SBS | 4th Quarter of 2023 | CPAD Adults | Theme: To the Ends of the Earth – Preaching the Gospel to all Peoples until the Return of Christ | Sunday Bible School | Lesson 7 – The Church’s Responsibility to Missionaries Slides created by Celso Napoleon

1. The Church's Responsibility to Missionaries
November 12, 2023
Lesson 7

2. GOLDEN TEXT
“So, while we have time, let us do good to
everyone, but especially to those who are
faithful.” (Gal 6.10)

3. PRACTICAL TRUTH
It is the role of the Church to be fully
responsible for the care of its
missionaries.

4. DAILY READING
Second - Acts 11.19-26; Acts 13:1-5 - In Antioch there was a church with a
missionary conscience
Tuesday - Acts 14.25-28; 16.1-8 - The awareness of the church's responsibility
towards the missionary
Wednesday - Phil 1.3-11 - The church's concern and constant care for the
missionary
Thursday - Acts 20.1-6 - The church's joyful and honorable reception of the
missionaries
Friday - Rom 12.13 - The importance of the local church communicating the need
for missionaries
Saturday - Acts 13.1-3 - When the church prays and fasts for missionaries

5. BIBLE READING IN CLASS
1 Corinthians 9.9-14
9 - For in the law of Moses it is written: You shall not muzzle
the ox that treads the grain. Does God care for the oxen?
10 - Or is he not saying it for us? Surely it is written for us;
because he who plows must plow with hope, and he who
threshes must thresh with the hope of being a participant.
11 - If we sow spiritual things to you, will it be too much for
us to gather carnal things from you?

6. 12 - If others share this power over you, why not, more
precisely, us? But we do not use this right; rather, we
endure everything, so as not to put any hindrance to the
gospel of Christ.
13 - Do you not know that those who administer what
is sacred eat what is from the temple? And that those
who are continually at the altar participate in the altar?
14 - Thus also the Lord commanded those who preach
the gospel, to live by the gospel.

7. INTRODUCTION
One of the important duties of the Church is to take full care of
missionaries, identifying, preparing, sending and caring for them
while they work in the field and end their career. This care must
also cover the missionaries' spouses and children, taking into
account that everyone needs to adapt to a new cross-cultural
reality so that the work develops as closely as possible to plan.
Therefore, in this lesson, we will study the responsibility of the
local church towards the missionary and his family.
KEYWORD: Responsibility

8. I – THE CHURCH AND THE SUPPORT
SYSTEM FOR MISSIONARIES
1. The responsibility of the church. The missionary
support system is a basic and ongoing responsibility of
churches everywhere. In this sense, certain principles must
remain clear regarding the support system for
missionaries: a) the church must be biblically aware that
the missionary is a worker trained by the local church and,
therefore, is entirely under its responsibility (Acts 11:19 -
26; Acts 13.1-5; 14.25-28; 16.1-8);

9. b) he is a worker guided by the pastor of the church and
sent to carry out missionary work according to the vision
that the Holy Spirit gives to the church (Acts 6.6; 1.24); c)
on the other hand, it is the missionary's duty to provide
periodic reports on the development of the work in the
field (Acts 15.4,12; 21.19); d) the entire missionary support
system must allow missionaries to use the maximum of
their time and energy in missions work.

10. 2. The support system and the “work of faith”. All
missionary work is “a work of faith,” from beginning to
end. So, whatever the support system, missionaries must
trust God and depend on the faithfulness of their people.
Without faith, prayer and sacrifice, missionary work will
fail. Thus, both missionaries and those who support them
must be people of faith, as they obey Jesus' command
(“Go and make disciples”), there is growth and expansion
of God's work (Acts 2.42-46).

11. 3. The objective of Missions. It is good to remember
that the objective of Missions is for Christ to be known
and worshiped everywhere. Those who do missionary
work in a way that honors Christ will have all their needs
met (Phil 4:19). It is wonderful to know that in missionary
work, first and foremost, the presence of Jesus is with us.
It is no coincidence that the Holy Spirit works through our
lives to make the name of Jesus reach places and hearts
that do not know Him. Therefore, let there be all the
support and planning in the local church so that the name
of Jesus is known everywhere through missionary work!

12. SYNOPSIS I
The local church has the responsibility
to care for the missionary and his
family sent to the field.

13. II – THE COMPLETE CARE OF
MISSIONARIES
1. Comprehensive care. The local church has a more comprehensive
responsibility, looking after those who are working in the missionary field.
In this case, the missionary needs to be fully cared for by the church. With
comprehensive care we mean the entire sphere of the missionary's life,
that is, not only in the financial area, but also in the spiritual, emotional,
physical and social area, pastoral support while he is in the field, with love
and respect, so that you can overcome the internal and external difficulties
that arise during the ministry (Acts 17.14,15). Throughout the New
Testament, we see the constant concern of the churches with the
missionaries who preached the Gospel in distant places (Phil 1.3-11).
Therefore, this care also concerns planning visits to missionaries in the
field.

14. 2. An agenda regarding the missionary’s return. We can
also see how the churches received the apostles in a joyful
and honorable way (Acts 20:1-6). In this aspect, the local
church must help organize the missionary's schedule during
his return for vacation, with regard to visits, consultations or
medical and dental treatments, leisure and rest periods, as
well as administrative activities. Therefore, embracing
missionaries and their families is part of the missionaries’
comprehensive care.

15. SYNOPSIS II
Missionary care involves all
possible spheres of a family sent to
a new cross-cultural reality.

16. III – PRACTICAL WAYS TO COMMIT TO
MISSIONARIES
1. Communicate needs. Everything in God's work involves
communication. We find this principle in the Bible, when we read:
“communicate with the saints in their needs” (Rom 12:13). In this
sense, the local church must commit to regular communication of
missionary commitments and needs. This communication can be
done during regular worship or via email, telephone, text messages,
etc. The idea is for the local church to become aware of how the
church's missionary agenda is developed, as well as to receive first-
hand news about the main activities in the missionary field.

17. 2. Donate to meet needs. Life on the mission field can
be challenging, exhausting, and difficult. In the midst of
stress and struggles, many missionaries often feel
disconnected and forgotten by the church that sends
them, especially when faced with shortages in the field. In
this sense, it is important that the local church gives
missionaries the opportunity to share these needs and,
thus, the church feels called to cooperate in donations, as
the church in Corinth was called to do (1 Cor 8.1-7).

18. 3. Pray and fast for the cause. We have already studied the
importance of prayer in the missionary cause. However, what we
want to reinforce here is the need for prayer combined with
fasting as a practical way for the local church to commit to
missionaries. In this sense, it is very important for leaders of
local churches to call on God's people to pray and fast for
missionaries in the field. Note that prayer and fasting are the
basis for sending Paul and Barnabas to the missionary field (Acts
13:1-3). Furthermore, in addition to collective convocations,
individual commitment to prayer and fasting is very important.
Reaching missionaries with this commitment through instant
messaging applications is a very encouraging example of
commitment, support and support for the missionary and his
family.

19. SYNOPSIS III
It is necessary to communicate the needs of
missionaries, develop aid and prayer campaigns
for those who were sent.

20. CONCLUSION
In this lesson we were encouraged to learn about the needs of
missionaries. You and your family can make a big difference in
their lives and those of their respective families. If our heart is
in missions, our knees will be bent, our testimony will reach
people and our finances will invest in what is eternal (Mt 6.19-
21). Therefore, God wants his people to commit to and take
responsibility for the missionaries who serve in the field. There
are blessings beyond measure for those who carry out
missionary work.

21. REVIEWING THE CONTENT
1. Name at least two principles that should remain clear
regarding the missionary support system.
a) The church must be biblically aware that the missionary is a
worker trained by the local church and, therefore, is entirely
under its responsibility (At 11.19-26; At 13.1-5; 14.25-28; 16.1-8);
b) he is a worker guided by the pastor of the church and sent to
carry out missionary work according to the vision that the Holy
Spirit gives to the church (Acts 6.6; 1.24).
2. According to the lesson, what is the objective of the Missions?
The objective of Missions is for Christ to be known and
worshiped everywhere.

22. 3. What kind of care does the missionary need to receive from the local
church?
The missionary needs to be fully cared for by the church. With
comprehensive care we want to refer to the entire sphere of the
missionary's life, that is, not only in the financial area, but also in the
spiritual, emotional, physical and social area.
4. What awareness should the local church take regarding mission field
communication?
The local church must be aware of how the church's missionary agenda
is developed, as well as receive first-hand news about the main activities
in the mission field.
5. What opportunities can the local church offer missionaries?
It is important that the local church gives missionaries the opportunity to
share these needs and, thus, the church feels called to cooperate in
donations, as the church in Corinth was called to do (1 Cor 8.1-7).

23. REFERENCES
CPAD. Até os Confins da Terra: pregando o Evangelho a todos
os povos até a Volta de Cristo. Rio de Janeiro: Casa Publicadora
das Assembleias de Deus (CPAD), 2023. (Lições Bíblicas,
Adultos CPAD).
SOCIEDADE BÍBLICA DO BRASIL (org.). Bíblia De Estudo
Plenitude Revista E Atualizada. Barueri, SP: SBB, 2005.

24. SBS | 4th Quarter of 2023 | CPAD Adults | Theme: To the
Ends of the Earth – Preaching the Gospel to all Peoples until
the Return of Christ | Sunday Bible School | Lesson 7 – The
Church’s Responsibility to Missionaries
Slides created by Celso Napoleon

25. LESSONS:
1. The Great Commission: An Ethnocentric Approach
2. Transcultural Missions: To their Origin in the Nature of God
3. Cross-cultural Missions in the Old Testament
4. Cross-cultural Missions in the New Testament
5. A Pentecostal Perspective on Missions
6. Praying, Contributing and Doing Missions
7. The Church’s Responsibility towards Missionaries
8. Tentmaking Missionaries
9. The Church and Missionary Support
10. The 10/40 Window Challenge
11. Missions and the Persecuted Church
12. The Missions Model of the Church of Antioch
13. The Purpose of Missions
14. Missions and the Return of the Lord Jesus