History of Missions

Christ charged His Church with two things: to disciple believers, and to spread the Gospel to every corner of the globe. The two go hand-in-hand, though we sometimes tend to compartmentalize them. Ultimately, even evangelism is a type of discipleship—it's just the most foundational stage in a process that never ends once it's begun.

The story of those who've taken Christ's message to every tribe and nation is often more exciting than any invented adventure novel. Christians have been driven by their burden to share God's Word to explore continents, challenge ungodly governments, smuggle Bibles, enter Communist countries in disguise, and die so that others could hear of God's redemption.

Missions began when Jesus first sent His disciples in pairs to preach throughout Israel. The Great Commission codified the importance of missionary work, and the Church has rightly practiced it ever since. It's important for Christian parents to tell these stories to their children, both to help them understand the importance of missionaries' work, and to offer examples of godliness and perseverance to the young saints.

Even though the human elements of these stories are usually fascinating, the emphasis ought to be on God's glory and the way He brings good out of even the most dire and hopeless circumstances. This is the greatest source of hope for the Christian: that, even when our own power fails, His is constant and will accomplish what He has determined regardless of our ability.

We offer surveys of the history of missions, as well as specific stories and biographies of well-known, lesser-known and unknown servants of Jesus Christ who have worked faithfully in His name. Whether you've been called to the mission field or devote yourself to prayer and support (all of God's people are missionaries), these are stories that can't be ignored by any who profess the name of Jesus.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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Against All Odds
by Jim Stier
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Agape Leadership
by Robert L. Peterson and Alexander Strauch
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Ann Judson
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Arrow Pointing to Heaven
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At the Edge of the Village
by Lisa Leidenfrost
from Canon Press
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At the End of the Santa Fe Trail
by Sister Blandina Segale
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Bonhoeffer
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Born Again
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Chance to Die
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China Cry
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Choices, Changes
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Christ in the Camp
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Created for Purpose
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Cross and the Switchblade
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Dayuma Story
by Ethel Emily Wallis
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$4.00 (2 in stock)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: An Evangelical Reassessment
by Georg Huntemann
from Baker Books
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$6.40 (1 in stock)
Don't Let the Goats Eat the Loquat Trees
by Thomas Hale
from Zondervan
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$15.99
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Theologians on the Christian Life
by Dane C. Ortlund
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Eternity in Their Hearts
by Don Richardson
from Regal Books
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$17.99
Evidence Not Seen
by Darlene Deibler Rose
from HarperCollins
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$16.14
Five Pioneer Missionaries
by Various
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$13.00 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Forbidden Land
by Geoffrey T. Bull
from Moody Press
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$9.50 (1 in stock)
Forgotten Founding Father
Leaders in Action Series
by Stephen Mansfield
from Cumberland House
Biography for 9th-12th grade
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Forgotten Spurgeon
by Iain H. Murray
2nd edition from Banner of Truth Trust
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Francis Asbury
by Charles Ludwig
from Mott Media
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Francis Schaeffer
by Bruce Little, ed.
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$11.04
From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya
by Ruth Tucker
2nd edition from Zondervan
History of missions for 11th-Adult
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$32.99
From the Village to the Ends of the Earth
by Lisa Leidenfrost
from Canon Press
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$16.95
George Muller of Bristol
by Arthur T. Pierson
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George Whitefield
by Arnold A. Dallimore
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$14.50
George Whitefield: Wayfaring Witness
by Stuart C. Henry
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Give All to Oregon
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God's Mountain Man
by Esther Vogt
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God's Samurai
by Gordon Prange, with Donald Goldstein & Katherine Dillon
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$18.66
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by Brother Andrew
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Great Waters
by Creston Donald Ketchum
from Hutchinson & Co.
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Hearts of Fire
by The Voice of the Martyrs
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
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$2.50 (1 in stock)
Heavenly Man
by Brother Yun, Paul Hattaway
from Monarch Books
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How I Know God Answers Prayer
by Rosalind Goforth
Revised from Evangel Publishing House
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Hudson Taylor
by Vance Christie
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Hudson Taylor & China's Open Century
by A.J. Broomhall
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Hudson Taylor and Maria
by J. C. Pollock
from Zondervan
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Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission
by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor
from China Inland Mission
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Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission Volume 2
by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor
from OMF
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Hudson Taylor In Early Years Volume 1
by Howard Taylor
from OMF
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$11.20 (2 in stock)
I Dared to Call Him Father
by Bilquis Sheikh & Richard H. Schneider
25th Anniversary from Chosen Books
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In My Father's House
by Corrie Ten Boom
First Edition from Revell Publishing
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In My Father's House
by Corrie Ten Boom
Book Club Edition from Power Books
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In Search of the Source
by Neil Anderson, Hyatt Moore
from Wycliffe Bible Translators
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$6.40 (2 in stock)
Incredible Scofield and His Book
by Joseph M. Canfield
2nd edition from Chalcedon / Ross House Books
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J. Hudson Taylor
by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor
from Moody Press
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John Charles Ryle
by Peter Toon, Michael Smout
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Jonathan and Sarah
by Edna Gerstner
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Jonathan Edwards
by Stephen J. Nichols
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Jonathan Edwards
by Iain H. Murray
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by Joni Tada
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Joni
by Joni Tada
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Journals of Jim Elliot
by Jim Elliot
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Jungle Pilot
by Russell Hitt
from Discovery House Publishers
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Just As I Am
by Billy Graham
1st edition from HarperCollins
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$4.80 (1 in stock)
Killing Fields Living Fields
by Don Cormack
from Christian Focus Publications
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Kisses from Katie
by Katie J. Davis
from Howard Books
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$16.14
Kisses from Katie
by Katie J. Davis
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Letters of Geerhardus Vos
by Geerhardus Vos, James T. Dennison, Jr.
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$18.00
Life and Diary of David Brainerd
by David Brainerd
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Life and Diary of David Brainerd
by David Brainerd
from Moody Press
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$19.20 (1 in stock)
Life of John Newton
by American Missionary Fellowship
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$9.50
Life of Robert Murray M'Cheyne
by Andrew Bonar
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$11.05
Life Sentence
by Charles W. Colson
Second Printing from Chosen Books
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$4.00 (2 in stock)
Light Force
by Brother Andrew
from Revell Publishing
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$6.50 (2 in stock)
Living on the Devil's Doorstep
International Adventures
by Floyd McClung
from YWAM Publishing
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$12.74 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Livingstone and his African Journeys
by Elspeth Huxley
from Saturday Review Press
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Lords of the Earth
by Don Richardson
Reprint. from Regal Books
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Lords of the Earth
by Don Richardson
from YWAM Publishing
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Man With the Bird on His Head
by Abbe Anderson, John Rush
from YWAM Publishing
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Maria
by Maria von Trapp
from Creation House
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Memoir & Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne
by Andrew Bonar
from Banner of Truth Trust
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$29.75
Mimosa
by Amy Carmichael
from Christian Literature Crusade
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$11.99
Missionary Patriarch
by John G. Paton
from Vision Forum
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.00 (2 in stock)
Missionary Travels
by David Livingstone
from Living Book Press
for 10th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$22.99
My Heart in His Hands
by Sharon L. James
from Evangelical Press
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$8.80 (1 in stock)
My Little Church Around the Corner
by Dr. J.H. Randolph Ray
from Simon and Schuster
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$18.00 (1 in stock)
Narrow Road
by Brother Andrew, Elizabeth Sherrill, Jars of Clay, John Sherrill
from YWAM Publishing
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$12.74 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Passion for the Impossible
by Miriam Huffman Rockness
from Discovery House Publishers
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12