Local churches far from the field have a growing role in international mission networks, ntroducing new dynamics. The author details the new advantages that come to churches as well as field-based groups by this trend.

On the mission field, a natural affinity connects field personnel and on-site organizations reaching a particular region or people group. Workers often literally cross paths, and the value of sharing information and resources is easy to demonstrate. These formal or informal networks have long helped field personnel to maximize their efforts through collaboration. But add local churches located continents away to these networks? Is it really worth the effort?

Incorporating local churches from traditional sending areas such as North America or Europe or from newer sending regions such as South America or Asia adds complexity to networks. Suddenly some, perhaps most, meetings are convened thousands of miles from the ministry area, requiring field personnel to invest more time and money to attend. And network meetings now include church representatives who may arrive with enthusiasm but little or no background about the people or the strategies employed to reach them. Security issues may be complicated, and communication challenges rise.

Yet a number of people group networks have integrated local churches to great profit for all. What are the advantages?

How Field-Based Partners Benefit from Church Involvement in Networks

Short-Term Workers Are Better Prepared
By participating in a network, local churches gain a greater understanding of their people group and better grasp how to prepare those visiting on-site. Books, manuals and articles for orientation can be distributed through the network, facilitating the fielding of teams who arrive with greater understanding of culture and ministry requirements, context-appropriate resources, and more realistic expectations.

Prayer Support Is Broadened and Deepened
Praying intelligently and intensely month after month and year after year is a challenging discipline, but it is facilitated by informative network prayer communiqués. In several networks, key requests and answers are compiled monthly and circulated to all members of the network, greatly increasing the amount of intercession.

The Resource Pool Expands
“If only I knew where to find a person who had skills in…,” or “I wish I had access to someone who knew…,” or “How could I get people to respond quickly to this crisis?” field workers wonder. Instead of being limited to the resources of a few individuals and churches, workers and national leaders who relate to a network can quickly tap into an entire group of congregations and the hundreds, even thousands, of people they incorporate.

Workers Are Relieved of Network Logistics
Building, nurturing and sustaining the network itself is a task to which local congregations can contribute in many ways. Many host network conferences, providing not only the facilities but transportation, food, housing and other logistical support. These practical services provide a way for lay people to contribute to the ministry and free field workers from administrative tasks.

Even network meetings at the ministry location can be served by local churches that underwrite expenses. In some settings, they also can supply childcare, worship teams, and/or inspirational speakers or serve in behind-the-scenes capacities.

Some network communications functions are run entirely by local church volunteers. One American pastor has become the communications hub for three different e-mail networks related to the people group his church adopted. On-site workers located in the same Asian city are kept up to date on each other’s ministry through communications channels coordinated ten thousand miles away.

Workers Better Understand 21st Century Church Missions Involvement
Network meetings provide a setting where field workers can learn about the challenges and successes of mobilizing contemporary churches. Dialoging with several church representatives over a meal at a network meeting helps a field worker learn how to better communicate his/her missions passion in other contexts.

How Churches Benefit from a Network

Advocates Gain Vision and Understanding
Many congregations adopt a people group with minimal knowledge of the culture and uniqueness of the people or of the existing efforts to reach them. “Early on, we were trying to bring the baseline knowledge up,” one coordinator explained. “Nobody knew much about this people group, but we were convinced we wanted to make reaching them an integral part of who we were as a church.” Like others, this coordinator discovered that network meetings were wonderful settings in which to absorb large amounts of information which could then be shared with others in the church back home.

Some churches send representatives to visit a network meeting before they officially adopt the people group. Several days of intense introduction to what God is doing in this region or group catapults them far ahead of where they would be by simply conducting research via e-mail or interviews. A good “match” and faster launch into productive involvement usually result.

Resources Are Developed and Shared
People group advocates from local churches often feel overwhelmed by the challenge of educating and involving their congregation. But by working together, networked churches have produced major resources such as a children’s curriculum on their people group or attractive calendars. At one recent network meeting, individual churches generously shared the tools they had developed. One church had written and published a prayer guide based on the Muslim Ninety-nine names for God. Nearby was a booth offering handcrafts made by the people group and imported for sale. In another network meeting, a church shared a 30-day prayer guide they had written.

“Whatever we do, we want to help people who are coming along behind us,” one church representative to a people group network explained. “We had to start from scratch in figuring out how to help, and it took about a year of research and planning to know where to begin. We believed that we could set a model for other churches and organizations to copy so that they could begin making an impact more quickly.”

Personal Relationships Are Fostered
One of the most exciting ways that networks serve member churches is by providing face-to-face contact with field workers and national believers. Meeting, listening to and praying with those who work on-site provides an opportunity to develop friendships and offer encouragement. Advocates spend many hours working on behalf of, and interceding for, their people group and the workers who serve there. Meeting them face to face is a thrill that helps these local church members redouble their prayer efforts and return home re-envisioned.

Involvement Opportunities Are Multiplied
A good number of churches adopt a people group after being introduced through the ministry of one worker or one project. As God expands their vision to embrace the reaching of an entire people, they are eager to find additional ways in which their church can contribute. They look at the extensive resources latent in church members—expertise in a multitude of professional areas, people with time to invest in Kingdom service, business connections, untapped financial assets, and more—and long to uncover ways in which their people can be used.

“What do you need? How can we help you?” are earnest queries from church representatives at every network meeting. For example, if they were first introduced to their people group through a church planter, they are excited to learn about the wide variety of relief and development efforts to which they can contribute. If a medical ministry was their entrée, they are pleased to explore the opportunities of radio.

Creative resourcing projects can be launched by networked churches. One group in Minnesota co-sponsors a thrift store; proceeds support ministries to their people group. Run largely by volunteers, the store raises thousands of dollars each year for various outreaches in this region of the world.

Larger Churches Can Facilitate Smaller Congregations’ Involvement
In the network setting, larger churches can encourage and help to facilitate the involvement of dozens of other congregations. Smaller churches which would be quickly overwhelmed by the task of reaching an entire people group alone can tackle the task because they are part of a team.

Churches Connect Worldwide
Local churches’ understanding of modern missions is significantly increased as they bond with other congregations from around the world. At a network meeting, church representatives from South Africa, Singapore and the US may share ideas about how to prepare future short-term teams. Worldwide collaboration to finish the task becomes an exciting reality.

Momentum Is Maintained
Thousands of miles from the hands-on ministry, people-group advocates in local churches struggle to keep their members engaged. “Sometimes I am doing it all myself,” one advocate, a working mother of two young children, admitted. Gathering with field workers and other church representatives at network meetings reignites the fire and encourages advocates to keep at the task.

Networks also help churches across leadership transitions. Sadly, for many congregations who adopt a group but never join a network, the commitment fades when the primary advocate moves away or assumes other responsibilities. Involvement in network meetings encourages the development of a whole team of advocates and assists in the transition to new leadership as needed.

Ellen Livingood directs Catalyst Services, a new organization helping mission agencies collaborate more effectively with local churches in global outreach efforts.
What is your experience of incorporating local churches into people-group or regional networks? What have been the benefits? What have you learned? Share your story with us by writing info@visionsynergy.net.