Missions on Point

Perhaps you didn't think you needed to know about missiology, but understanding the priorities and foundation of practical missionary missiology is essential to comprehend the process of sending missionaries from your Church and supporting high-quality missionaries.  Your understanding of key missiological principles will significantly aid you in grasping and empathizing with the work and ministry of your missionaries.  This best-of-episode is the first of six outlining these key concepts.

The "Best of" series is one of my favorites. It deals with subjects that are almost never admitted to or discussed in public. The angst that those "left behind" by their missionary family member or good friend rivals the angst caused by them toward their dear one. Those feelings of loss or abandonment are real. Shortsighted, damaging perhaps, but real to the "sufferer." So, those around them need to step in with loving care, counseling, sympathy, and correction, pointing them to the Lord and His purposes.

This "Best of" episode is a synopsis of six major teaching/training topics we covered in 2-day Propempo seminars for churches seeking to learn how to become a sending church. This first one, V for Vision, is a great starting point for getting leadership on board with the concept of a biblical missions-sending church. Please consider sharing this podcast with others and supporting us to keep us going.

Churches, including the missions ministries, tend to evaluate themselves based on metrics from previous years. The same metrics, without reference to an external objective benchmark. Sound familiar? The Church Missions Profile is your ticket to clearer standards. Visit SendForward.org and click on the Church Missions Profile link to learn more. The episode replays and overview of the first three categories (out of 12) in the CMP: church leaders, missions team, and indvidual participation.

Books are an invaluable resource to us all, especially when you get the right ones! Here's my list of high-impact mission books. Visit SendForward.org/Store to explore some of these resources and others that have proven helpful to many.

Email me to let me know your thoughts:

ministry (at) Propempo.com

Go to Propempo.com to find transcripts of every podcast episode -- https://propempo.com/resources/missions-on-point-podcast/

This is a grand series from the best of Missions on Point. It begins a series on discovering missions through the Bible. This first episode in that series is the glory of God. What could be higher and grander and more noble than that? 

This episode begins to explore the biblical content, showing how it's easy to see, if you have eyes to see it, the great missions themes throughout the whole Bible. The glory of God is the pinnacle, but many other episodes follow in the Missions on Point history.

 A very interesting reference in this episode is the story of how John Piper from Bethlehem Baptist Church became aware of and turned to the story of the glory of God in missions in the Bible. A more detailed version of this story is on Propempo.com.

Enjoy!

Churches can easily neglect the essential ministry of the Missions Committee or Team. The series on Missions Committee Essentials, beginning from the replay of Episode 43, provides practical guidance to help start or restart an effective Missions Team. If your church wants to be missions-minded, the Missions Committee needs to be reinforced and refocused so that it can be used to effectively mobilize the whole church in missions. 

More resources can be found on Propempo.com and SendForward.org.

The "Best of" episode features the first of a short series on the most fundamental truths of missions from the Bible for today. This episode works through an overview of key Scriptures that establish the basis for the centrality of the local church in God's purposes. The local church is NOT the universal church. The universal church does not have the same call, commission, or consequence in God's plan for our day. This truth is so significant that it has the power to change our minds and actions, transforming our local churches and their missions to align more closely with God's.  Listen well. Find more articles and resources on Propempo.com and the Missions on Point podcast. Tell your friends and church leaders!

Historically, we've battled with the wrong assumption that parachurch missions agencies own world missions ministry. It was true in 1900! It is largely accurate in 2025! This episode calls Pastors to lead their local church to ownership of global missions as the church equips, sends, and shepherds missionaries to fulfill the Great Commission. The Pastor must step up in faithfulness to this biblical focus on the local church as the beginning and end of missions. As the Pastor leads, so goes the church.

It means the Pastor will have to learn some new vocabulary, skills, and principles --- because, surprisingly, this is NOT taught in seminary. May God motivate pastors to mobilize their church to such obedience.

Starting with validating the individual missionary candidate's missionary call through hands-on oversight and observation, the church equips him or her to be sent. Character, convictions, and proven competencies to do the work of a missionary are worked out in the laboratory of local church ministry.

The local church helps identify the field, the missions agency partner, and other supporting churches and individuals. The local church leads in shepherding the missionary in every aspect of their life and ministry on the field. The church also helps re-entry and reintegration to life "back home" when the missionary returns from the field.

Seven characteristics of a good sending church conclude this episode.