Resources for Missions Leaders of Local Churches

Missions leaders of local churches frequently ask for available resources enabling their fellowships to become responsibly missions-active.  This annotated bibliography provides basic tools for this transition.  If you have any suggestions or recommendations about this list, please Gailyn Van Rheenen.

ACMS Missions Conference Planner (2nd edition). 1989. Peachtree City, GA: ACMC.

This book, published by the Association of Church Missions Committees, is a handy guide to equip missions leaders of local churches plan a yearly missions conference.  It provides charts to plan each phase of  effective conferences and  evaluation guidelines of past conferences.  The appendixes are extremely useful in providing possible purposes and themes of conferences and resources to develop them.  It can be purchased by writing ACMC, 4201 N Peachtree Rd, Suite 300, Atlanta GA 30341-1207; or calling (800) 798-ACMC.

Church Missions Policy Handbook (3rd edition). n.d. Peachtree City, GA: ACMC.

This book is a standard manual guiding missions leaders of local churches to develop their own missions guidelines.  Such guidelines permit thoughtful evaluation of critical issues and prevent decisions based on charisma of persons or on personal whim.  It can be purchased by writing ACMC, 4201 N Peachtree Rd, Suite 300, Atlanta GA 30341-1207; or calling (800) 798-ACMC.

Pirolo, Neal. 1991. Serving as Senders. San Diego: Emmaus Road, International.

The purpose of this book is to equip senders to nurture missionaries currently on the field.  Pirolo says that in battle there are nine people serving as support personnel for every soldier on the front line.  The church, he says, stands behind their missionaries with financial, moral, prayer, communication, logistics, and re-entry support.   To purchase this book write Emmaus Road, International, at 7150 Tanner Court, San Diego, CA  92111; or call (619) 292-7020.

Pollard, Mike. 1988. Cultivating a Missions-Active Church. Peachtree City, GA: ACMC.

This book is currently the best book we know for empowering mission church leaders to make missions a focal point of their local congregation.  It is popularly written and easy to understand.  It can be purchased by writing ACMC, 4201 N Peachtree Rd, Suite 300, Atlanta GA 30341-1207; or calling (800) 798-ACMC.

Van Rheenen, Gailyn.  1996.  Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

This book is an introduction to the study of missions written for the future missionary.  It, however, lays many useful foundations for those who oversee and encourage missionaries.

__________.  1994. Missions Alive: Revitalizing Missions among the Churches of Christ. Abilene, TX: ACU Press.
This book was specifically written as an introductory primer to equip elders, missions committee leaders, adult Bible classes, and future missionaries to understand the theological, motivational, and philosophical foundations upon which effective missions are based.  Church leaders should consider using it as a quarterly study in adult Bible classes and before congregational seminars in missions.  The text costs $4.95 and multiple copies can be purchased at 40 percent discount for bulk use for Bible classes or seminars.  This book contains the first four chapters of the much larger text Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies.  It can be purchased by writing ACU Press, P.O. Box 29138, Abilene, TX 79699, or calling (915) 674-2720, or emailing Lemmonst@acuprs.acu.edu.