Building Missions Partnership through the Missionary Visit
Paul Brannan

THE GOOD NEWS IS… Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Rom 10:13 TLB

THE DILEMMA IS… But how shall they ask him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?… Rom 10:14 TLB

GOD’S PLAN IS PARTNERSHIP
…And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them unless someone sends him? Rom 10:14-15 TLB

GOD CALLS SOME TO BE “GOERS”
* To other cultures
* To other languages
* To other countries

GOD CALLS THE REST TO BE “SENDERS”
– Through your faithful prayers
– Through your monthly faith promise

You are called to be a goer or a sender. The only other option is disobedience!

That makes the missionary visit extremely critical. Let’s look at some reasons why.

1. The Missionary Visit Makes It Possible To Fulfill The Great Commission Without Ever Leaving Home!
* This can be done through both praying and giving.

2. Their Visit Makes It Possible To Become Partners With The Missionaries
* Jesus said, “If you welcome a prophet because he is a man of God, you will be given the same reward a prophet gets…” Matt 10:41 TLB
* If you are as faithful in giving as the missionary is in going, you will receive the same reward.

3. Their Visit Helps The Congregation Develop Soul-Consciousness.
* Jesus said, “… Look around you! Vast fields of human souls are ripening all around us, and are ready now for reaping.” John 4:34-35 TLB
* The missionary is our conduit to a lost world!

4. Our Missionaries Will Inform Our People About Assemblies of God Missions.
* There are people within your church who will give to missions : SOMEWHERE!
* Many Para-church organizations spend 50% or more on operational expenses.

5. Why not give opportunity for your people to invest in Assemblies of God missions, where they have the reputation of maintaining one of the lowest percentages of expenditures of any mission in operation in the world today!

6. Frequent Missionary Visits Help Maintain Faith Promise Giving At A High Level Throughout The Year.
* Without regular motivation, enthusiasm lags and many faith promises made during the convention are not completed.
* Mission’s income decreases and the church finds it difficult to keep its commitments.

7. The Missionary Visit Gives Opportunity For The Call To Missions To Develop In Others.
* When asked what were the greatest factors influencing their call, Assembly of God missionaries gave two outstanding influences:
o Personal devotions
o Another missionary’s ministry

We’ve got it backward! The missionaries shouldn’t have to search for supporting churches. To obey Christ, reach the lost and bless our people, we should be looking for missionaries to Schedule!

SO, SCHEDULE MISSIONARY SPEAKERS
* Less than four missionary visits yearly will not maintain an awareness of the lostness of man.
* With foresight, most churches could have missionaries even more frequently. BE CREATIVE IN SCHEDULING
* If for some reason you can’t give the scheduled missionary the full service:
o Don’t cancel, instead…
–  Interview the missionary or give him or her 10 minutes to share their burden

SCHEDULE MISSIONARIES IN EACH TYPE OF WEEKLY SERVICE
* Sunday AM, Sunday PM and mid-week
* This will assure that everyone attending your church will receive some missions exposure.

WHEN THE MISSIONARY CALLS…
* Accept the call, or if you really aren’t available,
* Return their call as soon as possible.
* The missionary needs to hear from you even if the answer is �NO�.

Do you want the missionary service to be a success?
Communication is the key!

COMMUNICATE WITH THE MISSIONARY PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
* Any special requests for the service: preaching, interview, video, etc.
* Service time and directions to the church
* Directions to the hotel or their place of lodging

TELL THE MISSIONARY:
* The type of participation they will have
* The type of service, class or group in which they may be involved: Youth, children, Sunday School, home group or others.
* The number of times they will speak
* The type of dress appropriate for that service
* Be sure and supply a telephone number other than the church office for emergencies.

MAKE THEM FEEL AT HOME UPON THEIR ARRIVAL AT THE CHURCH
* Have someone watch for the missionaries and guide them to the pastor’s office for their pre-service planning.
* Give the missionaries a royal welcome.

MEETING WITH THE MISSIONARY PRIOR TO THE SERVICE IS CRITICAL
* What will the missionary’s participation be?
* How much time will he/she have?
* When must the service end?
* Will there be an altar service?

DISCUSS THEIR FINANCES
* How much do they still lack in monthly support?
* How much cash do they need?
* Tell them if you feel the church will be able to support them monthly, and if so, how much.
* If not now, tell them when a decision can be made.
* Tell them when the offering will be received.

GET TO KNOW THE MISSIONARIES.
* Ask about the country of their calling and their work.
* Familiarize yourself with details of their family.
* Be knowledgeable enough about this family to be able to pray for them.
* Remember, they are your partners.

DURING THE SERVICE, KEEP THE FOCUS ON MISSIONS.
* Introduce the missionary knowledgeably and with enthusiasm.
* Give the missionary the service when promised.
* When possible, allow adequate time for a field report and ministry of the word.

RECEIVE AN OFFERING AFTER THE MISSIONARY SPEAKS.
* Don’t limit your giving to a pre-determined honorarium check
* Give your congregation the opportunity to respond with a generous offering

IF FINANCE IS A CONCERN:
* Set aside a pre-determined amount each month from the faith promise giving for a missionary speaker’s fund
* Establish a minimum, but not a maximum, offering for missionary speakers
* If the offering received does not reach the minimum, take the balance from the fund for missionary speakers

ALWAYS ALLOW TIME FOR PRAYER!
* Divine Partnerships are formed here.
* Commitments are made.
* All should commit to pray and give.
* Some will commit to go as missionaries wherever God leads them.

AFTER THE SERVICE:
* Host the missionary for a meal or dessert and get to know them better.
* Be ready to give the missionary the offering or a check before they leave. They may need the funds for travel expenses.
* When possible, give the missionary a signed monthly commitment form before they leave. This removes a great deal of stress and hastens their departure for the field.

Once you’ve done your part, expect God’s blessings on the missionary services! Why? Because you are making it possible for your congregation to obey Christ’s command!

Remember, we are partners with God.

It is God Himself… who has given us this wonderful work of telling His Good News to others. 2Cor 4:1 TLB

The above article, “Building Missions Partnership through the Missionary Visit” was written by Paul Brannan. The article was excerpted from www.WAOGF.org web site. January 2017.

The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.

This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”