The Sending Triangle: Helping Global Workers Launch Well

The sending triangle is a crucial element in making sure a cross-cultural worker thrives from start to finish. Each entity (or corner of the triangle) is vital to the success of the mission. 

The sending church is tasked with commissioning workers, gathering the human resources for Advocacy Teams (more on these team later), mobilizing financial partners and prayer partners, and providing the spiritual and pastoral care for each commissioned worker. 

The sending agency is responsible for clear and consistent strategy, coaching, and ongoing spiritual care through the entirety of the global worker’s career.

The global worker is responsible for recruiting partners in prayer, financial, and other supportive relationships that will sustain them on the field. The global worker is also responsible for pursuing the mission, obediently following Christ, and in time, becoming an expert on the field.

When all three parties communicate and co-labor well, the mission at hand has the greatest chance for effectiveness and success. The sending church remains actively engaged, the sending agency actively supports the mission and the worker, and the global worker has their ongoing needs for community, advocacy, and support met. 

Sending Church Responsibilities (Shepherd Focus)

Initial Commissioning

This initial period is for the church to identify the sent ones among them and launch the global worker well. Resources are collected to support them, advocacy teams installed for their ongoing care, and a plan is established for the spiritual care of the worker.

Develop an Advocacy Team

An Advocacy Team is the most tangible expression of the body of Christ’s commitment to support missionaries. This team coordinates, supports, and encourages the missionary units (single, couple, or family). The Advocacy Team also serves as the global workers’ representatives to their local body. The team exists to provide strong personal relationships, where the cross-cultural workers can be open and honest, allowing them to share needs, wins and losses, and provide a confidential environment of support and trust. 

Ongoing Spiritual, Relational, and Congregational Support

The entire local church needs to be involved in supporting missionaries. Just as NASA would not simply light a rocket’s fuse without providing operational support, the role of the church and the global worker is to consistently communicate regarding the mission. After all, it is a shared mission between those carrying out the work and those facilitating it from the ground, ensuring adjustments in trajectory are made along the way. This is where the ongoing work of the Advocacy Team is critical to a well-executed mission.

Sending Agency (Apostolic Focus)

Clear Strategy 

The sending organization helps the candidate create a clear strategy aligned with the overall mission of the sending agency and sending church. The mission agency commits to continuing to provide clear strategy throughout the global worker’s terms on the field and into resettling.

Coaching

Success comes through committed coaches empowering the global worker to flourish on the field. The mission agency collaborates with the worker to create ministry action plans, language acquisition strategies, and cross-cultural training. 

Ongoing Strategic, Coaching, and Spiritual Alignment

Global workers need to receive regular spiritual guidance from the sending organization while on the field. This means the mission agency provides ongoing support through counseling, spiritual direction, and pastoral support. Providing ongoing spiritual alignment is vital for the global worker to abide in community, abide in Christ, and stay steadfast in mission readiness. 

Global Worker: (Field Focus)

Sent Ones

The global worker determines that they are called by God to become a cross-cultural servant. They wait and grow in faithfulness while their sending church and sending organization is established and begins working towards developing a support structure. This includes financial partners, advocacy teams, and advice from church leaders, as well as with the leaders in the sending organization. 

Co-Laborers

Co-laboring with Christ starts before, during, and after the worker arrives on the field. Language acquisition and orientation to cross-cultural life bring great ministry opportunities. The global worker begins to execute the vision God gave to go and make disciples.

Becoming Experts on the Ground

In time, the global worker becomes the expert on the ground for the sending church. The worker communicates with the sending church—and the sending agency—about local needs and how both the church and agency can support the mission through advocacy, funding, in-person visits, or technical support from afar.

A sending triangle framework where all three parties are uniquely responsible for the success of the mission is often neglected in missiology today. GEM believes it is important to recognize the needs—and responsibilities—of all three entities. 

The local church is not simply responsible for sending dollars overseas, but to be fully devoted to sending and supporting global workers well. The sending agency is responsible for providing strategic, missional, and spiritual support while consistently communicating with the other parties involved. Finally, the global worker is responsible for being intentional in their relationship with their sending church and in routine communication with the sending agency regarding important life events and mission critical adjustments.

When these three entities work together, we will see the fruits of our shared missional success as Europe—and beyond—is transformed by Jesus.

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About the Author: Greg Salvo serves as the Relationship Manager for GEM USA, recruiting and equipping church leaders with tools they need to see their congregations effectively serve on mission.