What if the most strategic thing you could do for God’s mission… is pray?

Before the plans, the conversations, the courage—there is dependence. In this powerful adaptation from A Field Guide for Everyday Mission, we’re reminded that mission doesn’t begin with better methods, but with deeper surrender. Drawing on Andrew Murray’s call to humility and Jesus’ invitation to abide in the Vine, this article outlines five transformative prayers that shape a life on mission.

What if Christian community wasn’t built on preference, but on promise? This reflection explores gospel partnership as shared lives, shared mission, and deep joy in what God is already doing.

This exercise asks you to reflect on ways that parents and others support children in a literal household, especially as they’re sent out of a household (e.g. when they leave for college, military, or career). We then ask you to consider how those principles can inform ways leaders of a sending church or group can support people being sent out for the sake of God’s mission. If you have not had the experience of a child leaving the household yet, or simply to get more ideas, consider doing this exercise as a team!

As you consider your church’s or group’s readiness to send people into a new mission field, church, or group, here are a few questions to consider as you prayerfully plan for the impact.

The primary goal of an ARCI chart, also known as a responsibility assignment matrix, is to clearly define and communicate roles and responsibilities within ministry areas or processes, for the sake of your church’s staff and volunteer clarity. It helps ensure everyone understands their specific tasks, who is accountable for them, who executes, and who needs to be consulted or informed.

A sending culture must start with a sending vision. A sending vision flows from your church’s view of discipleship. The exercise below can help you assess your current discipleship culture, and take tangible nexts step toward a culture of sending.

A sending vision flows from your church’s view of discipleship. Many churches, groups, and organizations say they want to equip others to participate in discipleship and disciple-making. But to make that aspiration a reality, a culture must be created views sending as a normal part of every Christian’s discipleship. The exercise below can help you assess your current discipleship vision, and take tangible nexts step toward a vision for sending.

In this exercise, you (and your team) will consider the metrics you currently measure — overtly or implied. You’ll celebrate God’s work in each of those things you currently measure in your specific church. Then you’ll consider additional metrics to help your church prioritize sending, by turning their collective eyes outward toward the mission field and broader kingdom beyond your specific church.

Nearly every church is planted by another church that was planted by another church, which was in turn started by still another. By accident or intentionality, your church likely came out of another church (or churches, or ministries), which came out of still another church or ministry, etc. Use this sheet to trace your church's history as far back as you can.

This exercise helps plan a long runway for sending, which involves helping people discover and thrive in their giftings, and “equip[ping] the saints for the work of ministry.”

This fall has felt unusually full—good things layered on top of one another until even the most carefully built rhythms disappeared. As someone who finds rest in planning and routine, the loss of predictability exposed just how much I rely on my calendar for stability. Yet in the chaos, God has been quietly reshaping my trust—meeting me not in well-ordered seasons, but in daily, moment-by-moment provision. Through unexpected grace, small mercies, and interrupted plans, I’m being reminded again of an old but necessary lesson: dependence on God isn’t seasonal—it’s daily.

Why does ministry feel so much easier than discipleship—and what happens when we flip the script?

The Bible displays two primary groups of people that God sends us to, as we live out His mission: those in need and our neighbors.

This exercise invites you to study your neighborhood, city, workplace or community to start to know the ins and outs of your missional sphere.

A helpful “first step” to take in getting to know others more deeply is intentionally learning each other’s stories. This is true whether you have walked with people for a long while or whether you just formed a new group.

This exercise invites you to look at the things that shape and form you, either in light of or instead of the story God says is most true of you.

The practice of lament is lost in our modern world. Most people will distract or steel themselves rather than enter into a process of lament. Often misunderstood, lament is seen as a synonym for grief or venting anger, and what good does that do? The Bible teaches us a way to lament that leads to hope even amidst suffering. This exercise will help dig into what Scripture has to say about this lost art.

This exercise invites you to reflect on how the gospel might sound like good news in tangible ways, into real life scenarios people face. The “four movements” of the Story of God show us how Jesus gives us a true and better vision for different aspects of peoples’ worldview and common perceptions.

It can be difficult to define a shared mission — but such definition is often less about creating something brand new, and more about discerning and discovering what God is already doing among your community, together.

This exercise is provided to help make the connection from God’s commands to our daily lives.