questions-on-mission

Reclaiming the Role of a Sending Church

Throughout history, the church’s involvement in missions has had varying degrees of vibrancy. At some level, this is inevitable as events of the day can provoke our minds to concentrate on other matters. But no matter the current climate, we think it is helpful – if not paramount – to reflect on scripture to determine a pattern of how that relational-partnership between the early church and God’s command to reach the nations was on display. Perhaps we can learn something from our mission-minded forefathers that can apply to our modern-day churches.

In the book of Acts and Paul’s letters, we get glimpses into how Antioch and Philippi’s churches relate with Paul as their missionary. In Philippians 1:4-5, Paul says, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” These verses demonstrate a mutual relationship between Paul and the ones who sent him out over a prolonged period.

This partnership bond is on full display as we read about Epaphroditus, who gave Paul a gift from the church in Philippi. After the delivery, he stayed with Paul and became sick to the point of death. When Epaphroditus learned that the church in Philippi knew he was sick, he was personally distressed (Philippians 2:25-27). Paul was equally concerned for his “fellow worker” as he witnessed Epaphroditus’ deterioration and expressed that he would have had “sorrow upon sorrow” if he had died.

When I reflect about what happened to Paul and Epaphroditus, it reminds me of an incident that occurred at an overseas conference. A church had sacrificed to send a small group of people to come and help. It was a huge blessing because they focused on specific program elements, which allowed us to rest and participate fully. However, during their stay, one gentleman became ill. When he didn’t improve, he was admitted to the local hospital for treatment. We were genuinely concerned about his well-being, and you can imagine when the sending church was informed that there was equal concern. Thankfully he recovered. It is an unfortunate, yet beautiful, reminder of the relational-partnership a church has with its field workers.

There are many other places in scripture (e.g., Matthew 10:9,10; Acts 18:4,5; Romans 15:24) where we see this type of partnership on display. It is clear from these verses that the church’s role within the field worker’s life is primary. However, regrettably, in the 19th century, we have unknowingly released control and accountability of field workers to a third-party administrator: the mission agency. This slow drifting apart can create a rift between the missionary and the church or the church with the sending agency. For many, this relational partnership has turned transactional.

However, there is good news! Many congregations are starting to recognize this disconnect and are reclaiming the role of being a vibrant sending church. Reclaiming this identity within the church can seem daunting, but there are some practical steppingstones that church leaders can take with their missionaries to restore this relational partnership.

Pastoral Prioritization of Missions in the Life of Your Church

Back in the 1980s, I remember several weeks of the church calendar dedicated to the Great Commission. It was a time to celebrate, worship, and remember all that God is doing in the world. Nowadays, it is rare to see a single weekend devoted to God’s command to the “nations.” If God’s heart is for the unreached people groups of this world, then we should be prioritizing this. This can be done through the pastoral prayer, live streaming a field worker during the service, and designating not just one weekend, but several weekends towards God’s heart for the world.

Here are other ways that GSI recommends prioritizing missions in your services.

  • Hold a Night of Prayer for the nations.
  • Prayer for people groups regularly from the pulpit. (See Resource)
  • Do a weekend retreat to learn more about God’s heart for the world. (See more information)
  • Consider hosting a Journey course. (See more details)

There are countless ways to start, but building this relational-partnership has to begin with the pastoral and leadership staff taking ownership and purposeful planning.

Know the missionaries you have sent

This point may seem obvious to some, but you can’t have a partnership unless both parties know each other. The more a sending church gets to know its workers on a personal level, the more they can speak into their lives, keep them accountable, and encourage them. Once your missionary leaves for the field, they don’t stop needing pastoral direction and support. All these things are necessary for the success of missionaries overseas and, ultimately, the Great Commission’s accomplishment.

Here are some practical suggestions:

  • Make sure everyone in the entire congregation has your supported worker’s prayer card. Cover the cost and hand them out as people leave.
  • Pastor, communicate with your missionary regularly. There are texting apps available that make this super simple. Just a simple note can go a long way.
  • Do a commissioning service as you send someone out. Make it a celebration.
  • When a field worker is at home, set up a meal chain to share in people’s homes. Sometimes speaking in a smaller group setting allows for more personal interactions.

Ask the sending agency how the church can get involved

This is a considerable step into taking your interaction with your missionary from transactional to relational partnership. By being willing, and by reaching out, you do two things. First, you show the missionary and their agency that you genuinely want to do more. This is so encouraging to missionaries! Second, many missionaries don’t feel like they can ask more from their churches. When you reach out, the missionary will almost always have specific ideas about how you can get further involved in the ministry they are doing.

There are many other ways to gradually change course towards reclaiming the role of a sending church. But the first and most critical is the recognition that the responsibility of the Great Commission was given to the church, not the missions agency. All other conversations towards reclaiming can flow from this biblical direction with that knowledge in place.

How can we help your church be equipped to join God in His mission both locally and globally? Contact us and let us know.