Imagine you decided to take a gap year, but the gap year you took was 2020. Instead of traveling somewhere to explore your missions calling, you find yourself stuck at home, unable to pursue ministry of any kind. Or so you think.

This happened to Maddie last year. When this young woman, who was interested in children’s ministry and foreign missions, found herself stuck at home during Covid, her pastor had an idea. He suggested that they work through Encompass’ book Pursuing Your Calling. 

What made this resource the perfect choice for Maddie’s situation—and the situations of so many others—is that the book focuses on what you can do right now, right where you are, to prepare for missions. It doesn’t require an internship or a trip to another continent or even a trek across the country. The point it makes is that you can pursue your calling starting right where you are.

As Pastor Devin Livingson and Maddie worked their way through the book, Devin was excited at the changes he began to see in Maddie. “The book did a wonderful job of having times of self-reflection and also looking beyond oneself at others,” he shares. “It did a great job at marrying those two things—helping you discover who God has made you to be and find your passions, but also connecting those passions to reaching others with the gospel.”

And when Maddie began to make these discoveries, her joy was palpable. The book gave her real tools that made reaching out to others a tangible process she could work on instead of a vague idea of, “I like this,” or, “It would be cool to do this.” Instead, her  mindset became, “Now I know how, I see it working, and I see myself able to reach out in ways I didn’t think about before.” It solidified her identity, helped her know herself better, and encouraged her to trust that God is leading her in the right direction, to the right place.

“I would recommend this book to anybody,” Devin says. “Especially those who are seeking and thinking. It’s about mindset and changing your patterns and direction.”

Learn more and view Pursuing Your Calling along with the other books in our Path Series.

Want to join a virtual community and go through Pursuing Your Calling along with other believers? Learn more and share with your church family about this upcoming resource!