses page).
8. Ask all your questions. Fill in the “Contact Us” form and send it to Second Wind Network for advice and further information.
9. Plan to attend a Second Wind or information meeting. If none is planned in your area, talk to your pastor/leaders about arranging one for your area. See Events page.
10. Research the agencies listed on our links page. Go to their webpages, talk to people you know associated with them, get their newsletters, ask lots of questions! (See “Choosing a Mission Agency” on our Opportunities section – you will want to know that you are theologically and ideologically suited to one another.) Contact them to ask about openings and needs.
11. Discuss possibilities with a number of different agencies in the beginning. For example you may want to be involved in something in Central Asia – you should check on possible opportunities with a number of different agencies working there to see which could utilize your skills and abilities.
12. If none of our partners quite work for you and you want to do more exploration beyond these specific ones, an expanded list of mission agencies with offices and reps in Australia is available at http://www.missionsinterlink.org.au/members
13. Get yourself on the mailing list of a missionary already at work in the part of the world you are interested in – ask the agency you ate talking to who would be suitable. That way you can learn about their experiences, the country, and be praying for them too.
14. Choose a mission agency and start the process of your application. The process may include taking some further orientation courses but each mission will guide you through their process.
15. Do you have an idea or passion that you think would be a good way of sharing the gospel and you just can’t find any organisation that is tracking that way? Don’t abandon it! We have all kinds of contacts with people in the mission community and one of our team may be able to find just the right person for you to talk with. Give us a call! After all, every organisation and ministry started with someone with a new idea!