In the last few years, there has been a new wave of opportunities for people to leverage their jobs for gospel advancement. Often called “Marketplace Missions,” this idea refers to taking your career and moving it to a strategic location for the mission of God.

Are you passionate about photography? Do you get excited thinking about a degree in Nursing? Are you pursuing a degree in law?

So often, we think pursuing a career in missions means giving up the skills and passions with which God has gifted you. But what if it is those very skills that will give you access to places that other missionaries aren’t able to live?

What if you used your education and degree to move to a place where the name of Jesus is not yet known? 

Some people will be full-time church planters, but God is calling many of us to take what we are already doing and move it to a strategic location for God’s global mission. 

Are you deciding on a major in college? Check out this article on freelance jobs that easily transfer to an international context:

I had reached the top position at my job and was ready for a change. I wanted to work from my laptop anywhere, anytime, so I quit my full-time job and pursued the life of a freelance graphic and web designer. It became clear that God was also moving my husband, Tyler, in a new direction with his job, so he resigned and became a freelancer too. Quitting the nine-to-five work routine was the best decision we made for our family because it made us available for what God wanted to do next.

We soon realized that as freelancers, we could carry our talents with us wherever we wanted to go. We could work from anywhere, which would enable us to travel at leisure and live in other places to experience cultures more deeply. We also wanted to contribute to God’s kingdom no matter where we lived, so it was essential that we found a way to use our talents to further missions wherever we landed next.