Developing a Missions Strategy That Fits Your Church

1. Developing a Missions StrategyThat Fits Your Church A Webinar for The Mission Exchange David Mays

2. David Mays • Director of Learning Initiatives for The Mission Exchange • Ministry: Training, resources, and networking to help church and mission leaders • Dream: A movement of churches centered on The Great Commission www.DavidMays.org

3. The Mission Exchange • Helping mission leaders become more effective through learning and partnership • Seminars on the Web • Book Summaries • Resources • Teaching and Consulting www.TheMissionExchange.org

5. Is your missions ministry global? Or just all over the map? David Mays

6. A Strategy is … an intentional plan developed and implemented by a local church that seeks to maximize its impact on the world.

7. The Key Question is: Your strategy is your roadmap. • It describes how you will get somewhere. • A strategy helps you reach a destination or a goal. • Where does God want you to go? That is, • What does God want to accomplish in the world through our church?

8. Strategy - Three Components • How do we develop it? - Process • What goes in it? - Content • How do we follow it? - Implementation

9. Process Principles • Key Leader Involvement • Include Your Missionaries • Prayer • Consensus • Research • Proactive • Continuity • Open to Future Scrutiny

10. Implementation Principles • Continuity • Addition • Attrition • Saying ‘No’ • Disassociation

11. Foundations Biblical Basis Definition of Missions Purpose Statement Major World Challenges Priorities Priorities Goals Strategy – What Goes In It?

12. Biblical basis – What does Scripture command us? Definition of Missions – What is missions? What is it not? Purpose Statement – What is your purpose in missions? The World – What are the great challenges? These provide the foundations for your missions strategy. Your missions strategy is meant to help your church obey Scripture, understand missions, and carry our your purpose, to make the greatest impact on the world’s greatest needs. Foundations

13. Biblical Basis • What are your primary missions Scripture verses? • What do these Scriptures call you to do? • We are commanded to ___(do what)___________so that _______(who)_______________________can ___________(benefit how)________________. • Example: We are commanded to preach the gospel to all nations so that people everywhere can worship God and have eternal life.

14. Missions • What is your definition of missions? • Missions is __________________________ • If others in your church wrote their definition of missions, would it agree with yours?

15. Missions • What is the “scope” of missions for your church? • Missions includes, for example, ___________________ • Missions does not include, for example, ____________ • What would others include that you would not include? • What would you include that others would not include?

16. Sample Definition #1 • In our church missions includes all ministries that reach out to other languages and cultures with a spiritual purpose and ministries that directly support the above. • Missions includes, for example, Bible translation; cross-cultural evangelism, church development and leadership training; outreach to ethnic minorities nearby, and organizational leadership and support for these ministries. • It does not include, for example, outreach and service ministries to people in our own church and community.

17. Sample Definition #2 • In our church mission includes all ministries that reach out beyond the local church in evangelism, ministry and service. • Mission includes both international ministries and local ministries. It includes, for example, providing services to the poor, helping abused and addicted adults, jail ministry, partnering with community institutions, and the involvement of congregation members in the lives of others where they live and work. • It does not include, for example, ministries within the church and service or ministry to our congregation.

18. Purpose • Write down your church purpose statement. • Examples: • The purpose of Our Church is to make fully devoted followers of Christ. • To gather communities of disciples who worship, grow, and serve and go into all the world as witnesses of the life-changing love of Jesus Christ. • Helping individuals, here and worldwide, know God well and worship Him joyfully together in community.

19. Purpose • Write a purpose statement for your missions ministry. • Example 1: The purpose of Missions at Our Church is to make fully devoted followers of Christ worldwide. • Example 2: The purpose of Missions at Our Church is to evangelize and disciple the peoples of other cultures and nations. • Example 3: The purpose of Mission at Our Church is to involve all of our congregation in sharing the love and concern of Jesus to our community and the world.

20. The World - • There is a Goal! • God has a vision for the future!

21. God’s Vision - The Goal After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-10

22. Missions is an urgent global rescue operation. KEEP THE GOAL IN VIEW!

23. The World - Focus on the goal! • What are the great barriers to fulfillment? • What countries and peoples and nations are out of reach of the Gospel? • Where is the church weak or non-existent? • Where are the least Christian resources? • Where are the greatest needs? • Where are the greatest barriers? • What is being neglected? • Write a statement outlining your assessment.

24. The World – Example Statement • Some important things about the world: • More than 20% of the world’s people are Muslim. • Most of the unreached are in a belt across North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. • About 30% of the world live on < $2/day. • More than half the world lives in urban areas. • The global south is sending almost half the missionaries. • What might be some missions priorities?

25. Foundations Biblical Basis Definition of Missions Purpose Statement Major World Challenges Priorities Priorities Goals Strategy – What Goes In It?

26. Possible Priorities • Audiences – Whom do we seek to reach? • Ministry Tasks – What most needs to be done? • Balance – How much local? How much global? • Focus – A beacon or a thousand points of light? • Relationships – Do we partner only with those we know? • History – Do we need gradual or radical change? • Our Roles – What ministries best fit our congregation? • Select the issues you believe are most important. Remember the goal!

27. Priorities • Write your position on the ones you selected. • Write a “why” statement. • This issue is important to our church because… • Write a “how” statement. • We will make this a priority by…

28. Priorities • Example: Issue “Task” • “Why” - We believe reaching Muslims should be a focus for our church because Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion, encompassing more than 20% of the human race. • “How” - We plan to make reaching Muslims a priority by working toward a goal of investing at least 20% of our missions resources in Muslim ministry.

29. Priorities • Example: Issue “Focus” • “Why” – Our efforts are scattered among a broad range of ministries. This hampers our efforts to make a significant contribution anywhere. • “How” - We desire to develop a major emphasis and make a major impact in two or three key mission focus areas while maintaining support of our current ministries.

30. Priorities • Example: Issue “Involvement” • “Why” – In the past we have trained and sent a few of our people globally while most have been uninvolved. We believe all our people should be involved in ministry outside the church. • “How” - We plan to equip and send believers into their neighborhoods, work places, schools, community centers, and local service ministries to reach our city and complement what we have been doing globally.

31. Goals

32. Grid for Priorities and Decisions

33. Foundations Biblical Basis Definition of Missions Purpose Statement Major World Challenges Priorities Priorities Goals Strategy – What Goes In It

34. Develop Your Missions Strategy • Do it on your own. • Use documents available at www.DavidMays.org • Use the “Strategy CD.” • Utilize an outside consultant.

35. All you need to develop your missions strategy

36. Components of the Strategy CD • Leader’s Guide • Participant Workbook • PowerPoint Slides • Supplemental Documents • Scriptures and missions definitions • Budgeting and funding factors and grids • Purpose, vision, and values samples and resources • Sample strategies • Survey forms • Strategy articles and additional resources

37. A six-step process to discover what God wants your church to accomplish in the world

38. A brief booklet describing what it might look like and what it might take to organize your church around the Great Commission

39. One page outline on anything you want to know about missions and the local church

40. David Mays • DMays@TheMissionExchange.org • www.TheMissionExchange.org • www.davidmays.org