If your church is looking to partner with a missions agency, the task can be daunting.
North America has hundreds of Protestant mission agencies, each with different goals and priorities. Narrowing down your options can be difficult.
Knowing the right questions to ask is one way to make the search easier. It’s important to know whether an organization’s beliefs, methods, and offerings align with your church’s needs.
East-West previously covered three big questions your church should consider asking a missions agency. Here are a few more questions to ask.
What are the organization’s strategies, methods, and goals?
Advancements in technology and travel have changed the methods and strategies of missions over the decades. But no matter what the latest missions fad is, an organization’s strategy should be rooted in Scripture. Does the agency follow the biblical pattern of going, making disciples, teaching them everything Jesus taught, planting churches on a gospel foundation, and believing that the Lord is with His children always (Matthew 28:18–20)?
Additionally, ask how any person sent from your church will fit into that strategy. You should learn what the current field workers are doing and whether that matches the agency’s strategy. If a worker has to leave the field, how does the agency ensure ministry work will continue in that area?
Finally, find out what the agency’s goals are. Does the organization seek to reach as many unreached people groups as possible? Does it want to plant a church in every village within a certain region? Make sure the goals are what your church agrees with and wants to be a part of.
What training and support does the organization offer missionaries?
One of the benefits of partnering with a missions organization is that it may specialize in missionary training and support the local church doesn’t have capacity to do. But you’ll want to ensure that the support an organization offers will help send missionaries well and keep them on the field long-term. Ask what pre-field training looks like and how they set up missionaries for success in a new culture. If an emergency breaks out, such as a military conflict or a natural disaster, does the agency have security and crisis management measures in place to get missionaries to safety?
And while the local church should still provide discipleship and biblical counsel for its missionaries, missions agencies will often have member care services to help missionaries navigate the unique emotional and spiritual challenges of life on the field. Ask if the organization offers such services, as they are crucial for missionary retention.
Bonus: What do current partners say about the agency?
Hearing from a church that currently partners with the agency can provide valuable insight for your search. See if the agency has a list of partners on its website, or ask for church partners you can reach out to. You can also see if other churches in your area partner with this agency.
Ask the missions pastor or other staff members of that church what it’s like working with the agency you’re considering. Has the agency effectively communicated expectations? Has the church experienced frustrations with the organization? Has the agency helped the church pursue its missions goals? Knowing how another church has worked with the agency can help you decide if this is an organization that would work well with your church.
Finding the Right Partner
Amid the questions you’ll ask a missions agency and other churches, don’t forget to ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom in your search. The Lord can lead you to the right partnership that will most glorify Him.
While there are plenty of good organizations focused on the Great Commission, you should find one that best fits your church. These questions are intended to help you make a wise decision.
Partnering With Churches
At East-West, we believe that the local church is God’s chosen vehicle to bring hope and salvation to the nations. Whether your congregation is new to missions or deeply invested, we are honored to walk alongside churches to equip, send, and celebrate as they join the movement to reach the unreached.
