Churches’ missionary recruitment has generally been built around a broad invitation to anyone to go anywhere and use any means. In 2017, would a more focused approach increase success?

“How many missionaries has your church sent out in the past five years?”

“We have sent a couple short-termers, but we haven’t sent anyone for longer than a few months.”

“We’ve sent four long-term workers to our unreached people focus and three others to strategic ministry in other places.”

Which answer parallels your church’s experience? The majority of Western churches, even “missions-minded” congregations, have not recently sent longer-term workers to the field. At the same time, a few churches in North America have become sending powerhouses.

What makes the difference? How can your church successfully recruit strategic workers for strategic places? Here are key elements:

Consistently focus on the biblical truth of God’s priority to reach the world.The greatest influence is regularly preaching, teaching, and modeling the need for proclamation and incarnation of the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

Define worker priorities. Churches are identifying the roles (and often the locations) that are most strategic for their church. For instance, two churches sending dozens of workers have chosen to focus on one or two largely-unreached, influential megacities.

Set high standards for future workers and screen candidates thoroughly. Paul charges Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Tim. 2:2) Those entrusted with leadership, including missions, should evidence that they are both “reliable” and “qualified.”

Effective sending churches don’t expect the mission agency to do all of the screening—it’s the church that can directly observe applicants’ character and ministry. Increasingly church leaders are saying: “We will send into missions only those we would eagerly welcome onto our own church staff.”

Develop a training/internship program or send potential workers to one run by others. Equip is an option to consider. Good internships allow future workers to demonstrate character, prove gifting, and expand their experience and maturity. A good internship can help avoid a failure on the field that is costly to everyone.

Send people to work together. Fielding a whole church-based team can be problematic. But prospective workers are attracted to serving with at least one other person they already know and  admire.

Prioritize funding for strategic roles. Increasingly churches are adopting funding guidelines that give the most support to those filling roles identified as highly strategic from their church’s perspective. But some well-qualified candidates will be suited for, or feel called to, assignments elsewhere. Those headed for high-impact ministries outside the church’s focus areas are funded at a second level. Anyone going into a role that seems to have limited strategic value is funded minimally or not at all.

What are your recruiting priorities?

• Your church’s strategic global focus. What global goals has God called your church to invest in accomplishing? Should you contribute long-term workers as well as other resources?
• People needed on your current workers’ teams. Are your missionaries less effective than they could be because they lack colleagues with particular gifting or training? Filling these gaps is essential.
• Global partners’ personnel needs. Are you partnering with national leaders or networks that need particular types of Western workers? Be careful: Don’t staff roles that would be better filled by nationals.

Finding Qualified Candidates

So let’s assume you have determined your recruitment priorities. How do you begin to identify those God is calling and challenge them to consider filling one of your priority roles?

1.  Clearly define the task and requirements, and build a detailed description of the context and type of person needed. In some cases, it will be worth the time and cost to make a field visit to really understand the personnel needs. Find someone in your church with HR experience to help develop a job description. Show it to several younger adults and ask how to make sure it connects with potential recruits.

2.  Establish a long-term prayer plan for finding and fielding key workers. Start by asking your pastors and elders to pray for God’s leading. The Antioch Church identified their first missionaries this way: “The Holy Spirit said [to five church leaders], ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” (Acts 13:2) Commit to diligently challenging your congregation to pray for God to raise up the most-needed workers. Ask Him for someone who will keep this priority in front of your people.

3.  Brainstorm who is naturally interested in this type of assignment. See the links at the end of this article for some ideas on doing this for specific global tasks. List ways you can you connect with qualified potential workers in contexts both inside your church and beyond. Approach people individually and ask them to consider.

4.  Recruit a bridge person.This is an individual eager to have coffee and chat with anyone who is interested in learning more about a particular type of global ministry opportunity. They must be able to connect well to people and be knowledgeable about the role you want to fill. Someone from your church passionate about this ministry or who has related field experience may be the best bridge. In other cases, your bridge person may be an agency recruiter.

5.  Underwrite a recruiting visit to your church by your field partner (missionary or national leader). Don’t assume that this person will automatically know how to effectively recruit. However, people in your church have the expertise to help them. Those with communications skills can produce a video. A writer or graphics person can use their skills in helping prepare written or web resources. A teacher can help them develop a challenge in a way that grabs attention.

6.  Underwrite a survey/ministry trip for potential recruits. If a qualified prospective worker is interested but unsure of their missions fit, invest in sending them on a survey trip or short-term assignment. Debrief afterward with them and with field personnel to evaluate match and readiness.

7.  Recruit globally. Consider that the best candidate for a strategic role may be a member of a congregation one of your missionaries is planting on the other side of the globe. Communicate with all of your missions family about strategic global opportunities. Could your church help to prepare or support a Majority-World worker who steps up to take a strategic role? That’s a win/win/win!

8.  Partner with nearby churches to fill strategic gaps. Discuss with other church missions leaders the global personnel needs you are eager to fill and see if you can recruit together. Offer to support a qualified candidate from their church who fills the role. Encourage them to recruit from your congregation too!

Recruiting through a Powerful, Short-Term Assignment

A number of years ago, College Church of Wheaton, IL, wanted to increase their impact in a strategic Asian nation, especially among its largely unreached minority populations. In collaboration with an agency, they developed a one-year program called Asia Study Teams. Participants were either recent college graduates or current students who took a year off to join the team. Once on site, their assignment was to study the local language and reach out to Muslim minority students. Applicants were carefully vetted to find those who would take the initiative to make contacts.

College Church sent a total of about 25 students as part of three successive study teams. Exciting things happened as Bible studies with different groups of students began to meet almost every night! Some team members stayed on for a second year as leaders. Several even met their future spouse on the team.

Fast forward more than a decade: Five couples/single workers who were part of those study teams are now long-term workers. They are living in a different part of that same Asian country and continue to focus on sharing the gospel with the same minority people groups they reached out to on college campuses so many years ago.

Although interest in the Asia Study Teams waned after three years, the program was a huge success in recruiting long-term workers. As a result, fruit continues to be produced in a highly strategic ministry area.

• Read College Church’s 7 Goals of Missions Growth.
• Check out our Suggestions for Finding MK School Staff “Hiding” in Your Church.
• You may also want to read our Suggestions for Finding UPG Church Planters “Hiding” in Your Church.