Detours on the Road to the Mission Field: Inexperience in Mentoring

This is the second article in a series based on the book, Detours: 10 Roadblocks to the Great Commission, by Paul Seger. Real pastors were asked, “Why would a church NOT want to send missionaries from their congregation?”  “Detours” explores the roadblocks these pastors have experienced and seeks to provide solutions for the church to fulfil this vital role in the Great Commission. Join us on social media in December for a chance to WIN your own copy of “Detours.”

Before diagnosing any problem, it is beneficial to have a model of the ideal. If we don’t know what could and should be, we may be on a detour and not even know it. This is the second reason pastors gave for not identifying, training and sending out tomorrow’s missionaries – they have never seen it done. It wasn’t modelled in the church where they grew up, nor in seminary where giving lectures was the primary approach to instruction. The result is that the major focus of ministry for some pastors revolves around the lectern and pulpit. The majority of a pastor’s work week is spent in his study preparing the next lesson.

As we look to Scripture, we see that the church at Antioch in the first century gives us a portrait of what could be the ideal. A model is just that—a model – it’s what might be. It doesn’t mean every church needs to look just like this, but it gives us an idea of what could be. While the narrative passages in scripture don’t establish our theology, they certainly illustrate it. Here is what scripture says about the sending of Paul and Barnabas as missionaries.

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:1-4).

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE CHURCH AT ANTIOCH

There are several key thoughts that surface from this story:

1. When God chose missionaries, He went to the local church. Mission agencies have typically recruited primarily from Bible colleges and seminaries. While this is logical since these institutions are preparing people for ministry, it overlooks the fact that the local church is the way God is conducting His business on earth today. We highly value colleges and seminaries, but they are meant to be a support and supplement to the mission and vision of the church. It may seem simplistic to observe that missionaries come from a local church, but the implications are profound when that idea is truly embraced. What if the local church took ownership of identifying, equipping and sending missionaries? While training institutions may be part of the process, it is not their responsibility to produce, commission and have a lifelong partnership with missionaries. What a difference it could make if the church made it a primary objective to identify, train and launch Great Commission workers from their congrega­tion.
2. When God chose missionaries, He chose them from the church leadership. Traditionally, the path of most missionaries to the field has been Bible college and then the mission field. While there were younger men like Timothy and Titus on Paul’s mission team, the primary responsibility for missions was on the backs of key leaders from the church. What a difference it could make if the church were looking to send proven, disciple-making leaders from their church. There’s no doubt that it will be difficult to send out key leaders who are deeply entrenched in the life and growth of your church. It will likely cause your church to suffer when they go. Barnabas and Paul were experienced teachers who had been pouring into that church for a year. But sending out the right leaders who will plant churches and grow the kingdom of God is a privilege we should embrace.
3. When God chose missionaries, He did so from a vibrant church. Acts 11:21 says this about the church: And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. Verse 24 adds to this that a great many people were added to the Lord. There was so much work to be done that Barnabas recruited Paul to help: So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people (25-26). There was a lot going on at this church. Evangelism was part of their DNA. While we cannot control the results from preaching the gospel, leadership is responsible for teaching and training the congregation to be active and effective in outreach. It was out of this milieu of ministry that God launched the first missionaries.
4. When God chose missionaries, He did so from a praying church. The church at Antioch was characterized by prayer and fasting–especially as they were selecting missionaries. There was a seriousness and desire for the Holy Spirit’s guidance that took away their appetite or at least the priority of eating. A modern example is the 18^th Century group of Moravian churches in Germany that started a movement which became one of the greatest surges of missions in church history. The backdrop to that story is that they had a round-the-clock prayer meeting that lasted 100 years. The history of missions movements has frequently been preceded by prayer.
5. When God chose missionaries, He used others to affirm their call (Acts 9:15; 22:10, 14, 21 and 26:15-18). It is striking that God did not communicate with the missionaries at this time since He had already called them. Scripture says: The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2.) The passage doesn’t say whether it was the congregation or only the leadership that sensed this direction of the Holy Spirit, but it is obvious that He was not speaking to Paul and Barnabas. This is counterintuitive to an individualistic culture. If I’m supposed to be a missionary, I want the chill going down my back—not yours. But what if the entire congregation viewed themselves as recruiters? Might there be more missionaries if church leaders were sensitive to observing the work of God in the lives of leaders who might become missionaries?

A UNIQUE MODEL

Using this as a template, a church could come up with a strategy to launch its own missionaries. It may be true that the pastor has never seen this before, but we have Scripture as our guide, and that is the joy of ministry. We should always attempt to follow the Lord’s leading–even if it means doing things we have never done before. This is part of our lifelong learning. The church at Antioch was obviously unique. Perhaps we cannot perfectly replicate it, but maybe there are some of these five elements that could be reproduced in our churches. Perhaps your church could be a catalyst for launching missionaries.

I still remember the terror that struck my heart when I came to this realisation that I needed to focus on just a few men to train them. As an introvert, I was far more comfortable being in the pulpit than conversing one-on-one across a coffee table. I was able to prepare for the pulpit and keep a professional distance, but men­toring required spontaneity, transparency, vulnerabil­ity, and personal relationships. Despite my fears, I was able to learn how to do this, and I assure you that if I can do it, anyone can do it.

As a missions agency, we’re dedicated to supporting the local church as they train leaders that will reproduce more believers, disciple, train and plant churches all over the world. It would be our joy to come alongside you and your church leadership as you build this ministry.

Contact us to learn more or book our free workshop, “Mentoring for Ministry.” This workshop is designed for church leaders or leaders-in-training, and teaches advanced discipleship methods for the local church. We also explore the biblical basis for leadership and discuss leadership styles and how to use them effectively.

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Join us on social media for a chance to win a copy of the book, Detours, by Paul Seger – Global Consultant to Biblical Ministries South Africa, former Director of Biblical Ministries Worldwide and missionary in Africa. Click here for more information on the contest and connect with us!