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 ...