What is the missionary care gathering?
The Missionary Care Gathering is the annual gathering of AJM staff and our missionaries to come together to reflect and recharge through workshops, group discussions, and times of prayer and worship. Missionaries from all over the world gather with the purpose of investing into friendships, connecting as a missionary organization, taking time to talk and listen to each other, and finding encouragement and rest. Providing ongoing care is at the core of who we are at AJM, and our mission is to mitigate “burnout.” The Missionary Care Gathering helps our missionaries to feel empowered to resume their work: loving God and sharing the Gospel.
the missionary care gathering provides
CRITICAL RESOURCES FOR MISSIONARIES IN THE FIELD
🤍 A SAFE SPACE FOR MISSIONARIES AND THEIR KIDS TO EXPERIENCE REST FROM THE PRESSURES OF EVERYDAY MINISTRY.
🙏🏼 ABUNDANT ENCOURAGEMENT FROM MISSIONARIES LIVING IN OTHER LOCATIONS, TIME TO TALK, ASK EACH OTHER QUESTIONS, AND SPEAK LIFE INTO ONE ANOTHER.
📖 SPIRITUAL REFRESHMENT THROUGH DAILY TEACHINGS FROM VARIOUS SPEAKERS AND TIMES OF WORSHIP TO BRING FOCUS BACK TO OUR SAVIOR.
👩🏫 OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH PRACTICAL RESOURCES LIKE ATTENDING WORKSHOPS OR TALKING WITH TRAINED THERAPISTS.
🥳 SOME MUCH NEEDED FUN AND FREE-TIME TO VISIT A LOCAL ARTISAN, JOIN IN ON KARAOKE NIGHT, OR SIMPLY TAKE AN UNINTERRUPTED NAP.
🌎 FRESH VISION AS MISSIONARIES RETURN BACK TO THEIR MINISTRIES REFRESHED AND READY TO FAITHFULLY LIVE OUT THE CALLING GOD HAS PLACED ON THEIR LIVES.
Our 2026 Missionary Care Gathering took place in beautiful Mijas, Spain, a city right along the coast outside of Malaga. God blessed us with a perfect place to stay on the mountainside of Pueblo Mijas, looking out over the sea.
Over 130 of us gathered together for a week filled with worship, healing, community, rest, fun, and simply being in the presence of the Lord. Our missionary kids learned about emotions and how God uses them all uniquely, and our teens were poured into all week through deep conversations, hearing a variety of testimonies, and going on fun outings!
It was a small glimpse of Heaven seeing people from all across the world gather together for this special week. We heard testimonies of how God is moving miraculously across the globe. We prayed for our brothers and sisters in Christ enduring some of the hardest challenges. We bore witness to one another’s burdens, lifted each other up, cried together, served one another, and worshipped together as one body of believers. It was a week that we will not soon forget, and we cannot wait to see how God will grow this gathering for 2027!
The Care Gathering happens over five days together. Every morning and evening we have incredible Bible teachers taking us through contextualized messages that equip us to continue on mission. Community is our focus, so we avoid over-structuring programs to leave space for relationships to be invested into. There are opportunities to relax over a cup of coffee, explore the host country, or exchange stories with other missionaries about life and ministry.
AJM works to make this a cost free experience. The only cost we ask missionaries to cover is your own travel and transportation. From the moment you arrive, accommodations, food, and even some activities are provided. You may want to bring a little extra spending money as you enjoy the many local shops the town offers.
The Missionary Care Gathering is for the benefit of the entire AJM network – adults, kids, guests, volunteers. We desire to care for each person in attendance. We cherish the opportunity to provide a space of refreshment and like-minded community for missionaries or whoever would benefit. If you are an AJM member and have a ministry guest that you believe would benefit, please contact MCG Planning Team in order to guide their registration.
We have a dedicated group of volunteers that come just for the purpose to care for our kid missionaries, from infants to teenagers. In AJM, children are a part of the family’s calling into mission as much as their parents, and we want to provide equal care for them as individuals. During meeting sessions, the kids and teenagers will have their own program. These volunteers will also provide care during designated free time so parents can enjoy time with one another. All our kid missionary volunteers go through background checks and training for the sake of child protection. If you know someone that would be interested in joining as a volunteer, click here for the application!
Every year MCG moves to a different location in order for our community to experience the cultures missionaries are serving in. These plans are made based on visa requirements, ease of access, and local resources AJM is connected to. Our 2026 Missionary Care Gathering took place in Mijas, Spain. Stay tuned to find out where next year’s MCG will take place!
We try to find a location that is within a reasonable distance from an easily accessible airport! AJM will send recommendations to all attendees about trains, buses or taxis. Please expect to receive information the month before MCG.
All content from our 2026 Gathering will be available soon. You can watch sessions from MCG 2024 & 2025 HERE!