Before One Goes
Prior to considering anything about missions other than giving to the mission agency at church and praying for missionaries, most people are in the stage of involvement in Pollock’s model. They are usually part of several groups at work, at school, in the community, at church, and so forth. They know how they fit in these groups and feel some commitment to other members of the groups. They often have a smaller group of friends with whom they feel even more comfortable, and they feel free to confide in those friends and want to listen to what those friends have to say. They feel affirmed, secure, confident, and safe.
Then something occurs to them, their spouse, or their parents, and they find themselves at least thinking about becoming involved in missions in new ways. Transitions that occur during this time are from staying to going, from place of work to agency, and from drawing a salary to raising funds.