What is the Plan?
For many churches a missions plan is about allocating money, screening requests, and reporting to the church.
Thinking strategically about missions requires a bit more effort and planning.
- What did Jesus tell us to do?
- What will cause us to hear from Him, “Well done you good and faithful servant”?
- Does what we are doing now move the needle on completing the Great Commission?
- Where are the needs that others are not meeting?
- How can we equip, send, and support people from within our own congregation to meet needs?
- What do we need to do as a local body of believers to be in a place where we can send a representative to meet needs we see?
- What kind of training do we need to give to our local body?
- Who are the kind people we would like to send?
- How can we keep the church engaged in the objective?
- How can we effectively and regularly report on progress?
- How will we know when our objective has been accomplished?
I cannot tell you how God would have you to engage in His mission within your local Body of believers. However, here are some ideas that may help stir your creativity and strategic planning as you rely on the God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to guide you.
- Identify the Mission
- Establish the Foundation
- Present the Problem
- Paint the Purpose
- Who’s Going?
- Build Momentum
- Engage at Home
- Prepare for Going
- A Culture of Sending
- Supporting the Sent
Identify the Mission
How can a team unite around an objective if participants have differing understanding of key terms? That is what has happened with “missions”. If we are to complete our Savior’s commission, then we need to know His mission.
The main thrust of “missions” should be establishing thriving communities of people who believe God’s written word as witnesses in communities where there has been no Gospel witness. (Matthew 28:16-20, esp. 20) Many other activities may accompany this objective, but the objective must be primary in every endeavor for the eternal well-being of every person served through “missions”.
Establish the Foundation
What must be done to prepare someone from within your church to be sent to:
- Represent the character of your local body in a way that glorifies God?
- Represent the heart of what you would like to accomplish?
- Teach everything that Christ commanded us?
- Establish a thriving church that glorifies God, reproducing & ministering effectively?
What will you have to do to impart the vision to your local body that leads to:
- A heart for reaching people with the Gospel who currently have no access to the Gospel?
- An understanding of the teamwork required to accomplish the objective?
- A desire to disciple and equip people within the church to send to the unreached people groups?
- A sending culture within the church that leads toward personal sacrifices by faith toward accomplishing the objective?
As much as you are able, see that everyone in the local Body is on the same page about the identity of Jesus, their relationship to Him, their relationship to each other because of Him, and His purpose in the world. (See Basis.) Without the common foundation of a clear understanding of the identity of Jesus and what He has accomplished for us all, the missions effort is likely to be built on sand. Here are some resources.
- Establish Series (Video, 40 hours)
- Establishseries.com
- Establish 101 on youTube
- Course completion progress chart (download)
- The King of Glory by Rock International – Movie (3:42 Hour)
- Bible Foundations Radio (Progress Chart)
- Clearly understand the Gospel
- By This Name by John R Cross
- The Lamb
- The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus
- All That the Prophets Have Spoken
Present the Problem
There are people who know nothing about Jesus and have no one who could tell them. Only someone who knows the message of eternal life could share it with them. Who will go?
Where are the language groups of people who have no access to the Gospel? What is their greatest need? What do they need to know to be and do what Jesus wants? What will it take for Christians to help them become what God intends?
(See stilluntold.org/vision)
Paint the Purpose
The objective of missions is often lost in a sea of good ideas. If the Biblical purpose of missions is not clearly in view then your congregation will make their own assumptions about the purpose and act according to those ideas.
What did Jesus tell His disciples to do on the highest authority in heaven and on earth? What did the disciples tell us was most on his heart between the resurrection and Christ’s ascension? What were His last words? Where did the disciples spend their lives after the resurrection? What is the central and repeated theme of the Bible concerning the nations?
May I suggest that the primary purpose is to teach people everything that Christ commanded; teaching them to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength? (Matt. 22:34-40, 28:20, 2 Tim. 2:2, 1 Cor. 2:2)
Who's Going?
Who are the people that God uses to bring others to faith in Christ? Can you trace your Christian heritage from the resurrection until now? (Even a little bit?) Who are the people who gave up their own ambitions to bring the Gospel to you? Does God have a similar purpose for you? Who will be blessed by God because you were blessed by God? (See stilluntold.org/me)
What can we do about the least-reached people groups? What needs to be done to preach the Gospel, baptize, and teach people to observe all the things that Christ commanded? stilluntold.org/vision
Who have you prepared to send? (Resources)
Is everybody a missionary? (Missions Talk)
Build Momentum - Present Opportunities
Engage at Home
- Local Evangelism Training & Practice
- Missions Conference
- Small Group Studies on Missions
- Missionary Biography Library and reading competitions
- Missionary videos
- Missionary Hospitality
- Missionary Correspondence
- Missionary Care
- Mission Representative Speakers
- Missions treasure hunt (physical or electronic)
- Missionary Prep in church
Prepare for Going
A Culture of Sending
- Build a team of exponents / advocates
- Keep the Biblical vision of every ethnic group in front of the church (Revelation 5:9)
- Intentionally teach courses to prepare people to teach “all things*” and serve in far places (Matthew 28:20)
- Build missionary care teams and senders who report to keep the church advised of progress toward the objectives
- Actively engage with a missionary family you have sent to accomplish a Biblical objective
- Keep the objective in front of the church until the objective is completed
Support the Sent
Sending a missionary is not a set-and-forget endeavor. You have sent someone into the heat of striving to proclaim Christ where He is unknown against spiritual forces, geographical obstacles, political hurdles, religious reluctances, physical health challenges, and healthy heartaches. Stay in it with your representatives. Know what’s going on. Pray effectively. Assist where possible. Communicate as you are able. And send help.
Some churches develop teams of several families to engage with their missionary. They read the newsletters of the their missionary and correspond electronic means to clarify needs. They maintain communications, pray about needs and share requests with the group or the local church as request. They coordinate meeting on-field needs and welcoming returning missionaries.
Neal Pirolo’s book “Serving as Senders” is a good read to gain perspective and ideas.
I have posted other ideas here. stilluntold.org/empower
I have other resources to assist churches with implementing practical plans for involving church members in the lives of missionaries supported by the local church. Please contact me for further ideas and assistance.