Prioritizing the Church in Missions

Prioritizing the Church in Missions
by Aaron Menikhoff and Harshit Singh

1. Would you Recommend this Book?

Absolutely, it played a significant role in shifting how I view missions.


2. What is the Main Point?

The main point is implied by the title, that the local church, not parachurch organizations or individual missionaries, is God’s primary means and authority for carrying out the Great Commission. The authors point out that the modern church often acts as if it has forgotten this reality, emphasizing speed and strategy over ecclesiastical centrality.
 
The simple thesis is that the local church is both the means and the end of missions; it should be the church that is primarily responsible for training, equipping, appointing and sending missionaries, and the goal of the missionary efforts on the field should be aimed at planting or building local churches.


3. Which Parts should I read if I’m short on Time?

Chapters 1-3 present the primary argument of the book, while the rest of the book fleshes out what that can and should look like; so chapters 1-3.


4. Why does this book Matter?

So much of our modern ills are due to the modern church, at least in the West, not being all that God has called it to be, and due to a lower view of the church by everyday Christians than any generation before us. If we are to be faithful to the Great Commission, we must ground missions in the church. It is the church that the gates of hell will not prevail against, it is the church that is a pillar and buttress of the truth, it is the church that has been given the keys to Christ’s kingdom. Additionally, the church is God’s primary tool of discipleship; so if we go preach the gospel in new places and see people converted, but leave these people on their own or without this God-ordained tool, we are not finishing the call of the Great Commission.


5. Is this Book an “Easy-Read?” (Include Length)

Yes it is, it was written not just or even primarily for pastors, but for church members. 232 Pages.

 
6. Who is this Author and what did you think of their writing?

Menikhoff and Singh are two of the leading pastors in ACME, the missions association that we are members of at King’s Fellowship. I enjoyed their writing very much and look forward to reading more from them. They are not just scholars, they are pastors doing the ordinary work in local churches, and you can feel it in their writing.


7. What is One Key Take-Away or Application for my life?

Looking for opportunities to give to missions is great, but prioritize giving through your local church and to missionaries that are endeavoring to plant or build churches.

 
8. What was One point of Disagreement?None that I can remember.


9. What are any other things that stood out to You?

Parachurch missions organizations can be wonderful things if those organizations see their task as being servants and partners of the local churches of which their missionaries are members. This is all relatively new to me, personally, but we have worked some already with Reaching & Teaching and they have just been incredible in this regard.


10. Have you read any books similar to this one that you would recommend one to read first to help with this one?

No prerequisite needed. There is a parallel book to this one that is coming out soon (may be out when you read this) that is titled Prioritizing the Church in Missions I believe. 9Marks has a new series of books on missions that they are unrolling currently.