This morning, I want to share a big idea: “God’s people don’t just gather and grow. They go.”

What do you think makes a healthy church? A big congregation? A large building? Dynamic programs? A top-tier worship band? While these elements can evidence health and enhance our experience, they don't exhaust all possible markers of church health.

A healthy church isn’t just measured by its seating capacity—it’s measured by its sending capacity. It's not just about how many come in; it's about how many are sent out to fulfill God's mission.

The Current Condition: Ministers and Missionaries Today

Today, we face significant challenges. According to recent studies, in 2019, approximately 4,500 Protestant churches closed in the U.S., while only about 3,000 new ones were started. This trend indicates a net loss of churches, highlighting the urgent need for new leaders to step into ministry roles.

Furthermore, the number of young people entering vocational ministry is declining. Barna Research reports that pastors aged 40 and younger constitute only 15% of the total number, indicating a shortage of young ministers.

For these reasons and more, we believe God is calling us to prioritize the next generation of ministers and missionaries in our strategic vision. We see this in three biblical truths that we'd like to explore today.

First, God Is Calling.
He Still Calls People into Ministry

Let's read from Matthew 9:37-38:

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’”

In this passage, Jesus looks out at the crowds and sees not just people, but souls in need of shepherds. He recognizes the abundant spiritual need and tells His followers to pray—not for more comfort, not for more miracles, but for more workers. The need for gospel laborers isn't a new issue. It was true in Jesus’ day, and it’s still true today. There has always been a shortage of willing servants.

And here's the deeper question: What if Jesus is still answering that prayer—through us? What if the answer to “Lord, send workers” is not just theoretical, but personal? What if He’s nudging you, your child, your grandchild, your friend—to be one of them?

Sometimes, the most meaningful callings begin not with passion, but with curiosity, or even hesitation. Maybe you’ve had this experience: Someone asks for help with something—maybe teaching a class, going on a mission trip, mentoring a student—and your first reaction is, “That’s not really my thing.” But then you try it. And something clicks. You discover a joy, a purpose, a connection that you didn’t expect. You think, “Why didn’t I say yes to this sooner?”

That’s how calling often works. Not everyone hears a trumpet blast from heaven. Sometimes, we step into a need, almost reluctantly, and find that God meets us there. He stirs something in us that wasn’t awakened before. We find not just a role to fill—but a passion to pursue.

And that’s true in ministry. Some feel called from an early age. Others wake up to the call later—through a conversation, an opportunity, a need they can’t ignore. And still others may only realize it after taking the first faithful step.

So when Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few,” it’s not just a call for the already-ready. It’s a gentle nudge to all of us to pray, listen, and be open. Because the workers God calls are often the ones who are simply willing to say, “Lord, I’m here. I’ll go if You’ll lead.”

Second, God Is Cultivating.
He Prepares His Servants.

We'll continue at 2 Timothy 2:2:

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

In this verse, Paul is writing to Timothy—his spiritual son and ministry protégé. Paul doesn’t just urge Timothy to stay strong in the faith; he commands him to pass it on. The gospel is never meant to be bottled up. It’s meant to be entrusted—to faithful men and women, who will then teach others, and so on. This is ministry at its most essential: multiplication.

Ministers and missionaries are not born with halos and microphones. They are formed—shaped by Scripture, community, hardship, and grace. God prepares His servants in the soil of ordinary faithfulness long before they ever stand on a stage or cross a border.

And that means a sending church must also be a training church. If we want to see more workers in the harvest, we must cultivate them through discipleship, service, and spiritual formation. But, how does God do this equipping work? 

He equips us through the local church—because ministry begins in the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12). He equips us through the Word of God, which shapes and refines our calling (2 Timothy 3:16-17). And He equips us through trials and service, which grow our endurance and deepen our trust in Him (James 1:2-4).

Consider this real-life story. A few years ago, a group of scouts were canoeing down a river when they came upon an 80-year-old hiker who slipped and fell down a steep embankment, breaking several bones. The scouts immediately sprang into action. They made their way to the injured man, rendering emergency aid.

Now, here’s the thing. Those scouts didn’t wake up that morning thinking they’d be part of a rescue mission. They were just scouts—young men who had gone through first aid training, earned badges, and learned how to serve. But when the moment came, all that quiet training became vital.

That’s what ministry preparation is like. Often, it feels slow, even mundane—learning Scripture, serving in quiet corners of the church, praying with someone after service, walking through hardship with patience. But God is cultivating something in us. And when the moment comes—when the opportunity appears—we realize that God has been preparing us all along.

So if you’re wondering, “Is God calling me into ministry?”, one of the best questions you can ask is this: “Am I being faithful where I am now?” Because the servants God sends tomorrow are usually the ones who are training, serving, and growing today.

Finally, God Is Commissioning.
He Is Releasing and Sending Workers.

Let's look at Acts 13:2-3:

“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.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”

In this beautiful and pivotal scene from Acts 13, the church in Antioch is gathered in worship. They are seeking the Lord, fasting and praying—not strategizing a ministry launch or planning a leadership transition—but simply listening to the Spirit. And in that space of worshipful dependence, God speaks. He doesn’t tell them to start something new. He tells them to release what He’s already begun. “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul.” The Antioch church didn’t just train leaders—they sent them. They laid hands on them, prayed over them, and let them go.

This is a powerful and sometimes painful truth: a healthy church doesn’t hold people back—it releases them for mission. It opens its hands and says, “Lord, they’re Yours.”

Have you ever tried to hold on to something that wasn’t meant to stay? A butterfly, a bird, a grown child heading off to college? It’s hard to release something you love. There's that instinct to cling, to delay the goodbye, to keep things familiar and close. And yet, part of love is knowing when to let go.

The same is true in the life of the church. Some churches struggle to send people out—not because they don’t love missions, but because they love their people. And they’re afraid of losing them. But what if God isn’t taking them away? What if He’s actually multiplying your church’s influence by sending them out?

When we release people in obedience to God’s call, we don’t lose them—we launch them. And the kingdom of God grows wider and deeper because of it.

The Conclusion: How Will We Respond?

Moving forward in this new vision, here are four ways we intend to respond to these truths.

1. We will pray for future ministers and missionaries.
2. We will develop opportunities for people to explore their calling (internships, missions trips, leadership training).
3. We will encourage individuals to ask, 'God, are You calling me?'
4. We will financially and spiritually support those who step forward.

Throughout history, God has always called people into ministry. Some were young (like Timothy), some were older (like Moses). Some expected it (like Paul), some were surprised by it (like Jonah!). But all of them had one thing in common: When God called, they answered.

For some of you, this message is planting a seed—God may call you years from now. For others, perhaps God has already been nudging you, but you've been hesitant.

Here’s my challenge: Would you at least pray about it? Would you ask God if He wants you to serve Him in ministry or missions? Because if we’re serious about being a church that raises up leaders, we need to start with open hearts, willing hands, and a spirit ready to say, ‘Here I am, Lord. Send me.’

Let’s pray.