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Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global
Who is responsible for global missions?
Even though most Christians will never move overseas, the Bible enlists every Christian and every local church in the grand project of global missions. The local church is the engine of world missions. But where should a church begin?
Churches don't need a complicated missions program. They need the Bible and the wisdom to know how to apply it. This book points to Scripture and offers practical steps for training and supporting missionaries, forming international partnerships, sending short-term teams, and engaging the nations both at home and abroad.
Part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series.
Even though most Christians will never move overseas, the Bible enlists every Christian and every local church in the grand project of global missions. The local church is the engine of world missions. But where should a church begin?
Churches don't need a complicated missions program. They need the Bible and the wisdom to know how to apply it. This book points to Scripture and offers practical steps for training and supporting missionaries, forming international partnerships, sending short-term teams, and engaging the nations both at home and abroad.
Part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2017
123 people are currently reading
838 people want to read
About the author
Andy Johnson
1 book4 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Andy Johnson (PhD, Texas A&M) serves as an associate pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.
Andy Johnson (PhD, Texas A&M) serves as an associate pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
November 21, 2025
"We should have confidence because we know the mission will not fail. We may fail in our faithfulness, but God will not fail in his mission. Christ WILL have the nations for his inheritance. Frantic speculation and guilt are weak motivators compared with the truth of God's unstoppable plan to rescue every child for whom Christ died. Christ will not lose any of those whom the Father has given him, and God has chosen to use us - in countless local churches - as the agents of his gospel triumph."
A small book with a big message. Andy Johnson doesn't waste his words yet he is not heavy handed or condescending, but encourages and exhorts with gentleness, urgency, and genuine passion for the local church and global missions. I was greatly encouraged by his advice and hope I can implement it in my own life, whether at home or abroad.
A small book with a big message. Andy Johnson doesn't waste his words yet he is not heavy handed or condescending, but encourages and exhorts with gentleness, urgency, and genuine passion for the local church and global missions. I was greatly encouraged by his advice and hope I can implement it in my own life, whether at home or abroad.
April 21, 2023
This book should be in the hands of every pastor. I hope and pray God uses it to awaken the church for His glory among all nations.
April 29, 2025
Check out my full review here.
I wholeheartedly recommend Andy Johnson’s "Missions" to the audience he intended. Christians who desire to go overseas will benefit from the constant recommendation that they must be actively involved in a local church. Mission leaders will be shown how it is they can prepare and care for those who are sent. Pastors will be implored to consider their primary role—as shepherds of local churches—to help their congregations play a role in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. I hope those who read this book will seek to “display the glory of God by declaring the gospel to all peoples, by gathering churches in every place, and by filling them with disciples who obey God and will praise him forever for his grace” (28).
I wholeheartedly recommend Andy Johnson’s "Missions" to the audience he intended. Christians who desire to go overseas will benefit from the constant recommendation that they must be actively involved in a local church. Mission leaders will be shown how it is they can prepare and care for those who are sent. Pastors will be implored to consider their primary role—as shepherds of local churches—to help their congregations play a role in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. I hope those who read this book will seek to “display the glory of God by declaring the gospel to all peoples, by gathering churches in every place, and by filling them with disciples who obey God and will praise him forever for his grace” (28).
May 11, 2023
In the introduction, Andy Johnson states the following:
"One of the things we see clearly in Scripture is that a concern for missions is for all Christians, because it is a concern for every local church, together. So whether you are an interested church member, a missions leader, or a local church pastor, this book has something in it for you."
I agree with that premise for this book would be helpful to any and all Christians who have a heart to get the gospel to the world.
In the first chapter entitled "A Biblical Foundation for Missions," the author says, "If we are convinced that eternal suffering in hell is the most pernicious of all human suffering, what else would we prioritize?" He continues to lay out the groundwork & case for a Biblical mandate for the cause of worldwide evangelization. What I love about Johnson's work is that he correctly emphasizes the priority of the local church in this mission. For instance, look at how he sums this up at the end of chapter 1:
"Consequently, any humanly invented organizations that assist in missions must remember that they are the bridesmaids, not the bride. They are stagehands, not the star. That position and honor and responsibility has been given by Christ to his church, and only to his church. Organized cooperation among churches for the sake of missions is a wonderful thing, but those who organize that cooperation must remember that they are coming alongside - not supplanting - the local church."
Before diving into a practical approach to missions, I appreciated chapter 2 entitled "First Things First." In this chapter, the author rightly (IMO) lifts up an appreciation for the gospel to be the underlying motivation for people to get involved in mission endeavors. Notice the following quotes in regard to this truth:
"The heart for God-glorifying missions starts with joy in the gospel." p. 32
"Do not try to get your church excited about missions until they love and value (really, deeply value) what Christ has done for them in the gospel. Churches won't extend themselves to commend the gospel until they deeply cherish the gospel." p. 32
The rest of the book gives practical guidance regarding a variety of topics including the sending & supporting of missionaries, healthy missions partnerships, and short-term missions trips. The author speaks into both the good and bad that short-term missions trips can be and provides guidance.
All in all, I recommend this short work on missions!
"One of the things we see clearly in Scripture is that a concern for missions is for all Christians, because it is a concern for every local church, together. So whether you are an interested church member, a missions leader, or a local church pastor, this book has something in it for you."
I agree with that premise for this book would be helpful to any and all Christians who have a heart to get the gospel to the world.
In the first chapter entitled "A Biblical Foundation for Missions," the author says, "If we are convinced that eternal suffering in hell is the most pernicious of all human suffering, what else would we prioritize?" He continues to lay out the groundwork & case for a Biblical mandate for the cause of worldwide evangelization. What I love about Johnson's work is that he correctly emphasizes the priority of the local church in this mission. For instance, look at how he sums this up at the end of chapter 1:
"Consequently, any humanly invented organizations that assist in missions must remember that they are the bridesmaids, not the bride. They are stagehands, not the star. That position and honor and responsibility has been given by Christ to his church, and only to his church. Organized cooperation among churches for the sake of missions is a wonderful thing, but those who organize that cooperation must remember that they are coming alongside - not supplanting - the local church."
Before diving into a practical approach to missions, I appreciated chapter 2 entitled "First Things First." In this chapter, the author rightly (IMO) lifts up an appreciation for the gospel to be the underlying motivation for people to get involved in mission endeavors. Notice the following quotes in regard to this truth:
"The heart for God-glorifying missions starts with joy in the gospel." p. 32
"Do not try to get your church excited about missions until they love and value (really, deeply value) what Christ has done for them in the gospel. Churches won't extend themselves to commend the gospel until they deeply cherish the gospel." p. 32
The rest of the book gives practical guidance regarding a variety of topics including the sending & supporting of missionaries, healthy missions partnerships, and short-term missions trips. The author speaks into both the good and bad that short-term missions trips can be and provides guidance.
All in all, I recommend this short work on missions!
August 6, 2024
Ideal book for a pastor/missions committee….overall principle: the biblical idea of missions is the support/sending of gospel proclaimers into all nations to plant churches.
Missions and local churches are partners! Our ecclesiology drives our missiology.
Missions and local churches are partners! Our ecclesiology drives our missiology.
July 3, 2024
Fundamental. I pray and hope that BHBC can participate in the Missions described throughout this book.
October 12, 2023
Este libro describe de manera eficiente la realidad de las misiones. Depende mucho de nosotros (misioneros) influir en la iglesia local su responsabilidad de involucrarse en esparcir y moldear el evangelio en las naciones. Oro para que más iglesias lean este libro y pueda seguir habiendo un cambio en la manera que muchos hacen el trabajo misionero. Gracias a Dios por la iglesia de Cristo que sigue creciendo en Latinoamérica y su participación en la misiones.
September 25, 2020
2020 reads: 35/52
Rating: 4 stars
Read for my Introduction to Missiology class with Dr. Paul Akin at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Introduction
“Mission” has become somewhat of a buzzword in recent decades. Its surge in usage within evangelicalism is most welcomed since its overall impetus rightly discerns the missional impulse of the triune God: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” (Jn 20:21). Scholars rightly observe the overall ‘mission’ of God: that of his redeeming, renewing and uniting purposes for the cosmos in Jesus (Eph 1:10), and ‘missions’: that activity of the church in which she undertakes Jesus’ last words of making disciples and teaching them all that he has commanded them (Matt 28:20). Whilst the closing words of Jesus appear simple, confusion abounds as to how the church is to go about making disciples. It is precisely to this last matter, that of missions, that Andy Johnson’s Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global provides a wonderfully precise, practical, and razor sharp proposal. Before moving to pastor and strengthen the church in the Middle East, Johnson served as an Associate Pastor at the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. where he oversaw their discipling and missions efforts for more than twenty years. In this brief book readers are introduced to Johnson’s burden to see Scripture form both the agenda and method for our missions so that God’s glory may be preeminent in the task he has called us to (p. 20).
Summary
Johnson quickly makes his aims clear: he wants readers to know the biblical foundations for missions and the many varying implications this has for the church’s role in missions. In short, four principles for missions arise: first, the mission of missions if primarily spiritual; second, mission belongs to God; third, God gave the mission to the local church; and fourth, the Bible tells us all we must know to faithfully fulfil God’s mission.
Many implications follow from these four principles, which Johnson spends the rest of the book unpacking and applying. Here I will highlight some of these implications. If we take the Bible as our primary and final authority in the task of missions, we will recognize that the Bible tells us “how the mission will go forward, “what kind of missionaries we should support,” and what the “end goal of missions should be.” (p. 28) Building on this, churches who care about what the Bible says about missions will prize the centrality of the gospel (pp. 31-32). This means that the impetus of missions must be rooted in our own joy in the good news of Jesus. Churches must themselves grow in cherishing the gospel if they are to see its global spread. This is because “The glory of the gospel—not the neediness of mankind—is the self-sustaining fuel for global missions.” (p. 35)
Starting from a biblical foundation also entails sending and supporting missionaries well, in a manner worthy of the gospel. Christ’s mandate is till the end of the ages, so “there will always be a need for churches to train, send, and financially support intentional missionaries.” (p. 39) Such care for those sent should be normal, it is also crucial, and our support should be given in abundance. Love for the glory of Christ is our motive, and such love should also tend toward cooperation with other churches (pp. 38-41). The church presents the best and most faithful place in which to grow, assess, and keep missionaries accountable. This is because the best preparation ought to focus on “godliness, Bible knowledge…evangelistic zeal and love for Christ’s church.” (p. 47) Of course, the centrality of the local churches does not preclude the presence of parachurch organizations. Rather, such agencies exist to assist the church in its mission and do so by providing training, resources, networks and support.
With Scripture as the basis of our methodology, Johnson is convinced that the actual focus of missions will be on the local church; that is, planting, strengthening or revitalizing existing churches. The goal is quite simple: establish healthy local churches (p. 62). Many opportunities may be presented before any church and yet there is a limit to resources. Because of this, Johnson argues that churches should support fewer missionaries but with greater interest and resources thereby increasing accountability as well as alleviating them from incessant fund-raising. Such a method will prize the faithfulness and theological depth of those it sends.
Johnson also spends significant time spelling out what healthy missions partnerships should look like (pp. 75-86). Here the reader gets into the nitty-gritty of church-missionary relations, and the day-to-day of the missionaries task. Johnson also assesses the modern preoccupation with short-term-missions, offering a way that they can be accomplished in a more biblically healthy way.
Finally, Johnson also presents further alternatives to traditional ideas of sending: engaging the nations at home, and supporting expatriate churches through job relocation (pp. 101-116). Speaking from a North American context, the rise in globalization has brought many foreign nations to our very doorsteps, and Johnson’s burden is that the church not miss out on providing a faithful evangelical witness to our neighbors. Globalization also means that many careers allow men and women to work almost anywhere in the world, sometimes in closed of countries.
Evaluation
No doubt, the wisdom of this world sometimes offers the odd morsel of insight. But why, when it comes to God’s mission in this world, do pastors and churches assume that the Scriptures are silent on this very important matter? The church clearly plays a central role in God’s redemptive purposes (Eph 3:10) and yet many are content to go about this divinely-given mandate as if God’s Word has little to say about it. In short, Missions presents a pocket-sized rebuttal to such assumptions. This has got to be the primary strength of Johnson’s Missions. Johnson is at pains to draw any and every implication from the Scriptures. From why the gospel should be the fuel of our efforts, to how to plan visiting your missionaries, to why training should take place within context of the church, Scripture provides wisdom and instruction. This means that, though written from a North American perspective, this book is applicable for varying contexts. This is less a comment about the lack of precise contextualization, and more a comment about its abiding biblical principles. And so, to that end, Missions is eminently and unapologetically attempting to provide a biblical argument for the church’s efforts in missions.
Another most welcomed strength of Missions is its deeply practical and balanced approach. Johnson is no stranger to the realities of missions in foreign fields. Missions is built on Johnson’s own first-hand experience with those serving across the globe. Each page seeps with pastoral wisdom. Because of this, Johnson is not so much concerned that a certain denomination or a specific tribe or brand of church is duplicated around the world. Instead, his burden is centered around each local church growing in health and growing in their own faithfulness to the mission of God, being more concerned about depth than breadth and numbers and so-called success. Local church pastors and members will be greatly encouraged that God has a plan for their local church as they seek to be faithful to the mandate to make disciples; Missions tells us precisely how to approach such a daunting subject.
If I had to raise a criticism of Missions it would be the lack of placing the missions withing the broader framework of the missio dei. This is hardly a valid criticism, since Johnson’s aim is to speak to missions per se. However, there could potentially have been more comments about how churches can—or if they should—integrate works of mercy and humanitarian aid.
Personal Reflection
In today’s world of rapid production, consumerism and materialism, our approaches to missions can sometimes be sucked into this hurrying vortex. Missions becomes a game of numbers, an opportunity to flex our muscles on the world scene. Johnson’s Missions is, in one sense, other-worldly; it pushes up against this modernist trend by presenting an alternative that, though appearing as mediocre, perhaps boring and unsophisticated, is nonetheless entirely more biblical and God-honoring. Though Missions neither falls into the other side of neglecting practical and pragmatic concerns: it is wonderfully holistic and offers insight into the most humdrum aspects of missionary endeavours. For this, I am thankful for the picture is presents. Yes, the task appears momentous and we feel our sense of unworthiness, but Missions alerts us to what we can positively and biblically be doing to foster a culture of global, missional concern for the spread of the gospel.
Rating: 4 stars
Read for my Introduction to Missiology class with Dr. Paul Akin at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Introduction
“Mission” has become somewhat of a buzzword in recent decades. Its surge in usage within evangelicalism is most welcomed since its overall impetus rightly discerns the missional impulse of the triune God: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” (Jn 20:21). Scholars rightly observe the overall ‘mission’ of God: that of his redeeming, renewing and uniting purposes for the cosmos in Jesus (Eph 1:10), and ‘missions’: that activity of the church in which she undertakes Jesus’ last words of making disciples and teaching them all that he has commanded them (Matt 28:20). Whilst the closing words of Jesus appear simple, confusion abounds as to how the church is to go about making disciples. It is precisely to this last matter, that of missions, that Andy Johnson’s Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global provides a wonderfully precise, practical, and razor sharp proposal. Before moving to pastor and strengthen the church in the Middle East, Johnson served as an Associate Pastor at the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. where he oversaw their discipling and missions efforts for more than twenty years. In this brief book readers are introduced to Johnson’s burden to see Scripture form both the agenda and method for our missions so that God’s glory may be preeminent in the task he has called us to (p. 20).
Summary
Johnson quickly makes his aims clear: he wants readers to know the biblical foundations for missions and the many varying implications this has for the church’s role in missions. In short, four principles for missions arise: first, the mission of missions if primarily spiritual; second, mission belongs to God; third, God gave the mission to the local church; and fourth, the Bible tells us all we must know to faithfully fulfil God’s mission.
Many implications follow from these four principles, which Johnson spends the rest of the book unpacking and applying. Here I will highlight some of these implications. If we take the Bible as our primary and final authority in the task of missions, we will recognize that the Bible tells us “how the mission will go forward, “what kind of missionaries we should support,” and what the “end goal of missions should be.” (p. 28) Building on this, churches who care about what the Bible says about missions will prize the centrality of the gospel (pp. 31-32). This means that the impetus of missions must be rooted in our own joy in the good news of Jesus. Churches must themselves grow in cherishing the gospel if they are to see its global spread. This is because “The glory of the gospel—not the neediness of mankind—is the self-sustaining fuel for global missions.” (p. 35)
Starting from a biblical foundation also entails sending and supporting missionaries well, in a manner worthy of the gospel. Christ’s mandate is till the end of the ages, so “there will always be a need for churches to train, send, and financially support intentional missionaries.” (p. 39) Such care for those sent should be normal, it is also crucial, and our support should be given in abundance. Love for the glory of Christ is our motive, and such love should also tend toward cooperation with other churches (pp. 38-41). The church presents the best and most faithful place in which to grow, assess, and keep missionaries accountable. This is because the best preparation ought to focus on “godliness, Bible knowledge…evangelistic zeal and love for Christ’s church.” (p. 47) Of course, the centrality of the local churches does not preclude the presence of parachurch organizations. Rather, such agencies exist to assist the church in its mission and do so by providing training, resources, networks and support.
With Scripture as the basis of our methodology, Johnson is convinced that the actual focus of missions will be on the local church; that is, planting, strengthening or revitalizing existing churches. The goal is quite simple: establish healthy local churches (p. 62). Many opportunities may be presented before any church and yet there is a limit to resources. Because of this, Johnson argues that churches should support fewer missionaries but with greater interest and resources thereby increasing accountability as well as alleviating them from incessant fund-raising. Such a method will prize the faithfulness and theological depth of those it sends.
Johnson also spends significant time spelling out what healthy missions partnerships should look like (pp. 75-86). Here the reader gets into the nitty-gritty of church-missionary relations, and the day-to-day of the missionaries task. Johnson also assesses the modern preoccupation with short-term-missions, offering a way that they can be accomplished in a more biblically healthy way.
Finally, Johnson also presents further alternatives to traditional ideas of sending: engaging the nations at home, and supporting expatriate churches through job relocation (pp. 101-116). Speaking from a North American context, the rise in globalization has brought many foreign nations to our very doorsteps, and Johnson’s burden is that the church not miss out on providing a faithful evangelical witness to our neighbors. Globalization also means that many careers allow men and women to work almost anywhere in the world, sometimes in closed of countries.
Evaluation
No doubt, the wisdom of this world sometimes offers the odd morsel of insight. But why, when it comes to God’s mission in this world, do pastors and churches assume that the Scriptures are silent on this very important matter? The church clearly plays a central role in God’s redemptive purposes (Eph 3:10) and yet many are content to go about this divinely-given mandate as if God’s Word has little to say about it. In short, Missions presents a pocket-sized rebuttal to such assumptions. This has got to be the primary strength of Johnson’s Missions. Johnson is at pains to draw any and every implication from the Scriptures. From why the gospel should be the fuel of our efforts, to how to plan visiting your missionaries, to why training should take place within context of the church, Scripture provides wisdom and instruction. This means that, though written from a North American perspective, this book is applicable for varying contexts. This is less a comment about the lack of precise contextualization, and more a comment about its abiding biblical principles. And so, to that end, Missions is eminently and unapologetically attempting to provide a biblical argument for the church’s efforts in missions.
Another most welcomed strength of Missions is its deeply practical and balanced approach. Johnson is no stranger to the realities of missions in foreign fields. Missions is built on Johnson’s own first-hand experience with those serving across the globe. Each page seeps with pastoral wisdom. Because of this, Johnson is not so much concerned that a certain denomination or a specific tribe or brand of church is duplicated around the world. Instead, his burden is centered around each local church growing in health and growing in their own faithfulness to the mission of God, being more concerned about depth than breadth and numbers and so-called success. Local church pastors and members will be greatly encouraged that God has a plan for their local church as they seek to be faithful to the mandate to make disciples; Missions tells us precisely how to approach such a daunting subject.
If I had to raise a criticism of Missions it would be the lack of placing the missions withing the broader framework of the missio dei. This is hardly a valid criticism, since Johnson’s aim is to speak to missions per se. However, there could potentially have been more comments about how churches can—or if they should—integrate works of mercy and humanitarian aid.
Personal Reflection
In today’s world of rapid production, consumerism and materialism, our approaches to missions can sometimes be sucked into this hurrying vortex. Missions becomes a game of numbers, an opportunity to flex our muscles on the world scene. Johnson’s Missions is, in one sense, other-worldly; it pushes up against this modernist trend by presenting an alternative that, though appearing as mediocre, perhaps boring and unsophisticated, is nonetheless entirely more biblical and God-honoring. Though Missions neither falls into the other side of neglecting practical and pragmatic concerns: it is wonderfully holistic and offers insight into the most humdrum aspects of missionary endeavours. For this, I am thankful for the picture is presents. Yes, the task appears momentous and we feel our sense of unworthiness, but Missions alerts us to what we can positively and biblically be doing to foster a culture of global, missional concern for the spread of the gospel.
July 4, 2022
This is a great book for leaders of churches to better understand the biblical model for missions. Really helpful guide to help churches support, send, and maintain missionary relationships as well as defining what relationships are worth keeping.
Designed for pastors and elders, but extremely applicable and helpful for lay members.
Designed for pastors and elders, but extremely applicable and helpful for lay members.
October 1, 2024
Greatly encouraged by this book, well written with practical examples of application. Would highly recommend if you are passionate about missions or you don’t know what missions is
edit: Still hold to what I said 2 years ago
edit: Still hold to what I said 2 years ago
May 21, 2025
I love 9Marks truly! So very church-centric! This book offered some insight and application rooted in biblical doctrine. This book plainly gives the basis of missions and how the church has been charged and equipped with fulfilling this mission. One of my favorite sections: “Our confidence in missions and our joy in salvation flow from a knowledge that God’s mission of mercy finds its origin in his desire for his glory, not in our ability or desirability… As long as God cares about his own glory, and as long as he remains committed to getting glory by showing mercy to sinners, all those who trust in him are secure, and his mission will never fail.”
December 8, 2017
The church where I serve took on a missionary in 2016 and just happened to use some of the principles and advice in this book but it was purely accidental. After having been in the work for over a year now I can honestly say that the points Andy makes are CRUCIAL to a vibrant and healthy relationship with an overseas missionary. Everyone should have to read this book in seminary or during their ministry training so churches will be ready when missionaries call on them for financial, emotional and spiritual support.
November 23, 2023
Great book! Andy Johnson (an aggie, whoop) does a good job of answering & addressing tough questions about missions! How to globally & locally reach the nations in a gospel saturated way through the local church! High recommend!
“Our confidence in missions and our joy in salvation flow from a knowledge that God's mission of mercy finds its origin in his desire for his glory, not in our ability or desirability. Praise God!”
“Our confidence in missions and our joy in salvation flow from a knowledge that God's mission of mercy finds its origin in his desire for his glory, not in our ability or desirability. Praise God!”
October 9, 2023
This is a great book for sending churches to learn about the best ways to partner with missionaries. It doesn't speak much to the actual missionaries on the ground. But, it does do a good job at explaining the struggles of cross-cultural missions and the support that missionaries need. It also suggests some great ideas for at-home evangelism, which I pray more churches would have a passion for.
It has given me a lot to think about. I am trying to replace some feelings of discouragement with a prayerful hope for reform in my own church.
It has given me a lot to think about. I am trying to replace some feelings of discouragement with a prayerful hope for reform in my own church.
July 8, 2022
Highly focused on the primacy of the church in global missions and very much geared towards practical advice for how a church can become involved in missions. Johnson does a decent job defining and “casting vision” for the mission of the Church, and spends the majority of the book advising churches on how to implement Biblical, local-church-centric missions practices.
I particularly appreciated his balance of Scriptural support and general Biblical wisdom based on Scriptural principles that he applied to the topic.
I particularly appreciated his balance of Scriptural support and general Biblical wisdom based on Scriptural principles that he applied to the topic.
May 20, 2024
This was a quick and easy book, but with a lot of great information! Written primarily for churches, it gives insight on sending and supporting missionaries. Something I found interesting, and have recently thought about, is how short term trips can often cause more harm than good, and many churches should reevaluate how they send out short term trips. This book doesn’t argue that those trips should be eliminated, but should be rethought
March 27, 2019
A helpful introduction to relevant issues in Missions. Johnson's emphasis on the local church is refreshing.
January 29, 2022
Great resource, perfect length, extremely practical, and vision casting. Definitely a book that every church member should read.
October 15, 2024
I’m sure I have read or listened to this before, but I’ve been giving out copies because the concepts in this book have reformed my view of missions. Now as I seek to lead in reforming how we do missions at our church it’s proved to be such a valuable resource. Thoroughly biblical, incredibly practical, and addresses almost every initial question one could ask.
July 26, 2025
Helpful book, probably will be my go to for introducing a layperson to the foundations and principles of missions in context of the local church. Could be improved by the addition of a couple of appendices without losing its overall helpful concision.
June 29, 2023
This book is so helpful, a must-read!
March 22, 2023
With a generous serving of Scripture, Johnson encourages the church to approach the missions field as he does this book: practically, boldly, and expectantly.
June 3, 2024
This book was exceptional! I read the entire book in a single sitting.
I admit that I was a little hesitent about this book because the book on Deacons in this series was so bad (as I write this reivew, I realize now that the books were written by different authors). But I highly recommend this book!
The book looked at Scripture for the main reasons why we do missions and explained practical ways on how best to do missions. This included which missionaries to support, how best to do short-term mission trips, and a host of other topics.
I am glad to have read this book, and I am glad that my church's mission's committee is reading this book!
However, I did have two complaints about the book:
First, the author was too harsh on parachurch missions organizations. Parachurch missions organizations are extremely helpful and are a much needed asset for churches sending missionaries and the missionaries themselves.
Second, the author advocated supporting fewer missionaries (and giving more money and time to those missionaries). I see his point, but he misses the mark on this. Depending on the size of the church, the church probably should not be supporting 100 missionaries (and giving each of them a pittance of support); at the same time, the church should also not be supporting only 1 missionary. Each church needs to find a good balance between supporting "too many" and "too few" missionaries. And, as the author suggests, churches should be removing support for missionaries that are not really doing mission work (which is probably more common than we think).
I admit that I was a little hesitent about this book because the book on Deacons in this series was so bad (as I write this reivew, I realize now that the books were written by different authors). But I highly recommend this book!
The book looked at Scripture for the main reasons why we do missions and explained practical ways on how best to do missions. This included which missionaries to support, how best to do short-term mission trips, and a host of other topics.
I am glad to have read this book, and I am glad that my church's mission's committee is reading this book!
However, I did have two complaints about the book:
First, the author was too harsh on parachurch missions organizations. Parachurch missions organizations are extremely helpful and are a much needed asset for churches sending missionaries and the missionaries themselves.
Second, the author advocated supporting fewer missionaries (and giving more money and time to those missionaries). I see his point, but he misses the mark on this. Depending on the size of the church, the church probably should not be supporting 100 missionaries (and giving each of them a pittance of support); at the same time, the church should also not be supporting only 1 missionary. Each church needs to find a good balance between supporting "too many" and "too few" missionaries. And, as the author suggests, churches should be removing support for missionaries that are not really doing mission work (which is probably more common than we think).
September 8, 2024
Buenos principios para iniciar la reflexión sobre la participación de una iglesia local en la Misión Global de Dios. Aunque tiene muchos principios universales, está pensado principalmente para un contexto norteamericano por su acercamiento a los temas (ej. viajes de corto plazo, visitas regulares a los misioneros, expatriados en regiones sin el evangelio, etc.).
Buen material bíblico sobre elegir a misioneros transculturales. Y, aunque no estoy de acuerdo con su entendimiento de las agencias misioneras, comparto la idea base del libro del compromiso y responsabilidades de la iglesia local en la tarea de llevar el evangelio a los que no han escuchado el mensaje y, como resultado, plantar nuevas iglesias. O fortalecer iglesias ya plantadas para que planten otras.
Buen material bíblico sobre elegir a misioneros transculturales. Y, aunque no estoy de acuerdo con su entendimiento de las agencias misioneras, comparto la idea base del libro del compromiso y responsabilidades de la iglesia local en la tarea de llevar el evangelio a los que no han escuchado el mensaje y, como resultado, plantar nuevas iglesias. O fortalecer iglesias ya plantadas para que planten otras.
May 5, 2022
In this book, Andy Johnson seeks to answer the question, what is missions and how should we go about them. While these questions could illicit a tremendous breadth of answers, the author works off the correct premise that the God who commands His saints to go out for the sake of the Name, also tells them how to do so. Rather than giving an exact ten steps, Andy looks at the pattern and principles established in the Scriptures and then commends them to individuals and churches. Furthermore, he shows the vital role of local churches in missions And finds space to fill the work with extremely helpful and wise practical advice. Like all the 9Marks material I’ve encountered, it left me saying “Of course, this seems so obvious now.”
June 14, 2020
Fantastic little book on missions. Biblically sound. Practically helpful for lay people, pastors, and short-term teams. In fact, I plan to take chapter 6 and give it out to all of our short-term teams. This book is a great starting point to help churches do missions better. Very, very highly recommended.
May 30, 2024
Un libro que nos invita a considerar a la luz de Las Escrituras aspectos importantes que no siembre vemos cuándo de misiones se trata, nos invita a ser pacientes y evaluar cuidadosamente cada paso a dar como iglesia para invertir de la mejor forma los recursos muchas veces limitados que tenemos, económicos, de tiempo y de personas para no estorbar a la obra de Dios sino darle la gloria.
November 16, 2021
Super livre. L'auteur montre comment l'Eglise locale toute entière peut s'engager dans la mission. L'Eglise locale est le plan de Dieu pour atteindre les nations avec l'Evangile. Très pratique également pour montrer à quoi ressemble un partenariat sain entre l'Eglise locale et les missionnaires.
February 4, 2025
Very well written, easy to read book on how the church can best support and be apart of Christs mission to the world.
I wish every church would read this!
I wish every church would read this!
May 29, 2019
Short, but great book about missions. Lays a good foundation of missions (that it's goal is primarily spiritual) and covers lots of topics like how to prioritize missions work, how to build strong relationships with your supported missionaries (why that's important and why it might guide your overall missions strategy), the advantages and pitfalls of short term missions, casting a vision of missions through a love of the Gospel, reaching the nations at home among others.
Lots of a good stuff in this excellent book. We briefly discussed this book at our church's outreach committee meeting which was helpful.
Some of my favorite thoughts are below:
1. "The church is that unique gospel community charted by Jesus Christ himself. Consequently, it should especially labor to fulfill its unique mission to guard the gospel, proclaim the gospel, and disciple those who respond in repentance and faith to the gospel."
2. According to sociologist Robert Woodberry, "'conversionary missionary protestants' (meaning missionaries who prioritize saving souls above all else) have done more lasting social good globally than those who only, or mainly, focus on doing social good alone." The author goes on to say that "Evangelism and establishing Christ's church is our first priority in missions" and that any effort on our part to change or broaden the mission, or substitute our ideas for God's, runs the risk of trying to rob God of his rightful glory. And trying to rob an all-knowing and all-powerful God of the thing he is most passionate about in all the universe is breathtakingly stupid and ultimately pointless."
3. "As long as God cares about his own glory, and as long as he remains committed to getting glory by showing mercy to sinners, all those who trust in him are secure, and his mission will never fail. God has decided how the mission should go forward. He intends it to go forward by the simple declaration of the gospel and the gathering of his children into churches, so that everyone will see that salvation is God's work, and he will get all the glory."
4. "The church was God's idea. It is his one and only organizational plan for world missions. Most of all, it is his beloved Son's beloved, blood-bought bride. Consequently, any humanly invented organizations that assist in missions must remember that they are the bridesmaids, not the bride."
5. "The heart for God-glorifying missions starts with joy in the gospel." People won't care about sharing it if they don't see the joy in it for themselves. "Regardless of our role in a church, the best thing we can do is to believe this gospel...the glory of the gospel—not the neediness of mankind—is the self-sustaining fuel for global missions."
6. "Our responsibility is to send [missionaries] discerningly, not support suspiciously."
7. "We can be both urgent and wise. Jesus told us to plead with the Lord of the harvest not for warm bodies but for 'laborers' (Matt. 9:38; Luke 10:2). Those are the people we should send. Sending unqualified people may produce bad consequences that cascade far beyond the individual."
8. "If you carefully read Acts and the Epistles, you will notice that heresy, confusion, and syncretism most often occur at the edge of gospel expansion. Therefore, that is where we need our best-equipped people. Such work is not for every Christian who simply loves to share his or her faith. We need to make sure those we send possess deep theological knowledge so that what they teach can be reproduced in the lives of their hearers with accuracy until Christ returns." The author goes on to say that "the core of missions preparation is not missions studies. It is godliness and Bible knowledge and evangelistic zeal and love for Christ's church and a passion to see Christ glorified."
9. "Too many churches view the breadth of their missions commitments, rather than the depth, as the measure of their love for the nations."
10. "We should let our good passion to find the lost sheep in new pastures fool us into neglecting the flocks that have already been gathered, purchased by Christ's precious blood."
11. "The work of missions is urgent, but it's not frantic." He continues that we should support "missionaries and organizations that understand the biblical commands for urgently faithful perseverance; don't be distracted by grand promises of quick, easy shortcuts...it's not only for our sake that we should be careful, but also for the sake of the souls of the missionaries we support." We don't always see the fruit of our labor and "this is a hard reality for anyone to accept. Missionaries re no different. Many have been tempted to disregard biblical teaching or even to modify the gospel message itself to product the appearance of results when real success is slow. But we, as their supporters, should be a help, not a hindrance, in this regard. We should never take up Satan's work by tempting them to sin by pressuring them toward unfaithfulness. Yet we do that when we demand metrics with an implied link to their support."
12. Biblical missions needs to be taught by the pastor. "God is a missionary God. He has a passion for the nations, and Scripture is full of that passion...congregations whose shepherds regularly this rich biblical message will begin to have their worldview shaped by it. "
13. "Your church should be willing to seriously commit to the workers with whom you partner." Be in it for the long haul, ready to visit (or not visit when it's not convenient) and support them in the good years and bad. "This commitment should show itself in a desire to celebrate thoughtful, biblical faithfulness, even if fruit is slow in coming." The author continues, "it's best to treat a partnership more like a family adoption or a marriage and less like a contract or corporate merger."
14. Regarding short-term missions trips he writes, "Do we honesty care whether our short-term trips are fun or interesting if we can know that they are encouraging and useful?" and "There is nothing like a big view of God's glorious global plan to put our individual concerns and contributions in an appropriately smaller perspective." He goes on to say, "Remind yourself that your ultimate goal is not the execute some task but to encourage men and women who have left mulch for the sake of the gospel."
15. There is some great advice in the conclusion about how to pursue a biblical model of missions at your church and the book ends with this great paragraph: "We should have confidence because we know the mission will not fail. We may fail in our faithfulness, but God will not fail in his mission. Christ will have the nations for his inheritance. Frantic speculation and guilt are weak motivators compared with the truth of God's unstoppable plan to rescue every child for whom Christ died. Christ will not lose any of those whom the Father has given him, and God has chosen to use us—in countless local churches—as the agents of his gospel triumph."
This is a short, but jam-packed book of both theological principles and practical advice for fostering a gospel-centered, God-glorifying missions focus in the local church. I found it super helpful.
Lots of a good stuff in this excellent book. We briefly discussed this book at our church's outreach committee meeting which was helpful.
Some of my favorite thoughts are below:
1. "The church is that unique gospel community charted by Jesus Christ himself. Consequently, it should especially labor to fulfill its unique mission to guard the gospel, proclaim the gospel, and disciple those who respond in repentance and faith to the gospel."
2. According to sociologist Robert Woodberry, "'conversionary missionary protestants' (meaning missionaries who prioritize saving souls above all else) have done more lasting social good globally than those who only, or mainly, focus on doing social good alone." The author goes on to say that "Evangelism and establishing Christ's church is our first priority in missions" and that any effort on our part to change or broaden the mission, or substitute our ideas for God's, runs the risk of trying to rob God of his rightful glory. And trying to rob an all-knowing and all-powerful God of the thing he is most passionate about in all the universe is breathtakingly stupid and ultimately pointless."
3. "As long as God cares about his own glory, and as long as he remains committed to getting glory by showing mercy to sinners, all those who trust in him are secure, and his mission will never fail. God has decided how the mission should go forward. He intends it to go forward by the simple declaration of the gospel and the gathering of his children into churches, so that everyone will see that salvation is God's work, and he will get all the glory."
4. "The church was God's idea. It is his one and only organizational plan for world missions. Most of all, it is his beloved Son's beloved, blood-bought bride. Consequently, any humanly invented organizations that assist in missions must remember that they are the bridesmaids, not the bride."
5. "The heart for God-glorifying missions starts with joy in the gospel." People won't care about sharing it if they don't see the joy in it for themselves. "Regardless of our role in a church, the best thing we can do is to believe this gospel...the glory of the gospel—not the neediness of mankind—is the self-sustaining fuel for global missions."
6. "Our responsibility is to send [missionaries] discerningly, not support suspiciously."
7. "We can be both urgent and wise. Jesus told us to plead with the Lord of the harvest not for warm bodies but for 'laborers' (Matt. 9:38; Luke 10:2). Those are the people we should send. Sending unqualified people may produce bad consequences that cascade far beyond the individual."
8. "If you carefully read Acts and the Epistles, you will notice that heresy, confusion, and syncretism most often occur at the edge of gospel expansion. Therefore, that is where we need our best-equipped people. Such work is not for every Christian who simply loves to share his or her faith. We need to make sure those we send possess deep theological knowledge so that what they teach can be reproduced in the lives of their hearers with accuracy until Christ returns." The author goes on to say that "the core of missions preparation is not missions studies. It is godliness and Bible knowledge and evangelistic zeal and love for Christ's church and a passion to see Christ glorified."
9. "Too many churches view the breadth of their missions commitments, rather than the depth, as the measure of their love for the nations."
10. "We should let our good passion to find the lost sheep in new pastures fool us into neglecting the flocks that have already been gathered, purchased by Christ's precious blood."
11. "The work of missions is urgent, but it's not frantic." He continues that we should support "missionaries and organizations that understand the biblical commands for urgently faithful perseverance; don't be distracted by grand promises of quick, easy shortcuts...it's not only for our sake that we should be careful, but also for the sake of the souls of the missionaries we support." We don't always see the fruit of our labor and "this is a hard reality for anyone to accept. Missionaries re no different. Many have been tempted to disregard biblical teaching or even to modify the gospel message itself to product the appearance of results when real success is slow. But we, as their supporters, should be a help, not a hindrance, in this regard. We should never take up Satan's work by tempting them to sin by pressuring them toward unfaithfulness. Yet we do that when we demand metrics with an implied link to their support."
12. Biblical missions needs to be taught by the pastor. "God is a missionary God. He has a passion for the nations, and Scripture is full of that passion...congregations whose shepherds regularly this rich biblical message will begin to have their worldview shaped by it. "
13. "Your church should be willing to seriously commit to the workers with whom you partner." Be in it for the long haul, ready to visit (or not visit when it's not convenient) and support them in the good years and bad. "This commitment should show itself in a desire to celebrate thoughtful, biblical faithfulness, even if fruit is slow in coming." The author continues, "it's best to treat a partnership more like a family adoption or a marriage and less like a contract or corporate merger."
14. Regarding short-term missions trips he writes, "Do we honesty care whether our short-term trips are fun or interesting if we can know that they are encouraging and useful?" and "There is nothing like a big view of God's glorious global plan to put our individual concerns and contributions in an appropriately smaller perspective." He goes on to say, "Remind yourself that your ultimate goal is not the execute some task but to encourage men and women who have left mulch for the sake of the gospel."
15. There is some great advice in the conclusion about how to pursue a biblical model of missions at your church and the book ends with this great paragraph: "We should have confidence because we know the mission will not fail. We may fail in our faithfulness, but God will not fail in his mission. Christ will have the nations for his inheritance. Frantic speculation and guilt are weak motivators compared with the truth of God's unstoppable plan to rescue every child for whom Christ died. Christ will not lose any of those whom the Father has given him, and God has chosen to use us—in countless local churches—as the agents of his gospel triumph."
This is a short, but jam-packed book of both theological principles and practical advice for fostering a gospel-centered, God-glorifying missions focus in the local church. I found it super helpful.
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