Modern Day Missionaries

In this episode, Stephanie sits down with Ben Ankarlo, fundraising coach at Modern Day Missions, to unpack what is really happening beneath the surface of support raising. Together, they explore how fear unknowingly shapes decisions, why some missionaries default to self-funding or scarcity, and how embarrassment and control can distort the way we invite others into partnership. Ben shares from lived experience as a missionary who is still actively fundraising today.
You’ll learn why clarity builds trust, how to remove the awkwardness from the ask, and a simple text-to-text approach that helps you follow through with confidence. If support raising has felt emotionally draining or unnecessarily complicated, this conversation will help you approach it with steadiness, integrity, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Hey missionaries—how are your finances on the field? At Modern Day Missions, we make it simple for missionaries to receive donations and for donors to give. Serving 1,100+ missionaries worldwide, we free you to focus on your calling. We also offer resources like our weekly podcast, fundraising coaching, and a resource-packed newsletter. Connect with us at modernday.org

Thanks for listening! Email us your questions at [email protected]

Website: https://www.modernday.org/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu3ie6N7vXvESqcHrM-SRTC7-XoPEmnv6
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaymissions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaymissions/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moderndaymissions
X: https://twitter.com/Modern_Day
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moderndaymissions/

Have you ever wondered what the Church really believes about Israel? Have you felt confused by replacement theology, one law teaching, or political noise around the Jewish people? And does any of this actually matter for missionaries today?
In this episode, Modern Day Missions Executive Director Marvin Slaton II and Gateway Center for Israel Pastor & Director David Blease explore the three prevailing theologies shaping the global Church’s view of Israel and unpack what Scripture says about covenant, identity, and God’s faithfulness. This conversation is not about politics — it’s about how we read our Bible and how that shapes our theology, our mission, and our confidence in God’s promises.
If you care about the Great Commission, the Jewish roots of your faith, and understanding your identity as a missionary, this episode will challenge and strengthen you.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:
How replacement theology so often subtly shapes modern missions thinking
Why understanding Jew and Gentile identity matters for your calling
Why unity in Christ does not erase identity

Resources Mentioned:
Israel Masterclass by Gateway Center for Israel

Hey missionaries—how are your finances on the field? At Modern Day Missions, we make it simple for missionaries to receive donations and for donors to give. Serving 1,100+ missionaries worldwide, we free you to focus on your calling. We also offer resources like our weekly podcast, fundraising coaching, and a resource-packed newsletter. Connect with us at modernday.org

Thanks for listening! Email us your questions at [email protected]

Website: https://www.modernday.org/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu3ie6N7vXvESqcHrM-SRTC7-XoPEmnv6
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaymissions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaymissions/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moderndaymissions
X: https://twitter.com/Modern_Day
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moderndaymissions/

You didn’t move across the world to lose your family in the process. Mission life is full of purpose, but it can also pull at the very relationships we care about most.
Jonathan and Elizabeth Trotter, missionary parents, writers, and trusted voices in cross-cultural life, open up about what it looks like to stay emotionally connected as a family in the middle of ministry, transition, and loss.
We talk about how to create your own family’s culture (or find it if you’ve lost it), recovering joy when life feels heavy, and how small practices like morning devotionals, Saturday rituals, and even silly moments can become anchors for your home

Your family matters. And it’s worth the work.
 
✍️ In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to recognize when your family is drifting—and what to do about it
Creative ways to bring back joy, fun, and laughter when life feels heavy
How to walk with your kids through change without losing connection

Hey missionaries—how are your finances on the field? At Modern Day Missions, we make it simple for missionaries to receive donations and for donors to give. Serving 1,100+ missionaries worldwide, we free you to focus on your calling. We also offer resources like our weekly podcast, fundraising coaching, and a resource-packed newsletter. Connect with us at modernday.org

Thanks for listening! Email us your questions at [email protected]

Website: https://www.modernday.org/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu3ie6N7vXvESqcHrM-SRTC7-XoPEmnv6
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaymissions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaymissions/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moderndaymissions
X: https://twitter.com/Modern_Day
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moderndaymissions/

AI is changing everything—how we think, work, lead, create…How about how we hear from God? Without realizing it, are we letting it reshape our hearts, our habits, and our spiritual lives, too?
Today, we talk with Carey Nieuwhof about the very real tension missionaries face when using AI for ministry. From sermon prep to leadership decisions, we explore how to use this tool with wisdom, where it may be subtly weakening us, and how to stay rooted in the Holy Spirit with all of the noise around us.
This episode will encourage you to stay curious but also rooted, as we look at how to use AI in ways that align with your calling and keep your heart sensitive to God.
 
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
How AI is already influencing your ministry, whether you realize it or not
When AI becomes a helpful tool and when it starts replacing spiritual dependence
Why using AI without discernment can lead to “brain rot” and spiritual drift
How Carey uses AI for sermon prep and leadership without losing his voice
What it looks like to stay mentally and spiritually sharp in the age of AI

Resources Mentioned:
Carey Nieuwhof
ChatGPT
Claude AI
The Art of Leadership Academy

Hey missionaries—how are your finances on the field? At Modern Day Missions, we make it simple for missionaries to receive donations and for donors to give. Serving 1,100+ missionaries worldwide, we free you to focus on your calling. We also offer resources like our weekly podcast, fundraising coaching, and a resource-packed newsletter. Connect with us at modernday.org

Thanks for listening! Email us your questions at [email protected]

Website: https://www.modernday.org/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu3ie6N7vXvESqcHrM-SRTC7-XoPEmnv6
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaymissions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaymissions/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moderndaymissions
X: https://twitter.com/Modern_Day
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moderndaymissions/

Modern Day Missionaries is a podcast created specifically for missionaries navigating real life on the field.
We talk honestly about the questions missionaries actually ask—
How do I retain supporters?
Am I burned out… or heading there?
How do I stay connected to my spouse in the middle of ministry chaos?
What does it look like to flourish as a single missionary?
Our heart is simple: help you be well so you can serve well—and truly thrive in your faith, family, finances, and freedom.
Each episode features practical wisdom and encouragement from people who deeply understand the missionary life, including guests like Steve Shadrach, Bob Goff, David Joannes, Curt Thompson, Brian Barcelona, and Mary Ho—voices who love missionaries and get the realities of the field.
Every conversation is designed to give you tangible, practical ideas you can apply immediately, shared by people who know that missionaries live a different kind of life.
Hosted by Stephanie Leigh Gutierrez, who served overseas for a decade with her family, Modern Day Missionaries is the podcast she wishes she’d had on the field—and the one created now, just for you.
Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts or watch on YouTube, and join us as we help missionaries not just stay on the field—but thrive on it.
“Modern Day Missionaries” is a podcast series for Christian missionaries produced by “Modern Day Missions.”

Thanks for listening! Email us your questions at [email protected]

Website: https://www.modernday.org/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu3ie6N7vXvESqcHrM-SRTC7-XoPEmnv6
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaymissions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaymissions/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moderndaymissions
X: https://twitter.com/Modern_Day
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moderndaymissions/