Missions: Next Generation

By Roland Müller

Originally published in 2003, Roland Muller looks at challenges that mission agencies may face in the next few years. This book is aimed at evangelical misson agency leaders.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CanBooks
• Release date: Feb 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781927581216

Book preview

MISSIONS

THE NEXT GENERATION

ROLAND MULLER

Copyright © 2003, Roland Muller

All rights reserved

Reprinted as an e-book in 2016

Cover photography by Roy Spraggett.

Further information can be obtained from the Internet site:

http://rmuller.com

Unless otherwise indicate, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for our use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

ISBN: 978-1-927581-21-6

Distributed by Smashwords

Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

Other books by the same author

The Messenger, the Message, and the Community

Understanding Islam

Muller Companion Reader 1

Muller Companion Reader 2

Muller Companion Reader 3

Missionary Leadership, by Motivation and Communication

The Man from Gadara

Tools for Muslim Evangelism

Honor and Shame, Unlocking the Door

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter One: The Challenge Before Us

Chapter Two: The New Generation

Chapter Three: The Shape of Things to Come

Chapter Four: A Question of Ownership

Chapter Five: Working in Teams

Chapter Six: Portfolio Approach

Chapter Seven: Opening New Ministries

Chapter Eight: Communication

Chapter Nine: Motivation

Chapter Ten: Finances

Chapter Eleven: Other Considerations

Chapter Twelve: Tomorrow's Organization

Appendix One: Internet Sources on Security Issues

Appendix Two: Sample Evaluation Form

Appendix Three: Sample New Venture Plan

Introduction

Have you ever wanted to take a look into the future? Have you ever speculated about how things may develop over the next few years? Well, that's what this book is all about: looking ahead.

Over the last few years, many of us in the missionary community worked hard towards goals that focused on the year 2000, and then 2015. Now that these magical dates have come and gone, a small group of us have wondered what would be next. As we looked around at the shape of the evangelical missionary effort worldwide, and at the sociological developments taking place in the global community, we realized that massive changes are now in play within the missionary community as we press on to finish the job of evangelizing the remaining unevangelized peoples of the world.

Over the last few decades the state of affairs facing missionary organizations has been changing. The situation overseas is vastly different from what it was in the 1980's and earlier. Missionaries today think, act, live, and work very differently than they did a few years ago. While pockets of traditional methodology still exist, most new missionaries arriving overseas today no longer live in missionary compounds doing traditional missionary service. Most live in bustling modern cities, ministering in multi-cultural, multi-denominational, and increasingly in multi-agency teams. Many of the new workers are independent (i.e., not under an established missionary agency), and a good number are tentmakers and some are starting their own businesses (BAM). Some of the others, who follow the more traditional routes, do so somewhat reluctantly. Further to this, many modern Christian workers view missionary service as only part of their career path and thus they are planning two to five year commitments, rather than envisaging a life long commitment.

Added to this, the situation in sending nations has also changed. Churches and supporters want a greater role in the life of the missionaries they support. Some churches are bypassing traditional mission agencies altogether and are sending out their own missionaries. On top of this, supporters seem to be interested in knowing how they can get more 'bang for their buck,' or in other words, the best return on the money they invest in the missionary enterprise. They are no longer content to simply send their money to some organization, so that the organization can do something with it. Many supporters today want accountability and even some form of participation or partnership so that they can feel that they are personally doing something significant to impact the world for Christ.

Another concern is that missionaries themselves have changed. Young missionaries today are coming from an emerging global community that has adopted different values than what were common only a few short years ago. They are coming from a society that is struggling with emotional hurts, broken commitments and few absolutes. As a reaction to this, they are much more relational in their attitudes and want to have a relationship with everyone who is involved in their missionary effort.

Now add to this equation, mission sending agencies that were formed between forty and one hundred years ago with principles, practices, and structures that addressed the needs of missionaries from those eras, and you can see the problems that may arise. Unfortunately, many of the newer mission agencies, which were formed in the last forty years, have also adopted a great deal from the old traditional perspectives. While some of these agencies have been brave enough to challenge traditional structure and practice, few have managed to completely break from the old mold and be radically relevant to today's youth. However, in the last decade a number of new, creative and innovative agencies have surged forward with confidence often using the latest technology and social structures.

What is the answer? Unfortunately, only time will tell. However, recently I and a small group of young missionaries tried to intelligently work out what needs to change from a mission agency point of view. As we worked through the ideas that emerged, we began to realize that it might be very difficult to change old structures. Rather, a radically new and different type of organization with totally different structure, techniques, and strategies may be what is needed. And so that is what this book is all about: a new paradigm for taking the gospel to the remaining unengaged people’s of the earth.

In many ways this book is a sequel to my earlier book Missionary Leadership, by Motivation and Communication. Since I expect many of my readers to not have read the first book, I have chosen to repeat some of the material from that book, rather than simply refer to it. I trust that this new book will be as challenging and stimulating to you as it has been for those of us who have worked at putting it together.

Roland Muller

Chapter One

The Challenge Before Us

During the last few years a variety of issues have become commonplace for many evangelical mission organizations. These issues are so important that I believe they will spell success or failure for these agencies in the years to come. In spite of this, many mission executives seem unaware of how important the issues really are. Most mission leaders are faced with such a wide variety of issues that demand their attention, that it is hard for them to separate the crucial issues from the most pressing immediate ones.

I invite you to consider with me some of the major missionary issues that have been highlighted in recent articles in missionary journals.

Missionaries overseas are resigning in large numbers

As I understand it, a recent survey of evangelical missions in Canada revealed that in 1990 there were approximately four thousand Canadian missionaries in service overseas. Ten years later that number had dropped to two thousand, or almost half of the number who had been serving ten years earlier. Think about this for a moment. More than half of the missionary force resigned in a short ten year period. If one takes into consideration the number of new workers moving overseas, then it is probable that sixty to seventy percent of all Canadian overseas missionaries resigned during that time. If nothing else alarms you, this should. The flood of missionaries that headed overseas a generation or two ago has turned into a flood of returning missionaries leaving the mission field today. While some of those leaving the field are retiring after a lifetime of service, the majority are quitting early for a variety of reasons that we will look at later.

New recruits seem harder and harder to find

Most Canadian missionary organizations are also reporting that recruitment and sending of new missionaries is at an all time low. While the number of new workers going overseas has often risen and fallen over the years, new recruitment levels have now dipped