“Have you ever considered doing a Spanish translation of The Sending Church Defined?”
That’s how Michael Boze, pastor of missions at Warsaw Community Church, started the conversation. Michael had just completed Upstream’s Sending Church Elements cohort, where he read The Sending Church Defined and was deeply impacted—so impacted, in fact, that he was giving out copies to his church and beyond.
But that wasn’t enough. “We have a partner in Honduras,” Michael continued, “who is dreaming and praying about planting a ‘sending church’ . . . for the purpose of reaching out and into the isolated, underserved villages which surround that city.” This missions partner, Pastor Roger, would be the catalyst for a much greater vision.
“The bottom line is that we’d like to get this info out into non-English speaking churches and educational institutions. That way we can help the rising missional impact of the global south.”
Upstream’s response? LET’S DO THIS!
Mission Accomplished
Fast forward a year later, and I find myself standing on Warsaw’s stage. I proudly hold the very first print copy of The Sending Church Defined in Spanish. Pastor Roger, who had come to visit the church, is standing across from me. And the best part—the whole thing is a complete surprise.
With the help of a translator, I step forward, tell the whole story, and present the book to Roger. As an author, it’s an unforgettable moment. But my greater joy is seeing a sending church not only love their friend well but also seek to multiply sending churches around the world.
This is exactly what the last Sending Church Element #17, "Influencing Other Churches," is all about. This is the most exponential way that a sending church can multiply their impact. And isn’t this what the Great Commission intends, that we not only make recipients of the gospel, but we seek to disciple senders of the gospel as well?
What About You?
If you, like Warsaw Community Church, desire to influence other churches in helping them send well, let me know. I can give you tips on Sending Church Element #17. And I can provide opportunities to partner with Upstream in global church projects such as translations. As Michael concluded, when it comes to serving other parts of the global church, “It’s fun to get on that train!”
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Want a copy in print?
It is available for purchase on Amazon.
Prefer a digital version?
Download a full PDF for free here.
This article was originally featured at The Upstream Collective.
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