David Meade’s writing is a rare combination of extensive missions experience, careful explanation of Scripture, and biblical prioritization of the local church. Pastors, elders, missionaries, and others involved in global serving and sending will all be helped by the practical wisdom of this book. Read it!

- Eric W. Zeller, President and Professor of New Testament, Gulf Theological Seminary, Dubai, UAE

Also, from Eric on Amazon reviews: 5.0 out of 5 stars

 Helping Churches Understand and Practice Missions Better!  Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2024

This book is a very clear, always biblical, and appropriately nuanced manual for churches and missionaries approaching global missions. A well-designed structure moves from a biblical theology of missions to the practical considerations that confront churches as they seek to effectively advance the gospel around the world. This would be a great book to work through carefully with a team of elders or a missions committee, and no doubt many profitable ideas and decisions would result. Highly recommended.

In Missions on Point, David Meade has provided a timely and practical “repatriation” to local churches of the privilege and responsibility of Christ’s Great Commission. It is refreshing when the director of a missions agency thinks first about the local church as the vehicle for seeing the Great Commission accomplished. Meade’s book normalizes missions for “church” people, and normalizes the local church for “missions” people. It will assuredly help missions-hearted Christians engage unflinchingly in the life and purpose of the local church, and it will help local churches engage whole-heartedly in Christ’s mission to get glory for Himself in the redemption of people from every nation, tongue, and tribe.

- Smedly Yates, pastor at Grace Bible Church in Tempe, Arizona, and board member of FinisTerre, a church-planting and Bible-translation agency, helping churches plant churches in the Finisterre Mountains of Papua New Guinea.

Missions on Point is both sound theologically and intensely practical. Readers will find a solid biblical argument for the centrality of the local church in any missions endeavor as well as help to implement within their own church. I highly recommend this book as a go-to resource for any church leader or layperson when it comes to help in building and maintaining a biblically solid missions program in their church, whether they are a seasoned ministry veteran or just getting started in missions ministry. The theology and practical ideas expressed in this book have completely changed the way that our church does missions for the better.

- Jason Bruns, Missions Pastor, Lakeside Community Church, Clearwater FL

For far too many years, local churches have taken a backseat when it comes to the lives and ministries of the missionaries they send out. In Missions on Point, David Meade calls us back to a biblical vision of the local church at the center of missions - vetting, equipping, and sending her members to see God glorified among all nations.

- Jay Decker, Director of Church Relations for GSI

First, it is hard to express how much I agree with the book, the case it is making, and the need to see the story of “Hopewell Church” spread to many more churches across America and beyond. 

Part I of the book is wonderful; it is concise and practical, and its conclusion is inescapable.

Part II. Chapters 8-15. Again, I really liked the chapters, and they are full of practical advice. I wish this book had existed 22 years ago when it could have helped my church send me. 

Part III: Chapters 16-23, we get to the nuts and bolts stuff here, and I love it. These pages contain lots of good practical advice, exhortation, and encouragement.  

I praise God for your work, David, and your experience, wisdom, and valuable ministry, which are there for all to see on nearly every page of the book.

- Brian Wolf, Director of Missionary Training, MissioSERVE Alliance

 I have never seen such a comprehensive usable work on the subject.  Every church leadership should devour then pass it to the troops. ( Perhaps a syllabus could be put together for teaching the entire church for say 6 months of class time. its that important).   I love the format.  Especially the attendant Hopewell saga and how it reflects the teaching.

- Jim Brown, Church Missions Leader

David Meade has provided us with a warm, chatty yet expansive guide to New Testament-focused missions. He insists, ”Missions begins and ends with local churches.” “New Testament missionaries arose from a local church context. Missionary candidates weren't just volunteers jetting off on their own or independently joining a parachurch organization to forward their personal ‘calling’ apart from the local church. Qualified missionaries were sent by their local church, which commissioned them to go out.” Bravo! David then leads readers through a broad and practical discussion of the local church, its role in missions, the relations between churches and the missionaries they support, and between churches and missionary organizations. Sane, balanced, carefully biblical and always down to earth, he lays out the respective roles of sending churches, Pastors, congregations, missions teams, mission candidates and missionaries on the field.

As one who served as a missionary for some 33 years, I can testify that David touches upon many a sensitive and therefore neglected topic, challenging churches to be more than funding agencies; they should engage in actively shepherding those they send out, be involved in their labors and care for their welfare on an ongoing basis.

I recommend this book to every church, every Pastor, every member of a church’s missions team and anyone considering missions. Missionary organizations leaders should likewise read this book and accommodate their labors to the principles laid out.

- Rev. Baruch Maoz (MA)

The church has been God's plan A forever; no plan B exists." This sentence defines the essence of this long overdue book on the relationship between the local church and world missions. I've always believed what this book teaches and tried to practice it, but I would have done a much better job and avoided a lot of mistakes had this resource been available in my early years of pastoral ministry. It is essentially biblical, realistically practical, and it is refining our church's practice of missions. I hope it is distributed widely, read carefully, and implemented faithfully!

- Mike DeVries, Pastor, Gateway Bible Fellowship

I have met people who know missions theology and others who know missions practices. I am thankful to know David Meade who knows both very well. Drawing from his experiences as a pioneer missionary, field leader, missions agency leader, local church elder, and church planter, David has given the readers an array of insights into biblical missions from multiple angles. It can be read straight through to gain a comprehensive perspective of church based missions as well as utilized as a field guide to get needed perspectives on specific missions questions. The story moving throughout the chapters of the book helpfully brings the theory into what it looks like in real church life. Highly recommended!

- John Crotts, Pastor of Faith Bible Church, Sharpsburg, GA

David has been a trusted friend who is committed to FinisTerre and its role alongside the local church in missions. To have all the wisdom nuggets I’ve received from David in personal conversations and his podcast in one book, makes this resource invaluable! He is methodical, practical, and above all biblical. Everyone who reads David’s book will find their missions trajectory sharpened:

For the prospective missionary, David writes, “Local churches in every ethnicity are the goal of missions (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 3:20-21). You dare not neglect the role of the local church in your life and ministry.” I wonder, do you believe this? David will guide you on a journey through Scripture that makes this abundantly clear.

For the sending church, David’s book is a treasure trove for both pastoral leadership and the congregation who want to do the Great Commission right but need help with the first steps to take. A fruitful and practical way forward is possible!

And for the sending agency, we find both encouragement and rebuke to “find our lane” and stay in it for the Great Commission. We are reminded that we do not own the mission, but we do have the privilege to assist the church as it sends its church planters to the ends of the earth.

With David’s help the missionary, the church, and the sending agency can all get on the same page of the Great Commission. And when that happens, the unreached will be reached for the sake of the Name of Jesus Christ!

- Scott Maxwell, President, FinisTerre

I have known David and Kathy Meade for twenty-five years because they were part of our church family. It is obvious that David is a “Bible Guy” as well as a “Missions Guy.” As I read this book, I could see how the Lord used David to help guide our church to maturity as a missions-minded church. As a result, we know our missionaries. We love them and walk beside them wherever they serve.

This book is a goldmine of practical biblical step-by-step how to bring missions back to the oversight of the local church who have the goal of sending missionaries to unreached people groups for the purpose of seeing people saved and local churches set up and thriving for the glory of God.

I love this book. It is very practical. I learned a lot. I highly recommend it.

- Martha Peace, MABC, Author of The Excellent Wife and ACBC certified Biblical Counselor

Acts 13:1-3 describes an Antioch church focused on the Great Commission commands of Christ - and you and I have the Gospel today because of her obedience to them!  This book pleads for churches in our time to become that kind of church and engage missions sending with the long view in mind. It provides helpful steps that church leaders can use as a pattern for getting the entire church involved in the blessings of missions sending. Mine the wisdom and experience offered, and become a local church whose vision includes unreached and unengaged peoples who have never heard there is a Jesus to believe in.

- Denny Spitters, Church /Agency Coach 1615
Co-Author: When Everything Is Missions

David’s qualifications for writing Missions on Point are extensive:  from grass-roots missionary in the Ifugao tribe in the Philippines, to Field Director in the same country, to National Sending Country Director in the United States, to Acting Director for ACMC, and finally to founder and general director of Propempo.  Distilled from over 40 years of hands-on missionary service, David is strongly advocating that church-mission partnerships need major overhauling.  To him, the mission agency should not be the sole driver in a metaphorical vehicle with the sending church sitting in the back seat for the ride; instead, a better metaphor is that of a jet airplane where there are two steering wheels in the cockpit, and captain and first officer decide who will do what in every flight.  It’s a partnership—not a solo—as each depends on the other for their particular expertise and wisdom.  And no one dominates the other.

Having known David and his lovely wife Kathy for over 40 years, I heartily endorse Missions on Point to both local churches and mission agencies.  At minimum, it will cause you to scratch your theological head and think hard.  Better yet, it may even cause a conceptual paradigm shift in the way you advocate doing missions.

- Dr. Trevor A. Douglas

• • Grass-roots colleague of David working in the Ifugao tribe, Philippines
  • Author:  Missionaries on Alert:  A Security Awareness Training Manual for Living in Threat Environments
  • Author:  Truth in Tension:  The Search for the Balance of Truth

I'm pleased to endorse this timely and practical book on missionary work by someone who has walked the walk. With years of experience in missions, church planting, administration, pastoral ministry, and mentoring under his belt, David brings unparalleled wisdom and insight to the table.

This book is a game-changer for anyone involved in or considering missions work, both for the sending church and the missionary. David's real-world expertise shines through on every page, making this a must-read for those seeking to navigate the complexities of missionary work.

What sets this book apart is its biblical foundation, practical application, and inspiring case study of the "fictional" Hopewell Bible Church. This 'reality check' will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to balance church-based missions with global outreach or vice versa.

David's passion and expertise are evident on every page, making it easy for readers to understand the challenges and opportunities that come with missionary work. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a Biblically sound path forward in their own mission endeavors.

David has excelled with this worked, but the question remains whether the church will take up the call to Biblical missions.  Are you ready?

My only wish? A workbook companion would be an amazing resource to help churches and missionary candidates apply these principles in their own lives and in their church. Knowing David for many years, I wouldn't be surprised if one is already in the works!"

- Rick Wilson, Managing Director, Entrusted Word Ministries