In twenty-five words or less, describe what this initiative is seeking to accomplish...

“What indicators might identify particular mission engagements as being strategic? What questions could you ask about mission initiatives to help decide if they are strategic?”

Indicator #6: In twenty-five words or less, describe what this initiative is seeking to accomplish and how it fits into our church’s comprehensive strategic mission vision.

This indicator makes a wonderful assumption…that our congregation has a very clear sense of strategic mission vision. That vision will incorporate all of our mission engagements into a comprehensive framework driven by God’s invitation to our involvement in His mission. A number of churches have found this indicator to be an eye-opening experience as they have asked all teams making budget requests to complete this statement as they make request for congregational funding. Others have used this statement as they add activities and events to the church calendar.

“What are we trying to accomplish in this mission ministry or event? How does this ministry “fit” into what God is asking us to accomplish as His Body?”

If a church is not clear about its comprehensive strategic mission vision, the utilization of this indicator will reveal that absence and provide opportunity to seek a fresh direction from God regarding our role in His mission. That is a healthy exercise in itself!

How long have we been involved in this mission endeavor?

“What indicators might identify particular mission engagements as being strategic? What questions could you ask about mission initiatives to help decide if they are strategic?”

Indicator #5: How long have we been involved in this mission endeavor? Do we have en exit strategy?

Building on our thought from indicator #4, we seek to create independence rather than dependence through our mission strategy. One way to offset the tendency toward creating dependence is through acknowledging the duration and impact of our ministry engagement. Where there is not an exit strategy that empowers a local Body of Christ, congregations will tend toward increasing the dependence of others on our mission engagements.

One of the strengths of partnering with excellent mission agencies is their commitment to wrestle with this issue. Mission agencies of excellence are keenly sensitive to their long-term impact among people groups. They seek to empower indigenous churches to minister in the name of Christ.

Once we have been involved in a mission engagement, it grows increasingly difficult to exit that initiative. The longer we are involved, the more we have invested in the ministry, the more people we will have who highly value the ministry and want to see it continue. But our desire is to facilitate local mission expression. We must deal with the issue of exit strategies.

Does the initiative create dependence or empower the target population?

“What indicators might identify particular mission engagements as being strategic? What questions could you ask about mission initiatives to help decide if they are strategic?”

Indicator #4: Does the initiative create dependence or empower the target population? What local Body is empowered?

Across years I have watched congregations adopt communities to which they return year after year in mission engagement. Although they mean well, sometimes those congregations create situations of dependence. I know a community not too far across the Rio Grade Border in Mexico that has grown dependent upon a particular church’s benevolence as, each year, the church comes to the village with clothing and building materials. The well meaning church built a nice “church building” whose design was perfect for the suburbs of North America. Every year, they do maintenance on the building. They also build “homes” for families of the church.

It feels good to do for the poor what they might never be able to do for themselves. But we must be careful not to allow our feelings to be the rationale for our ministry activity. In some instances, our actions become an inhibitor to local initiative rather than a facilitator of the same. A major concern in our mission engagements should be what happens after we leave. Have our engagements helped a local body of believers to more effectively minister in their own context?

As result of our efforts, are disciples being born and matured among the target population?

“What indicators might identify particular mission engagements as being strategic? What questions could you ask about mission initiatives to help decide if they are strategic?”

Indicator #3: As result of our efforts, are disciples being born and matured among the target population?

The ultimate goal of mission is not simply human comfort, but spiritual transformation. The Gospel is Good News that affects quality of life as well as spiritual security. Jesus did say, “I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.” He is concerned about liberating captives, caring for the oppressed, lifting the impoverished. Still, the ultimate reason for His coming was not just to make life better now, but to invite all to bring Him glory throughout eternity. We care about making life better now…and we care about seeing individuals find their way in the journey as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Is the initiative bringing the Gospel to those who might have no other access to the Gospel?

Over the next days, I want to post a series of considerations, each having a brief video, designed to help churches in making decisions regarding strategic mission involvement. It is fact that most churches in North America are mission supportive. They give money to enable missionaries to carry the Gospel to the unreached people groups of the earth. Many congregations are mission active. They not only give to mission causes, but they are also directly involved in hands-on mission expressions locally or globally. But relatively few congregations have structures to assist them in making strategic mission decisions. Moving from support or action to strategic mission engagement is not something that will just happen. It will require new ways of thinking and managing the distribution of congregational resources.

For almost two years, I have been working with congregations in articulating a series of questions or statements that can be used to judge the strategic nature of mission engagements and expenditures. Please let us know your reactions to these questions and statements. Would they help your mission team, budget preparation team, or other decision making groups in your church to more strategically determine how you will steward the resources God has entrusted your congregation?

In six posts, we will seek to answer the questions, “What indicators might identify particular mission engagements as being strategic? What questions could you ask about mission initiatives to help decide if they are strategic?”

Indicator #1: Is the initiative bringing the Gospel to those who might have no other access to the Gospel?

When you and I go to bed this evening, 1/3 of the people in the world will never have heard the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In our day of explosive information exchange, two billion people remain unreached. While there is nothing wrong with ministering to those who have heard but not responded to the Gospel, strategic consideration should be given to the issue of access to the Gospel. We must be concerned for those who have never heard, and that concern should inform our decisions about mission engagement.