The Greek verb “apoluo” (to send away) is used in a positive sense in Acts 13:3 when the church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. This blog is designed to help churches select, train, and send missionaries to the harvest fields of souls.
Editor’s Note: Originally published March 2014. When it comes to leadership, most of us think in terms of moving a group of people or an organization forward toward an end goal. Leaders have vision, and they like to think big. That is a good thing, but leaders also need to be able to think small….
There are a variety of reasons why people go on short term missions trips. Some of them might be: 1. A work project (painting, building, digging) 2. A ministry opportunity (preaching, teaching, evangelism) 3. An exposure to the needs and opportunities 4. Internships and apprenticeships 5. Personal discipleship… using the experience to provide spiritual growth…
Dear Missionary, pastors are not obstacles to ministry, they are your enablers. I know that the form of ministry has created a false dichotomy between both. Somehow the created perspective is that purposes of both are different enough that they must ‘compete’ for the same resources in order to complete God’s will. The mindset has…
Dear Pastor, missionaries are not your competitors, they are your enablers. I know that the form of ministry has created a false dichotomy between pastors and missionaries. Somehow the created perspective is that purposes of both are different enough that they must ‘compete’ for the same resources in order to complete God’s will. The mindset…
Most churches have never sent a missionary from their congregation. Those same churches love missionaries. They support missionaries financially and pray for them. They would consider themselves missions-minded. Yet in spite of the interest and commitment to missions, they have never sent one of their own to the mission field. It seems incongruous to have…
Every church I visit loves missions and missionaries. I’m often invited to speak at churches about missions which provides opportunity to visit the the display of missionaries supported by the church. Most churches have a dedicated space in the building to display what they are doing in missions. As I look at the list, I…
A number of years ago, a pastor whom I had met as a student called me to ask if I could come to his church in Maine and speak at a missions conference. I was to be overseas that week, and had to decline the invitation. He told me he would check again to see…
Even after you have answered God’s call on your life, even after you have made life changing decisions, even after a church has sent you into the ministry, even after a mission board has agreed to back you, there is a lot that goes into becoming a missionary. In my experience, once things become official,…
Choosing the right mission agency is sometimes more important than choosing which country you go to as a missionary. The agency will either be a blessing or a pain. Though many agencies have similarities, their cultures differe considerably. In this podcast, https://youtu.be/XCrfu0N8-Y8 the director of Biblical Ministries Worldwide is interviewed about how to make the…
As a missionary, my personal lament is that relationships between supporters and their missionaries is not stronger. Therefore, I err on the side of more communication. There is one tool though, that gives me pause and necessitates an evaluation of its usefulness: the missionary newsletter. Admittedly, when the end of the month approaches I find…