We are called to be involved in advancing the good news of Jesus not only in our own communities but around the world. We are part of a family of churches that advance missions through Mission Global and ERDO. Our fellowship serves every region on earth through dozens of missionaries and partners. Together, we can make a difference. There are several ways that church leaders can develop and lead a culture of missions in the local church. Here are a few key elements.
Articulating Vision:
It is helpful to put on paper what you want to focus on as a church when it comes to mission. Some leaders focus on a few key areas, while others decide to spread mission across different priorities. One leader might have the focus of supporting a missionary on every continent. Another leader might want to partner with missionaries who can host short-term teams. Still, another might want to focus on giving a percentage to unreached people. A mission vision helps your mission team and staff champion mission in your church the way you feel it should.
Here is an example you can use.
As a result of our church history and DNA we choose to focus on kids in at-risk situations and church planting. We believe it’s important for us to be active locally, in our nation, and around the world.
In order to complete our mandate, we engage in kingdom partnerships with like-minded organizations locally and internationally. We extend our partnerships through a focused approach that encompasses a seven-year model. We choose to work overseas, side by side, with local workers / volunteers. We go nowhere without listening and working to come along side as friends and partners. We do not seek to take away real employment opportunities, pride of ownership, and buy-in that local leadership can offer.
We believe in Short Term Trips. We believe each trip should enhance local efforts, make travelers aware of what God is doing, and provide each traveler with an opportunity for relationship. We also believe there needs to be a natural tie-in locally for a person to continue a mission focused lifestyle at home.
Mission Team:
Developing a team of people who have experience and passion in mission can help raise mission awareness in your church. Mission teams can provide recommendations for funding, communicate with mission partners, organize mission weekends, and more. It is important to choose a mission team leader whom you trust to report and provide recommendations to a pastor on staff.
Here is a sample role description you can use.
The purpose of the Missions Team at our church is to…
Act as liaison between the church and the missionary.
- Communicating with our missionaries in an ongoing way
- Communicating with the overseeing pastor as to the state of missionaries we are supporting.
Raise the profile of missions within the congregation.
- Coordinate once a month stories to be communicated Sunday mornings and social media.
- Keep the missions content on the website updated.
- Assist in organizing a once a year missions Sunday.
- Recommend missions education that can be used in small groups in the church.
Provide annual recommendations for specific fields or missionaries for support in conjunction with our attached missions philosophy.
Provide annual recommendations for short term mission trips. If desired, to lead and coordinate trips.
Mission Team Leader Role Description
Purpose: To lead the missions team.
Recruiting up to six members who have a global view of missions, each with different roles and responsibilities to fulfil the mandate of the team.
- Each of these members need to complete the standard volunteer onboarding process first.
- Each will be asked for no longer than a year commitment.
To hold monthly meetings or as required to fulfil the outcomes required of the team.
To ensure team unity when it comes to international missions.
Partnering with Missionaries:
Most churches will receive a large quantity of inquiries about funding. Every church leader has a different approach to how they want to partner. Some give more support to fewer missionaries, while some fund more missionaries with a lower set amount. Whatever you choose to do, here are a few considerations to keep in mind.
- Missionaries depend on consistent support and time to start and stop. They need to know if you are supporting them one time, monthly, or in an inconsistent manner.
- Ongoing stable support makes a difference. Providing a lead time is helpful if you choose to move on to a different missionary. Setting a time period in years is better.
- Missionaries raise funds for both their own living and the projects they are involved in.
- In partnership, one can request a missionary to provide updates a few times a year, including short videos you can play on a Sunday morning.
Mission Awareness:
There are several great ways to help your church become aware of how it is making a difference worldwide in missions. These ways do not have to be complicated or time-consuming.
- Videos: Ask the missionaries you support to send a very simple 1-minute video thanking the church and sharing how funding has helped.
- Offering: During the offering, thank the congregation, “Because you give, we are able to help make disciples in unreached areas around the world.”
- Missionary Visits: Give a missionary a five-minute time during the service to greet people, and then a table out in the lobby, or the congregation can connect with them after service. Some missionaries would be glad to speak for you during a service as well.
- Missions Sundays: Invite several missionaries that you support, both local and overseas, to a mission Sunday where you celebrate what God is doing through missions and challenge people to become part of missions.
- Prayer Highlight: In the bulletin or on screen, highlight a different missionary that you are praying for.
- Poster: Design a poster that celebrates all you are doing in missions around the world that is kept in your lobby.
Funding:
Funding may look different in each church. For some, it will be setting a mission budget that correlates with a percentage of your overall giving. For others, that will mean developing a mission fund that is in excess of general giving. For others, it will be a combination of both and may include raising money for special projects in excess of the mission budget.
Short-Term Teams:
There are several opportunities to send short-term mission teams to be a support and encouragement to missionaries on the ground and learn what missions is all about. Many of our churches partner with each other to send a team to one of our locations. Many of our missionaries can host teams.
Mid and Long Term:
As you build a culture of mission, there may be some who want to be involved in mid- and long-term mission. Mission Global has opportunities, tools, and assessments to help people discover how they can get involved. Connecting people with Mission Global helps to resource them as they seek out various pathways.