Every local church should be a sending church. A healthy sending church identifies, prepares, sends, and sustains missionaries for God’s harvest field (Matthew 9:37–38).
How are churches doing in this mission?
At ABWE, our desire is to help churches send missionaries well. That is why we developed a six-phase training process designed to equip churches to become effective missionary-sending churches. This article is the second in a series of seven articles on the role of the sending church.
Sending should not be accidental, reactive, or reserved for a few specialists. It should be a clear, shared, and faithful expression of a church aligned with God’s heart for the nations. Churches that embrace this calling do more than send people—they become communities where God’s call is recognized, obedience is nurtured, and long-term faithfulness is sustained.
So how should a church assess itself?
There are two foundational questions:
- Is your church aligned with God’s heart for the nations?
- How is your church engaged in the Great Commission?
Before building a missions strategy, we must anchor ourselves in Scripture. If we lose sight of God’s heart, missions becomes just another church program—and programs always compete for attention.
How Does Your Church Align with God’s Heart for the Nations?
Here is a simple framework: “God’s Heart for the Nations” in four movements.
1. God’s Mission Has Always Been Global.
From the beginning, God’s purpose has never been limited or local. In Genesis 1:26–28, God creates humanity in His image and commands them to “fill the earth.” His intention is that His glory would spread throughout the world through people who reflect Him.
Even after sin entered the world, God did not abandon His purpose. Instead, He initiated a rescue mission. When God called Abraham, He promised, “All the families of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1–3). From the very beginning, God’s vision has been global.
2. God Is a Sending God.
Throughout Scripture, God accomplishes His mission by sending people. He sends Abraham, Moses, the prophets, Jonah, and ultimately His people to be a light to the nations. Again and again, God moves toward the lost.
When we recognize that God is a sending God, it changes how we view the church. The church is not only a gathered people—it is a sent people.
3. God’s Sending Heart is Embodied in Jesus.
Jesus did not merely teach about mission—He embodied it. He moved toward outsiders, crossed boundaries, and pursued those others avoided. He did not wait for the nations to come to Him; He moved outward toward them.
At the cross, Jesus became the turning point of history. He declared, “When I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). The gospel is not tribal or limited—it is global.
Then, after His resurrection, Jesus commissioned His followers:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18–20).
4. God empowers the Church to Participate in His Mission.
Acts 1:8 gives the scope of the church’s mission:
“You will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.”
The church does not invent mission—it joins what God is already doing. The Spirit empowers, the church obeys, and the gospel advances. Sending is not something added onto church life. It is part of aligning the church with God’s ongoing mission in the world.
Reflection Question
What would need to change in your church if it were fully aligned with God’s heart for the nations?
How is Your Church Engaged in the Great Commission?
We use a simple assessment tool to help churches evaluate their overall Great Commission engagement. Think of it as a dashboard. It helps reveal what is actually happening—not simply what we hope is happening. These eight practices reflect patterns consistently found in healthy, mission-engaged churches. This is not a comparison tool or a “good church/bad church” measurement. It is a clarity tool.
Healthy churches do not focus on only one or two of these areas while neglecting the others. Over time, they grow across all eight. The goal is not shame or defensiveness. The goal is clarity, because clarity is the starting point for growth.
Eight Practices of Great Commission Engagement
1. Praying Faithfully
Healthy churches consistently pray for the lost, the nations, and gospel workers. Missions begins with prayer. Jesus commanded His followers to “ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37–38).
2. Caring Relationally
These churches know their missionaries and ministry partners personally. They build genuine relationships rather than simply receiving updates. Paul praised the Philippians for their partnership, which flowed from genuine care rather than obligation (Phil. 1:3–5).
3. Supporting Financially
Healthy churches give generously and strategically to gospel work. Financial support is not merely transactional—it is participation in a shared mission. Paul described such giving as “a fragrant offering” (Philippians 4:15–18).
4. Partnering Internationally
Mission-engaged churches recognize they cannot do everything alone. They partner wisely with others whom God is using around the world. In Acts 13, the church at Antioch listened to the Spirit and worked together in advancing God’s mission.
5. Teaching Consistently
God’s heart for the nations is not discussed only during missions conferences or annual emphasis weeks. It is woven into discipleship, preaching, and leadership development. The Great Commission is central to Christian discipleship.
6. Multiplying Intentionally
Healthy churches develop disciples who make disciples and leaders who develop leaders. Paul instructed Timothy to entrust truth to faithful people who would teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2). Multiplication is part of faithful ministry.
7. Planting Locally
Mission-engaged churches care deeply about gospel presence in their own communities. Local church planting reinforces the reality that the gospel advances primarily through people, not programs.
8. Sending Globally
Finally, healthy churches identify, prepare, send, and sustain missionaries from within their own congregation for cross-cultural ministry.
Reflection Questions
How would you evaluate your church in these eight practices?
- Where do you see clear evidence of faithfulness?
- Which two areas are strongest?
- Which two areas need the most growth?
One of the greatest dangers in evaluation is allowing it to produce either defensiveness or shame. Neither response leads to growth.
Instead:
- Begin with gratitude for the ways God has already been faithful.
- Confess areas that have been neglected or underdeveloped.
- Ask God for clarity, humility, and courage to take the next faithful step.
Healthy sending churches are not perfect churches. They are churches continually aligning themselves with God’s heart for the nations. In my next article, I will focus on “Missioning the Church” – learning how to cultivate, infuse, and maintain a mission-sending DNA.
If you’d like to explore additional Sending Church Self-Assessments, consider the following resources:
Upstream Collective designed the “Sending Church Self-Assessment Worksheet” to guide a local church through a thoughtful reflection on the church’s current practices across four key phases of sending: establishing, developing, engaging, and multiplying. You can access the worksheet here: https://www.theupstreamcollective.org/resources/sending-church-self-assessment-worksheet
Send Forward created the Church Missions Profile to help local church leaders gain a clearer picture of their church’s missions ministry compared to benchmarks describing the highest levels of effectiveness in twelve ministry categories. Learn more at: https://propempo.com/services/church-missions-profile/
