Worth Keeping

Missional Preparation and Implementation Joining the global mission movement means investing in people, seeking their well-being, and challenging them to grow. People are central to God’s mission, and we must not exploit them for personal gain. Yet, if we’re not careful, we can neglect the needs of the missionaries who serve around the world. It’s easy to forget that missionaries are people too. High rates of attrition often signal that we’ve overlooked this point, that something is out of balance, and we need to look for better practices of missionary retention. Worth Keeping is a comprehensive resource on attrition, retention, and best practices in sending missions teams. It presents research findings from a two-year project conducted in 22 nations and offers a comparison between older and newer sending countries. The book includes case studies, addressing a range of mission challenges, and is designed to be a working tool for church and mission leaders, missionaries, and those involved in member care and mobilization. When we do not identify and promote best practices, we settle for second best and that may mean that people are lost unnecessarily! Worth Keeping examines the best strategies to ensure missionary retention. We not only want to discern between bad and good; we also need the courage to choose to go for the best rather than simply do what is mere customary.