For many Christians, mission can seem like something other people do. 

Mission workers can feel larger than life. We hear stories of people serving around the world and assume they must have unusual gifts, experiences or qualifications that we don't possess. But often, hearing the stories of mission workers has the opposite effect. Instead of making mission feel further away, it helps ordinary people realise that perhaps they could be involved too. 

That was certainly the experience of SIM Australia's Mobiliser, David Fauchon. 

Before serving in Chile, David worked as a radiographer in Sydney. He had been active in church ministry and was considering pastoral ministry, but overseas mission was not something he had really considered. Then, while studying at Bible college, he began reading biographies and autobiographies of people serving cross-culturally.  

One book in particular gave him a new perspective. 

It described two doctors serving in Ethiopia, using their professional skills while sharing the Gospel. For David, it was the first time he had seriously considered that his own profession could have a place in mission. Through their story, David began to see that God can use people from many different professions and backgrounds to make Christ known.  

That realisation eventually led David and his family to South America, where they spent years serving in Chile and helping people engage with God's Word. Today, he serves as SIM Australia's Regional Ministry Director for NSW/ACT, providing leadership to the mobilisation team.  

Many people can point to a similar moment when God used someone else's story to expand their vision of what faithful service might look like. 

A similar door opened for David and Christine Jeyachandran through a short-term trip to Peru. Like David Fauchon, they had not imagined that mission would become part of their story. Working in banking in Australia, David thought serving overseas was probably too complicated and unrealistic. But when he and his wife, Christine, had the opportunity to spend two months in a remote village in Peru, they decided to go.  

What they experienced there gave them a different perspective. They loved the country, the people and the opportunities for ministry. As they prayed, sought advice from others and considered how God might use them, they eventually returned for long-term ministry, spending over 10 years discipling university students and helping people engage with Scripture.  

Stories like these help break down assumptions about mission. They remind us that many people who end up serving cross-culturally begin exactly where we are: working ordinary jobs, serving in their local churches, and wondering whether God might be leading them somewhere new. 

They also help us see places and opportunities we may never have considered. Sometimes that happens through a book, as it did for David Fauchon. Sometimes it happens through a short-term experience, as it did for David and Christine Jeyachandran. Often, it happens at a mission conference, where people have the opportunity to hear firsthand how God is at work around the world and to consider what role they might play in that work. 

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Missions Conferences

Mission conferences do more than provide information. They put faces, names and stories alongside the Gospel needs of the world. They help us understand what God is doing in places we may know very little about. They connect us with people who are faithfully serving, allow us to ask questions, and help us explore how our skills, experience and interests might be used in God's mission. 

For some people, a mission conference confirms something God has already been stirring in their hearts. For others, it opens a door they had never previously considered. A conversation over coffee, a testimony from someone who is faithfully serving or a story about how God is working in another part of the world can sometimes be the beginning of a whole new chapter. 

Mission conferences are also a good place to connect with organisations like SIM. Whether you're curious about short-term opportunities, exploring long-term service, or simply wanting to learn more about God's work around the world, talking with people who have walked that journey can be an important next step. 

You never know which story God might use to help you discover your place in his mission. 

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Explore Mission Further

SIM Australia holds a number of events designed for people exploring their call to mission. Take a look at our Events Page for events that may be coming up.

We are also involved in a number of different missions conferences, including ReachOut NorthWest and ReachOut Missions Conference.

Missions Interlink also lists other mission events held throughout the year.

Want to talk to someone from SIM Australia about mission?

Want to explore where your skills, experience and passions could fit in God's mission? We'd love to help you take the next step in the conversation. Go to www.sim.org.au/talktous