Book Review

Serving As Senders: How to Care for Your Missionaries While They Are Preparing to Go, While They Are on the Field, When They Return Home
By Neal Pirolo Serving As Senders was written to encourage individuals to make a commitment to care for cross-cultural workers. The author does an excellent job of establishing and promoting an essential ministry calling, that of sender. Pirolo states, Gods call on your life to serve as a sender must be just as vibrant as the call on the life of the one you send. Likewise, the commitment you make must be as sure as that of your cross-cultural worker. The responsible action you take is as important as the ministry your field worker performs. The book is intended for use in group study, and a separate group leaders guide is available for purchase. Each chapter begins with a scripture portion that establishes the biblical basis for the authors main point. He then develops that point using excellent, true stories from his life and the lives of others, including those of biblical characters. The stories are interesting and well-suited to support the authors points. Pirolo provides very specific responsibilities for sending team members to take to implement the proposed sending plan. This is very beneficial. Each chapter includes a case study as well as an in-depth Bible study and review of the chapter text. The chapters end with action steps that further describe specific steps for each individual to take to help them better understand their role. Chapter one establishes the need for senders and breaks down the sending function into six areas of support: Moral Support encouraging the missionary by word Logistics Support helping the missionary with personal business details Financial Support investing financially in the missionarys life and ministry Prayer Support praying for the missionary and his ministry Communciation Support writing letters and sending CDs, etc. Re-entry Support how to minister to the missionary upon his return Chapters two through seven deal separately with each of the support areas listed above. Chapter eight provides interesting details about how God was moving in the world during the time the book was written and describes some of the compelling needs facing the unreached. It ends with a call to action.

This book, in its entirety, will be most suitable for a church that wants to fully support its missionaries and function as a mission agency. Some of Pirolos suggestions may need to be evaluated individually for their value. For instance, Pirolo recommends checking the spiritual temperature of a missionary, which involves submitting the missionary to spiritual examination by dozens of churches sometimes located throughout the country (and possibly world). This is a daunting thought. A spiritual evaluation like this could take a tremendous amount of time to complete. Pirolo also suggests that missionaries should check any artifacts they bring home with each of their sending churches. This gives subtle implications that the missionary is incapable of determining whether or not the item has been used for occult purposes. At times the author tends to be preachy which I believe, should be left to the pastor of the church. Likewise, he encourages missionaries to admonish those at home; something many would feel is outside their realm of authority. One final note to make is that Pirolo does not include a section on how churches can also be kept accountable. This would have been a useful addition to the book. Perhaps it would be good to suggest that churches also submit to an evaluation-of-sorts by their own missionary/ies. This could be completed annually so that goals could be reviewed and accomplishments celebrated. All-in-all, Serving As Senders is a valuable read. As someone who served in West Africa for a couple of decades, I give it a hearty recommendation. -Bill Leonhard, Associate Director Church Relations Wycliffe USA