Next Steps Into Missions Service

Whether you're just beginning to wonder or already sensing a call 

 this is where to start

Why Missions?

From the beginning, God has been drawing people from every nation to Himself. Through Jesus Christ, He invites His Church to join Him — praying, giving, going, and sending so that the hope of Jesus reaches people who have never heard His name. Most people live that out from where they already are. But God also calls certain people to something different — to cross cultures, learn languages, and give years of their lives to people with little or no access to the gospel. That call is serious and worth exploring with honesty and care.If you've wondered whether that might be you, this pathway is a place to start. The Silverdale’s Long-term Missions Pathway is designed to help you explore your call — taking honest steps of preparation and discernment as you move toward a possible commitment to long-term overseas service (two years or longer). You don't need to have it figured out. You just need to be willingto take the next step.

Start With Step One

A Pathway To Explore Your Calling

Long-term missionary service doesn't begin with a plane ticket. It begins with ordinary faithfulness — learning, serving, going, and growing until the shape of God's call becomes clear. Silverdale’s Long-term Missions Pathway is a series of steps designed to help you explore that call at your own pace. Each step builds on the one before it, and you can start at any point depending on where you are. There's no pressure to have answers you don't have yet.

The 5 C's Assessment

Discernment is part of the journey. Before taking your next step toward long-term service, it helps to honestly evaluate your readiness. Our Five Cs framework — Conviction, Calling, Character, Chemistry, and Competency — gives you and your church family a practical tool for honest reflection. Download the guide to begin.

5 C's Guide


Ready to go further?


Hands-on field experience with trusted partners

If you've been on a short-term trip and feel God inviting you to go deeper, these programs connect you with trusted partners for extended, hands-on experience in cross-cultural settings. Each one is designed for people who are seriously discerning a call to long-term service — and want to test it in the field.

 GenSend Summer Or Semester · Ages 19–25 

Serve alongside church planters and compassion workers in a specific city or region. See what it takes to bring the hope of Jesus to a place — and discover whether you're called to go back and stay.

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IMB Missions Residency 4 months to 1 year · Ages 18–29 

A cross-cultural experience with the IMB for younger adults exploring what long-term service might look like. Serve, learn, and discern in an international context.

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 IMB Masters 55+ 2–3 years · Singles and couples 55+

Give the first years of retirement to the nations. This fully funded opportunity places you as an active member of a missionary church-planting team. No college degree or seminary credits required. A lifetime of skills and experience is exactly what's needed.


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IMB Journeymen 2 Years · All Ages 

Serve as a fully funded member of an active IMB missionary team. You'll share the gospel, invest in new believers, and help plant healthy churches in some of the world's least-reached places — all while discerning whether lifelong missionary service is your next step.

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Next Steps: Long-Term Missions

Do you feel a long-term call to the mission field?

Let Us Know