3) Release the Holy Spirit’s energizing power. Identify the spiritual gifts and natural talents necessary to accomplish each purpose of the church, such as: the gifts of preaching, teaching, and administration; the ability to lead people to worship in spirit and in truth; the ability to proclaim God’s truth through preaching with life-changing authority; the ability to teach the Bible in such a way that lives are changed; the ability to discern a person’s spiritual need and give wise counsel; the ability to see practical needs among those in the congregation and to meet them; the ability to win people to faith; and the ability to minister to the physical and social needs of the community in a way that draws people toward God. Help every church member discover, fully develop, and deploy his or her gifts and talents to serve the church and the world as God is calling them to do. Whenever a purpose for your church isn’t being optimally fulfilled, pray for the Holy Spirit to help in that situation. Encourage all church members to pray often – not just about their own physical needs, but about the spiritual needs of people they know, people in their community, and people throughout the world who haven’t yet heard the Gospel. Urge them to pray faith-filled prayers that show they eagerly expect God to respond. Show your congregation how to depend daily on the Holy Spirit’s unlimited power, instead of just their own limited abilities.

4) Equip every disciple to participate in God’s redemption plan. Urge every church member to embrace Jesus’ call to witness to others about the power of the Gospel to redeem lost humanity. Help your congregation learn how to show and tell others how Jesus is working in their lives. Constantly be on the lookout for people in your church who are especially gifted in evangelism, and provide the training and encouragement they need to become even more effective as they use that gift. Help your congregation learn more about the world’s unreached people, and motivate them to care and do something about it, such as by praying for missionaries and supporting them financially. Encourage church members to consider becoming career missionaries themselves, and moving out into the field to serve. Plan your church’s short-term mission trips well to maximize their effectiveness, prepare thoroughly for such trips, have someone in the host country supervise the workers, and provide a reentry program to help people process their mission trip experiences well. Set policies in place to make sure that the money your church sends to overseas missionaries reaches them and is used well. Encourage integrity and gratitude on the part of both givers and receivers. Encourage your congregation to pray often for global outreach, and intercede for the specific needs of each your church’s missionaries throughout the year. Help your church members learn how to manage their money according to biblical principles. Expect them to give sacrificially, and celebrate and thank them for their sacrificial giving. Encourage them to grow in their spiritual maturity through investing financially in your church’s ministries more and more.