You've already done a lot to grow in life, knowledge, and skills to become a missionary. Now, let's give attention to the last things, the final brushstrokes on the canvas of your training and qualifications. You want to be fully commended and affirmed by both your home sending church and your missions agency before you are free to leave for your field of ministry. Today's episode will help you make that last stretch of this marathon.
Oct 11, 2024•16 min•Ep. 221
There are many necessary questions to ask when researching a mission-sending agency partner. Remember, though, that your local sending church needs to be involved in the decision. The process of becoming a member of a missions agency is a big step. It will frame the context of your ministry into the foreseeable future, perhaps for a lifetime. So, your diligence now will bring large dividends and eliminate surprises later. This episode is Part B of the two parts of "Get a Sending Agency Partner."...
Oct 04, 2024•13 min•Ep. 220
Winning the support, relationship, and equipping of your local sending church is important. Now, you turn your attention to selecting the best fit for a sending agency in concert with your church's leadership. It is a very important relationship. You need to have a good sending agency that respects the role of your church in your life and ministry and has expertise and experience in your target field "over THERE." This episode and the next will describe questions and issues to probe to find the ...
Sep 27, 2024•16 min•Ep. 219
Church planting among the least-reached people groups of the world is a priority. Very few workers sent to do that ministry have had guided or curated exposure that equips them to do it. You want to be one of those few. Begin your cross-cultural training HERE, before your feet hit the ground "over THERE." Do the work to discover ways to understand culture, particularly your target culture. Get connected with church planting, even as a short-term volunteer or intern. Learn all you can about the p...
Sep 20, 2024•16 min•Ep. 218
A startling hole in most missionary training is a broad foundation of personal ministry in the local church content. Church planters desperately need to understand the dynamics, the highs and lows, the disappointments and joys, of ministry with and to real people in their sending church. The rewards are great! Relationships, skills, and growing in grace found in this context are foundational to long-term effectiveness in a missionary context. Take a deep breath. Let's do this right and do it wit...
Sep 13, 2024•18 min•Ep. 217
Somewhat surprisingly, the role of a missionary mentor in your training process as a missionary candidate is almost never acknowledged. For you to have a trusted friend and counselor (or several) as you wrestle through all the various aspects of personal change and growth is invaluable. Pray and ask and seek that God would give you a great mentor from within your sending congregation. This episode is a groundwork description of how a mentor can benefit and ensure your qualification process....
Sep 06, 2024•15 min•Ep. 216
One of the early crucial steps you can take toward the mission field is to become deeply connected and involved in a healthy sending church. College and university students rarely see this as a priority. If you want to be a faithful and effective missionary, you must! This episode describes qualities to look for and how to help yourself, your case as a missionary candidate, and your chosen church. This is a make-it-or-break-it move for you right now. Read Missions on Point: The Local Church at t...
Aug 30, 2024•16 min•Ep. 215
After the mountain-top euphoria of commitment to becoming a missionary candidate, the candidate needs a road map to help navigate the unfamiliar path ahead. The mentor helps you, the candidate, take stock of your special calling and position. There are a lot of new commitments that go along with becoming a missionary. Then, there is the careful and wise communication of your new commitment to those around you. Becoming a missionary is not something you do on your own. Leaders, friends, and partn...
Aug 23, 2024•12 min•Ep. 214
Whether you want to be a missionary or are a friend, family, or fellow church member of a missionary candidate, this series of podcasts is for you. We will walk through the typical qualifying process to get from HERE (your home place) to THERE (your desired missions field). It's a daunting task to become a well-equipped missionary! It takes patience, time, and vision for personal growth and skill-building. It will take discipline, sacrifice, study, and change. Yet, though the standard is high, t...
Aug 16, 2024•11 min•Ep. 213
There are many streams of influence that affect the big picture of global church planting. We won't be able to address them all and certainly not in great depth. This episode deals with a few key thoughts about church planting around the world. We'll talk about effectiveness, the negative effect of American-influenced pragmatism, and hope for future changes coming. A key foundation for biblical church-centered missiology is found in the new book: Missions on Point - The Local Church at the Heart...
Aug 09, 2024•13 min•Ep. 212
Church planting in a foreign culture has to consider all the concerns of every other type of church planting and adding both language and culture to the mix. Missionary church planting is the most exciting and most exacting of all church planting. Thankfully, missionaries may be more aware of their challenges than church planters who don't have the obvious stark contrasts. We talk about special considerations for foreign cross culture concerns here. We'll also think about the desired end result:...
Aug 02, 2024•16 min•Ep. 211
There is a huge need and opportunity for healthy biblical churches to consider planting a church in their "Samaria." We continue to see large communities of ethnic people around us. They, with all their extraordinary needs and often tragic personal history, need the Lord Jesus Christ presented to them understandably and lovingly. They need a local church that exalts Christ and expounds the Scripture for their life and walk with the Lord. Though the issues of near-culture church planting are comp...
Jul 26, 2024•16 min•Ep. 210
Acting on a commitment to plant a church in a nearby location within a very similar culture can feel daunting. Common concerns for the near-culture church plant need to be considered and addressed. Thinking through a number of diametrically opposite dynamics can help you avoid future problems. We address eleven concerns. By God's grace, working through the issues will forge your church planting team and "first members" into a unified group well before the first public worship service takes place...
Jul 19, 2024•15 min•Ep. 209
New church planting "keys" or "schemes," models or frameworks, come around regularly. Pragmatism overshadows hermeneutics to produce the next rapid results methodology that will surely be effective this time. Careful, solid preparation of the church planter should enable discernment and careful implementation based on genuine biblical consistency. Adapt what may be good; reject man-centered definitions; take time to build a solid foundation that stands the test of time. Our Western culture tends...
Jul 12, 2024•18 min•Ep. 208
Let's clear the fog and demystify more about church planting. These issues should not seem new because every vibrant church should have some experience or be working toward getting experience in church planting. In this episode, we'll talk about universal issues every church plant faces: meeting place, model, marketing, money, and melding of the church plant team. Don't miss next week's controversial episode! Check out the Missions on Point book on Amazon ....
Jul 05, 2024•17 min•Ep. 207
In this series, we want to lift the veil of mystery and sometimes misunderstanding about church planting. If church planting is a sign of a healthy church, every church member should be aware of some of the issues and challenges church planters face, some of the joys and sorrows, and the needed plans and particulars of the church plant. This episode touches on seven universal challenges beginning with "D" words: distinguish, decide, determine, discern, develop, define, and differentiate....
Jun 28, 2024•15 min•Ep. 206
Church planting is a surprisingly polarizing topic. It comes at the intersection of ecclesiology and missiology, which is the hallmark of Missions on Point. So, though we may say things that spark enthusiastic discussions, we'll start this series on church planting over these eight episodes, fueled by my own experience in church planting at home and abroad and lots of study over a handful of decades. May you be encouraged in heart and mind to love the local church and become a proponent of churc...
Jun 21, 2024•14 min•Ep. 205
Parents of missionaries can feel quite left behind. But don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you. This podcast is for you. Emotions are all over the place: excitement, sadness, joy, fear. How can you follow the Lord in faith as your children or grandchildren follow the Lord overseas? You have an important role to play, and God has a missions path for you too. Find some encouragement and help in this episode with ways that you can facilitate your relationship and manage appropriate expectation...
Jun 14, 2024•16 min•Ep. 204
Continuing the Missions Path from last week, we are considering what it looks like to be a field missionary. There are some important strategies you need to consider. Altogether, there are seven steps you can take to be a faithful missionary. This episode especially focuses on the last few steps of a missionary and how to finish well. We pray you are encouraged by thinking deeply and biblically about your priorities as a missionary.
Jun 07, 2024•17 min•Ep. 203
What does it take to be an effective missionary on your field? It takes a whole lot more than big dreams and wishful thinking. It takes a lot of work. But, what does that work look like, even down to your day to day activities? This is what we explore on the Field Missionary Missions Path. In this first part of 2 episodes dealing with this missions path, we explore the competency tools of aim, plan, build, and evaluate. We chart a course ahead for how we can break down the lofty goals that can t...
May 31, 2024•15 min•Ep. 202
Before you go, there is much preparation. The best way to mitigate the struggles on the field is to be well prepared and well sent by your church. This missions path episode is for the pre-field missionary, and it's crucial for the entire church to grasp the basics of missions here. Your waiting is not in vain. God will send you, when he wants to, and in his way. So, use your time preparation well. There is much to get started on now. A successful pre-field ministry sets you up for a successful ...
May 24, 2024•15 min•Ep. 201
Someone needs to take up the delegated pastoral responsibility of missions in the church. While smaller churches will necessarily employ one person with a large combination of responsibilities, as the church grows and the missions budget along with it grows, that responsibility will grow too. And you may even find yourself in need of a full-time employed missions pastor. Regardless of whether the missions pastor has other responsibilities or not, what does being a missions pastor entail? Find ou...
May 17, 2024•15 min•Ep. 200
The Senior Pastor is the shepherd of the congregation who leads it in missions. He sets the pace and expectations, but it's not up to him. He, along with the church staff and the missions team all seek to equip the entire church for missions ministry. But how does the Senior Pastor fit into this wonderful body? He can be consumed by so much ministry that missions is often relegated to the periphery. Or he can be overwhelmed by all that needs to be done. Trust in the Chief Shepherd and leads othe...
May 10, 2024•14 min•Ep. 199
Your missions committee is a vital dimension of how your church fulfills its strategic missions focus. Some people are delegated responsibility in your church to join this team and propel your church into greater missions effectiveness. But, be careful. Your committee should not be doing missions on behalf of your church. They should be mobilizing the entire church to be involved in missions. Find out here about 5 aspects of the missions committee.
May 03, 2024•12 min•Ep. 198
Everyone has a missions path, but someone has to help them find it. Mobilizers are used in the body of Christ to equip the entire body for the work of missions. While only a select few go on the field, everyone can play a supporting role. Mobilizers disciple others in missions effectiveness, call the church to is biblical role, equip others with resources and help them overcome any hurdles they may have. The work of missions is not easy, but mobilizers can help make the path straight....
Apr 26, 2024•14 min•Ep. 197
Churches and individuals should consider the value of Short Term Missions and how they fit into the larger picture of long-term missions ministry in planting churches. Short term teams can provide ministry that long term missionaries could not do on their own. Please tune in to today's episode to consider eight aspects of short term trips. You careful planning, and your prayerful discernment about how God is leading you can be a blessing, not only to the missionaries on the field and the recipie...
Apr 19, 2024•13 min•Ep. 196
Everyone should consider how they can get personally involved in missions. There is always more for you to learn as you grow in your understanding of both missions and the missionaries in your church. Pray earnestly for the Lord to send out workers, and pray for those who have already been sent. Begin sharing your faith now. Support missions, not just financially. And start reaching internationals. This podcast begins to open our understanding on how you can be personally involved in missions. B...
Apr 12, 2024•15 min•Ep. 195
Everyone has a missions path to go down. Which one is yours? Begin your journey by inquiring. Ask good questions. Find out more about missions, it's biblical basis, it's history, your church's role in missions and the missionaries you know. Become a life-long learner of missions. Challenge yourself to commit to missions and grow in the depth of your understanding of God's heart for missions. Inquire! You can find detailed answers to the questions asked here at https://propempo.com/services/missi...
Apr 05, 2024•12 min•Ep. 194
We have much to praise God for when considering how churches are increasingly stepping up to take their rightful place being responsible for global missions. We see God growing churches to become sending churches, and there are many organizations that are teaching this and supporting this now. Please continue to pray that this paradigm shift in thinking about missions as church-centered would grow from a groundswell into a full on tidal wave of change in how most churches and agencies do mission...
Mar 29, 2024•16 min•Ep. 193
The church, the missions agency and the missionary all need to work together to accomplish the mission. Who bears what responsibility? How can we manage expectations? And most importantly, how can we maintain the biblical conviction of keeping the church in the driver's seat? Furthermore, how can we resolve conflicts when disagreements about or divergence from expectations arise? In this episode we walk through a proposed template for a church and agency partnership agreement. Feel free to adapt...
Mar 22, 2024•17 min•Ep. 192
