Leaders have the unique opportunity to establish a culture of studying God’s written word for wisdom, praying in expectation that the Holy Spirit will give direction, and acting to guide the local Body, by faith, to accomplish things that may seem difficult — or at least unfamiliar. Unless there are people rooted in Christ and equipped for ministry, the outreach ministry cannot be accomplished. Teaching obedience (Matthew 28:20) precedes having people ready to obey and be sent.
Questions worth asking your congregation — and yourself
Do you have people in your congregation today who could be sent to establish a church in an unwritten language, teaching through the whole Bible? It takes time and intentional discipleship to bring people to the spiritual maturity where they can be sent by your church to establish thriving, maturing churches far away. At what age will you start? What’s your plan to equip people for the work of the ministry? Does everyone know the plan, the objective, and where to engage? Do people in your congregation know what is necessary to establish a thriving church where there is no Gospel witness? If someone in your church wanted to be a career missionary among unreached language groups — do they know where to start? What path of discipleship is available to lead them to where they could be sent as a representative of the congregation?
Teaching obedience precedes having people ready to obey and be sent.
Proven tools for leaders
- The Establish Series — a planned path of foundational discipleship toward spiritual maturity; the most effective resource I have seen for local churches.
- AccessTruth: Cross-Cultural Essentials — free online resources for equipping members for service overseas.
- Your Church and Ethnos360 — how a congregation partners with church-planting teams, from sending to oversight.
- The Wayumi guide (booklet) — see the village, the teaching, and the camp before you come.
- Wayumi Church Leaders Retreat — Tuesday through Thursday, built specifically for pastors and missions leaders; then bring your people back with you.
- 10 Things You Should Know about Missions and the Local Church — Andy Johnson.
- When Everything Is Missions — Spitters & Ellison; a clarifying read for any missions committee.
A partnership offer
We would love to engage in a mutually beneficial relationship with you and your church that brings glory to God and the message of His grace to the world. We speak in churches, Christian schools, small groups, and conferences; help missions committees think through strategy; and walk with candidates from first questions through training and sending. Contact me — no obligation or expectations.
Go deeper
- Ideas for Missions Committees — a starting point for your committee: what sending requires and how to leverage what you have.
- Equip — empowering every part of the Body, from families to committees.
- Vision & Definitions — shared vocabulary for your leadership team.
- The Whole Church Body for the Whole World.