Organizing the Church for Evangelism and Missions: (Mission ministry and mission guidelines)

The second section of our seminar describes the training and organization necessary for a congregation to reach beyond its immediate social context to carry the mission of God.  The section is divided into two parts: congregational training and congregational organization.

Congregational Training.  Lacking the tools to evaluate and differentiate, church leaders frequently make missions decisions based upon personal whims and homespun knowledge.  In such churches the missions agenda is typically set by "good ole Joe," a member who has experienced what is occurring in an already existing domestic or foreign missions work.  Without the expertise to discriminate and weigh benefits, the same mistakes are repeated generation after generation.  A redemptive church, however, incisively equips itself to make domestic and foreign missions decisions so that God's redemptive message is carried from the home church to the remotest parts of the world.  This chapter introduces areas of special insight and expertise enabling missions leaders to understand the process of missions and the skills to nurture prospective and current missionaries.

Congregational Organization.  An effective redemptive church has developed structures for making competent missions decisions.  Usually the personnel making these decisions are part of evangelism and missions committees.  These committees develop missions and evangelism policies and guidelines which focus the purposes and tasks of the church, bring evaluation to critical issues, and define the responsibilities of both the local church and its supported evangelists and missionaries.  Illustrations are given of effective organizations and guidelines.