This is a quick summary list. We encourage you to get the HERE to THERE paperback or PDF book in the Resources section below, for the "How to" book.

1. Get your church involved with our training and development, including the selection of a fitting sending agency and ministry.
2. Get a solid foundation of Bible and theology, which are key to your understanding, effectiveness, and discernment in a cross-cultural setting.
3. Study missions, through biographies, history, and missiology. Be inspired and learn from the example and mishaps of those who have gone before you.
4. Get practical experience in a variety of ministries at your church, especially emphasizing evangelism, discipleship, teaching, and training ministries.
5. Begin to get involved in cross-cultural exposure and training. Learn what ethnic people and communities live near you. Seek them out. Begin to get a feel for differences and distinctive of different cultures and traditions. Augment your language learning toward conversational proficiency.
6. Try to join or intern with a church planting team near you. Find out about the nitty-gritty of planning and the effort involved in establishing a new church.
7. Explore and discover the ways that church leaders are qualified and recognized. Follow that pathway yourself. As a missionary, you most certainly should qualify as an Elder or Deacon (see 1 Tim. 3) before going to the field. 
8. Walk through the applications and credentialing process with your chosen mission agency to go to your chosen field and ministry.
9. Raise your needed support and gather a team of prayer partners for the long haul.
10. Take care of legal and personal business issues to prepare for the field. Things like co-signatory on your bank account, a Will, establishing your permanent residence address, passport, etc.
11. Celebrate and go!

Prayer

Walking with the Lord, abiding in the vine – John 15:1-16; abiding in His word (John 15:7; John 8:31-32 – being a disciple; living a holy life, evangelizing where you are.)

Holiness – see Hebrews 12:14 – “without holiness, no one will see the Lord”

If you are not sharing your faith in your culture, what makes you think that will change when you get on a plane and go to another culture and have to learn another language, etc.?

Local church counsel and confirmation and sending out. (Acts 13:1-4)

Time

Patience

Raising support. (money & more prayer partners and most likely a team of several churches that are committed to you.)

Accepting God's sovereignty along the way as you raise support and move forward.

Sharing your vision with other Christians and churches.

Also teaming with others – no one should go alone – the apostle Paul was not alone; he had his team – Barnabas, Timothy, Silas, Luke, Sosthenes, John Mark, others. (and the Bible shows us the reality of missionary team conflicts and changes in the personnel – Paul's conflict with Barnabas and John Mark – so don’t be surprised.

Perseverance

The point is this: it takes time to prepare for a life of ministry in a different language and culture! Preparation is time well spent. Better to be well prepared for the stress and sacrifices, than to succumb to them and leave the field unnecessarily.