The Great Commission needs the local church.
When Jesus gave this global task at the end of Matthew 28, He assigned primary responsibility for fulfilling it to the local church. Churches must determine who is a disciple of Christ. Churches must approve and send believers who are willing to go to the nations. These things are not the responsibility of individual Christians or even parachurch ministries. The Great Commission belongs to and depends on the local church.
With that said, churches can benefit from partnering with organizations that can bolster and support their missions efforts. A missions agency can provide the resources, training, and capacity that local churches may not have. They can come alongside pastors and church leaders to make a vision a reality.
Given the sheer number of potential sending organizations a church can partner with, it’s important to know whether an organization’s beliefs, methods, and offerings align with your church’s needs. After all, the Great Commission is far too important to take lightly.
Here are three questions a church should ask a missions agency.
What are the beliefs and values of the organization?
Before your church partners with a missions agency, make sure the organization’s theology and values align with your church’s. The organization should have a Statement of Faith or a document that outlines its core beliefs. Pay attention to primary theological beliefs, such as the organization’s stance on sin and salvation.
Feel free to ask your contact at the missions agency how these beliefs and values are applied on the mission field. Are they incorporated into the discipleship process? Do they expect missionaries to agree to the Statement of Faith? Knowing an organization’s beliefs before a partnership is finalized can help prevent theological conflict down the road.
What opportunities does the organization offer?
Perhaps your church is ready to send missionaries overseas, or you’re looking to invest finances in a specific project or cause. Missions organizations provide a variety of opportunities for churches to get involved, but not all of them may offer what your church is looking for. If you want to encourage your congregation to go on a short-term mission trip, look for organizations that can help you do that. If your church has a heart for taking the gospel to a certain part of the world, see if the organization serves in that region.
If you are open to various opportunities or are undecided, ask the organization for a list of opportunities and see if any of them fit your church’s needs. You may discover an avenue for participating in Great Commission work that you hadn’t considered before. Pray about which opportunities your church should invest time and energy in.
What is the organization’s view of the church’s role in the partnership?
Because the Great Commission belongs to and depends on the local church, the church must play a vital role in any partnership. Missions agencies should have a high view of churches in both the sending process and the long-term care of missionaries. After all, a missions agency can’t bear the full weight of ecclesiology instruction, nor can an agency replace the church.
Ask good questions about what a partnership would look like practically. What is and what is not expected of your church? How often will the church and organization stay in touch over the course of the missionary’s deployment? These types of questions will help you understand the agency’s views of the local church.
Finding the Right Partner
When considering a partnership with a missions organization, knowing the right questions to ask can help your church’s leaders ensure that the agency’s values and strategies align with their own. The right partnership can help accomplish what your church and missions organizations ultimately want—making the name of Jesus known to the ends of the Earth.
There are plenty of biblically sound organizations for your church to consider. Pray that the Lord will give you discernment as you explore which agency will be a good fit for your congregation.
More Questions to Ask a Missions Agency
Download our free resource to help your church vet a missions agency and discern if it is an organization you want to link arms with. These five questions will help you understand an organization’s beliefs, methods, and offerings.
