In the last few years, Avant has had an increasing number of people from other countries joining the mission. We’ve welcomed people from Europe, Africa, and Asia to our teams. Those who join Avant as International Members are people who have worked closely with our Avant missionaries and continue to be vital partners in the ministry. 

When international candidates want to join Avant, they must travel to the United States for new member training at our International Service Center (ISC) in Kansas City. Avant holds two training events every year during which candidates learn about Avant, its history, vision, and values. They learn how to raise support, and how to communicate well with their supporters. This week-long training is also a special time of fellowship with Avant staff and other missionary candidates. 

Since our International Members will continue ministering in their home countries, it can be a challenge for them to grow their team of financial supporters. There are typically fewer churches and believers in their countries, and therefore less opportunity for support raising than in North America. International candidates also have much higher travel costs when coming for Avant’s new member training.

Therefore, we’ve started a project to assist international candidates joining Avant. This project will help them with travel expenses to the United States for their training and onboarding process, as well as provide a monthly stipend for those who need it while building their team of supporters.