USA (MNN) — "For many, many churches, missions isn't really their top priority." That's Dick McClain, the Vice President of Ministry Operations at the Mission Society — a mission sending agency as well as a mission resource ministry.
However, McClain says it's not because churches don't want to be involved in missions. "Often they've been eager to be more significant. They've just been under educated, under challenged and under deployed by their own churches."
And that's why The Mission Society is coming alongside the local church to help them develop a mission strategy. "We call it the Global Outreach Weekend. The anchor for that weekend is a six hour Global Outreach seminar that lays out the Biblical foundations for
missions, looks at the scope and the nature of the unfinished task, and then looks at practical strategies for a church that really wants to be on mission with God."
While a weekend seminar is important, it sometimes only scratches the surface. So McClain says they've developed other tools, "from hands-on coaching over a year and half period of time with the church, to advanced workshops that may take a particular strategy — like how
to develop an Acts 1:8 based mission plan, what are some effective giving strategies, or how do you engage in kingdom partnerships, or what are best practices for the churches short term mission team."
The Mission Society is on track to do 30 seminars this year. McClain says, "We also occasionally do leadership events where pastors and mission leaders from a number of churches come together and go through the seminar."
It's a non-denominational organization that's simply interested in seeing the Great Commission completed.
According to McClain, their focus on the local church has helped them refocus their ministry. "It's kind of changed our understanding of who we are as a mission, not just here on the home front, but especially the role we play internationally–particularly when we're working
side-by-side with churches in other countries."
If you'd like to have The Mission Society help your missions strategy, click here.
