Episode Details

What if your everyday work in healthcare could become a platform for sharing the gospel?

For pharmacist Matt Harney, the connection between healthcare and missions became clear during a 2018 medical mission trip to Peru. Serving on the pharmacy team, he realized that his professional training, experience, and daily interactions with patients could become an opportunity to demonstrate Christ's love and participate in Kingdom work.

In this episode, Matt challenges healthcare professionals to look beyond the daily demands of insurance claims, paperwork, and patient loads to recognize the people behind every prescription and appointment. While not every interaction allows for an explicit gospel conversation, simple acts of compassion, making eye contact, welcoming patients, listening, and giving people the time they need can reflect the heart of Jesus. He emphasizes that serving others well begins with resetting priorities and making room for opportunities the Holy Spirit provides.

Matt also explains why medical missions are not limited to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, or dentists. Non-medical volunteers play an important role by welcoming patients, offering encouragement, praying with people, and helping create an environment where individuals feel seen and cared for. Through hospitality and a servant-hearted attitude, anyone can contribute to the work of a medical mission team.

He shares a powerful story from a medical clinic in Boka Kiyotari, where an initially hesitant community eventually welcomed the team. What began as a difficult conversation with local leadership opened the door to serving three additional communities. When the team returned six months later, they experienced a much warmer reception, and a local church had begun partnering with community leaders to share the gospel.

Ultimately, Matt reminds listeners that living on mission doesn't require a passport, a medical degree, or an invitation to travel overseas. It begins with prayer, a willing heart, and a commitment to making God known wherever He has placed us. Whether behind a pharmacy counter, in a hospital room, or serving in a remote medical clinic, everyday acts of compassion can create meaningful opportunities for the gospel.

• Healthcare can become a mission field when professionals recognize that their everyday interactions with patients are opportunities to demonstrate Christ's love.
• Kingdom work doesn't always require an explicit gospel conversation. Making eye contact, welcoming patients, listening, and showing compassion are meaningful ways to reflect Jesus.
• Healthcare professionals can shift their perspective by prioritizing knowing God, caring for people, and remaining open to opportunities the Holy Spirit provides.
• A servant-hearted attitude is more important than having a medical background. Anyone willing to love and welcome others can contribute to a medical mission team.
• Effective missions begin with prayer, listening to God, and developing a willing heart rather than waiting for a special calling or opportunity to travel.
• You don't need a passport to live on mission. God can use your profession, relationships, and everyday circumstances to make Him known right where you are.

00:00 — Finding Mission Opportunities in Everyday Healthcare

00:35 — Welcome to Season Three: Can You Do That in Missions?

01:04 — Can Healthcare Become a Mission Field?

02:04 — When Pharmacy Work Became Kingdom Work

07:06 — Creating Opportunities for Gospel Conversations

08:29 — Who Can Serve on a Medical Mission Team?

10:38 — The Impact of Serving Alongside Medical Professionals

12:49 — Start Living on Mission Right Where You Are

13:14 — Prayer, Listening, and a Willing Heart

14:48 — A Story from the Medical Mission Field