missionary
WHO IS GFM?
Global Frontier Missions is a movement of Christ-centered communities dedicated to Mobilizing, Training & Multiplying disciples and churches to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the least reached people groups of the earth.
Did you know most missionaries only last about two years on the field? Statistics show that proper pre-field training greatly increases your chances of being more fruitful and staying on the mission field longer. GFM is committed to providing the best training possible so that our graduates can serve all over the world and bear much fruit. We take a balanced, holistic approach to missionary training and preparation. We purposely focus on integral ministry training: head (formal, classroom, theory), heart (informal, community, spiritual), and hands (non-formal, on-the-job, practical). Others studies and research explain that this is the best way to equip long-term laborers for the mission field.
WHY TRAINING: A BIBLICAL CASE FOR MINISTRY PREPARATION
THE BIRTH OF GLOBAL FRONTIER MISSIONS
In 2000, Global Frontier Missions was founded as Grant and Jennifer Haynes served among the 30 UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Their goal was to see the Good News of Jesus being preached and disciples made among the 80 villages that had no believers, no Bible, and no churches within two hours of their mountain market town of Tlaxiaco. To fulfill that vision, they hosted short-term mission teams, summer interns, started an indigenous Bible school for the national believers, and developed a MISSIONARY TRAINING SCHOOL to equip more laborers, all while spending time in the villages doing evangelism, discipleship, and CHURCH PLANTING. The ministry began to grow over the years and God expanded their vision to not only reach the lost in Mexico but to be used by God to raise up laborers to serve among the remaining 7,220 ethnic groups (nations) worldwide that are still considered unreached with the Gospel.
In 2010, several people left the GFM Mexico location to plant “home hubs” in ATLANTA, GA and Houston, TX in order to focus on mobilization and pre-field missionary training while working among the unreached living in the US. With a goal to EXPAND to other multi-ethnic cities, we launched locations in Richmond, VA and Sydney, Australia. GFM believes that the best way to train missionaries is to offer cross-cultural experience before launching to the field, so we purposely chose locations with people from many different countries and people groups in which students would do the work of evangelism, discipleship, and church planting with Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists.
Our passion is to make disciples who will make disciples to PRAY, GIVE, GO, WELCOME, and MOBILIZE OTHERS strategically to ensure that the remaining 7,000 unreached people groups have access to the Good News of Jesus. Additionally, GFM established strategic partnerships with other mission organizations so that we work together to take the gospel to every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.
CHRISTIAN MISSIONS AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS
We delight in forming global partnerships with like-minded missions organizations who share our passion for unreached people groups. With numerous, excellent agencies sending missionaries to the fields, we focus on our niche, which is mobilizing and training laborers to work among the unreached.
Formal partnerships between GFM and recognized mission sending organizations allow us to streamline the process for missionary candidates. Graduates of GFM's Missionary Training School get preferential treatment from partner agencies, allowing them to flow easily through their pipeline processes. GFM screens, vets, and trains laborers for many organizations and have built trust and a solid reputation for raising up healthy, long-term, fruitful laborers. As a result, sending agencies can launch our alumni to the nations with ease.
We partner with Africa Inland Mission, Cafe 1040, Christians in Action, East West Ministries, Frontiers, Global City Mission Initiative, Global Fellowship, Globe International, Go to Nations, Great Commission Europe, OMF, One Collective, Pioneers, Send International, SIM, Mesa Global, Team, and Refugee Oasis.
GFM'S MTS-MISSIONARY TRAINING SCHOOL
In addition to missionaries getting the knowledge (head), character (heart), and skills (hands) necessary BEFORE launching out, many mission agencies realize the need for laborers to be well cared for during their first year on the field with JUST-IN-TIME training. So, GFM launched our first “field hub” in SOUTH ASIA as part of our THUMB VISION (Tribal, Hindu, Unreligious, Muslim, Buddhist) strategy.
A “field hub” helps new missionaries in their first 6-18 months with learning the language, adjusting to the culture, handling visas, finding their role, and basic life skills. Located in a diverse city with access to different THUMB (Tribal, Hindu, Unreligious, Muslim, Buddhist) groups, GFM's S.L.I.C.E. program trains cross-cultural workers for lasting impact in unreached parts of South Asia. Lord willing, we plan to add more hubs in strategic gateway cities like Istanbul and Dubai.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20
Why Training: A Holistic Case for Ministry Preparation