What should your goals be while you are on deputation? By Austin Gardner

1. Try to get 13 meetings a month and do not be satisfied until you do.
2. Since it is difficult to impossible to get 13 meetings or churches per month then when you do not have a meeting just drop in to new churches or churches where you have already been. Try to develop a friendship with different pastors and cultivate future opportunities to get support.  While dropping in be sure to shake hands, wear your Macedonia pin, and give out prayer cards like candy.  Then send a letter thanking the pastor for his kindness in allowing you to drop in to his service.  Of course you are going to send an information sheet about yourself and your ministry.  Always have your calendar handy and ask for a meeting if given the chance.
3. Send out a monthly newsletter, prayer letter. The more you get your name and information out there the more they will know who you are and have interest in you.  Be very positive in your prayer letter.
4. I send out my prayer letter in bulk with an address correction on it. That way I know if it is getting to them or not.  I do not drop names from my list.  Send your information.  You never know when God may touch someone’s heart to take you on.
5. Be careful to send out very positive confirmation and thank you letters. Always include information about the country where you are going and the need.  Be sure to have a good information sheet about yourself to send out along with your confirmation letter.
6. Make phone calls every day even if you spend more than $300 per month on the phone. You want to book as many meetings as you can.  Book for the next 2 or 3 years.  You can always cancel if you get your support and have to go to the field.
7. Always look for new names. Ask every missionary you see.  Ask your pastor and pastor friends.  Get names and use them.
8. Be careful to work at least 8 hours a day 5 or 6 days a week. Being a missionary ought not take less time a week than your secular job did.  If you gave 40 or 50 hours a week to the world how much more should you give to God.
9. More important than all the secular, carnal things that you do will be your walk with God. After all it is God who gives us our support.  Be sure to pray each day.  Get in the Word.  Ask God to open doors.  Look to Him and not to methods etc.
10. Be careful to keep a good attitude about your work, calling, support, love offerings, pastors etc. God is watching your attitude.  Often times deputation is a time when God molds a man.  Don’t do anything to hinder what God wants to do in your life.

If you think it will take 3 years and plan and work that way it just may take 4 years.  Why not set goals that are higher than that.  Shoot for 1 year.  If you can’t get it in 1 then go for 2 but don’t drag your feet and don’t waste time.  Don’t make excuses.  It would be better to try and fail than not to try at all.  Work like you would have to to make it in 1 year and you will still get there quicker than if you work like it might take 2 or 3.

Basically you need to get in around 200 churches and drive over 100,000 miles to get to the field.  How long you drag it out is up to you.

I found a list of the following qualifications for missionaries that I thought you might like to consider.  We may not agree with everyone but it would do us well to consider each of these and make sure we are ready for the mission field.