Sent, Together: Inside CMF’s Mission Formation Training
This June, CMF welcomed 11 missionary recruits to Indianapolis for a week designed to prepare them for the road ahead. Mission Formation Training brought together individuals and families preparing to serve in Ethiopia, England, Ivory Coast, Mexico, and South Asia—many of whom will depart in just a few short months.
But this training was about more than logistics and preparation. It was about something deeper: ensuring that every missionary goes out cared for, equipped, and surrounded by a community that understands the unique calling they are stepping into.
Equipped Through Learning and Experience
Throughout the week, recruits engaged in a blend of teaching and hands-on experiences designed to prepare them for the realities of intercultural life and ministry.
Dr. Chris Flanders of Abilene Christian University served as the guest speaker, guiding participants through key topics like cultural awareness, contextualization, and engaging people across differences. Drawing from years of missionary experience in Thailand and his academic work in missions, Dr. Flanders helped recruits think carefully about how the gospel is lived out in diverse cultural contexts.
Alongside this teaching, recruits received practical ministry training in areas like Discovery Bible Studies and Disciple Making Movements, while also exploring important dynamics such as team health, resilience, grief, and navigating transition. They spent time each day with CMF Strategy Area Directors, who provided personalized coaching and helped connect these principles directly to their future fields of service.
Equipping didn’t stop at ministry strategy. The week intentionally addressed the everyday realities of life overseas—managing finances with accountability, navigating public transportation systems, and preparing food in unfamiliar environments with limited resources. These lessons came to life through immersive challenges and firsthand experiences in navigating cultural understanding.
As recruit Sierra Reismeier reflected:
“It was a week full of practical ministry training, intercultural learning, and encouragement as we prepare for life overseas… One of the highlights for me was visiting an unfamiliar religious service and participating in experiences that helped us better understand the cultures and people we will be serving.”
Cared For Through Community
While the training provided essential tools, it also created something just as valuable: connection.
Missionary life can be uniquely challenging, often marked by transition, distance from familiar support systems, and the weight of cross-cultural work. Mission Formation Training gave recruits the opportunity to build relationships with others who truly understand that journey.
From shared meals to team challenges to daily conversations, a sense of community grew throughout the week. Recruits weren’t just receiving training—they were stepping into a network of peers and leaders committed to walking alongside them long-term.
Sent with Purpose
The week concluded with a meaningful moment: CMF’s Capping and Commissioning service.
In this special gathering, each recruit was recognized and commissioned as an International Harvester, marking the next step in their missionary journey. With many preparing to leave in the coming months, the service served as both a celebration and a sending—affirming their calling and the community standing behind them.
A Foundation for the Journey Ahead
Mission Formation Training reflects CMF’s commitment to holistic missionary care.
Missionaries are not sent out alone or unprepared. They are trained with intention, supported in practical and spiritual ways, and surrounded by a community that understands both the challenges and the calling of life overseas.
As these 11 recruits prepare to step into new cultures and contexts around the world, they do so equipped—and reminded that they are part of something much larger than themselves.