Description

The Sending Church Defined Study Guide

By Mike Easton

This study guide is a companion to The Sending Church Defined and is designed to help churches explore what it means to be a biblical sending church. With options for a one-meeting overview, a four-week deep dive, or a chapter-by-chapter approach, it provides flexible discussion questions and action steps that can be used with elders, staff, missions teams, or church members.

As missions leaders, one of our greatest callings is to help our churches see God’s heart for all nations and embrace the central role of the church in his mission. When church leaders and members alike understand this calling, the whole congregation is better equipped to live as a sending church. One of the most effective ways to cultivate this shared vision is to walk through a book together.

The Sending Church Defined was written to help church members and leaders gain a biblical vision of what it means to be a sending church and to provide a practical guide for pursuing that vision. This companion study guide equips readers to lead others (such as church staff, missions teams, and everyday believers) through meaningful discussion and action steps.

Study Guide Options

In this study guide, you will find questions that spark conversation, deepen conviction, and move your team toward next steps. To serve different contexts, three study options are included:

One-Meeting Option – For a busy leadership team (such as church staff) that can only commit to one gathering.
Four-Meeting Option – For a leadership group (such as a missions team or committee) that can commit to a short series of deeper discussions.
Chapter-by-Chapter Option – For groups that prefer to move at their own pace and walk through the book one chapter at a time. This option includes a set of general discussion questions that can be applied to every chapter so the group can linger as long as needed on themes that resonate most.

Feel free to use whichever approach best serves your church’s context. Our prayer is that, through these conversations, your church will grow not only in understanding what it means to be a sending church but also in embracing that identity together as the people of God.

Tips for Facilitators

You don’t need to be an expert or have all the answers to guide people through The Sending Church Defined. Your role is simply to create space for meaningful conversation, invite participation, and keep the group attentive to God’s Word and what he is saying to your church. Here are some tips to help you lead well:

1. Prepare

Read the assigned chapter(s) in advance and highlight a few key insights or quotes that stood out to you.
Look over the questions provided and choose two or three that will serve your group best. Don’t feel pressure to cover them all.
Pray for your group, asking God to give clarity, unity, and a fresh sense of his heart for all nations.

2. Lead the Discussion

Begin with a reminder of why your group is studying this book together.
Ask open-ended questions and allow space for reflection. Silence is okay—it often means people are thinking deeply.
Encourage participation from everyone. Draw out quieter voices and make sure no one dominates the conversation.
Keep the discussion moving. If one question sparks rich dialogue, lean into it. If energy fades, shift to another.

3. Move Toward Action

At the end of each session, ask questions like:

What key truth do we need to hold on to?
What next step can we take as a church?
What do we need to pray for right now?

ONE-MEETING STUDY GUIDE

If your team only has time for a single discussion, this option will help you identify strengths and growth areas and begin stirring a shared vision for sending. Use the questions below to guide your conversation.

Taking Stock

Read the sending church definition out loud together. What does it tell us about a sending church?
Where do we see the elements of this definition exemplified in Scripture?
Which parts of the definition do you believe our church currently does well? Which parts need the most growth?

Sent and Sending Identity

How do we see our church living as a community of Christ-followers on mission together rather than as individuals pursuing separate callings?
In what ways could we grow in seeing every member own this “sent identity”?

Covenant and Commitment

What does it mean for us to “make a covenant together” in missions?
How might our approach to membership or discipleship better reflect this shared commitment?

Prayerful, Deliberate, and Proactive

Are prayer and intentionality central in how we approach God’s mission?
Where are we proactive in preparing people to be sent, and where are we more reactive?

Developing and Commissioning

How well are we identifying, assessing, and developing those God is calling to go?
What processes or practices could we put in place to strengthen our efforts?

Local and Global Sending

How do we define sending locally versus globally in our context?
What might it look like to integrate these more closely so that both reflect the same heart and vision?

Partnerships

How well are we working with other churches and agencies?
Do these partnerships reflect shared values, healthy collaboration, and mutual benefit?

Ongoing Care and Advocacy

How are we currently encouraging, supporting, and advocating for those we send?
What could we do differently to care for them during their time on the field and upon their return?

Closing Action Step

What is one step we can take to grow as a sending church? Take note of this and close in prayer, asking for God’s direction and blessing.

FOUR-MEETING STUDY GUIDE

This option is for leaders who can commit four gatherings to a deeper exploration of what it means to be a sending church. The rhythm of reading, discussion, and prayer over several weeks will give space for reflection and allow the group to build both conviction and shared direction. Each week follows the progression of The Sending Church Defined, moving from biblical foundations to practical expressions.

WEEK 1

Begin your time by asking each participant to share a favorite quote or key takeaway from the assigned reading. This simple practice accomplishes three things: it shows whether the reading was completed, it reveals what is resonating most with your group, and it gives members the chance to bring God’s truth into the conversation themselves rather than everything coming from you as the leader.

A sending

Where do we see the theme of “sending” throughout Scripture?
- Examples: God himself moves to make creation. Humanity is sent by God to rule the earth and subdue it. Jesus is sent by the Father. The apostles are sent as “missionaries.”
How does the theme of sending shape the purpose of God’s people?
- “God, out of the overflow of his character, is a Sender. We then, by nature, are sent. The imago Dei makes this identity pulse in our veins. The missio Dei moves us to get on our feet and go.” (SCD, p. 17)
Why is the distinction made between “sending” and “missionary”? How might this distinction affect how we communicate identity and purpose to our people?
- “Sending” reflects who God is and who all believers are. “Missionary” is a more specific role.

church

What is the difference between a “biblical basis of mission” and a “missional basis of the Bible”?
Why is it important to frame mission as identity rather than duty?
How could we as a church help our people grasp mission from identity rather than duty?

is a

Are there subtle ways in which we excuse our church from God’s mission?

local

In what ways are we outsourcing missions to missions organizations (negative) versus partnering with them (positive)?
How could we improve at being the nursery, the base, and the home for missionaries?
- “Without vibrant sending churches, the whole missionary enterprise falters. The local church is the nursery where missionary vision is nurtured, the base from which missionaries are sent, and the home to which they return for encouragement and rest. Local churches and mission boards are partners in the great missionary task.” (SCD, p. 39)
What are some ways a missions organization can show a right posture toward sending churches?
How would we grade the missions organizations we currently work with?
If you serve with a missions organization, how might God be calling you to shift your posture toward sending churches? Why is it so important to connect with sending churches and not only the missionaries they send?

community

How are community and mission inseparable in the life of the church?
How can we more closely integrate community and mission in our congregation?

of Christ-followers

Why is having a sending culture foundational to sending cross-cultural missionaries?
How can we better help our members think and live as those who are sent?

WEEK 2

This week’s study focuses on the primary practices of a sending church. Building on the theology discussed in Week 1, the goal is to explore how a church’s convictions should take shape in its commitments, rhythms, and leadership structures.

who have made a covenant

What would need to change in our communication about church membership to highlight the value of covenanting together for God’s mission?

together

Why does individual calling need to be affirmed by the church?
How do we cultivate a culture where calling is discerned and confirmed in community?
The Sending Church Defined says, “Together, the church is God’s missionary to the world. It’s not just that it produces individual missionaries. It is the missionary” (p. 63). How should this truth reshape the way we view our church’s role in sending?

to be

In what ways might we be more focused on the mission itself than on God, our first love?

prayerful

What rhythms of prayer is God asking us to cultivate as a sending church?
Since prayer is the entry point into mission, are we creating regular opportunities for missions-focused prayer in our congregation?

deliberate

What “fork in the road” moments are we giving our people to help them understand and embrace their sentness?
Do we have someone tasked with clear leadership responsibility for promoting cross-cultural sending? If not, what would be the added value of such a role?

and proactive

How well are we cultivating God’s heart for all nations among our members?
What could we do to strengthen this effort?

in developing

How can we become more proactive in identifying potential missionaries?
What process should we establish to assess those seeking to be sent cross-culturally?
What readiness characteristics should we be looking for in those preparing to go overseas?
What training or development pathways already exist in our church? What needs to be added?

commissioning

Are we commissioning broadly (all-inclusive) or strategically (selective)?
How can commissioning cross-cultural workers reinforce the sentness of every church member?

and sending their own members

In what strategic directions do we want to point our potential cross-cultural missionaries?
How can we communicate and promote those opportunities to people who are discerning a call or preparing to go?

WEEK 3

This week’s study focuses on the values a sending church practices in relation to its missionaries and its partnerships with other churches and organizations. The goal is to consider how we send faithfully—not just before missionaries leave, but throughout their ministry and even upon their return.

both locally and globally

How do we define “local missions” in our context? (Is it outreach? International ministry? Ministry to the poor in our city? Something else?)
What are the benefits of connecting our local and global outreach efforts so they flow from the same vision?
How should we nuance the difference between local and global sending in our particular church?

often in partnership

Why is partnership vital to sending?
Who are our current partners, both stateside and abroad?
Do we need to pursue new partnerships or release existing ones? Why or why not?

with other churches or agencies

What unique value do missions agencies bring in their partnership with the local church?
Do the agencies we partner with embody the right posture—supporting the church’s leadership, remaining relationally accessible, aligning theologically, and pursuing strategic cooperation?

and continuing to encourage

Why is caring for cross-cultural missionaries both a theological and practical responsibility?
How are we currently encouraging and caring for those we’ve sent?
What could we do differently or better to strengthen our care?

support

The Sending Church Defined names five areas of support: finances, co-laborers, prayer, logistics, and accountability. In which area(s) are we strong, and in which are we weak?
What concrete steps could we take to grow in the weaker area(s)?

and advocate for them

Why is having an advocate valuable for the missionary in the field?
Why is advocacy also valuable for the sending church?
What would it look like for us to establish (or strengthen) an advocacy process for our missionaries?

WEEK 4

This final week’s study highlights the reality that sending is not just a pre-field process. Faithful sending continues while missionaries are on the field and extends through their return. A sending church remains involved in discipleship, cross-cultural ministry, and long-term care in every stage of sending.

while making disciples

If cross-cultural missionaries are a product of their local church, what can we do to strengthen our disciple-making processes?
How could we invite and equip returned or visiting missionaries to positively influence disciple-making within our church?

cross-culturally

What do we believe biblically about the importance of cross-cultural ministry?
To what extent is that belief reflected among our members?

and upon their return

How can we most practically and effectively serve missionaries during furloughs or transitions?
What kind of debriefing process should be in place for those re-entering? What questions should we be asking?
What professional counseling or care resources could we connect them with?

Conclusion

As you close your study, consider what next steps your church should take in each of the following areas:

Prayer – How will we grow in prayer for the nations and for those we send?
Consultation – Whom should we seek wisdom from outside our church?
Collaboration – What partnerships should we pursue or strengthen?
Education – How can we help our members better understand God’s mission?
Practice – What habits or rhythms should we begin as a church?
Exploration – Where do we sense God leading us to step out in faith?

Bibliography

Look over the bibliography in The Sending Church Defined. If you could choose three books to read next as a team, which would they be, and why?

CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE

For groups that prefer to move more slowly and reflect on each chapter of The Sending Church Defined, this option provides a flexible approach for doing so. Rather than following a fixed schedule, you can take one chapter per meeting or combine shorter chapters when it makes sense. The key is consistency: gathering regularly, discussing the insights together, and discerning how they apply to your church’s life and mission.

How to Use This Option

Assign chapter(s) for each meeting.
Begin by inviting participants to share a favorite quote or key idea from the reading.
Use the general discussion questions below to guide your conversation. (You don’t need to cover all of them every time—choose those that are most relevant to your context.)
End each meeting with prayer and one practical action step.

General Discussion Questions for Any Chapter

What was most helpful, surprising, or challenging to you in this chapter?
How does this chapter affirm or stretch our church’s current practices?
What do we need to celebrate and thank God for based on what we read?
Where might God be calling us to repent, change, or grow?
What is one concrete next step we can take as a church in response to this chapter?
Who in our church leadership needs to hear these insights, and how can we share them?

Closing Each Session

Pray in light of what was discussed. Thank God for his mission and ask for wisdom in next steps.
Write down one action point (even a small one) and assign responsibility for follow-up.

This approach allows your group to linger over the material and have space for Scripture reading, reflection, and Spirit-led application.

Next Steps

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

Make a list of people in your church who would benefit from going through this resource together. Gather those people for four weeks and walk through The Sending Church Defined together.
As an alternative to a book study, identify key passages of Scripture that reflect the sending nature of God and his church. Then cultivate a Bible study based on these passages.
After going through The Sending Church Defined, consider following it with The Sending Church Applied. This followup book guides readers through seventeen elements of healthy sending.