HOW TO BUILD AN EFFECTIVE
MISSIONS PROGRAM
© 2016 The Master's Academy International
FOREWORD
strengthen churches around the world by training indigenous church leaders
churches sending missionaries to establish and operate training centers in other
countries. We are also committed to assisting sending churches by producing and
collating resources that assist in the global missions endeavor.
As I have interacted with churches across the United States and around the world,
biblical priorities, but are unsure how to make this happen. I have spoken with
elders who sense the need for their church to be less reactive and more proactive in
the area of missions, but are not clear about how to go about it. TMAI desires to
serve local pastors in asking and answering these questions: What should be our
priorities in missions? What principles should govern our investment of time, people
church around the world?
will help churches to accomplish the task given by Christ in the Great Commission.
We pray it will be useful to you as a pastor leading your church in thinking through
the motivations and methods for carrying out the Church’s glorious mission.
Mark Tatlock
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CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
List of Steps (chart) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Step 1: Understand the Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Step 2: Recognize Biblical Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Step 3: Build Your Leadership Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Step 4: Devise Your Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Step 5: Communicate to the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Step 6: Evaluate Your Current Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Step 7: Adjust Program as Necessary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Additional Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
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INTRODUCTION
Before discussing missions in the local church, one of the first things that needs
to be done is to define what we mean by “missions.” There has been a great deal of
discussion about this topic and many different definitions have been proposed. It
may be helpful in this regard to differentiate between “mission” and “missions.” The
mission of the church, the central task that Jesus assigned, is what comes from the
Great Commission passages. Jesus Christ has sent his church into all the world to
proclaim the gospel and make disciples of all nations. The whole church should be
involved in this task. All church activities should be centered around and connected
to the accomplishment of this great mission.
For any particular local church, much of what it does to accomplish the mission will
be in its own local community through the words and actions of the people who
make up the church. To fully comply with the Great Commission and the example
of the apostles, however, churches must reach out beyond their normal sphere
of influence to make disciples. So, in accordance with historical usage, we define
missions as the activities of the church when it extends itself to accomplish its mission
outside its normal sphere of influence, whether culturally, geographically, or even
demographically. Everything a church does should be connected to the mission of
the church, but not everything the church does falls under the definition of missions.
This booklet will get you started in building (or rebuilding) the missions program of
your church. The seven steps below are intended to guide your missions leadership
team through this process. Steps 1 and 2 lay a foundation by giving the biblical
theology and principles behind global missions. Steps 3, 4, and 5 discuss practical
considerations for evaluating a missions program revamp, and steps 6 and 7 look
at the process of actually strengthening your missions program. Our goal is to aid
you in making the necessary adjustments in order to ensure that your program is as
biblical, God-honoring, and effective as it can be.
Please note that this booklet focuses on the building or adjusting of a missions
program, not on the execution or maintenance of the program. Additionally, while
the process is presented as seven sequential steps, these steps need not be followed
rigidly. There may be many back-and-forth iterations between steps and some things
may happen simultaneously. The important thing is to begin the process of thinking
about these issues and take proactive steps based on biblical principles and prayerful
decisions.
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STEPS
UNDERSTAND the Motivation
RECOGNIZE Biblical Principles
BUILD Your Leadership Team
DEVISE Your Strategy
COMMUNICATE to the Church
EVALUATE Your Current Program
ADJUST Program as Necessary
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STEP 1
UNDERSTAND
the Motivation
Before we discuss the specifics of church missions programs, it is critical to
understand the motivation behind missions. A proper understanding of “God’s
Mission” will result in a more deeply rooted missions program, and ultimately in a
more effective gospel witness.
From the beginning of time God purposed to bring glory to his name by gathering
together a people who would worship him in spirit and truth. That group of people
would be composed of every color of skin, every language, and every ethnic group
because the unity of such a diverse group who have little else in common but their
allegiance to God brings him honor. Upon his departure into heaven, the Son of
God, Jesus Christ, extended to his church the command, and the privilege, to
participate in the gathering of God’s people. This mission is the great task to which
the church has been commissioned and must be its primary occupation until Jesus
returns.
God’s Word clearly shows his interest in gathering worshipers from all people groups
from the very beginning. The pinnacle of God’s creation was man, whom he created
in his own image (Gen 1:26–27). From that one man came every person of every
ethnic group on the earth (Acts 17:26). Though man’s rebellion precipitated the
curse and brought sin into the world, God had a plan to restore what he had made.
Even as God spoke of universal judgment, he also revealed that his redemptive plan
would span the whole human race. The promise indicated in Gen 3:15 is fulfilled
when redemption through the “he” (Christ) is extended to all the offspring of the
woman.
The human race became divided as nations and ethnicities multiplied after the Flood
and the incident of the Tower of Babel. Even when God selected one man, Abram,
from among all those people groups, he continued to communicate his intent to
redeem people from all groups. In his covenant with Abraham God promised that
he would extend the blessings to all humanity. In Gen 12:3 God announced that in
him “all the families of the earth will be blessed.” He reiterated in Gen 22:18 that
through Abraham’s seed “all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” That indicates
that people from every ethnic group and every cultural context would receive the
blessing that God would provide through a descendant of Abraham (Gal 3:7-14).
God caused the nation of Israel to be formed from Abraham’s descendants through
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his grandson, Jacob. Although Israel was God’s specially chosen people, he
maintained his plan to call worshipers to himself from all the peoples of the earth.
An example comes from Israel’s song book, the Psalter. In Psalm 67, the people of
Israel were to ask God to bless them (v. 1) so that his way would become known in all
the earth, even his salvation among all nations (v. 2). At least part of the reason that
God blessed Israel is so that he would become known throughout the earth (cf. v. 7).
The desire God expresses in this psalm is that the nations would be glad because of
his righteous judgment and his leadership (v.4). Psalm 96 likewise calls on all the
families of the peoples and all the nations of the earth to worship God and submit
to his rule. Solomon also, at the beginning of his reign when he dedicated to God
the temple he had built, showed that he recognized God’s intent that people from
all nations would worship him (1 Kings 8:41–43).
In the writings of the prophets we likewise see God’s “missionary purpose” and his
extension of grace to the nations. Isaiah speaks of the ultimate trajectory of history
culminating in a time when all the nations will stream to the mountain of the Lord
and will learn his ways and submit to his rule (Is 2:2–4). In Isaiah 49:6, God speaks
to his Servant, which we know now refers to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and says
that it is too small a thing for him to only raise up the people of Israel, but that he
will also make him a light to the nations so that his salvation will reach the ends
of the earth. Throughout the history of Israel, God consistently demonstrated that
the intent of his covenant with them was global, and not limited to the nation of
Israel. This reality informs our understanding of God’s ultimate plan for history:
the loving reconciliation of men and women from every tribe and nation back to a
pre-Fall garden walk with Him.
In the New Testament we see the full expression of God’s intent to call people from
all nations to himself. Although during his time on earth, Jesus’ focus was on the
nation of Israel, he does display the same broader perspective as the Father. For
example, he praises the faith of the centurion (Matt 8:10–12), grants the request
of the Syro-Phoenician woman (Matt 15:21–28), and calls the temple a house of
prayer for the nations (Mark 11:17). After his resurrection, Jesus delivered to his
apostles the task for his people on earth, what we call the Great Commission. The
best known recording is Matt 28:19–20, but each of the gospel writers includes a
commission to the apostles. John 20:21 records Jesus telling his disciples, “as the
Father has sent me, I also send you.” In Mark 16:15 Jesus tells the disciples, “Go into
all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Luke records a sending of sorts
in his gospel (Luke 24:47–48) but saves the direct command for the book of Acts,
where Jesus tells his disciples that they will be his witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). The head
of the church has declared his purpose for her. The mission is clear.
God again confirmed his purpose to gather in people from all nations in the book of
Acts. God visibly poured out his Spirit on each new group of believers to confirm his
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hand upon them: the first Jewish believers at Pentecost, the Samaritans (half-Jews),
and Cornelius and his household (Gentiles). The Apostle Paul then continued to
gather in faithful worshipers of Christ across the Roman Empire, all the way to the
very palace of the Emperor. The Apostle John tells us that the mission will ultimately
be successful as he reveals the vision he saw of the elders before God’s throne in
heaven worshiping Christ and proclaiming, “You were slain, and purchased for God
with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have
made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the
earth.” (Rev 5:9–10).
By now the motivation of missions should be clear: God’s purpose in human history
is to gather a people for himself from every corner of humanity. Jesus Christ’s
command to his church is to be his agents to go out and do the gathering. That is
the heart of missions. God has guaranteed the ultimate success of this mission, but
it is still ours to perform.
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STEP 2
RECOGNIZE
Biblical Principles
Having seen that Scripture informs us why we should be involved in missions, the
next questions are what should be done and how we should go about it. Thankfully,
God’s word has very clear principles to guide us in these questions. The primary
prescriptive passages are the Great Commission texts, which serve to define the
task for the church. There are additional descriptive passages in Acts and other NT
books that inform us how the apostles thought about how to carry out the task of
missions. The principles that arise from those descriptions help shape the way we
do missions today.
What is involved in the task of missions?
• Going (Matt 28:19; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8): Jesus Christ was clear that some
manner of going was required. The participles in the Matthew and Mark
passages have the force of imperatives. Whether to the other side of the world
or to the other side of the street, some “going” is necessary. This means that
we must be intentional and extend ourselves beyond our normal patterns of
life, beyond our usual circles of friends, and beyond our ethnic, cultural or
geographic boundaries.
• Preaching the Gospel (Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8): The centerpiece of
missions is to spread the good news about redemption in Jesus Christ. The Mark
passage calls it preaching the gospel. The Luke passage gives the core content
of the message as repentance for the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name. In the
Acts passage Jesus tells his disciples to be his witnesses, ones who testify to the
truth of what they know. Every activity of missions must serve to advance this
central purpose.
• Making Disciples (Matt 28:19–20): The ultimate goal of missions is not just to
make converts, but disciples. A disciple is someone who continues to learn from
and follow after Jesus. The Matthew passage specifies two means by which we
are to make disciples:
Baptizing: When a person repents and believes in Jesus, he is baptized
in one Spirit into the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). The starting point
for a new disciple, therefore, is to break from his former manner of life
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and to identify with his Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. He does this,
first of all, by being baptized in water, which represents the spiritual
realities of which every true disciple partakes, such as death to self and
new life in Christ. Once baptized, these new disciples gather together
into local churches as an expression of their incorporation into the
universal church, which is the body of Christ.
Teaching: Teaching converts to obey all that Christ commands is
a non-negotiable, central component to true missions. It has been
well said that the NT can scarcely conceive of a disciple who is
not instructed. Jesus spent three years with his disciples; Paul did
not shrink from declaring to his the whole counsel of God’s word.
Unfortunately, far too much that passes as missions today aims at
making converts instead of disciples. But a person’s turning away from
sin is secondary to the primary goal of turning to God in obedience of
all that he commands. Missions must include teaching unto obedience,
for Christ demands nothing less. Implicit in this command is the
necessity for churches to be planted wherever converts are made, and
for leadership to be adequately trained and appointed in each church.
Only then is the great end of missions attainable, which is to see God
glorified, worshiped, and enjoyed by all peoples everywhere.
How should we go about accomplishing this task?
In deciding how to accomplish the task of missions we can make observations from
how missions were conducted in the time of the apostles. While the descriptions of
missions in that day are not necessarily normative for us in our day, they do provide
valuable information. From our observations of biblical patterns we may derive the
following principles that will help us as we continue the Great Commission task
today:
• Missionaries should be sent by local churches (Acts 13:1–3): The church at
Antioch sent Barnabas and Paul off on their missionary journey. In our day we
also have missions agencies and societies that are involved in getting missionaries
to the field and sustaining them there. The efforts of these organizations can be
very valuable, but they should be in support of the local church, not in place of it.
The ultimate responsibility of local churches to send and sustain missionaries
should not be passed off to others.
• Missionaries should be among the most qualified people in the church
(Acts 13:2): Barnabas and Paul were the most distinguished leaders in the
Antioch church. Missionaries are ministry leaders in a difficult and often
hostile environment. They should not be the people who could not hack it in
local church ministry. Rather, missionaries that are sent out should be some of
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the spiritually strongest and most mature members of the church. In most cases,
a missionary should meet all the qualifications of an elder as listed in 1 Tim
3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9.
• Missionaries should remain accountable to the church that sent them (Acts
14:26–27): Paul and Barnabas returned to the church at Antioch to report on
their ministry. This indicates that the relationship between the missionaries and
the church was ongoing. Missionaries are an extension of their local church’s
ministry in another geographic location or among a different people. The elders
should continue to exercise oversight over the missionaries they have sent to
ensure the maintenance of sound doctrine and ministry practice. This would
imply that the church also remains responsible for the care of the missionaries
they have sent in terms of prayer, comfort, encouragement, etc.
• Missionaries should be supported by churches through prayer and material
assistance: The Philippian church financially supported Paul’s ministry (Phil
4:15–16). Paul also requested that the Roman church aid Phoebe (Rom 16:1–2)
and that the Corinthian church aid Timothy (1 Cor 16:10–11). Paul specifically
asked for the Ephesian church to support his ministry in prayer (Eph 6:19).
The apostle John exhorted the support of itinerant gospel preachers (3 John 8).
Significantly, he also said that support should be refused to those who distort
the gospel (2 John 10–11). It is evident then that it is right for those who cannot
directly engage in missionary activity to provide material and moral support to
those who have been called to that effort.
• Responsibility for missions resides at the level of leadership in the church
(Acts 13:1): This principle follows from the fact that Jesus tasked his apostles,
as the leaders of the church, with the Great Commission. Similarly in any local
church, the elders and pastors should shoulder the responsibility for one of its
most central tasks. The church in Antioch modeled this principle in that the
group listed in Acts 13:1 were the elders of that church. This does not mean
that lay people and general church members should not take an active role in
the conduct of the missions effort, but the elders should be the champions of
the missions effort and should ensure that it is accomplished.
• Missionaries should prioritize those activities that most directly achieve
their mission: The core task of the Great Commission is to make disciples.
A missionary, therefore, prioritizes those activities that most directly achieve
this end. By observing what activities Paul and his associates were involved in
we can draw principles as to what should be the highest priorities today. The
primary activities in which we see Paul engaged are:
Preaching the gospel publicly (Acts 9:20, 28; 13:5, 16–49; 14:1, 7,
21; 16:10, 13; 17:2, 10, 17, 22–34; 18:4–6; 19:8; 20:20; 28:30–31):
Paul preached in synagogues, from house to house, in an academic
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gathering on the Areopagus, and in the marketplace to all who would
listen. The evidence shows that Paul took every opportunity to speak
the gospel, whether to individuals or to groups and in every possible
setting. Missionaries, therefore, are ideally those who are most able to
faithfully proclaim the gospel and unfold its riches in any and every
circumstance.
Planting churches: After people were converted to Christ, they were
not left scattered, but were gathered into churches and leaders were
appointed (Acts 14:23). This priority explains why there were churches
in Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, and Thessalonica
to receive Paul’s letters! It is important, then, that missionaries be
qualified and able to establish churches for new converts.
Strengthening churches through teaching and encouragement
(Acts 14:21–23; 15:41; 16:4–5; 18:11, 23; 20:2; cf. the Epistles):
Related to planting churches is the need for their continued support
and pastoral care. It is irresponsible to win people to Christ and yet
leave them to languish apart from the necessary nourishment of God’s
word. Missionaries should be involved in shepherding, strengthening,
encouraging, and teaching all that Christ commanded to fledgling
churches.
Training leaders (Acts 14:23; 19:8; 20:17–35; 2 Tim 2:2; letters to
Timothy and Titus): The New Testament associates up to 100 names
with Paul, of which around 36 could be considered close partners and
fellow laborers in gospel ministry. Church leaders and “co-workers”
seemed to spring up around him wherever he went. Paul knew the
ministry had to be passed on before he died, and so he trained a new
generation of leaders to replace him. Missionaries should engage not
only in planting churches and helping them start, but also in training
up local leaders to replace them and carry on the gospel work.
Mercy ministry (Acts 11:29–30; 19:12; 28:9): Though a more minor
part of Paul’s ministry, it was certainly part of it. The purpose was
either to provide relief to fellow Christians in difficult times or to
authenticate the truth of Paul’s message as coming from God.
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STEP 3
BUILD
Your Leadership Team
As mentioned previously, the elders and pastors of a local church bear responsibility
for the accomplishment of the Great Commission. That does not mean that those
leaders have to do everything that is required. They should, however, make sure
that the task is planned and resourced in such a way to maximize effectiveness.
They should be among the most vocal champions of the cause and should lead
by example in prayer and involvement. Moreover, they must set the theological
trajectory of the missions focus.
It is typical that the regular management of a missions effort is delegated to a
committee or task force of volunteers overseen by the elders. This delegated body
can do much of the strategic planning for the missions effort, but it is vital that the
whole board of elders be involved so that they will “own” and support the strategy
in the face of difficult decisions.
Having the right people involved is key. We believe that, if at all possible, at least
one pastor or elder should be involved in the planning sessions, since doctrinal
questions will arise. Members of the missions committee or a similar body should
also be involved. Other desirable members of the planning team might include
strategically-minded individuals, deacons who can research information and get
things done efficiently, elderly members with knowledge of your church’s history
and connections, and persons with a good grasp of the wider discipline of church
history. Each person involved should have the time, objectivity and drive to devise
an effective strategy for the church’s missions effort.
It is also important to provide training to the team entrusted with such a
responsibility. There are several ways to provide this training:
• Systematic instruction by pastors or elders, with guided discussions on key
Scriptures, such as 1 Chronicles 16:24; Psalm 67; Psalm 96:3; Isaiah 52:7;
Matthew 9:37-38; Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke
24:47; Acts 1:8; Acts 8:4-6; Acts 13:47-49; Acts 14:21-23; or Acts 15:35-36, 41.
• In-depth analysis of the missionary examples from the book of Acts. This
is particularly helpful to see how missionaries should be trained, sent out,
supported, and encouraged (see Step 2).
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• Studying a good missionary book on the subject, such as Let the Nations Be
Glad, by John Piper (see additional resources at the back of this booklet).
• Reading a biographical account of pioneering missionaries, such as William
Carey, Hudson Taylor, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, etc., with pointed discussions
related to your church’s missions strategy.
Once the leadership team is assembled and equipped to do the job at hand, you are
ready to begin devising your church’s strategy.
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STEP 4
DEVISE
Your Strategy
The preceding material has traced the biblical motivation for missions and some
of the broad principles that should govern a church’s missions activities. Step 4 is
intended to help you devise your church’s strategy within that biblical framework.
To do this, we recommend constructing a Missions Strategy and Policy document
(MSP). This is a simple yet exceedingly helpful document that will provide both
a foundation for your church’s missions effort and guidance for future related
decisions. The end goal of the MSP is to provide a list of how your church wants to
invest its missions budget, assigning percentages to each activity that your leadership
agrees on. We believe these efforts, when done prayerfully, and when motivated by
God’s glory, will produce fruit for years and even decades to come. Such a document
will help keep God’s mission in focus, and will provide an objective basis from
which to make adjustments to your church’s missions effort. A well-written MSP
will also provide continuity as you go forward, allowing for consistency in decisions
and practice.
There are many questions that must be considered when developing your church’s
MSP. In the end, the answers to these questions will form the skeleton of your MSP,
so it is important to work through them in a deliberate and thoughtful manner,
looking to God’s word and seeking God’s direction at every point along the way.
To begin the process of drafting your MSP, you may start with some of the large,
foundational questions that shape the majority of your missions support, such as:
• What major activities comprise biblical “missions”? (see Step 2 for a sample list)
• Which of these activities does our church deem most strategic and important?
In deciding this question, it will be helpful to assign each activity type a relative
priority in the form of a percent value of overall resources. For example, Activity
A: 50%, Activity B: 30% and Activity C: 20%. This will facilitate future resource
allocation decisions.
From there, you may wish to wrestle through some of the more particular questions
that will shape your missions program, such as:
• How should our efforts be distributed between local and global activities?
Local efforts should be a priority because God placed your church in a particular
place among a particular people, but the needs are also very great. It is often the case
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that more manpower can be devoted to local activities, but more financial resources
will be required for missions elsewhere in the world.
• Should our church focus on particular geographical regions or people groups?
Focus on particular regions may facilitate a congregation’s sense of connection with
the missions effort but choosing not to focus may facilitate a broader perspective on
what God is doing around the world.
• Do we want to conduct our missions efforts primarily through missionaries we
have sent out or are well known to our church, or do we want to send resources
to support another organization?
A local church most directly takes ownership of the Great Commission task by
sending out its own missionaries but it is also the case that financially supporting a
missions organization can be exceptionally strategic with a broad impact.
• Do we want to favor any particular modes of missionary activity such as career
missionaries, bi-vocational missionaries (tentmakers), short term missionaries,
or national missionaries?
Historically the greatest gains in making disciples of the nations have been through
career and national missionaries—those with deep, long-term commitment to a
work. However, other modes of activity, when done well, can contribute significantly
to the missions effort.
• Do we want to support a large number of missionaries with small dollar
amounts, or do we want to support a smaller number of missionaries, but in
higher amounts?
While the broader approach may allow your church to participate and rejoice
in ministry successes from all over the world, the narrower approach enables a
better relationship between your church and supported missionaries. Being the
sending church and the majority financial provider for a missionary communicates
commitment and facilitates mutual participation, care, and accountability.
As you work through these questions together, document your answers. With the
results, you can form budgetary goals that are guided by your answers and reflect
your priorities. As an example, after all the options are weighed by your leadership
team, you may decide that in your MSP, you want your church missions budget
allocation to look as follows:
• Evangelistic outreach/Church planting: 40%
• Leadership training: 30%
• Mercy ministry: 20%
• Ministry administration and support activities: 10%
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That then becomes a standard by which to evaluate current missions activity and by
which future support decisions can be made. Your MSP, therefore, will consist of the
answers to key questions that define your missions strategy, as well as a budgetary
policy that reflects what is most important to your church. This document will then
be a clear guide for making decisions about all the missions activity in which your
church engages.
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STEP 5
COMMUNICATE
To the Church
It should be noted at this point that implementing a new or redefined missions
strategy requires great wisdom in leadership. Though a team of qualified leaders
may develop a biblically principled missions strategy, the entire congregation must
embrace it. A shepherd who walks too far ahead of his sheep will soon find himself
without a flock. It is essential, therefore, to communicate to your church as you lead
them through this endeavor. Communication is not really a step as much as it is a
requisite constant throughout the process. It should begin early and be maintained
rigorously through completion. It is placed as a step here because it could have
serious ramifications if you did not begin to communicate with your church and
missionaries at least by this point.
Below are three components of communication that are critical to successfully
implement your strategy:
• Teach the word: God’s word is the foundation for all ministry efforts and any
evaluation thereof. Concerted efforts must be made to read and study the texts
of the Bible that deal directly with missions in order to grasp what they teach
and command. Moreover, the whole counsel of God’s word reverberates with
great and glorious themes that will fuel the fires of missions within the hearts
of God’s people. Christ will build His universal church; and as people are filled
with and yield to His Spirit, they will zealously give themselves up to this grand
design.
It is safe to assume that in developing or adjusting a missions strategy, as in all
church matters, the greater the change the more teaching is needed. Adjustments of
this nature require nothing less than indefatigable preaching and teaching, in season
and out, making full use of Sunday services, evening classes, small groups, and oneon-one interactions. This fundamental component of communication cannot be
neglected; indeed, it is precisely one reason why churches need gifted teachers.
• Relate the process: Realigning your church’s missions strategy to more
faithfully adhere to biblical principles is a praiseworthy endeavor. The process
should be related openly, honestly, and straightforwardly at every juncture.
Make your decisions known to all individuals and groups affected by them.
This consideration should be extended to:
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The congregation. Your congregation should know that the missions
program is being evaluated by a godly team to ensure that it is biblical
and strategic. It is safer to err on the side of too much communication
than risk leaving your people in the dark or blindsiding them. It may
be helpful to set up a church meeting where the leadership team
can field questions and present to the congregation a strong, unified,
biblically-principled front. Listen to the people; members of the
congregation have wisdom, perspective, and information that may be
extremely helpful in making the right adjustments to your strategy.
The missionaries. Nowhere is honesty, forthrightness, and love more
critical than in your communications with your missionaries. As you
begin the process of examining and possibly changing your missions
strategy, it is vital to be up-front and open with the missionaries your
church currently supports. They will likely hear about the process
from contacts they have in the church and it will only contribute to
anxiety and mistrust if they do not hear about it first from church
leadership. Let them know what you are doing and why. It is even
advisable to involve them in the process and solicit their input.
The agencies. Your church may have longstanding relationships with
missions agencies or other organizations. While these relationships are
not as close as those with supported missionaries, it is still important
to be open and honest. The determination of when it is best to share
information will require wisdom. The important thing is to maintain
integrity and to be considerate.
• Convey the vision: We lead by our ability to convey a vision. When the
leadership team has developed a strategy, it should be conveyed to the people
with such conviction that they will readily unite behind it and desire to put
it into action. The church needs to know exactly what the leadership team
is attempting to do so that they can support and facilitate these efforts. Your
new or realigned missions strategy is best communicated by a combination of
venues, which may include:
Announcements. Personal communication best expresses the
conviction, drive, and enthusiasm behind the missions strategy. As we
strive to do that which we know God approves, we are free to convey
our zeal to others and bring them along with us.
Bulletins. Bulletins, pamphlets, and printed articles are exceptional
media for conveying clear, focused thoughts. These could include
victory stories of God’s grace at work in the missionaries/agencies
you aim to support, while explaining how everything fits into your
church’s missions strategy.
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Graphics. It is well worth your effort to design and encourage
the development of visual representations of the missions strategy.
Consider posting relevant missions-related videos to your church’s
website, setting up booths with posters and information, or printing
out photos and cards to set up on tables or post to bulletin boards.
Guest speakers. Having missionaries and representatives from a
missions agency visit your church can provide much-needed depth
and color to your communication, especially as the speaker relates
their work to your church’s missions strategy.
Prayer. How and for what you pray communicates to your people
a great deal. Make God’s great universal glory your overarching
emphasis in prayer, and expand the scope of corporate prayer to
include your biblically-motivated missions strategy.
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STEP 6
EVALUATE
Your Current Program
Now that you have developed and documented your new missions strategy, your
current missions program should be evaluated to determine how closely it matches
up with the new strategy. Ultimately, your leadership will need to determine if any
adjustment or realignment should be made (see Step 7).
This evaluation is vital in the process of rebuilding a missions program, and it
requires great care. Your church’s missionaries are well loved by the congregation.
They have likely established relationships with the people in your church through
regular visits over the years. Some members may have personally supported their
work in the past, and others may even be related to the missionaries. It should be
expected, then, that some in your congregation will be leery of any critical evaluation
of your missionaries, even if done with the best intentions. The more objective the
evaluation process, the less personally and emotionally challenging it will be to the
congregation, and the more God-honoring it will be when finally implemented.
In order to evaluate your current missions program in light of your newly outlined
strategy, there are three phases that must be worked through. The first phase
involves collecting data on your current missions effort, and the next two phases
require evaluating your current missions activities and missionaries.
Phase 1 - Collect and document current missionary activity
Begin by collecting and documenting all the current missionary activity that your
church supports. If one does not already exist, you will be well served to construct
a comprehensive list or spreadsheet showing the names of all of your missionaries,
along with important information, such as:
• Names and ages of each missionary’s family members
• Contact information and agency contacts
• Support start date and initial support level
• Current support level
• Date and amount of last support increase/decrease (if available)
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• How the missionary came to be supported (e.g., close connections within the
church, introduced by someone outside the church, etc.)
This information will help to give you the full picture of your current missions efforts.
It will also be important to gather information about your missionaries’ particular
activities and doctrinal convictions. Because this is sensitive and important data, it
is advisable to ask the missionary directly rather than rely on old or second-hand
information.
To gather these responses, your church may send a Missionary Update Form (MUF)
for each missionary to fill out. As mentioned in Step 5, this process should not
only be clear and transparent to your congregation but also to your missionaries.
Therefore, along with the MUF, your elders should provide the missionary a letter
explaining your desire to receive updated information as part of your missions
program evaluation. The tone and wording of this letter should be carefully decided
so as not to cause undue alarm on the part of the missionary or concern that your
church will suddenly cut his support.
The MUF should request enough data to give your missions leadership a clear
idea of what activities the missionary is engaged in, his personal contribution to
that ministry, and his current doctrinal beliefs. If you have not recently asked the
missionary for prayer requests, the MUF should contain these types of questions, as
well. Some sample questions on the MUF may include:
• What are the broad goals of your current ministry?
• What are your particular responsibilities in regards to the ministry. In other
words, what day-to-day activities are you generally involved in that advance the
overall purpose of the ministry?
• Please read over the church’s Doctrinal Statement and Statement of Faith.
Are you in agreement with this statement? If not, please comment on areas of
difference or concern.
• What are the biggest challenges in your current ministry?
• What are the greatest blessings that you have seen recently in your ministry?
• How can our congregation be praying for you and your family?
• Is there anything else that we can do to serve you and your family that we are
not currently doing?
The information contained on the MUF will be instrumental for your evaluation
of the missionary and his ministry focus. The answers you receive will update you
on ministry goals, problems, financial status, contact methods, etc. You will also be
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able to determine if the missionary is still doing the same ministry for which he or
she was originally sent, and if not, what has changed.
While the MUF is a useful way to gather information, it should not be a substitute
for personal interaction. If your church leadership has not visited or been visited
by a missionary lately, it is worth the effort to arrange it. If possible, work with the
missionaries’ furlough and visit schedules to coordinate personal interviews with
them. Have your pastors, elders, and the missions team share a meal with them and
ask questions about their ministries and families. In these settings, you are able to
get to know the missionary and understand his priorities and ministry focus far
better.
After compiling all of the data on your current missions activities, your missions
leadership team will be in a good position to evaluate your current activities to
see how they line up with your defined missions strategy and philosophy. We
recommend you first evaluate the missionary’s ministry focus and then doctrinal
beliefs.
Phase 2 – Evaluate Current Missions Focus
After documenting your current missionary activity, it is ready to be evaluated in
light of the new strategy. First, categorize your current missionaries’ ministry focus.
Categorizing your missionaries by the focus of their ministry will help you evaluate
the level of agreement or disagreement with your church’s priorities. In Step 2 we
identified a broad range of missionary emphases drawn from Scripture, such as
preaching publicly, church planting, church strengthening, leadership training,
missionary support ministries, and mercy ministry. Identify what your missionaries
are aiming to accomplish in their activities. Even though most missionaries are
involved in a variety of ministries, the goal at this point is to identify the predominant
focus. If a missionary’s main ministry focus does not fall within the categories above,
you will need to assign that ministry a different category.
Once you have categorized and documented each missionary’s ministry focus, you
can aggregate the current support amounts for each category. These numbers will
provide you with a valuable set of data reflective of what your current missions
program does and does not emphasize. With this objective analysis, it is much
easier to compare the current allocation of missions resources with the strategy you
defined in Step 4.
Using the hypothetical example from Step 4, we will imagine that your church’s
new missions strategy outlined the following allocations of missions funding:
• Evangelistic outreach/Church planting: 40%
• Leadership training: 30%
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• Mercy ministry: 20%
• Support activities: 10%
However, when you categorized each of your current missionaries and added the
funding levels, you found that your current program allocations are as follows:
• Mercy ministry: 75%
• Support activities: 15%
• Evangelistic outreach: 10%
This comparison clearly and objectively reveals that your current allocations are
significantly different than the goals set in Step 4.
Another important aspect of the missions focus evaluation is to look carefully at
each of your missionaries’ ministries in terms of their Great Commission impact.
Our Lord’s Commission was to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach men to obey
all of Christ’s commandments; is that what your missionaries are doing? If one of
your missionaries is engaged in mercy ministry, is that mercy ministry a platform
for serious and intentional gospel witness and evangelism, or is it merely a way to
meet physical needs? If it is the latter, your evaluation should clearly reflect that.
Similarly, if your missionary is involved in ministry administration or support, is
the ministry that is being supported contributing to one of your identified ministry
emphases? If not, this is also an important finding that should be documented in
your evaluation.
It is crucial that you assess the Great Commission impact of your missionaries’
ministries because it is not uncommon for certain activities to be deemed “missions”
while not actually possessing any Great Commission elements: no evangelism, no
discipleship, no teaching, no emphasis on obedience to Christ, no distinctly Christcentered witness at all. An alarming trend in missions today is that many people are
engaged in cross-cultural activities that on the surface seem to be ministry-driven,
but in reality are absent of any Christian message. Your leadership team must
guard your missionaries and your church from this all-too-common pitfall. As you
evaluate the missions focus, your missions team should gain a solid understanding
of exactly what your missionaries are engaged in as it relates to these issues.
Phase 3 – Evaluate the Missionaries’ Doctrinal Beliefs
The third phase is to evaluate each of your missionary’s doctrinal convictions with
regard to your church’s Statement of Faith and Doctrinal Statement. Ideally, your
missionaries should be in agreement with the doctrine that is taught in your church
and they themselves should be an extension of that teaching around the world;
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however, ministry challenges, missions agency pressure, and other factors can shift
a missionary’s doctrinal stance over time. Additionally, if your church has changed
its doctrinal position, the missionary may be unaware and might no longer be in
agreement with your doctrinal stance. It is important, therefore, to find out from
your missionaries where they stand on your church’s theological positions.
From the MUF, you should have a relatively clear understanding of where
your missionaries agree and disagree with your doctrinal statement. If there is
disagreement, there is an opportunity to come alongside and teach the missionary
the biblical support for the church’s stance. If there is continued disagreement, the
church leadership will need to decide the best way to proceed forward with that
missionary (see Step 7).
Ongoing Evaluation
The three steps listed above are essential in order to do a one-time evaluation of
all of the missionary endeavors that your church currently supports; however,
evaluation of your missionary efforts should not only be a one-time occurrence.
Your leadership team should perform regular evaluations of your missionaries and
the ministries they are involved in. Not only will this prevent unwanted drift in
your missionary efforts, but it will also provide opportunities for your missions
leadership to shepherd, guide, and encourage missionaries in their difficult work. It
is desirable to do evaluations every three to five years if possible.
Now that you have thoroughly evaluated your current missions effort and compared
it with your identified strategy from Step 4, you are ready to begin the process of
aligning your current program with your documented strategy.
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STEP 7
ADJUST
Your Program As Necessary
Having evaluated the gaps between your decided strategy and your current missions
effort, it is likely that some adjustments will need to be made. This can be a daunting
task for a pastoral staff or elder board who are already tasked with many other
church needs. It is also a delicate task, involving people, relationships, and money.
If the motivations and principles for missions have been effectively taught and the
missions strategy process has been thoroughly communicated to the congregation,
then change will be accepted more easily. If the congregation trusts the leadership
that has been guiding them through the process, they will be willing to follow
where they lead.
As discussed earlier, your missions strategy will probably focus on certain categories
of ministry that are deemed more critical than others. This will generally require
that more resources (whether financial or human) be directed at those categories. By
inventorying your current missions effort, as described in Step 6, you can see how
your church resources are allocated across categories. This can then be matched up
with your strategy to determine where reallocation of existing resources may need
to take place and/or where any new support should be focused.
A great deal of care and patience will be required to effectively adjust resource
allocation. Some changes may be able to be done rather quickly, but some may
require up to several years to put into effect. There are several ways that your current
missions effort can be brought into alignment with your strategy.
Adjustments to Existing Activities
You may be able to fine-tune certain financial support or missions activity. For
example, if part of your missions support goes to a particular missions organization,
you could designate those funds to a particular project or geographic region that
better fits your new strategy. Adjustments can also be made in short term missions
if that remains a feature in your missions effort. Decisions about what sort of teams
you send and where you send them should reflect your new strategy.
You may also be able to work with your current supported missionaries to realign
their missions activities without changing their financial support level. This would
be a good option to explore if a particular missionary had drifted, for example, from
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his previous evangelistic focus into more support and mercy ministry roles. Others
may be open to exploring ways to shift their attention to activities more in line with
the new focus of your church strategy. It is important, however, not to be too heavyhanded in these discussions, recognizing that the man in the field is best aware of
his context and competing pressures.
Decreasing or Ending Support
Increasing support to a faithful ministry or missionary is a happy occasion and
does not generally generate controversy. But it is likely that, after going through
the process of interviewing, categorizing, and fully evaluating all your missionaries
from the standpoint of your new strategy and goals, you may realize that there are
some who no longer fit with what you think God is doing through your church.
This may be because of doctrinal or activity changes on the part of the missionary or
ministry, or it may be because of the strategy changes you have made as a church. In
these cases, financial support may need to be decreased or stopped. With a ministry
organization, this is not usually very problematic because any single church will only
provide a very small percentage of their financial input. For a missionary, however,
particularly one for whom you are the sending church, any decrease of support is
a much more difficult thing. Any changes in this regard must be done with the
utmost care and compassion for all involved, and with full transparency of actions.
When a problem has been discovered (such as a shift into predominantly nonmissions activity or a doctrinal gap short of heresy or false teaching that would
require church discipline), it is important to shepherd the missionary carefully.
Through loving interaction by the elders, such a missionary may realize places where
he is in error or has unintentionally drifted and be willing to make corrections. It is
vital to allow the Spirit to work in this way.
Some missionaries, however, will remain firm in their variant convictions. At that
point the elders may have to decide that it is best to bring the relationship to a
close. This should not be done without much prayer and significant interaction
between church leadership and the missionary through visits, videoconferences,
and phone calls. In no cases should the support be abruptly cut off without giving
the missionary time to find support elsewhere. The most transparent and reasonable
way to handle this situation is to clearly designate a number of months that your
church will continue to support that missionary and after that, they will not be
supported any more. It is advisable to err on the side of generosity in this respect, for
the sake of the relationship and the reputation of the church.
The ministries of some existing missionaries may be found to no longer accord well
with the focus of the church. However, when they have been faithful, longstanding
partners, and are not out of line doctrinally, it is usually best to continue your
historical commitment to them. Do not abruptly discontinue or decrease support to
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a doctrinally sound missionary simply to obtain immediate numerical compliance
with your new strategy goals. For those who are nearing the end of their service or
term it is often best to let the support come to a close naturally through attrition or
near–future retirement. For those who are a long way from the end of their service
as a missionary, it is often advisable to decide on a gradually decreasing level of
support over several years so that the missionary has more time to adjust.
As you go forward, your new missions strategy should help to integrate and guide
all the missions activities of your church. It should not only provide guidelines for
financial decisions but also, more importantly, direct a new focus for prayer and
disciple-making efforts by your church, through and to your missionaries and their
activities. It can help to orient your teaching, prayer and communication efforts
even at your church. It should help you to be intentionally faithful to all that the
Bible teaches and how the Spirit has guided through this strategy building process.
Ultimately, with your new missions strategy as a foundation, your congregation
will be able to consider, within a biblical framework, what existing or new missions
support opportunities best concur with your goals. As such, your church will be
better equipped to maximize its efforts to glorify God and reach the world for Christ.
TMAI would like to hear from you. If your church has recently built or
revamped its missions ministry, we would like to hear about it. Please contact
us at [email protected] and let us know. Additionally, if you have any questions
or comments about this booklet, please let us know. We would enjoy the
opportunity to be a resource to you and your church.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
A Biblical Theology of Missions by George W. Peters
Missions in the Old Testament: Israel as a Light to the Nations by Walter C Kaiser
Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper
Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission
by Andreas Kostenberger
A Practical Theology of Missions: Dispelling the Mystery; Recovering the Passion
by Eric E. Wright
Missions in a New Millennium: Change and Challenges in World Missions
by W. Edward Glenny and William H. Smallman, eds.
Paul’s Missionary Methods In His Time and Ours by Robert L. Plummer and
John Mark Terry, eds.
For the Sake of his Name by David Doran
A People for His Name: A Church-Based Missions Strategy by Paul A. Beals
Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience by David Sills
Developing a Strategy for Missions: A Biblical, Historical, and Cultural Introduction
by John Mark Terry and J. D. Payne
Serving as Senders by Neal Pirolo
The Re-entry Team: Caring for Your Returning Missionaries by Neal Pirolo
Practical Helps
Mission Minded: A Tool for Planning Your Ministry Around Christ’s Mission
by Peter Bolt
Senders: How Your Church Can Identify, Train and Deploy Missionaries by Paul Seger
Websites
www.davidmays.org
www.9marks.org/journal/missions-adding-wisdom-to-zeal
www.tmai.org
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