Involve Your Congregation in Missions Around the World

Giving to missionaries is important for the Gospel to spread around the world, but it shouldn’t just be given and then no more mention about missions. In fact, I’ll say something that will shock you.

Missions is the most important ministry in your congregation.

Let me say this again.

Missions is the most important ministry in your congregation.

You may not agree with this (and I don’t just say this as my role of a missionary).

However, before cutting missions, almost every other program should be cut, because it’s the call of the Church to fulfill the Great Commission.

In today’s economy, Churches are slowing down their support of missions. However, missions should only be accelerated because of the time that we live in. Also, people need the Gospel even more in a bad economy than a good one.

Here are several ways that you can encourage your congregation to be involved in the missions ministries that your Church is giving to during this time:

1. Host video calls with your missionaries — Whether as a Church, or smaller groups from your Church, encourage your congregation to keep in touch with missionaries through Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet (some missionaries serving overseas, such as my family, may even have access to a phone number that’s the same as your country, so you may even be able to talk for free on the phone).

2. Encourage your missionaries — Many Churches already do this, but consider care packages or cards sent several times a year.

3. Set up certain Small Groups/Sunday School classes to be “adopt” a missionary family, where they are the designated class to keep in contact with them.

4. Encourage your children’s missions programs to contact missionaries — This could have been one of the reasons that I became a missionary to begin with, as my Royal Ambassador’s class did this.

5. Host an annual or semi-annual online missions conference. The reason I add this one is that not every missionary can be there in person at every conference (and my family can’t currently travel to my home country because of current US Covid restrictions in place).

6. Remember to stay involved in local missions — Missions isn’t just an international thing, it’s to also start where you are.

7. Encourage your members to also support missionaries — This is one of the hardest time in modern history for missionaries to fundraise (I know this from experience as well). If your denomination supports mostly your own denomination’s mission board and other missionaries (especially from your denomination) ask for funds, be sure to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘I’ll talk to couples at the Church who want to support missions and see how our Church can help you’).

Here are several ways to involve your Church in missions through connecting with missionaries around the world. It’s important for your Church’s growth because Churches that are strong on missions are Churches that are focusing on the right things.

While this was written for FaithVenture Media, a Church Growth Agency for Evangelical Churches, I wanted to draw your attention shortly to Potter’s House Ministries Romania, the organization my wife and I started to help start children’s homes here in Romania. If your Church is looking to support ministries, please consider us (more info can be found here).

If your Church is looking to grow, FaithVenture Media has several solutions to help your Evangelical Church grow, including an academy, coaching, and done-for-you solutions.

Before you go back to whatever you were doing before, I suggest you subscribe to this other newsletter with a daily verse, prayer, and quote (we’re not associated with them, just thought you’d be interested in their newsletter since you subscribe to us):