What if preparing someone for the mission field looked less like a classroom and more like special forces training?

In this episode, we explore exactly that question with Jeremy Taliaferro, founder and CEO of Anchored International, an organization dedicated to training, mentoring, and encouraging missionaries around the world.

With over 22 years of experience as an IMB missionary, Jeremy has led church planting teams in war zones, taught trauma healing in refugee camps, and developed some of the most rigorous missionary training programs in the field today. He shares his personal journey to Christ, his calling into missions, and what it was like uprooting his family to serve in a remote village—along with the challenges that eventually led him to create the Elite Missionary Training program.

We dig into what real preparation for cross-cultural ministry looks like: how special forces-style training principles apply to church planting, and how missionaries can be equipped to serve safely and effectively in high-risk, high-security regions. Jeremy also speaks candidly to anyone who feels called to missions but unsure if they're equipped—and offers practical next steps for getting trained and sent.

A quick note: the audio cuts out briefly a few times during this episode, but the content is well worth pushing through for—Jeremy's insight and experience make this one worth every minute.

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Go to https://www.anchored-international.com to discover their various missionary training programs and legacy connect.

To learn more about unreached people groups and discover God's next steps for you, visit joshuaproject.net.

As always, if you have any questions or comments about the show you can contact me here.

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In this episode, we sit down with Chris Clayman, Executive Director of Joshua Project, to hear the story God has been writing through his life and to explore how each of us can find our place in the Great Commission.

Chris takes us from his early days and coming to faith, to pioneer mission work among Muslim peoples in Mali, West Africa — the joys, the challenges, and the ways God used hard seasons to shape him. From there we follow the surprising redirection to New York City, where Chris discovered the strategic opportunity of global gateway cities and new avenues for ministering to West Africans right in the middle of the Big Apple. Along the way he helped launch and develop efforts like Global Gates, Heart for Muslims, Welcome Africans, and UPG North America.

We also talk about how the Lord led Chris to Joshua Project, the vision he brings to highlighting the peoples and places with the least access to the gospel, and his book Superplan: A Journey into God's Story. Most importantly, Chris shares how you can discover God's "Superplan" for your own life and take your next step in reaching the unreached.

Whether you're wrestling with God's will for your life or looking for a concrete way to engage frontier and unreached people groups, this conversation will encourage and equip you.

Learn more about unreached people groups and find your next step at joshuaproject.net.

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Find Chris's resources here:

Linktr.ee/ChrisClayman

In this episode, we're joined by Dave Jacob of Gospel Mobilization to trace the mission of God across the entire Old Testament. Far from being a New Testament afterthought, God's heart for the nations is woven through Scripture from the very beginning.

We start before the fall, with God's command to Adam to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. From there we follow the thread through the great covenants — God's promise to Abraham to bless all peoples, the calling of Israel through Moses, and the kingdom established in David. We finish at the temple, where the Court of the Gentiles stood as a sign of God's welcome to the nations, and in Psalm 67, a prayer that God's saving power would be known among all peoples.

Along the way, we challenge the church to recover this vision. From the beginning, God had the nations on His heart — and today, so many still have never heard the gospel. The call to missions isn't a departure from the Old Testament story. It's the fulfillment of it.

You can connect with Dave Jacob and listen to the Gospel Mobilization Podcast at Gospelmobilization.org

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In this special episode, we team up with RAW Mission, the podcast from Frontiers UK, sharing real-life stories from those carrying the Good News to the 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide who have little or no access to the gospel. RAW stands for Radical, Authentic and Worldwide — and this conversation lives up to all three.

We're joined by Matt, who spent years as a missionary in Pakistan, for an honest look at what it means to share the love of Jesus with Muslims both overseas and right where you live. Matt shares stories from his time in Pakistan and unpacks the fears and misconceptions many Christians carry about Islam and Muslim communities. Together we explore why building genuine friendships matters more than winning arguments, how to move past the awkwardness of that first conversation, and the small, practical steps anyone can take to reach the Muslims already in their neighbourhood — whether that's a colleague, a classmate, or the family next door.

Whether you feel called to the mission field or simply want to love the people around you well, this conversation offers encouragement, honesty, and a hopeful reminder that the gospel is good news for everyone.

Listen to the RAW Mission Podcast

In this episode Matt mentions a great resource for reaching Muslims called Journey to Truth. Check out the link below to learn more!

Learn more about Journey to Truth

As always, feel free to check out the Joshua Project website to learn more about Frontier People Groups, subscribe to our Newsletter to stay in the loop, or contact me directly for any questions!

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In this episode, we sit down with Duane Fraiser, Joshua Project's Director of People and Culture, to unpack why people group thinking is at the heart of finishing the Great Commission. We explore why mission strategy looks at ethnic groups rather than just political borders, what makes the frontier people groups so often overlooked, and how God is bringing many of these least-reached peoples right into our own communities through diaspora migration. Duane shares practical, hopeful ways to recognize and strategically engage the unreached neighbors God may be placing next door.

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What does it actually take to become a missionary?

In this episode, we sit down with missionary and launch team coordinator Pierce Davis, who serves in Thailand. Together we explore the journey from sensing God's initial call to stepping onto the mission field. Pierce shares practical insights on discerning calling, growing as a disciple, and planting healthy churches among the nations.

Whether you're personally considering missions, want to help others take their next step, or simply passionate about seeing the Great Commission fulfilled, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical guidance for the journey ahead.

Contact Pierce Davis for more info here https://linktr.ee/the_davis_family

To learn more go to Joshuaproject.net

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In this episode, we sit down with Rotimi Akinpelu, Director of People Group Adoption at Joshua Project, for a warm and powerful conversation about the role of the local church in finishing the Great Commission.

Together, we unpack the Frontier People Group Adoption process, why it may be the most strategic missions step a church can take, and how prayer, partnership, and long-term commitment can change eternity for entire communities with little to no gospel access.

Rotimi shares stories, vision, and practical insight into how churches across the world are uniquely positioned to help carry the gospel to Frontier People Groups. This episode is both an invitation and a challenge.

To learn more about People Group Adoption go to joshuaproject.net/adopt

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What does it look like when God begins to redirect a life from one form of ministry into something unexpected? And what does the church need to do to make sure the next generation is ready to respond?

In the first episode of the Joshua Project Podcast, we sit down with Billy McMahan, a mobilizer with Africa Inland Mission. Billy shares his own story of his calling and how God led him, step by step, toward a focus on frontier missions and mobilization. From there, the conversation goes deep into the local church: why Billy believes Gen Z has remarkable potential for the future of missions, and why 1-on-1 discipleship and mentorship aren’t just good spiritual practices. They may be the most important thing the church is doing to prepare the next wave of missionaries.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you might be called to something bigger, or whether your church has a role to play in reaching the unreached, this episode is a great place to start.

To Learn More Visit Joshuaproject.net

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