How can a pastor encourage the church to value a global perspective?

Daniel Brown responds in our Ask the Experts discussion.

Change in church culture requires 18-24 months, so aim at several smaller objectives on your way into the global community. First, target one particular portion of the world. "Go into all the world" is not instruction to a single congregation, but to Jesus' entire church. Congregations actually diffuse their global awareness and impact when they scatter their energies across several countries/continents. Engage your congregation in the process of picking where to focus your attention, and they will already have increased interest in the world.

Next, solicit contact information about people/ministries in that country/region. This is another great way to involve the congregation. Who has ties to or a burden for that part of the world? Who would like to create a History Channel-type presentation about it? Does anyone speak a language used there? Closely related to this step is the need to build a global view on relationships. You will get more buy-in from your congregation if you introduce them to specific pastors, orphanage directors, and ministry leaders. God wired us to give to others, not necessarily to causes. Present the world to them through "so-and-so who has labored for years in …" To read more, click here.