MAP

Recently, I was driving in eastern Kentucky to speak at a church about missions. I use my GPS regularly as I travel all across the state. On this particular trip in eastern Kentucky, my GPS all of a sudden went crazy. The road unexpectedly disappeared on the GPS and the car seemingly was floating on air and going in circles. Eventually, the GPS re-calculated and was back on track.

As I thought about my GPS glitch, I realized that many churches are like my GPS at times. We can easily lose track of our direction and continue driving in circles. We lose sight of our mandate to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). Sometimes we simply need to re-calculate, to re-adjust where we are going as a church.

The Missions Mobilization Team has adapted an assessment tool to help churches do just that, to re-calculate. The tool is called Missions Assessment Profile (MAP). MAP is designed to help church leaders assess their progress in mobilizing their church for missions involvement. It serves to help churches reflect on where they are in comparison to what a truly missions-mobilized church could look like. No church scores perfectly in all areas. Ideally all churches are in a growth process. This tool will help churches assess where they are strong and where they are weak, so that they can strengthen their missions effectiveness and commitment.

Four broad categories are assessed: leading, equipping, supporting, and sending. Each of these areas explores ways that churches can build upon their current missions involvement. Upon taking the assessment, church leaders are encouraged to view the process for missions growth as “baby steps.” Approaching missions with specific goals and action steps allows churches to make manageable progress without becoming overwhelmed at the prospect of making disciples of all nations (all at once).

If you feel as if your church is going in circles, maybe taking the MAP is just what you need to help re-calculate where you are going. Let me know if your church is interested in taking the MAP ([email protected]). We can meet with leadership teams and work on a plan based on the MAP that will help your church focus its sights on making disciples of all nations.