Long-term Sending

We go, not because God needs us to, but because he delights in inviting us into his mission to reach the uttermost parts of the earth with the message of the gospel.

God is on a mission to make himself known so that he may be worshiped by all nations. From the very first pages of Scripture to the very last, and throughout human history, God accomplishes his mission by sending people who do know him to people who don’t know him. The reality is, right now, there are 3.43 billion people around the world who have no access to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is why The Summit Church exists. Following the Holy Spirit, we exist to create a movement of disciple-making disciples in RDU and around the world. We are a people who know God and who are sent by him to make him known amongst the nations. And we go, not because God needs us to, but because he delights in inviting us into his mission to reach the uttermost parts of the earth with the message of the gospel. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy!

Our Sending Pathway

Step One

International Church Planting Catalyst

ICP Catalyst is a monthly gathering to inspire awareness of God’s mission by providing opportunities to hear from our missionaries and pray for the nations.

Whether you are curious to learn more about how God is at work in the world, interested in hearing from our stateside and returning missionaries, or considering serving overseas long-term, we would love for you to join us! ICP Catalyst is a place for anyone and everyone to grow in excitement for God’s growing global church, to “hold the rope” for our missionaries, and to ask the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers into the harvest field (Matthew 9:37–38).

ICP Catalyst meets on the third Tuesday of each month (except June, July, and December) from 7 to 9 p.m at the Brier Creek Campus, Blue Ridge Campus, or Capital Hills Campus. Sign up here to receive email communication about ICP Catalyst.

Step Two

"Mission of God" Class

The goal of “Mission of God” is to gain a biblical vision of God’s mission and develop biblical convictions for the role we play in his mission.

The 10-week “Mission of God” class explores God’s mission in the Scriptures, in history, and in the world today with a focus on how he accomplishes that mission through his people. Throughout the course, you’ll hear from speakers from our church and across the country to learn more about why missions exists, what missions looks like, and how you can grow in living missionally here in RDU.

We offer this class from September to November every year, and we ask everyone who is looking to be sent out by Summit as a missionary to complete this class as a part of our assessment and training process. Find our next Mission of God class here.

Step Three

Assessment

The goal of assessment is to discern with you if God is leading you overseas and if right now is the right time to pursue international missions.

In Acts 13, we see the Holy Spirit setting apart Paul and Barnabas as missionaries by instructing the church at Antioch to send them out. Based on this biblical precedent, we believe that it is the local church’s responsibility and privilege to properly assess and train our members to be sent out as missionaries. Sending organizations help facilitate this effort, but the core of sending takes place at and through the local church.

Assessment meetings help us to fulfill this role by providing us a snapshot of your health and holiness as a disciple-making disciple, so that we can assess whether international missions is the best next step for you and whether you are ready to take that step. We assess missionary candidates in the areas of character, convictions, calling, chemistry, and competency. In the weeks leading up to the assessment meeting, we ask everyone to complete the following:

  • International Missions Application
  • References
  • Theology and Ministry Philosophy Questionnaire
  • Marriage and Singleness Questionnaire

These can be found on our Assessment Portal

Assessment meetings last 75 to 90 minutes and are with members of the international missions team and your campus sending coordinator. These meetings take place at the Brier Creek campus. We have two periods in the year where we offer assessment meetings for Summit members: one in December following the “Mission of God” class, and one in April following Disciple-making Groups.

Step Four

Disciple-Making Groups

The goal of Disciple-making Groups is to grow as healthy and holy disciple-making disciples who multiply the gospel, disciples, and churches in cross-cultural contexts.

Disciple-making groups are communities of 6 to 10 people that live on mission together in RDU for 10 weeks, learning how to abide in Jesus, share the gospel, and make disciples in cross-cultural contexts. Participants will become more equipped to be disciple-making disciples who take the gospel where it is most needed locally and among the unreached.

We offer these groups in the spring every year, and we ask everyone who is looking to be sent out by Summit as a missionary to participate in these groups as a part of our assessment and training process. Request more information here.

Step Five

International Job Expo

The goal of the International Job Expo is to help you commit to a location, pathway, and ministry with a healthy timeline for being sent.

It can be both exciting and overwhelming to consider all the possibilities for what life and ministry could look like on the field. So, we are here to help you commit to a specific long-term missions opportunity in a place that is a good fit for you and is strategic for the advancement of the gospel.

Twice a year, we invite those in the sending process to come and learn about available jobs on teams around the world where we have Summit missionaries serving. You can also explore available job opportunities at any time on our Assessment Portal.

Step Six

Sent!

This is where you get connected to our missionary care structures and then get on a plane!

Campus Commissioning

In Acts 13, we see the church at Antioch lay hands on Paul and Barnabas and send them off after the Holy Spirit told them to set these men apart “for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2). Your campus commissioning symbolizes that you have been set apart by the Spirit and sent by our church to partner with God in the work he’s doing amongst the nations. These commissionings typically happen in the final weeks before you head to your organization’s training or to the field.

International Sending Celebration

Our annual International Sending Celebration takes place in May and is an opportunity to praise God for the ways he has blessed the nations through The Summit Church over the previous year. We’lll get to hear from current and future missionaries, pray for them, and consider how God is inviting each one of us to join him in his mission. Find our next International Sending Celebration here.

The Summit Church International Launch Guide

Everything you need to be sent by the Summit for two years or more

Download the International Launch Guide