In developing a healthy and balanced church Missions Discipleship ministry that prepares church members to be SENT on mission throughout the world, 5 Essential components need to be considered.  Integrating the 5 Essentials into the ministry of a local congregation is not difficult and can be creatively approached by any size church.  The Missions Discipleship Group is prepared to assist churches with strengthening their existing missions ministries.  A full description of the 5 Essentials is listed below.

Missions Educating
Missions educating is learning and doing in Jesus name. It is learning about missionaries of the past and present. Through missions education Christians become followers of His power in words and in deeds. 

Missions Praying
Missions praying is praying with purpose and in specifics. It is praying with faith in the Father for His will. It is praying and expecting an answer. When Christians pray for rain, they are already holding the umbrella. It is praying for local missions, national missions and international missions and for missionaries serving throughout the world. Missions praying is also knowing a Christian’s personal life can affect their prayer life.

Matthew 21:22 (NASB), Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB), Mark 11:24 (NASB), 1 Peter 3:7 (NASB)   

Missions Participating
Missions participation is doing the work of the church. The work of the church is done outside the walls of the church. Inside the church believers learn from leadership about ministry and service. (Eph 4:11-12). Missions participation is applying what is learned through missions education to actually getting hands dirty and feet wet on the mission field: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, or anywhere else in the world where the Father sends. Living SENT is the standard for all disciples.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB), Acts 1:8 (NASB), Luke 10: 2-3 (ESV), 3 John 1:5-8 (NASB)  

Missions Sharing
Missions sharing is the Christian learning to tell their testimony to a lost and dying world. It is allowing the world to see the difference Christ makes in a believer’s life. A responsible follower of Christ shares a living hope while on mission for the Father. And that is ALL the time!

Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8

Missions Giving
Missions giving undergirds missions participation (2 Cor. 8:1-5) (Phil 4:14-17) (Malachi 3:8-10). Funding for missions is directed to individual church’s mission activities and towards cooperative missions efforts.  Examples of cooperative giving include the Cooperative Program, state, national and international mission offerings, disaster relief, and more.  All giving must be done with the right attitude; cheerfully not begrudgingly (2 Cor. 9:6-7)

Matthew 23:23-24 (NASB), 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 (NASB)