How to Develop a Church Missions Strategy That Works

Josh McQuaid • Jun 08, 2016

Your church probably doesn’t have a global missions strategy. And sadly, you aren’t alone.

The truth is that most churches don’t have a strategy for their global involvement. As a result, many simply aren’t engaged overseas. Those who are are more likely to answer a question about their strategy by telling you how big their “missions budget” is.

Whether your church gives $500 or $1 million per year to missions, the real question isn’t how much you’re giving, but how you’re giving it.

There are lots of ways to build a great global missions strategy. For now, I’d like to suggest five improvements to your church missions strategy that will increase your church’s global effectiveness.

Be intentional. And then, be intentional some more.

Success, in all areas of life, usually comes as the result of careful planning and hard work. When it comes to global missional engagement, many churches are simply carried along by whatever wave happens to pick them up. This leads to churches with little global engagement.

Though they may support half a dozen missionaries in half a dozen locations doing half a dozen different kinds of ministry, does the congregation know these workers? Does anyone have a connection to their ministry? Are the workers thriving in the ministry they were sent to accomplish?

All too often, a church’s global mission develops in isolation, away from the strategy and vision of the church. When an individual or a couple feels called to serve overseas , their calling is treated as something quasi-mystical and extremely private. It is rarely run through the grid of the church’s vision and focus.

Instead, wouldn’t it be better if we approached global missions in the same way we approach starting a youth group, worship team or local church plant? With intentionality, creativity, critical thought and careful planning? If we approach global missions strategy the same way, would we be more effective? We would certainly stand a better chance.

Global missions should be an outgrowth of local missions.

There is sometimes an unwritten assumption in churches that the development of global missions strategy should be left to the “experts,” and — so goes the thinking — the local church isn’t an “expert.”

I feel compelled to fight this series of beliefs. Yes, local churches are inherently more expert in their particular city or neighborhood, as they should be. But principles of missions are transferable, and I have found that local churches are remarkably adept at noticing when supposed “experts” have lost the plot.

In fact, global missions isn’t so different from local missions, and a great way to develop a global strategy that makes sense is to target ministries that fit what you’re already doing in your own city.

Let me give you some practical examples. I attend a church that has two very visible foci when it comes to local ministry: We minister to university students, and we minister to the homeless in our neighborhood. On both the local and global fronts, we support individuals who are working with college students, and we support individuals who work with the outcast, the underprivileged and the destitute.

Of course, the trick is often knowing how to turn these particular ministry venues into vibrant church planting ministries; that is where a missions agency can be a resource to you. But you probably don’t need anyone to tell you what kind of global ministry you should be involved in.

And, if your local vision isn’t big enough to support global missions, then, as I’ve argued in another post , your vision probably needs some expanding.

Geography matters very little.

We are very quick to define “missions” in terms of geography. In actual fact, geography is mostly incidental, as missions can happen anywhere.

Missions has much more to do with the act of engaging the un-gospeled, wherever we find them, with the good news of Christ’s kingdom. I encourage churches to build their strategies around mission type first and ministry location secondarily.

This approach not only encourages us to think of global missions as an outgrowth of local missions, but also positions churches to play to their strengths and giftings when it comes to global ministry.

Follow the relationships.

If you don’t have a global missions strategy, you’re very much in danger of paralysis by analysis, as there are too many good options to know where to begin.

If you just aren’t sure where to start, why not ask yourselves, “Where in the world do we already have a connection?”

Have you supported a handful of missionaries over the years? Start by looking at their ministries. Where do you have especially strong relationships? Who is doing ministry that resonates with your vision and mission?

You might also consider leading your congregation through an intentional season of prayer for the nations. As you do so, ask yourself these questions:

  • Who does the Lord keep bringing to our minds?
  • Do we gravitate toward any particular places or kinds of ministries ?
  • Who do we already know who is working in those kinds of ministries or places?

If you don’t know anyone who is already established in the ministries you would like to enter, ask around. Odds are, you’re not too far removed from someone who is doing a ministry in which your congregation would love to invest itself.

Choose depth over breadth.

Some churches approach their global strategy as if it were primarily about identifying all of the places where they won’t send people, even if they feel called there. This is not only the wrong attitude, but it misses the point altogether.

Having a church missions strategy is about sharpening your focus to increase your effectiveness, but it isn’t about closing off new opportunities. In fact, it’s worth considering having more than one target in your global strategy, just as you probably have more than one target in your local strategy (i.e., you probably don’t just reach out to youth, but also adults and retirees).

Too many targets can make it hard to maintain a unified strategy. Ideally, you want to have no more than a good handful of target ministries where you’re investing deeply , all of which clearly hook back to a central strategy that everyone in your church knows how to articulate. And if this global strategy is the logical partner to your local strategy, all the better.

For more content on how to be great sending church, check out this three-part series written by our partners at Upstream Collective.

By Suzanne Pearson 19 Mar, 2024
Previously on the TEAM blog, we sat down with Justin Burkholder (pictured above at left, with TEAM's Executive Director of Communications, Aaron Catlin). Justin will become TEAM’s next International Director on July 1, 2024. Justin shared about his background, family, and the journey that led him to TEAM. Check out that interview here . Today, we pick up the conversation as Justin shares how God called him to the role of International Director, and what he sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church. Q: How and when did you first consider applying for the position of International Director? How did the Lord reveal Himself to you as this opportunity presented itself? A: For some time, I have been evaluating how God wants me to use the gifts He has given me. Jenny and I have had a fruitful ministry in church planting in Guatemala and would happily continue doing so as God leads. However, as God blessed my efforts in TEAM leadership, there were friends and family who expressed that I should consider using my gifts in the International Director role. I don’t believe that everything necessarily rises and falls on leadership, but I do believe that it is a core component in the body of Christ. Using the gifts God has given me is a way that I want to bless the body of Christ in TEAM, making my contribution to the global purposes of God’s mission. Jenny and I spent a lot of time praying about this and decided that I should put my name in for consideration, trusting God’s guidance. We had a tremendous amount of peace throughout the entire process and were blessed by the prayer-filled process that the board undertook. Q: This is a key role in a large and complex organization, and I’m sure this was a big decision for you and your family. What were your fears or concerns? Why did you ultimately decide to accept the position? A: You say “were” like the fears have passed! I still am quite aware of my youth and inexperience - of the responsibility and weight of this role. Mostly, I’m afraid of leading an organization like TEAM in the flesh. Many of the fears that I have faced have been fears rooted in fleshly desires and concerns. I have no desire to succeed in the world’s eyes and fail in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why did I ultimately decide to accept the position? I’m convinced that the Good News about Jesus is true. The tomb is empty, Jesus is King, and the world needs to know, because Jesus is coming back. He will put things in order. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice for all mankind, and He has commissioned His Church to proclaim and demonstrate His rule and reign. I want to use my gifts to do whatever I can to amplify the proclamation of this message and the multiplication of His Church around the world. Q: What are your goals and vision for the future of TEAM? A: This is something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I’m certainly not ready to present a fully-shaped vision and goals for TEAM’s future without the input of other people in different contexts in TEAM. But, I will share a few things that I think are important: First, we need to model God-Dependence . I am hopeful that as leaders in TEAM, we can continue to model God-Dependence. As Hudson Taylor said years ago “…God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” I am hopeful that we can increase our sense of faith in God, prayer, and seeking direction from the Spirit. Secondly, we must strengthen our relational fabric . Due to the changes that we have experienced by decentralizing our home office functions, and the challenges from the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of relationships. It is imperative that we intentionally prioritize the building of relationships with one another. I plan to visit our workers and staff, and I am expectant that other key leaders and staff will be doing the same. Third, we must pursue the greater presence of the global Church. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn’t look like any single geopolitical, ethnic, or racial culture. If we want to truly see the Kingdom of Jesus come on earth as it is in heaven, then we as citizens of this Kingdom must learn from one another, submit to one another, and grow with one another. The missional potential of the global Church has been unleashed by God’s Spirit since Acts 1, and we have an opportunity to learn from many brothers and sisters in Christ who can help us to better model and proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus to those who have yet to believe. Lastly, we must increase our Gospel boldness . There are still many places of great spiritual blindness and spiritual brokenness around the world. The apostolic impulse of cross-cultural organizations should call us to the to the edges of where the Kingdom of Jesus is not penetrating. Whether spiritual blindness and brokenness exists because of lack of access, idolatry, injustice, or any other myriad of reasons, I prayerfully hope to see more and more TEAM workers continue to move into spaces of great Gospel need.
By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
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