Today's All-Star Missions Churches

by Tom Telford

Near the close of the century, Tom Telford was criss-crossing the country researching the best ways to do and support missions. He found that the top missions churches have active, healthy, innovative programs. With the help of missiologists and church missions pastors, he compiled Today's All-Star Missions Churches.

Telford's book uses case studies from churches representing a variety of denominations, sizes, and locations. From the detailed descriptions of the churches' missions history, vision, and programming, readers will glean practical ideas for starting or strengthening missions programs in local churches. Each chapter focuses on the unique qualities of a church that has succeeded, ranging from excellence in missionary care to involving children in missions.

The successful methods highlighted in this book can be implemented in churches of any size. Missions organization leaders, pastors, and laypeople who want to involve their churches in missions will appreciate this practical and informative book.

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2001

Reviews

[J. Wootton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Would have been better if all involved had dispensed with trying to shoehorn every concept into the extended baseball analogy.

[Flip · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author went around to many different churches around the country and interviewed the pastors and missions pastors. He highlighted (what he believed to be) the churches that were the best at doing missions in the country and what made them unique. He throws in the baseball theme to spruce the book up, but it isn't that pervasive.

There are good insights, but the book does cater to larger churches. Many of these churches have well over 1,000 members attending. The last two chapters list off a bunch of churches that would receive an honorable mention status. The appendix lists off a bunch of good missions books that are worth reading.

Overall, I liked the book for giving more insights to how different churches do missions, but I was also happy as to the brevity of the book. After a while, it seemed like many of the churches were doing the same things to promote missions (such as sending pastoral staff overseas, doing a perspectives course, and going to missions conferences). I recommend the read to lay-leaders, pastors, missionaries, and college students majoring in the ministry.

[Rebecca Romaneski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a missions class at Regent. It's a very practical guide to getting church leaders and members involved in worldwide missions. The author provides several resources, ideas, and strategies, so it's very helpful. There's a chapter on children's missions that is really cool.

[Kavita Ginty]

A great book.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the Forward... perfect real-life parallel for keeping perspective on things eternal... another example of baseball as wondrous parable for life