Have you already come to this conclusion?

Bridging the gap between your global missions vision for your church and actual engagement is one of the greatest challenges you face as a missions director today.

You may have shared your frustration multiple times in trusted circles. You’re not at peace with where your church is at the moment. You sense that your people are disconnected from the needs of the world.

Over time, such a disconnect inevitably leads to discouragement and stalled missions efforts.

11 Barriers to Missions Mobilization

To help, we’ve compiled a list of the top 11 barriers pastors face in mobilizing for missions.

Take a close look and identify the challenges that specifically hinder your congregation.

Once you’ve clarified the challenge, join us for the upcoming group coaching live meeting, titled “Overcoming Roadblocks in Missions Mobilization.”

This will be a practical step toward finding a solution with the support of a trusted community.

For now, let’s return to the question:

What prevents your team from taking significant steps toward fulfilling the Great Commission?

Let’s examine 11 Barriers to Successful Church Mobilization.

1. Attitudes and Character Issues Among Members with Influence

Some of the most significant barriers to mobilization are internal. Church members—especially those in leadership or influence—may struggle with:

An inability to work as a team.
A spirit of independence that resists collaboration.

2. Challenges with Leadership Team Buy-In

Some church leaders do not prioritize missions or may even undermine efforts.
The transition to a missional culture requires strong leadership and vision.
Poorly presented missions strategies can lead to disengagement.
Missions leadership burnout weakens mobilization efforts.

3. Lack of Prayer for Missions

Missions efforts cannot thrive without a strong foundation of prayer. Many congregations do not consistently pray for missions unless specifically prompted.

4. Paralyzing Concern About Security

Fear often hinders missions involvement:

Safety concerns about unstable regions.
Anxiety over sending missionaries into dangerous areas.
Lack of understanding how a faith-driven approach to risk assessment can help churches balance wisdom with obedience to the Great Commission.

5. Lack of Vision for Missions

Many churches lack a clear understanding of their role in global missions. This can stem from:

A lack of motivation or conviction.
No clear strategy for missions involvement.
A congregation that doesn’t see missions as central to the church’s purpose.

6. Inadequate Biblical Foundation for Missions

Faulty theology or missiology can derail missions efforts. Some members may believe:

God does not need human participation in missions.
Missions is not central to the church’s calling.
Multiple other faulty ideas and misconceptions about missions stemming from an inadequate picture of God and His kingdom.

7. Undervaluing the Church’s Sending Capacity

Many churches assume they lack the resources to send missionaries or get engaged in global missions projects.

Fear over financial constraints.
Small donor base.

8. Competing Local and Global Priorities

Churches often struggle to balance local ministry with global missions. Challenges include:

A historical focus on local needs over international outreach.
The belief that local evangelism should be prioritized over global missions.
Unclear church priorities leading to fragmented missions efforts.

9. Negative Past Experiences with Missions

Past negative encounters with missionaries or missions organizations can breed skepticism.
Concerns over historical missions mistakes (e.g., colonialism) may cause hesitation.
Fear of repeating past failures can paralyze efforts.

10. Cultural and Political Views That Conflict with Missions

Cultural barriers can prevent engagement, including:

Language differences and communication difficulties.
Political tensions between sending and receiving countries.
Societal shifts such as urbanization and immigration that reshape missions contexts.

11. Lack of Strategic Partnerships

Many churches struggle to mobilize effectively because they operate in isolation.

Lack of partnerships with missions agencies, other churches, and training institutions can significantly undermine missions effectiveness.
No access to resource-sharing, accountability, and community.

Moving Forward

Understanding these barriers is the first step. Addressing them requires intentionality, community, and you growing as a spiritual leader.

Next Step: Join Us for the Coaching Intensive On Thursday, February 28, 2025.

This month we are hosting an interactive workshop: Overcoming Roadblocks in Missions Mobilization.

This session will expose you to your peers. It will create space to develop your solutions for your context.

Our prayer is to help you break through the challenges listed above and create a more missionally engaged church.

Don’t miss this opportunity to take your church’s missions efforts to the next level!

WHY CHURCHES STRUGGLE TO MOBILIZE: Identifying and Addressing the Challenges That Hold Your Church Back