When “maybe Missions” becomes “Yes, Lord”

At the relaunched Elim Missions Academy, a new group of students have discovered clarity, courage and a deeper call to the nations.

Nicky arrived carrying a sense of calling, but also a tangle of questions. There was an idea forming, a desire to go, and a need for God’s wisdom about the next step. “I have an idea for a mission that I’d like to go on,” Nicky shared, “and I’m just trying to work out with God, how I get there and what He wants me to do and open the doors.”

That’s the space many in the new Missions Academy cohort found themselves in: willing, listening, and ready to be shaped. The Academy brings people together in Malvern (with others joining online) to explore international mission, learn from those with experience, and pray into what God is stirring.

For Lauren, who is also studying at Regents Theological College, the day felt like oxygen. “It is fabulous. It’s so exciting. So, so good to hear people’s stories about their missions and just get excited and start thinking about what God is doing for the nations.”

Wilnor described being surprised by how much the day touched both head and heart. “I felt the day was so much more than I had expected,” they said, speaking of the speakers, the welcome, and a visit to the garden that honours those who gave their lives in mission. “I found [it] very moving. I also felt there was so clear understanding of what is expected of us as students.”

The fruit is already visible: people leaving with language for their calling, courage for the unknown, and a deeper love for the nations, ready to serve their local churches while they discern where God may send them next. And when God awakens a call like that, the ripple reaches further than any one person can imagine.

This article was first featured in the Your Elim newsletter. You can read the Your Elim newsletter here, and sign up to the newsletter here.