'New degrees of unity'
In August of 1806, a group of students from Williams College met outside to pray for foreign missions. A sudden rainstorm forced them to take cover under a nearby haystack. This makeshift shelter lent its name to their ongoing Haystack Prayer Meetings, which are credited as launching the modern missions era.
In July of 2016, SEND missionaries quietly bowed their heads to pray about a new opportunity. SEND had been invited to launch a deep and generous collaboration with two other missions organizations: TEAM and SAM (South America Mission). As we prayed, we wondered with excitement if this was the start of another great missions movement.
While SEND has worked closely with other organizations in the past, this will be a new level of collaboration. The vision is to find ways to share our services, pool our resources, and blend our efforts to make us all more effective at making disciples among the unreached. Currently, groups from our fields and offices are meeting with their counterparts for discussion and planning.
Warren Janzen, SEND’s International Director, said of the association, “Based upon the belief that united we can do more, a year of talks have prompted TEAM, SAM and SEND to launch a Great Commission association that affirms our unique contributions and promotes generous collaboration for God’s glory and the rejoicing of the nations. We believe that through deep and generous collaboration we can share leadership, systems and resources so as to increase our collective ability to make disciples among the nations. We want to demonstrate new degrees of unity between organizations and achieve better stewardship of Kingdom resources.”
Mobilizing North Americans into missions is presenting new and complex challenges. But we’ve seen historically that waves of missionaries have been catalyzed by special events. Could this new association be a catalyst for God’s next movement of people into missions? We don’t know yet.
But we do believe that this is a breakthrough in SEND’s missions efforts.
Thank you, Lord, for this exciting new association. May it increase our ability to make disciples among the nations.
Reprinted from SEND International's 2016 Annual Report.
Other Annual Report Breakthrough stories
Russia field engages two new UPGs
— After years of seeking the Lord's leading, two workers are key to opening up a new field.
Inviting the Word into their homes
— After a core group of teens came to know Christ, fellow villagers are showing interest.
Sharing life in order to share Life
— After a year spent investing in friendship, refugee has the idea of studying the Word together.
Open doors in public spaces
— Global worker engages the lost through outreaches at the local library and schools.
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
