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The Missionary Call: Find Your Place in God's Plan For the World
Christians of all ages recognize the heartbeat of God to take the Gospel to the nations and wrestle with the implications of the Great Commission in their own lives. The Missionary Call explores the biblical, historical, and practical aspects of discerning and fulfilling God's call to serve as a missionary. Pointing the reader to Scripture, lessons from missionary heroes, and his own practical and academic experience, Dr. Sills guides the reader to discern the personal applications of the missionary call.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
19 people are currently reading
248 people want to read
About the author
M. David Sills
15 books4 followersM. DAVID SILLS (B.A., Belhaven College; M.Div., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; D.Miss., Ph.D., Reformed Theological Seminary) is professor of Christian Missions and Cultural Anthropology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He joined Southern Seminary after serving as a missionary in Ecuador, where he served as church planter and general evangelist among the Highland Quichua people in the Andes and as president and professor at the Ecuadorian Baptist Theological Seminary.
Dr. Sills is the author of The Missionary Call and two books on the Highland Quichua people published in Spanish: Quichuas de la Sierra and Capacitacion Pastoral En La Cultura Quichua.
David and his wife, Mary, have two grown children.
Dr. Sills is the author of The Missionary Call and two books on the Highland Quichua people published in Spanish: Quichuas de la Sierra and Capacitacion Pastoral En La Cultura Quichua.
David and his wife, Mary, have two grown children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 1, 2024
I heard so many things that I needed to hear in this book. And not just things that I wanted or hoped to hear (although that too!). I would recommend this to anyone even mildly interested in missions work. Sills has some wonderful things to think through, and although it might be hard, they’re things you can’t ignore. The call of a missionary is painful but so beautiful, and the author captures that wonderfully.
September 23, 2016
This book is full of practical and spiritual advice about how to know if you are called by God to become a missionary overseas. I really appreciated the way the book was organized, talking about the Biblical basis for missions, God's heart for missions, and then branching into the history of missions since the Early Church, and exploring different branches of thought and belief that are present about missions and the missionary call today.
My favorite part was the short biographical summaries of famous missionaries of past centuries, like Hudson Taylor, Lottie Moon, William Carey, David Brainerd, and Amy Carmichael. I grew up hearing about their ministries, and reading their biographies, but I love revisiting those inspiring stories!
This book focuses mostly on how to know you are called to missions, what does a "call" look like, feel like, sound like, and how to define what place, agency, or people group you are called to. The truth is, everyone's life is different, and God guides in many ways to call people to His work. There is no ONE definition, because you can't put God in a box or define Him. But this book does a good job of giving many examples of ways that God might work and how He has called people in the past, so that you can use that knowledge and apply wisdom to your own situation.
Some of this book did not apply to me, since it focuses almost exclusively on church-planting evangelical missions projects, while I'm interested in working in a care program for missionary kids, but the concepts still apply to any sort of full-time ministry involving mission work.
Excellent writing, but a little repetitive, repeating the same concepts again and again in various chapters.
This book is inspiring with clear wisdom based in the Bible, and I loved how many quotes there are from famous missionaries of the past!
My favorite part was the short biographical summaries of famous missionaries of past centuries, like Hudson Taylor, Lottie Moon, William Carey, David Brainerd, and Amy Carmichael. I grew up hearing about their ministries, and reading their biographies, but I love revisiting those inspiring stories!
This book focuses mostly on how to know you are called to missions, what does a "call" look like, feel like, sound like, and how to define what place, agency, or people group you are called to. The truth is, everyone's life is different, and God guides in many ways to call people to His work. There is no ONE definition, because you can't put God in a box or define Him. But this book does a good job of giving many examples of ways that God might work and how He has called people in the past, so that you can use that knowledge and apply wisdom to your own situation.
Some of this book did not apply to me, since it focuses almost exclusively on church-planting evangelical missions projects, while I'm interested in working in a care program for missionary kids, but the concepts still apply to any sort of full-time ministry involving mission work.
Excellent writing, but a little repetitive, repeating the same concepts again and again in various chapters.
This book is inspiring with clear wisdom based in the Bible, and I loved how many quotes there are from famous missionaries of the past!
April 5, 2014
i gave this book five stars rate just from the first chapter. It's like M. David Sills knew me best, about my (and maybe most of us) question about missionoary call: am i really called or i just think that i am called? how will i know the difference? where do i start to know? and lots of questions that we will say "yes, that's so me..." when we read along pages. i once took a course in mission called Kairos course, and this book said much like the course did. if anyone of u have the same questions about call as mine, this book is a good one to start :)
August 1, 2018
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Moody Publishers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
In reading this book I have a bit of an advantage (as well as a bit of a disadvantage) compared to many other readers, in that I have already served abroad as a missionary and can largely agree with the author's comments about the struggles and nature of missionary life [1]. For a book about a subject like this one, it is a surprisingly and impressively practical and tough-minded one. The author manages to deftly handle debates about the missionary call as well as provide information to those who have a particular burden on their heart about the standards that missionaries are held to both by the societies that send them and by the people they are preaching to under whom missionaries live under a great deal of scrutiny. There may be a lot of people who feel the tug of missionary service but who are not really aware of what will be expected or required of them, and for such people, this book will give some much-needed encouragement, information, and material for reflection and prayer.
This volume of a bit more than 250 pages is divided into three parts and twelve chapters, of which the last part is the longest. After a foreword and introduction, the author begins with a discussion of the missionary call (I), specifically how it is to be understood (1), how God's will is to be known (2), the biblical basis for the missionary call (3), and various historical understandings of that call (4). After this there is a brief section on understanding the missionary call (II), dealing with questions of how specific the call has to be (5), the timing of the call (6), and how to deal with spouses who do not feel the same call (7). The third and final section deals with fulfilling the call (III), including chapters on getting to the field (8), hindrances (9), challenges (10), missionary heroes (11), and understanding and answering the call (12). After this there are acknowledgements, a glossary, notes, an extensive bibliography, as well as both a subject and scripture index. If you are pulled towards missionary work and want some answers to your questions, this book is definitely a practical guide to read before signing up.
To be sure, this book is written by someone from the Southern Baptist tradition, and so the author focuses on the experience of those from his own faith community. Many readers of this book will likely be very familiar with the missionary figures like Jim Eliot and others who the author returns to over and over again for their example. If there is one area where I feel that this book could be done better it is explaining how the missionary impulse would be useful to believers in their own local communities. The author seems to promote the idea that missionary work is something the author does away from home, rather than simply the way that one deals with areas one happens to be that are not (yet) obedient to the will of God and subject to the recognized jurisdiction of His Kingdom. Even so, these are minor quibbles, and something that the author could easily address in future books or essays. By and large, the author manages to combine a scriptural and historical approach to the mission field and the work is certainly deeply thoughtful and practically based. The author minces no words on the sort of issues faced by Americans who wish to serve as missionaries abroad, and readers would do well to take him seriously.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2010...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
In reading this book I have a bit of an advantage (as well as a bit of a disadvantage) compared to many other readers, in that I have already served abroad as a missionary and can largely agree with the author's comments about the struggles and nature of missionary life [1]. For a book about a subject like this one, it is a surprisingly and impressively practical and tough-minded one. The author manages to deftly handle debates about the missionary call as well as provide information to those who have a particular burden on their heart about the standards that missionaries are held to both by the societies that send them and by the people they are preaching to under whom missionaries live under a great deal of scrutiny. There may be a lot of people who feel the tug of missionary service but who are not really aware of what will be expected or required of them, and for such people, this book will give some much-needed encouragement, information, and material for reflection and prayer.
This volume of a bit more than 250 pages is divided into three parts and twelve chapters, of which the last part is the longest. After a foreword and introduction, the author begins with a discussion of the missionary call (I), specifically how it is to be understood (1), how God's will is to be known (2), the biblical basis for the missionary call (3), and various historical understandings of that call (4). After this there is a brief section on understanding the missionary call (II), dealing with questions of how specific the call has to be (5), the timing of the call (6), and how to deal with spouses who do not feel the same call (7). The third and final section deals with fulfilling the call (III), including chapters on getting to the field (8), hindrances (9), challenges (10), missionary heroes (11), and understanding and answering the call (12). After this there are acknowledgements, a glossary, notes, an extensive bibliography, as well as both a subject and scripture index. If you are pulled towards missionary work and want some answers to your questions, this book is definitely a practical guide to read before signing up.
To be sure, this book is written by someone from the Southern Baptist tradition, and so the author focuses on the experience of those from his own faith community. Many readers of this book will likely be very familiar with the missionary figures like Jim Eliot and others who the author returns to over and over again for their example. If there is one area where I feel that this book could be done better it is explaining how the missionary impulse would be useful to believers in their own local communities. The author seems to promote the idea that missionary work is something the author does away from home, rather than simply the way that one deals with areas one happens to be that are not (yet) obedient to the will of God and subject to the recognized jurisdiction of His Kingdom. Even so, these are minor quibbles, and something that the author could easily address in future books or essays. By and large, the author manages to combine a scriptural and historical approach to the mission field and the work is certainly deeply thoughtful and practically based. The author minces no words on the sort of issues faced by Americans who wish to serve as missionaries abroad, and readers would do well to take him seriously.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2010...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
August 1, 2018
Funny how the first time I started reading this was in 2012, and the Lord used it to quickly show me that I was not, in fact, called to be a missionary in Africa. I knew that after 2 chapters, so I stopped reading.
This time through, after my husband and I have clearly heard the call to be full-time missionaries in Ireland, every page was full of affirmation and encouragement. This book put into words what I've been feeling, it was a reminder to press on as we wait for the Lord to orchestrate the timing of our move, and it was sobering to consider hindrances and challenges that will likely await us when we, Lord-willing, arrive.
Highly recommend to anyone considering missions, as well as those adamantly opposed to the idea.
This time through, after my husband and I have clearly heard the call to be full-time missionaries in Ireland, every page was full of affirmation and encouragement. This book put into words what I've been feeling, it was a reminder to press on as we wait for the Lord to orchestrate the timing of our move, and it was sobering to consider hindrances and challenges that will likely await us when we, Lord-willing, arrive.
Highly recommend to anyone considering missions, as well as those adamantly opposed to the idea.
March 15, 2022
I believe books like this are necessary for all who profess Christ. However, I do have two criticisms.
The first how US-centric this book is. Perhaps this makes it more effective for the US audience, but it seems to contradict the broad idea of the missionary call.
The second is I think organization and coherence were lacking in this book. Lists within lists interspersed with “look for this” but “don’t look for that”, while helpful in opening up the reader to many examples, also had me losing track of what the message was. I think more time should’ve been spent looking at the biblical basis for God’s calling and less on the lack of biblical basis for the missionary call. God speaks to the individual in such a unique way. It is “so personal that no one else can comprehend it fully.” I liked this and wish it was elaborated on more. The practical examples and lists seem to distract from this core principle.
I very much was edified by this book. Chapter 2 on knowing God’s will was especially helpful!
The first how US-centric this book is. Perhaps this makes it more effective for the US audience, but it seems to contradict the broad idea of the missionary call.
The second is I think organization and coherence were lacking in this book. Lists within lists interspersed with “look for this” but “don’t look for that”, while helpful in opening up the reader to many examples, also had me losing track of what the message was. I think more time should’ve been spent looking at the biblical basis for God’s calling and less on the lack of biblical basis for the missionary call. God speaks to the individual in such a unique way. It is “so personal that no one else can comprehend it fully.” I liked this and wish it was elaborated on more. The practical examples and lists seem to distract from this core principle.
I very much was edified by this book. Chapter 2 on knowing God’s will was especially helpful!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2023
Lots of things to think about here. I did find the chapters a bit repetitive at times, which may serve a purpose but made the read a hard slog at times. The history of missionary heroes was quite interesting, especially those martyred. The chapter on missionary children and having a family abroad, the challenges and advantages was also intriguing, as I could be faced with similar decisions living overseas. I also found the chapter on culture shock enlightening, as I considered the POV of others, when compared to my own experience living in South Korea. Overall, decent read. I now want to look into language programs as a means to travel to Japan and read some missionary biographies.
May 24, 2018
This book seemed to be an ambitious attempt to do at least two things. One, define the phrase “missionary call,” and, two, encouragingly motivate those who may have some inclination to serve as a missionary in some capacity. I think the book failed in its first goal and succeeded in its second.
Whatever a “missionary call” might be, the reader will want to go elsewhere to explore this idea. But the wide-eyed, missions-minded novice will certainly have his/her fires for missions stoked by reading this.
Whatever a “missionary call” might be, the reader will want to go elsewhere to explore this idea. But the wide-eyed, missions-minded novice will certainly have his/her fires for missions stoked by reading this.
January 12, 2018
This is a helpful book about seeing God’a call in your life and knowing truly what he is calling you to do. Helpful book to read if it is your first book about missions. I still think John Piper’s book beats all the other missions book. But this is a much easier read.
March 20, 2019
great book to introduce somebody to the topic of missions and how it has evolved over the ages. It also is a good guide to think through how engaging in God's mission will be in your own life, whether going abroad for a season of life, or for the entirety or not at all, but being backline support.
July 3, 2019
With a much clouded perspective on missions in today's church age, Sill's book is refreshing and clarifying and altogether a necessary meditation for any of those who do not under mission work or are considering the mission field abroad.
October 4, 2017
An excellent first step for any considering whether God is calling them to missions. It can be a bit repetitive at times, but is still full of helpful, practical information.
June 2, 2018
Excellent resource about the often perplexing topic of God's call to missions.
October 28, 2018
Very thorough, on the wordy side. If you’re confused about what a “call to missions” is, this is probably the most thorough resource you could find.
March 11, 2019
Very helpful!
Very helpful to have a better understanding of the missionary call and all its implications and forms to execute with great examples.
Very helpful to have a better understanding of the missionary call and all its implications and forms to execute with great examples.
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February 1, 2021It's excellent book for who want to know is really call by God. Start fine
January 2, 2022
Super helpful for anyone who has missions on their heart!
March 11, 2022
Enjoyed the book
August 16, 2013
3.5 stars.
David Sills explains what the Missionary Call is and explains the process once you do have the call. He even gives examples of one who might be single and one who may be married who receives this call and how this might include or cause problems if your spouse doesn't gain this calling as well. It was an incredibly encouraging book and really is a must read if you long to become a missionary or are longing to understand where you might be called to serve God and others through fulfilling the Great Commission. He uses many examples of former missionaries who are well known as well. I had wanted to read this book for maybe 4 or 5 years now and am so glad I read it when I did. I have felt called for a long time, but my husband had not until recently, so this really was great to even discuss with my husband who has a heart as I have now. I enjoyed this book and read it in about 5 days.
David Sills explains what the Missionary Call is and explains the process once you do have the call. He even gives examples of one who might be single and one who may be married who receives this call and how this might include or cause problems if your spouse doesn't gain this calling as well. It was an incredibly encouraging book and really is a must read if you long to become a missionary or are longing to understand where you might be called to serve God and others through fulfilling the Great Commission. He uses many examples of former missionaries who are well known as well. I had wanted to read this book for maybe 4 or 5 years now and am so glad I read it when I did. I have felt called for a long time, but my husband had not until recently, so this really was great to even discuss with my husband who has a heart as I have now. I enjoyed this book and read it in about 5 days.
January 5, 2017
There are few books which treat the question of The Missionary Call. This may be the first to treat this subject in light of 21st Century realities. Sills has given us a wonderful and much needed book!
He examines the subject thoroughly in three sections: What Is the Missionary Call?, Understanding Your Missionary Call, and Fulfilling the Missionary Call.
Throughout the book, Sills explores Scripture and historical viewpoints related to missionary calling. The examination of Scripture is faithful. The examination of historical viewpoints is insightful. This book is truly a gift for those interested in understanding the call of God call to missions.
If this subject is of interest to you, and it should be, this book will help you understand missionary callings and find your place on mission.
He examines the subject thoroughly in three sections: What Is the Missionary Call?, Understanding Your Missionary Call, and Fulfilling the Missionary Call.
Throughout the book, Sills explores Scripture and historical viewpoints related to missionary calling. The examination of Scripture is faithful. The examination of historical viewpoints is insightful. This book is truly a gift for those interested in understanding the call of God call to missions.
If this subject is of interest to you, and it should be, this book will help you understand missionary callings and find your place on mission.
February 5, 2015
In short, The Missionary Call gives a useful introduction to missions, and particularly to those considering that vocation. The book could have been more concise, and reduced in size. There is some unnecessary repetition of concepts, quotations, anecdotes, and sentiments, throughout the chapters. This can serve a good purpose, and it isn't a good reason to reduce rating. On the other hand, The Missionary Call, in many places, tends towards an openness to mysticism, which works against his broader approach to calling. It is one thing to say that the call differs, and another thing to intimate that it sometimes involves hearing an audible voice, or feeling the divine presence.
September 12, 2012
A good book that talks about the Biblical basis and historical perspective for the missionary call and how it applies to one's life. I think this book would be a great aid to anyone wondering about what God's call is for their life, especially one who is contemplating mission work. It is also a great book for missionaries who have decided to go as the author does a good job explaining many of the decisions that one needs to make before leaving for the field and he also deals with some obstacles that people face once they make it to the field. Overall a great read.
April 17, 2010
At first I thought this was just going to be another 'how do I know God's will for my life' book. Some of it did give helpful insight to that question--but it was much more than just a book on discerning God's will. It discussed many helpful topics that any prospective missionary would need to know. I would recommend this book to anyone who is seriously considering missions for either a season of life (2 years or more) or for a lifetime.
February 24, 2014
Excellent primer for any prospective missionary. Sills writes lucidly and covers well the areas of biblical characters, historic missions figures, subjective issues, and preparatory training. He offers realistic warnings of missionary life but he does not discourage anyone from venturing forth. This volume gives the reader a good start in the direction of full time mission work as well as any ministry endeavor.
April 25, 2014
I am very appreciative for Sills' careful handling of delicate issues in regards to the "Missionary Call". I would recommend this book for anyone who is wrestling with the will of the Lord in their lives. Whether or not we leave all and go overseas for the sake of the gospel, may our hearts long to see the glory of the Lord fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. May the Lord call many more to go and take the gospel where it has not gone before!
April 11, 2015
Who is called to missions? How can someone know for sure? Though Sills tackles weighty issues, there is flatness to his writing that fails to engage. Much of the book is unnecessarily repetitive, consistently returning to the same issues and appeals. Still, there is much here to be commended and those questioning whether or not they are called to missionary work will find Sills’ work a helpful guide through this intensely emotional, mental, and spiritual process.
August 4, 2015
A must read for anyone considering missions, especially young adults returning from mission trips and serving overseas that have a desire to return in some capacity. Sills provides great insight for those that want to learn more about the missionary call and what it entails. This book provides a look at the call from both a personal and historical view. Sills insight from his years on the field really helped me connect to his writings.
February 21, 2019
This original edition was a total disaster in editing with multiple errors and mistakes.
August 6, 2018
This was a very helpful book about all the ins and outs of becoming a missionary. It could be used for seminary students or anyone considering or in the middle of applying to become a missionary. It was not so helpful for someone who has already become a missionary - that is not its target audience.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews