My son is interested in online studies and mission work. Where can he find good studies?
Question:
One more question if you don't mind. My son is interested in online studies and mission work. I only know of the "AIM" program. We have an individual from our congregation that is in the program now, but our church is pretty small, so they can only support one person at a time in that program. Do you know of any other type programs or works that he could look into? And a solid online program in biblical studies?
Answer:
The Adventures in Missions (AIM) program is something run by the Sunset International Bible Institute. See: Is the Sunset International Bible Institute a trustworthy organization? I'm not a fan of man-made organizations being used to accomplish the work God gave to the church.
If your son is interested in preaching I would recommend finding a preacher with whom he can study. God commanded that preachers are responsible for the training of other preachers. “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (II Timothy 2:2). La Vista is a very small congregation, but we have managed to train a number of men to preach. The fifth one in the seventeen years I've been here is about to head out to preach. Given today's technology, I've been holding Bible studies for years over the phone and Skype in addition to local studies. I'm positive that I'm not the only preacher doing this. The advantage of studying and working with a preacher is that the training becomes tailored to what the student needs. The real hard part is finding a good preacher to study with and figuring out how to support yourself while you are learning.
In regards to mission work, again, the best way is to go with a preacher who is already experienced in the country where you want to work. Much depends on how long you wish to go. Unfortunately too many people today think a two-week visit to a foreign country is enough to teach the gospel in a new area. See: How do you prepare for missionary work?