Lewis McClendon, Baptist Church Ministry Network

Missions Manuals are valuable for two key reasons.

1. A Missions Manual clarifies the vision for missions to everyone in the church.

There are plenty of ideas about what a church should be doing for missions floating around in your church. A Missions Manual puts in writing a church’s vision so everyone knows it and can get behind it.

2. A Missions Manual provides direction for mission decisions.

A Missions Manual provides the guidelines about how the church will carry out their vision for missions. A Missions Manual takes out all the personalities and puts policies in their place. It is much easier to tell a person promoting their relative or friend that their ministry does not fit in our church’s vision than to have to just say no thanks. The guidelines also prevent contradictory decisions that can create problems in the church.

A Missions Manual is not designed to be rigid to the point that prayer and seeking God’s will on all mission decisions are left out. A Missions Manual simply has the general guidelines from which specific decisions are made. Written guidelines provide the tools needed to make specific decisions.

Writing a Mission Manual

When writing a Missions Manual make sure to cover the following subjects:

1. The Biblical Mandate for missions.

2. The purpose of the Missions Manual.

3. The responsibility and scope of all missions committees.

4. The plan to add new missionaries.

A. The type of missionary you will support

B. The people groups you would like to be part of evangelizing

C. The process of becoming a part of your missionary family

4. The expectation your church has of missionaries and what the missionary can expect from you church.

5. Your Missionary Care policy.

6. Your financial support plan for missionaries.

7. Short-Term Mission Trip policies.

8. How you will emphasize missions in your church.

A. Mission Conference

B. Prayer for missionaries

C. Distribute information about missionaries to your people.

9. How you will involve more people in your missions plan.

A. Giving

B. Serving

1. Mission related events like the Mission Conference

2. Short-term mission trips

C. Surrendering

Feel free to contact me for a sample Mission Manual.

aboundms@gmail.com