Missions-Minded Churches... And How They Grow

Certain churches in North America give 20-35% of their total budgets to missions. But their strong missions emphasis is not simply budgetary, they have also sent career and short-term missionaries all over the world. The Message interviewed five pastors of such churches ranging in size from 140 members to more than 1,200. We asked them the following questions:

Why is missions is vital to your church?

• Missions isn't just vital to our church, it is the reason for the church! Missions isn't just a program of the church. You can have a music program, a youth program, a visitation program, but you can't have a missions program, because missions is the PURPOSE of the church.

• We are under orders to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Every unreached people group must have an opportunity to hear the saving gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Ron Berrus of Bellefonte, PA gives us this maxim: "The reason we Christians are not in hell is because of God's great grace, and the reason we are not already in heaven is because of God's Great Commission."

What obstacles do you find in promoting world missions?

• People are so strapped for time that they don't get involved in ministry as much we would hope.

• Fear that giving to missions will cripple the work on the homefront. Ronald Graef from Taylor, MI quotes a predecessor at Evangel Baptist: Pastor Kenneth Farnsworth once phoned a missionary whom the church was considering supporting and asked him to help build their church. Apologetically the missionary responded, "I'm not a builder; I'm a missionary." The pastor explained, "You don't understand. When we take on your support by faith, God will enable us to build our church!"

What advice would you give to pastors trying to expand their missions emphasis?

1. Provide the example by reaching out to others, by "doing the work of an evangelist." If at all possible, GO on a missions trip yourself, teaching local people and encouraging missionaries.

2. Keep missionaries constantly in the minds of the church members through pictures, slogans and displays in the entryway.

3. Incorporate a "Missions Moment" in your main services; print excerpts from missionary letters in the church bulletin; hold special prayer groups for missions.

4. Pray that the Lord of the harvest would send out workers from your church.

5. Consider having your church offer an internship to those considering missionary service.

6. Gear the youth program toward Christian service. Begin with neighborhood evangelism and move on to cross-cultural trips.

7. Involve the men of the church in missions' projects, (while continuing to encourage the women in their good work.)

8. Don't stifle giving to missions with a stagnant general fund budget. Be creative in ways to give to regular commitments and to special needs.

9. Keep in touch regularly with the missionaries your church supports. (Editor's note: It's a great day when the "Dear Scattered Saints" letter from Pastor Scott Rider at Bethany Baptist, Seattle arrives in my mail box.)

10. Make the annual missionary conference the highlight of the church year. This sharpens the focus on missions at home and around the world.

11. Invite missionary speakers throughout the year: presentations at Sunday services, Sunday school classes, prayer meetings, small group sessions.

12. Develop a missions strategy for the church. Dr. Gerald Kroll says, "At Heritage Baptist we believe everyone is called to go or to send; no one is called to stay."

Back to Top	Respond to this Article Email Article to a Friend Print this Article