Based upon 10 Things You Should Know about Evangelism by J. Mack Stiles on Crossway Pt.5

The local church can equip missionaries.The role of the local church is not merely to assess but also to actively equip missionaries. We may not know alot about specific cultures, learning languages, or even historical issues that shape a people’s attitudes toward thegospel. But the local church is the perfect place—God’s appointed place—to grow Christian character, encouragegeneral fruitfulness, and transmit sound Bible doctrine. We shouldn’t let a few things we might not know keepus from faithfully and assertively stewarding the responsibility for missions God has given churches. Churchesare where faithful missionaries are made. If our churches do a good job in our basic responsibilities, then wehave all we need to raise up godly missionaries.The church should support those it sends.Not only should our churches send missionaries wisely, but we should support them appropriately. And oursupport for workers should be as ample as God’s Word enjoins. As we commit to send or support missionaries,we should expect our giving to be serious, significant, and sacrificial. Whether we give directly to missionariesor through some cooperative sending agency, our goal should be workers amply supplied so that they lacknothing. The church can care for missionaries by keeping in touch.The foundation of a congregation’s ability to care for its missionaries is regular communication. We can’t meetneeds we don’t know about, and it’s hard to meet pastoral needs if relationships atrophy. Thankfully, it’s probablynever been easier to keep up relationships from afar. With email and Skype, there is generally no reason to fallout of touch with workers. But it still takes effort. Busyness, time-zone differences, and sometimes securityconcerns can push these calls off the agenda. Church leaders should consider setting a regular monthly time whenthey will call each supported worker. In addition, they might find another member of the church who is willingto keep in regular contact with each missionary and occasionally report back to the congregation.For more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com. Every weekday at 3:30 am and 7:30 am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on KSPD 94.5 FM and 790 AM Boise's Solid Talk in the Treasure Valley,  Idaho, USA.If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them.  If you enjoy The Gospel for Life, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!Phone: (208) 991-3526E-mail: [email protected] website:  https://www.790kspd.com/gospel-for-life/to donate on line https://www.reformationboise.com/donate