how to become a mission church. i. defining missions the tendency of the churches is to refer to...

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  • Slide 1
  • HOW TO BECOME A MISSION CHURCH
  • Slide 2
  • I. DEFINING MISSIONS The tendency of the churches is to refer to everything we do as MISSIONS. This tendency diminishes the true meaning of the word MISSIONS.
  • Slide 3
  • The MISSION OF THE CHURCH Does not refer to everything the Lord has called us to do: -We are to witness. - We are to preach the Word. - We are to feed the poor. - We are to carry out a score of other ministries.
  • Slide 4
  • But MISSIONS has a much narrower focus and definition. 1. It talks about those activities that really reach BEYOND the regular ministries of the local church. 2. It involves usually CROSSING CULTURAL barriers in an attempt to SHARE the Gospel with people who have little or no opportunity to hear it.
  • Slide 5
  • Although we are commanded to EVANGELIZE our neighbors, the WORK OF MISSION calls the church to REACH OUT: - To the world - To cross barriers of culture and languages - To develop specialized ministries to WIN people for the Lord (MBC Bi-Vocational Missionaries) Note: Because MISSION is an action word, any church considering involvement in world missions should be PROACTIVE in its strategy.
  • Slide 6
  • II. PRIORITIES Majority of our missionaries currently work in areas already penetrated by the Gospel to some extent. On the other hand, a relatively small percentage of missionaries work among the 3 Largest People Groups: - Muslims - Hindus - Chinese
  • Slide 7
  • Simple fairness would tell us we need to invest more of our future missionaries in reaching these 3 groups of people. Geographically, most of these groups live in well-defined areas: - North Africa - Central Asia - China
  • Slide 8
  • A. How to Define Our Priorities 1. In terms of Ministry Activities -Although every job in the mission field is important, no church wants to have its entire missions budget going to home office support. Missions Groups employ dozens of strategies to communicate the Gospel and must have some degree of validity.
  • Slide 9
  • 2. The highest priority, however, must be that of church planting. By planting indigenous churches within the target culture, we can provide an authentic Biblical witness, which would reach its own culture for Christ.
  • Slide 10
  • III. Making the Case for Missions Participation The typical church member is bombarded with: - Programs - Opportunities - Building Committees - Seminars, etc.
  • Slide 11
  • Members are already overextended WITH TOO MANY meetings per week. So WHY should your church become committed to MISSIONS? It means adding another program that pleads for: Time Attention Another Expense in the Budget (?)
  • Slide 12
  • THE QUESTION CAN BE ANSWERED BY ASKING ANOTHER QUESTION WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF A LOCAL CHURCH?
  • Slide 13
  • Does the Church exist merely to be a safe haven? From secular society A place to raise children Get married Hold social events, etc. Is there no reason for a church to try and make an IMPACT on the surrounding world?
  • Slide 14
  • According to the Word of God, a churchs purpose is to function as: - Salt and Light ( in the local and global community) And when this happens, the church will begin to realize that God wishes to see the influence of His kingdom spread to places around the world where there is NO CHURCH and act as an AGENT of CHANGE.
  • Slide 15
  • When this fundamental issue of purpose is settled and a church has decided to become INVOLVED in WORLD EVANGELIZATION to any significant degree, IT WILL BECOME : - A SENDING CHURCH (Active Role) - A SUPPORTING CHURCH (Financial Ro le) Examples: 1. Antioch (Acts 11:19-30)- Focused on calling forth candidates for Missions Ministry 2. Missionaries as living extensions of the church (Acts 13:1-3) Deployed around the world to advance Gods Kingdom
  • Slide 16
  • Two things Needed: 1. Prayer 2. Strong Pastoral Leadership WHAT IS EFFECTIVE PRAYER? -It is INFORMED PRAYER.
  • Slide 17
  • INFORMATION comes best through: - Being Consistent - Being Caring - Having Contact with missionaries - Researching political, cultural and social trends that are - Shaping missionaries lives
  • Slide 18
  • Missions will never reach its full potential in a local church without the enthusiastic participation of support of the pastors. Pastors must perceive missions. Direct missions Personally involved in missions to show to the church that he is obedient to the Lords command Pastors must seek opportunities for EXPOSURE to missions. - Shows enthusiasm for the mandate to evangelize.
  • Slide 19
  • IV. ORGANIZE A LEADERSHIP TEAM IN THE CHURCH This may be called a Missions Committee (Task Force) A lay group to do more than just administer the program Should be a CATALYST for involving the congregation in Missions Responsible with the pastor for putting up the philosophy of Missions
  • Slide 20
  • Qualities of the Committee Well-organized Aggressively recruiting talented people Fully-oriented people Gets the body involved Conduct meetings regularly Missions conference annually Need SUB-Committees ( Strategy, Sending, Support, Stimulation, Serving Committees)
  • Slide 21
  • V. DEVELOPING A WORLD-OUTREACH STRATEGY The process of setting goals for a churchs missions outreach begins with: Writing a Purpose Statement- This expresses the primary reason for the churchs existence. It could be apart of the by-laws. Once an overall purpose of statement is in place, then the church is ready to develop a missions policy.
  • Slide 22
  • The Policy Statement should cover: 1. Statement of Purpose - What does the church mean by the word Mission? - What part of the churchs life will be included in outreach activities? 2. Structure of Mission - What specific methods will you use to develop your outreach goals? - Missions team functions - Its limit - When should it meet? - To whom does it report?
  • Slide 23
  • The Policy Statement should cover: 3. Strategy for Missions -What kind of outreach work will your committee consider? -What are the priorities used to evaluate support for each potential project? 4. Standards for Missions education and support - Whose responsibility is Missions education? - How will you recruit missionary candidates? - What part should the church have in short-term missions?
  • Slide 24
  • The Policy Statement should cover: 5. Standard of Acceptance for missionaries and projects - What educational and training standard will you require? - How do you measure training effectively? 6. Support Principles -What percentage of support will your church cover for each missionary? -What specific conditions would lead to termination of support?
  • Slide 25
  • The Policy Statement should cover: 7. Reporting Policies - What types of reporting should we expect? - How often should we receive reports? - What requirements do we have for personal visits to our church?
  • Slide 26
  • VI. PLANNING ANNUAL CONFERENCE The quickest way to empty the pews of the church is to announce a missions conference and a missions speaker. We have allowed Missions Conference to seem less exciting than the evening news.
  • Slide 27
  • How to Prepare: 1. Begin with prayer. 2. Establish purpose for the event. 3. Begin planning at least 11 months ahead. 4. Promote the event as a special event. 5. Make it special. 6. Evaluate thoroughly and adjust for the following year. 7. Involve all groups to plan. 8. Complement.
  • Slide 28
  • VII. PROMOTING MISSIONS 1. Have a Creative Promotion. a. Sending People of all ages on short-term, cross- cultural missions trip b. Offering opportunities to contribute through team projects 2. Establish Missionary Prayer Partnership program. a. Adopt missionaries by families b. Promise to correspond c. Serve as a host when they arrive d. Plan to visit
  • Slide 29
  • VII. PROMOTING MISSIONS 3. Schedule Missions Promotion. 4. Infiltrate already scheduled meeting. 5. Have different resources for training, such as: - visit - support - hosting - exposure - tracts and conferences - meeting and food, etc.
  • Slide 30
  • VIII. FINANCING MISSIONS THREE QUESTIONS: 1. How should Missions money be raised? Several approaches: a. Divided giving- allows members to allocate a portion of their overall giving to missions b. Faith-promise involves a periodic commitment of giving over and above existing levels c. Special Appeals raise funds that go to the purchase of equipment or supplies
  • Slide 31
  • * Advantages of the 3 Approaches: 1. These do not divert funds already allotted to church programs. 2. They tend to generate a relatively high degree of personal interest Disadvantages: In the event of financial stress, potential givers may abandon their other commitments in order to meet immediate needs.
  • Slide 32
  • VIII. FINANCING MISSIONS d. Some churches allocate a fixed percentage of the churchs general fund to mission *Advantage: This simplifies the process and provides a higher level of stability. Disadvantage: Given the many programs competing for limited funds, there is no guarantee that missions will receive its fair share. It avoids the challenge of a personal commitment to missions giving. This is also the most convenient way for members.
  • Slide 33
  • VIII. FINANCING MISSIONS e. Others send their missions support to missions society, denomination, for allocation. But this dampens personal interest for missions. f. Support individual missionaries directly through an institution * Disadvantage: A particular more gifted missionary or eloquent one is likely to get the lions support
  • Slide 34
  • IX. PROTECTING MONEY HOW SHOULD MISSIONS MONEY BE ACCOUNTED FOR? 1. Church members want to know missions funds are being used effectively as designated 2. The path of accountability usually runs through the agencies that channel them, such as PABWE, STIR-ASIA, etc.
  • Slide 35
  • X. GIVING MONEY HOW CAN A CHURCH ESTABLISH ITS GIVING PRIORITIES? Financing MISSIONS is not, at its foundational level, just an organizing and promoting task. Since giving to Missions is a direct expression of the competence of the church placed on world evangelization, the congregation must grow together in their understanding of the theological and humanitarian beliefs that compel them to give.
  • Slide 36
  • In order for this to happen, leaders must lift up the churchs missionary responsibility by providing adequate, up-to-date information about the progress of the Gospel message in the world. Then, the members will have to make HARD CHOICES, such as having to abandon some worthy local projects in favor of other projects in remote places.