Prioritizing the Church in Missions

9Marks Church-Centered Missions

By: John Folmar, Scott Logsdon, Jonathan Leeman, Brooks Buser, Conrad Mbewe

Narrated by: Conrad Bear

Encourage Long-Term Faithfulness in Missions with a Biblically Informed Strategy That Recenters the Church

The church is the origin, means, and end of missions. Scripture calls on missionaries to start and strengthen churches where new believers—and more missionaries—can grow. But today, many Christians downplay the role of the church in favor of pragmatism and parachurch ministries, weakening the missions cause.

In this brief guide, pastors John Folmar and Scott Logsdon share their decades of experience working as pastors in Muslim countries. Showing how healthy churches are essential for fulfilling the Great Commission, they teach biblical ecclesiology and missiology with wisdom and real-world advice from the field. They also caution listeners against movement-driven missions, theological minimalism, and other techniques that replace the church's God-given roles of equipping, training, and sending missionaries. Offering an effective, biblical strategy for global evangelism, Prioritizing the Church in Missions helps pastors and churches not only make Christ known throughout the world but ensure that God's word is preserved long after missionaries leave.

• Accessible Guide on Ecclesiology and Missiology: Explores the biblical role of the church in equipping, training, and sending qualified missionaries as well as the dangers of unhealthy missions practices
• Practical: Equips churches for effective evangelism, expositional preaching, prayer, and partnering together in the Great Commission
• Helps Churches Build a Biblically Informed Missionary Strategy: Ideal for missions-minded pastors, staff, students, and lay believers
• Part of the 9Marks Church-Centered Missions Series

©2025 John Folmar (P)2025 Crossway

The Church needs this Book

This book applies and talks mostly about foreign missions, but it's also desperately needed in addressing non-profit culture. Right now, the tail is wagging the dog in local missions and until the Church takes its rightful place in leading missions we will continue to see terrible results.