1. General

1.1. Our Purpose

Westgate Church is a fellowship of believers who seek to glorify God through: worship, evangelizing our community and world, and making faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1.2. Our Vision

It is the vision and goal of Westgate Church to aggressively carry out the command of Christ’s Great Commission. Therefore, we view missions as an essential ministry of our church and our individual members. We are committed to the mobilization of our own resources (prayer, monetary, and human) for the objective of reaching all peoples of the world for Christ.

1.3. Definition of Missions

For the purposes of this Missions Policy, “missions” shall be defined as any ministry carried on outside the local congregation at Westgate Church and not directly under the jurisdiction of Westgate Church, the purpose of which is to fulfill the Great Commission by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ through evangelism, discipling, church planting, and church development. We recognize the importance of meeting other human needs while carrying on any of these ministries, in accordance with Christ’s great commandment.

Westgate Church considers the primary need for missions to be that of reaching the lost who exist in a cultural setting different from our own, and who generally do not have easy access to the Gospel (see Section 2.5). Therefore, the priority for missionary support by the Westgate Church Missions Program should be in the area of cross-cultural outreach outside of the U.S., or in a subculture within the U.S. Westgate Church considers “same-culture” outreach within the vicinity of the local church to be the primary responsibility of the local church—including Westgate Church. However, "same-culture" outreach carried on outside the vicinity of Westgate Church (for instance, campus, prison, or crisis pregnancy ministries) may fall within the auspices of the Missions Program at Westgate.

1.4. Purpose for a Written Missions Policy

This policy, as approved by the Board of Elders of Westgate Church and by congregational vote of Westgate Church members, has been developed carefully, through prayer, in order to improve the effectiveness of the Westgate Church missions program by:

1. Guiding the administration of the Missions Program.

2. Assisting in achieving a clear sense of direction.

3. Guiding in making objective decisions.

4. Assisting in our church-wide promotion of missions.

5. Informing missionaries and prospective missionaries regarding involvement with Westgate Church.

6. Making information available to new Missions Board members and others active and interested in missions.

Through the process of carrying out our Missions Program, our goal is that the Lord’s resources will be used most effectively and the congregation of Westgate Church will willingly and continually increase their missions commitment out of a deepening love for the Lord Jesus, and a desire to see all peoples come to worship Him as Savior and Lord.

1.5. The Scriptural Basis for Missions and the Westgate Church Ministry

We believe that the word of God as contained in the Holy Scriptures is the foundation of our missions ministry. The following represents some of the passages, which address the mandate for missions.

1.5.1. Why Missions?

The following Scriptures show us clearly why we should have an active missions ministry:

a. God Desires It

1 Timothy 2:1-5 “I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men....”

As God’s work force on earth, Christians should be dedicated to implementing His desires under His guidance through the Word, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. Our goals should be aligned with God’s to bring all men—from every people group—to a saving knowledge of Jesus.

b. Jesus Commanded It

Matthew 28:18‑20 “Then Jesus came unto them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His 11 disciples in the mountains near Galilee, and instructed them with these verses of Scripture known throughout the Christian Church as the “Great Commission.” We today are, by His grace, His disciples; the Great Commission is our commission, and His power and authority is just as relevant now as it was in the early church. His promise to be with His disciples always is still true for us today. He promises to be with His disciples to the end of the age as they reach others with the Gospel. Who is to be reached? Jesus says here that disciples must be made from “all nations” (or more precisely all “people groups,” regardless of political or geographical boundaries that typically define “nations”).

c. Jesus Empowered it

Acts 1:8 “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

While this Scripture had its immediate fulfillment at the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we believe that all members of the body of Christ have received the Holy Spirit. It is this power that guarantees our ultimate success in carrying the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

As believers in Christ who have received the same Spirit of God today, we are to reach our own “Jerusalem and Judea” (e.g., the local cities and towns in which we live); our own “Samaria” (those geographically near us, as well as those who may be “different” from us, and perhaps not liked by our society); and “the ends of the earth” (those who are separated from us by distance, custom, culture, or language).

d. God has Provided the Opportunity

John 4:35b “...I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

More than two and a half billion people around the world have never heard the Gospel message! Yes, the fields are ripe just as when Jesus showed His disciples the harvest fields in Samaria, expecting them to reap where they had not sown;, even among those whom they disliked (the Samaritans).

e. Jesus Tied Missions to the Second Coming

Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

This Scripture tells us, the church of Christ, to do our assigned task before we can rest in the joy of His coming again.

1.5.2. The Westgate Church Program

The Westgate Church missions ministry emphasizes five key activities: prayer, financial and other support, sending/going, training, and accountability. The scriptural basis for each is outlined briefly below.

a. Prayer

1 Timothy 2:1 “I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone...”

This Scripture, in fuller text, was quoted above under “God Desires It”. It clearly sets the priority of prayer in reaching the world for Christ.

Luke 10:2 “Then he told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the Harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’”

Jesus charged His disciples to “pray” to the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers. This prayer should often be upon our lips remembering that God is able to bring in an abundant Spiritual harvest.

Colossians 4:2-4 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.”

Paul, the great missionary, gives us explicit direction to pray for the success of our missionaries. God, in answer to our prayers, opens the doors of human hearts as nothing else can.

b. Support

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?’”

“He must deny himself.” This statement, which is in such sharp contrast to today’s “SELF FIRST” attitude, is a distinct instruction to deny many of the pleasures the world has to offer us in order to support the ministries of Jesus’ church. We deny ourselves as we use our time, talents, and wealth to spread the Gospel rather than for our own personal desires. The result is that we gain JOY from doing Christ’s bidding. As we have already seen, missions is at the core of these ministries. Therefore, we are challenged (1) to use our time to pray for missions, to encourage missionaries, and to actively participate in missions; (2) to use our talents and spiritual gifts to serve Christ in His work; and (3) to give back to Him of our financial blessings to foster the purpose of His church.

Jesus’ cross was for our propitiation; our cross is for his propagation.

1 Corinthians 9:7-12 “Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?...If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?...But we do not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.”

1 Timothy 5:18 “‘Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain’ and ‘the worker deserves his wages.’”

Paul in these Scriptures clearly establishes the right and need for financially supporting those devoted to preaching and teaching the Gospel. He also sets the example of not hindering the acceptance of the message by demanding support from the new converts, although he says it is his right. The fledgling converts and churches are not yet prepared to take on such support. Therefore, the sending churches need to suitably support their missionaries.

Philippians 4:14-16 “Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of our acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.”

The Philippian church is obviously the model for Westgate Church to emulate. They did not just send money, they even sent Epaphroditus “to take care of my [Paul’s] needs” while Paul was in prison (Ph. 2:25). We are to share in meeting all the needs of each member of our missions family.

1 Thessalonians 2:9 “Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.”

Paul, a tentmaker by trade, was the primary provider of his own missionary support. Therefore, we do not consider it inappropriate for a missionary to supply at least part of his support when it will not adversely impact his ministry. On the contrary it is very appropriate in many cases: for example, early retirees on pension or very short-term missionaries. In some cases, taking on secular employment (“tentmaking”) is the only way to gain entry into otherwise closed countries.

c. Sending/Going

Luke 10:3 “Go! I am sending you like lambs among wolves.”

After his instruction to pray to the Lord of the Harvest, Jesus gave the 72 this personal charge to go, which should serve as a challenge to every Christian. As he sent them, he also instructed them to preach and to heal the sick, reminding us that whenever the love of God is declared in the preaching of the Gospel, it should also be demonstrated in loving acts.

Romans 10:14‑15 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.’”

Once again, Paul sets forth in clear logic why we must send missionaries just as he was sent by the church at Antioch. Those who are lost cannot come to Christ unless someone goes to them to preach the message of salvation.

Ephesians 4:11-13 It was he [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

We are to exercise our gifts from God. The word apostle means “the sent one.” Therefore, if we have been given gifts to instruct in the knowledge of God we are to go as called. We, as the church, are to send those whom God calls.

Acts 13:2 “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

Not only is the missionary to be called, but the church is called to send and support. Not all who express the desire to go are equipped to go. Therefore, potential supporting churches must seek the will of God before rendering a judgment. Often, the answer may be to further prepare the individual before sending or to orient his or her desire to be involved in full-time ministry in a different direction.

d. Training

Matthew 10:5 “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions....”

1 Timothy 1:18-19 “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophesies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.”

Jesus instructed his disciples before he sent them out for a field training exercise. Paul trains young Timothy. Likewise, we have an obligation to see that those we send out are equipped to meet the obstacles they will face—spiritually, physically, culturally, and emotionally. In Ephesians 4:12 (cited above under Sending/Going) we are told, “...some [are given] to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…” God has given the means and we need to assess and provide to the best of our ability the training needs of our sent ones both before and after sending. Continued growth is critical to all Christians.

e. Accountability

Acts 14:26-27 “From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”

Just as Paul reported on his work to his sending church, we expect our missionaries to keep us informed of their efforts. We are accountable to be sure that the Word is being taught, the needs of our missionaries are being met, and the Lord’s resources are being effectively used.

1.6. The Responsibility of the Missions Board

The Missions Board is responsible for the administration of Westgate Church’s Missions Program, under the authority of the Board of Elders. The Missions Board shall administer the Missions Program in accordance with this written Missions Policy. See Section 6 of this policy for details. The Board shall keep the Elders informed of major decisions and actions, and seek their approval for any decisions, which are outside the scope of this Missions Policy.

1.7. The Responsibility of Missionaries Regarding this Policy

Each Westgate supported missionary will be provided with a copy of the policy and is expected to abide by the provisions of the policy in all matters concerning Westgate Church. The missionary is responsible to clarify any questions with the Missions Board in order to assure complete understanding of the policy. In a worst-case scenario, failure to abide by the policy could lead to a loss of support.

Any prospective missionary, whether long or short term, being considered for support by the Missions Board shall be given a copy of the policy when applying for support and must agree to its provisions.

1.8. Exceptions to this Policy

Exceptions to this policy require the concurrence of the Board of Elders. Revisions may be made following the procedures set forth in Section 7.

2. Missions Strategy

2.1. Overview

The Westgate Church missions strategy is to implement our Scriptural mandate (Section 1.5) and our church’s Statement of Purpose (Section 1.1) by raising up faithful disciples to Jesus Christ. We want to train and mobilize people to:

· Pray

· Give

· Go

To that end we seek to effectively mobilize all of the resources under our influence (e.g., prayer, personnel, and finances) as part of our effort to reach the world for Christ. This strategy requires gaining active involvement from Westgate members, encouraging, and ultimately sending out many missionaries who have been raised up and trained within our church.

Certain strategic emphases have been established to guide the Missions Board’s decisions in reaching our desired objectives. Our support is to be directed to a sufficiently small number of efforts that the Missions Board and congregation can:

· Effectively monitor each agency and individual and the supported work.

· Be involved in the work through prayer, correspondence, furlough support, etc.

· Provide a significant level of support that reduces the missionary’s time in establishing and maintaining support.

· Maintain a balanced, worldwide perspective.

These guidelines do not fully represent the Westgate Church program at the time of adoption of this policy, but rather the program to which we desire to evolve. Therefore, the Board shall use appropriate judgment and discretion in moving toward this goal.

Our areas of emphasis, discussed in the following sections, are as follows:

· Prayer

· Mobilization and Involvement

· People vs. Projects

· Cultural

· Urban vs. Rural

· Non-Financial Support

Westgate Church intends to associate with a sufficiently diverse selection of missionaries and mission boards to develop and maintain a broadly based missions effort. However, the number of missionaries and mission boards will be controlled in order to achieve a high level of involvement and support with those with whom we minister.

2.2. Our Prayer Emphasis

Prayer is essential for any undertaking we are involved in for our God. It is our communications channel to request and receive all the guidance and power that we need. As shown in “The Scriptural Basis for Missions” section, we are directed to give missions special prayer emphasis. Therefore, we will devote special effort towards stimulating a balanced prayer life in Westgate Church and its members on behalf of missions.

Prayer will be encouraged by individuals and the corporate body; in small and large groups; in regular and in special prayer services; through personal prayer lists and through published guides; for individuals by name, for peoples, ministries, and agencies. It will be our objective to establish continuing, routine prayer support for each accepted missionary and his or her work.

2.3. Our Mobilization and Involvement Emphasis

Westgate’s missions impact will reflect the effectiveness with which we mobilize our own members to provide their time, talents, and money; that is, to become personally involved. The ultimate personal involvement is when someone from our congregation is called by the Lord to go. We will strive to identify, encourage, and nurture potential candidates. We will also seek to help them discover their gifts, strengths, and limitations so that they can serve the Lord most effectively.

2.4. Our People Vs. Projects Emphasis

A significant part of fulfilling the Great Commission at Westgate Church is the discipling and sending of missionaries to reach the world for Christ. Westgate Church places a high priority on the financial support of people over projects or organizations, because we believe that we must financially support our own members we send out as missionaries. The following recommended allocation of financial resources represents the monies given to specific individuals versus the amount given to missions-related projects or missions-related organizations:

Guideline:

People 85%

Organizations 10%

Projects 5%

While individual missionaries will dominate our program, special projects represent a key way (1) to reach the closed and recently opened areas of the world, (2) to meet the special needs of our supported missionaries, and (3) to maintain the flexibility in our funding to meet changing needs.

2.5. Our Cultural Emphasis

Westgate Church seeks to achieve a balance between efforts to reach our own culture for Christ and other cultures of the world (see Section 1.3). Over 90% of the unevangelized are outside of our culture and yet only approximately 10% of the American churches’ resources are allocated to reaching this group of unreached souls. Our objective is to direct our missions efforts toward the area of greatest need, that of cross-cultural ministry.

Guideline:

Our culture 25%

Cross-cultural 75%

Even though our primary emphasis is clearly toward the support of cross-cultural missions, this does not mean that all our cross-cultural financial support will be outside of America. In the Boston area alone, there are a multitude of cross-cultural ministries in operation. We anticipate that some of our cross-cultural missions support will occur here in the U.S., even though the majority of support will undoubtedly be used to fund work outside of the U.S., where the need is greatest.

2.6. Our Urban Vs. Rural Emphasis

With the world now swinging from a historically rural population to more than 50% urban today, Westgate Church must recognize this demographic trend and increasingly allocate resources to those unreached people groups within the city. Our goal is to support the spread of the Gospel to those unreached people groups throughout the world—in both rural and urban areas.

2.7. Our Non-Financial Support Emphasis

Besides our deep commitment to prayer and financial support for our selected missionaries and projects, we will emphasize the necessity of meeting other needs of our missionaries: correspondence, supplies, furlough assistance and care, and above all a generous supply of Christian love for their every need. Our desire is to develop suitable programs to address such special needs.

3. Support of Projects in Missions

3.1. Consideration

The church will consider projects if they are submitted in writing by representatives of approved agencies. Generally, agencies will be approved according to the criteria set forth in Section 4.8.2.

3.2. Evaluation

Projects will be researched and evaluated to consider:

1. The effectiveness of their administration.

2. Their appropriateness according to our targeted support goals for missions work.

3.3. Duration

Support approved for projects will be for a limited period of time but subject to renewal upon evaluation. However, recipients should never consider project support to be ongoing, without a clearly defined end point.

4. Career Missionary Opportunities

4.1. Purpose

The purpose of Westgate’s support of full-time career missionaries[1] is to provide workers for the harvest to reach the world for Christ.

Unless otherwise noted, this section applies to all candidates, whether they are Westgate Church members or not. Both members and non-members may be considered for full-time assignment. As noted, Westgate members receive special consideration because of our responsibility as a church to support those we disciple and send.

4.2. Support Criteria

A career candidate shall be considered for support based on the following:

1. Completion of a written application and an interview with the Missions Board.

2. Affirmation of his/her faith in Jesus Christ as his/her personal Lord and Savior.

3. Continuing spiritual growth.

4. Record of active participation in the ministries of his local church and other Christian service.

5. Demonstrated ability to work and communicate with church leadership in openness and cooperation.

6. Thorough familiarity and agreement with the Westgate “Statement of Faith” (see Appendix 2).

7. Openness to guidance and counsel regarding preparation and plans.

8. Fulfillment of the Biblical standards for leadership (I Timothy 3 and Titus 1).

9. Acceptance by a mission agency or board acceptable to Westgate Church (see Section 4.8).

10. Recommendations from reputable sources including candidate’s local church.

11. At least one year of proven ministry experience.

12. An educational background which qualifies the candidate for the intellectual and spiritual rigors of the assigned field.

13. A background of cross‑cultural and language training (through the mission agency or elsewhere) which is adequate for the assigned field (or the commitment to receive such training).

14. Agreement to adhere to the missionary review procedures (see Section 4.13 below).

15. Adequate physical and mental health and suitability for service planned.

4.3. Support Priority

Westgate Church will consider the following categories of missionaries in order to determine the priority given to candidates when considering support requests[2]:

Category 1:	Missionaries already supported by Westgate who are members and who consider Westgate Church their “home church.”

Category 2:	Long-term Westgate members actively involved in the ministry of the church, especially those who were discipled within the church.[3]

Category 3:	Missionaries already supported by Westgate who are not members.

Category 4:	Westgate members (who are not long-term members) who consider Westgate to be their “home” church and suitably qualified children of missionaries now supported.

Category 5:	Individuals who have worshiped, fellowshipped and actively participated at Westgate for a significant period of time (usually at least three years) but are not members.

Category 6:	Missionaries who have had no prior association with Westgate, with the following order of priority:
	· Missionaries who are affiliated with our denomination, the Evangelical Free Church of America.
	· Missionaries sponsored by any consortium in which Westgate voluntarily participates.
	· Missionaries who are based in the New England area.