To become an effective missions-sending church, the local church needs to understand missions relative to objective standards of excellence. We help the church evaluate itself regarding those standards. Seeing the gaps helps the church grow toward implementing missions effectiveness. The goal of this process for both the local church and MissioSERVE is to prepare the congregation to send missionaries from among its own members to a jointly accepted missions ministry.

• The Church Missions Profile
• Sending Church Readiness Inventory
• Biblical Understanding of the Role of the Local Church in Missions
• The local church is the primary sender
• The role of the missions agency
• See the Missions on Point book for more information
• Review and Understanding of Key Foundational Concepts:
• For church sending:
• Who attests to the qualification of a missionary candidate?
• What are the qualifications of a missionary sent from our church?
• How long does it take to become fully qualified to be sent to the field?
• For defining “the mission” (target ministry goal) for the missionary?
• What is the strategic focus of the church?
• How does the chosen “mission” of the sending church and its sent one/s align with church planting and development for that strategic focus?
• What resources are available to assist with defining and achieving the goal of the “mission”?
• Key definitions for ministry amount the people on the field?
• What is the Gospel?
• What is a Christian believer?
• What is a church member?
• What is a biblical church?
• What are the qualifications of indigenous church leadership?
• What is the end goal of biblical missions ministry?
• What are the acceptable and unacceptable principles and practices of cross-cultural ministry?

The results of these profiles, inventory findings, and clarification of the local church’s value principles and definitions of missions will inform further education and development regarding mission sending.

The evaluation stage depends on the church providing or developing the requisite information. MissioSERVE will assign one or more Church Engagement trainer/s or coach/es to work with the local church leadership through the process. Parts of the process may be completed remotely. However, it is best achieved during an in-person weekend meeting facilitated by your MissioSERVE Church Engagement consultant. Evaluation costs $500 for the initial assessment. A coaching/training weekend will cost $1,000 plus accommodations and travel expenses. The church can complete this stage in one to three months. At this point, walking through the “Evaluation” stage does not commit the church to sending its missionaries through MissioSERVE's auspices. A simple sending church partnership agreement with MissioSERVE will provide a platform for communication and understanding between your church, MissioSERVE, and your potential missionary.

Key steps:

1. Contact MissioSERVE Church Engagement
2. It would be helpful for you and your church missions leaders to read the biblical and practical development of the local church-centered missions concept presented in Missions on Point: The Local Church at the Heart of Ecclesiology and Missiology
3. Take the Church Missions Profile
4. Fill out the Sending Church Readiness Inventory
5. Call to set up an on-site evaluation and training weekend with your MissioSERVE Church Engagement consultant.
6. Submit the preliminary Sending Church Partnership Agreement.

Consultation with MissioSERVE uses the evaluations’ findings to teach, assist, and provide means for church leaders to raise their church body's acceptance and involvement in missions. This includes equipping, training, sending, and shepherding their own missionaries.

Costs depend on the church's maturity in the areas of missions-sending capacity. Visits from MissioSERVE on-site will have associated costs. Resource materials for church leadership and the congregation may also have expenses. The timing of this stage usually takes one year to complete. Complex issues from the church’s history in missions may take additional time and effort to align with the church's new understanding and strategic aims. 

The preliminary Sending Church Partnership Agreement forms a bridge for this Education stage. The initial on-site visit and its findings will guide the partnership into other communication and potential meetings targeting specific needs for growth and development through interaction with Church Engagement staff. One practical goal is for the church’s understanding and implementation of its sending role to keep pace with plans for further maturity and missionary sending. 

Typically, proactive engagement with your MissioSERVE coach/consultant and receptivity on the part of your church’s leaders can accelerate the church’s missions vision and direction many-fold. Continuing assistance from MissioSERVE Church Engagement staff will facilitate desired change/s. As this stage is completed, the church may have a missionary candidate for potential sending to the field with MissioSERVE. Costs for this individualized training and assistance vary widely according to needs. Typically, a weekend of meetings with your MissioSERVE consultant/trainer will capstone incremental change and plot the pathway forward. If a missionary candidate is being trained for the field alongside the church’s development, we will implement a three-way partnership agreement with the missionary, sending church, and MissioSERVE to assure each of their respective rights and responsibilities.

The “Education” stage and commensurate partnership commitments assume that your church will send your missionary to the field with MissioSERVE. The final partnership agreement will assure your church, MissioSERVE, and the missionary that they will continue the sending process with complete transparency and honor the local church’s role.

Key steps:

1. Follow up on recommendations from the Evaluation stage.
2. Probable return visit on-site with additional training for missionary candidate development, mentoring, and support, as well as Missions Team/Committee training for the future.
3. Plans for support structures in missions and training of the congregation in local church-centered missions values.
4. Develop a “Barnabas Team” as a support team for your sent one/s.
5. Sign the final three-way Partnership Agreement.

This stage continues the process, intentionally presenting and explaining the roll-out and acceptance of biblical missions ideals among the church body. It will highlight the development of a framework and process for sending and shepherding a missionary as a church. In this stage, a church missionary candidate may have undergone enough evaluation and training with MissioSERVE to be on track for discovery and/or deployment to the mutually chosen ministry and field of service. 

Key steps:

1. Implement a plan of communication with and education of the congregation concerning biblical local church-centered missions applied to your church.
2. Schedule a special weekend emphasis or event that highlights the principles learned over the past year, allows more personal involvement, and celebrates (as it may apply) the sending of your missionary/ies to the field.
3. Complete an evaluation of the MissioSERVE church engagement process and benefits.
4. Designate who among the church and MissioSERVE will be the point person for communicating Partnership Agreement issues moving forward.