Posted on March 10, 2010 - by Larry

The Sending Church – my favs list

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post here about a few observations from my backpacking trip across Europe last month. I want to write some more on the topic of the importance of a sending church. I feel a lot like a musician that only has a few songs. So this one is a Fav and I sing it a lot. I really believe it to be important.

I receive quite a few emails or calls from people who are interested in leaving their home culture and moving to a new one either in the marketplace or with a mission sending organization. I really love this part of my ministry. I celebrate what God may be doing in their life.  I think I always end up talking about  their “sending” church.

We often  hear a compelling message in a worship service,  read a text from scripture or even sense in our prayers a calling to go overseas.  All of these are ways that I believe the Lord speaks to us regarding missions.  I also  believe one’s call is in the context of community.

As I read Acts 13 I see a church that was devoted to the Word, prayer, fellowship and the Lord’s Supper as Acts 2 describes.  Out of this church we see the Holy Spirit calling out Saul and Barnabas.  Next we see the church returning to prayer and fasting and then they laid hands on them and sent them out. What happened between the time they heard from the Holy Spirit and sent them on their way?  The Bible says they prayed and fasted again.  Could the church  been affirming this call on their lives?  I believe conversations were taking place in the church about their sending Saul and Barnabas. We do not get all of the details other than they prayed and fasted and then sent them on their way. But we do see throughout Acts a relationship with the church at Antioch with their missionaries. In fact after they went on their trip they came back for a time with the church (Acts 14:27).  I believe  that  the importance of having a sending church is paramount to the success of the cross-cultural workers.

Way too often the church has outsourced this to mission agencies or denominational entities. The Great Commission was given to the church. This is true in their church planting strategies locally and internationally. The church needs to have an active role in the sending of their people.

The sending church can help the cross-cultural worker in many ways:

Discipleship

Accountability

Strategic involvement

Logistical support

Member Care (this is the term mission organizations will sometimes use to describe pastoral care or counseling)

Prayer

Ministry needs

I am sure there are more.

The cross-cultural worker sent from a church is in a sense one way that the church can have an incarnational presence on the field.

The reason why I talk to people about this is that I do not want to see them coming overseas without a strong relationship and affirmation from their sending church and I do not want to see that stop once they go on the field. The churches involvement and responsibility does not stop once they physically leave the church and go on their mission.

So if you are a church what process or plan do you have in place to help members serve overseas? How do you stay involved?

If you are a mission organization / network how do you work with sending churches to facilitate a three way partnership ?

If you are an individual or couple and feel a calling overseas how are you involving your home church?

Just some thoughts.

I would love to hear yours?