How to Build Relationships with Other Missions Leaders

Being a missions leader can often feel isolating—but it doesn’t have to be. This resource is designed to help you build relationships with other missions leaders in your city or network. Whether you’re just starting with one-on-one conversations or ready to gather a group, you’ll find practical steps, reflection questions, and ideas for collaboration. Use it as a guide to form mutually beneficial connections that encourage you in your role and help extend your church’s influence.

Chances are, there’s a regular gathering of local pastors in your town or city. These meetings can take many forms—some are designed to foster unity, others to pursue shared goals or simply to provide encouragement and healthy communication. Their purpose, attendance, and effectiveness often vary depending on the size and types of churches involved.

These gatherings tend to be most effective when they bring together like-minded leaders serving in similar roles. When I (Mike) served in college ministry—particularly in international student ministry—our campus ministry leaders would regularly meet for prayer, encouragement, and mutual support. These gatherings were especially meaningful because international ministry was such a niche role, and we had much to learn from one another’s experiences.

Missions leadership in the church is similarly uncommon. It’s often one of the last roles a church formally establishes, and frequently it’s added to an existing staff member’s responsibilities. Even if it becomes a full-time position, the scope and focus are typically quite different from other ministry roles in the church. That’s why it’s so important for missions leaders to build relationships with others in similar roles—for encouragement, perspective, and shared learning.

If you’re in a large city, there’s a good chance other churches nearby have part-time or full-time missions leaders. Even in smaller towns, or if you’re a lay leader or just stepping into the role, you’ll likely find churches with missions point people or outreach volunteers. And if local options are limited, consider reaching out through your denomination, church network, or reconnecting with others you’ve met through Upstream events or cohorts.

The following principles and practical ideas are meant to help you gather with other missions leaders—whether that’s face-to-face with others in your city or over video with trusted peers across the country.

Getting Started

Begin by simply building relationships with other missions leaders. A great first step is to meet one-on-one over coffee. Come with a posture of genuine curiosity—ask questions that help you get to know who they are and what they do. For example:

• How did you become interested in missions?

• What are your church’s key partnerships?

• How did you decide on those partnerships?

• Where do you send short-term teams?

• What’s worked well, and what hasn’t?

• How do you balance your church responsibilities with your global missions work?

As you have these conversations with different leaders, you may begin to see what God is doing—not only in your own church, but across others as well. These one-on-one connections could eventually open the door to wider collaboration. You might find it helpful to meet occasionally with two or three leaders at once, as schedules allow, for shared encouragement and learning.

Start small and keep it relational. If all that comes from this effort is a few meaningful connections, don’t undervalue it—you’ve taken an important step in growing as a missions leader. That alone is worth celebrating.

Gathering a Group

As you begin to meet regularly with two or three missions leaders and find those conversations over coffee or lunch to be encouraging and fruitful, it may be time to consider what more God might have in store. Are there others who could benefit from joining a regular gathering of missions leaders? Would it serve your current group well to invite others in? Could adding a bit more structure and intentionality help the group flourish?

You may ultimately decide the answer is no—and that’s perfectly fine. A small, trusted group can often be the most fruitful. Don’t sacrifice meaningful relationships in an effort to include everyone. But if you sense there's a growing opportunity, start exploring how to gather other missions leaders in your area.

Next, consider the logistics. Would your group be best served by meeting in person, or would video calls work better given your geographic spread?

Think about meeting frequency. What rhythm will build meaningful relationships and maintain momentum without overwhelming already full schedules? In most cases, meeting once a month strikes the right balance. If your meetings are spaced more than two months apart, it’s easy to lose connection. More frequent meetings, however, are often unsustainable for busy leaders.

You’ll also want to clarify the purpose of your gatherings. Here are several goals to consider. While you likely won’t pursue all of them, identifying a few shared objectives will help guide your time together:

• Mutual encouragement and shared learning

• Relating to one another’s unique church contexts

• Consulting one another on job responsibilities and vision

• Discussing a specific sending church principle or practice

• Mentoring newer missions leaders

• Partnering to reach local internationals and refugees

• Sharing overseas partnerships for collaboration in funding, short-term trips, or long-term sending

Once you have a few leaders interested, gather to discuss what goals make the most sense and how often you’ll meet. Start with low expectations and build over time. Almost every group I’ve been part of begins with excitement, but it’s normal for a few members to fade due to shifting schedules or ministry demands. Don’t be discouraged. Stay flexible. Allow for seasons of dormancy, especially if turnover is high or momentum dips.

Pursuing a network of missions leaders in your city is deeply worthwhile. But don’t put unnecessary pressure on it—it’s okay to miss a meeting or let the group evolve over time.

What to Do with the Group Time

While group time is dependent on the makeup and purpose of the group, a discussion around missions leadership, one of the sending church elements, or practical ways to partner is a great place to start. You might even agree to read through a book and discuss it together. Here are some categories and questions to consider:

Missions Leadership

• What are the open doors in your church right now for expanding the global missions vision?

• What are the roadblocks to the vision?

• How are you “leading up” in your church to influence staff, leaders, elders, pastors, deacons, etc. with the vision?

Upstream’s Sending Church Elements

• In what ways are you cultivating missions awareness in your church?

• What are your missions convictions? If you or the other leaders do not have missions convictions, talk through how to develop them.

• Share each other’s vision documents. Ask questions of one another like:

  • What strategic initiatives are you a part of because of your vision?

  • What is the value of short-term trips? How do you train people to go? 

  • What are the characteristics you are looking for in someone who should go cross-culturally? 

  • Who are you identifying that we could pray for? 

  • What do you do to commission your people? Consider attending a commissioning service at another church or sending around a link to watch one online. 

Practical Ways to Partner

• Mobilization: Are there any partnership opportunities for mobilizing your church members together, such as videos, initiatives, introduction to missions classes, or events? Is someone bringing a speaker to your city who could visit your church to make their trip more cost- and time-effective?

• Local cross-cultural ministry: Is there an opportunity to start a group outreach together to reach those in your area from other countries? 

• Indigenous partners: Are there any global partners or ministries that are under-resourced that could use more connection from one of our churches? Could you co-lead some short-term trips together? Imagine the unity that could happen in your city if people from multiple churches went on short-term trips together!

• Training missionary candidates: Would there be any speakers, trainings, or classes you could share the costs of traveling to or hosting in your area?

• Missionary housing: A missions house isn’t generally used all year round. Would it make sense to purchase a missions house together? Or could one church purchase it but make it available for other churches to rent for their missionaries?

Books

• Upstream books such as The Sending Church Defined, The Sending Church Applied, and Tradecraft: For the Church on Mission

• Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that Send by J.D. Greear

• You Are Sent: Finding Your Place in God’s Global Mission by Nathan Sloan

• A missionary biography, such as Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot

A Church Example

One of the most compelling examples of missions collaboration I’ve seen comes from a group of churches in a city in Alabama. Over time, through natural interactions between missions leaders and church members, relationships deepened and a shared vision emerged. Eventually, a team of six people was formed to launch a new initiative to reach North Africa.

What made this effort unique was that it wasn’t just one church behind it—it was three. Despite representing different congregations, these churches were able to come together around a common goal. They agreed on the location, the sending agency, and the leadership structure. Their existing relationships, shared missional convictions, and desire to see broader impact made this collaboration not only possible but powerful.

Take the First Step Toward Shared Influence

What might God do if you took a step toward Sending Church Element #17: Influencing Other Churches? While developing the other sixteen Sending Church Elements is foundational, this final element invites your church to move from internal growth to external influence. As your church matures in sending, consider how you might champion, serve, and collaborate with other churches to advance the Great Commission together.

Start by building relationships. Stay humble and open-handed. The task of reaching the nations is far too great for any one church—but together, we can send more faithfully and fruitfully.

Next Steps

The journey toward sending well happens one step at a time. Here are three ways you can continue moving upstream:

1. Make a list of 4-6 other missions leaders in your city or your network—schedule lunches with each of them to begin building deeper relationships.

2. Download the Upstream resource “Partnering with Upstream to Influence Other Churches” to explore ways your church can join in the sending church movement around the world. 

3. Watch the Upstream training, “Banding Together: Mobilizing Churches to Multiplication,” on the Upstream site for an example of churches coming together to influence one another.