A new Missions21 feature that helps pastors discover missionaries recommended by fellow pastors while giving missionaries another way to connect with churches.

When a pastor is considering a missionary to invite to his church, recommendations matter. Knowing that another pastor is familiar with a missionary and willing to stand behind his ministry can make a significant difference.

That’s why we’ve introduced Highly Recommend, a new feature on Missions21 that allows pastors to recommend missionaries their churches financially support.

These recommendations appear on missionary profiles and give pastors another way to discover missionaries on the Missionary Finder.

Why Recommendations Instead of Ratings?

Over the years, pastors have suggested adding a rating or review system to Missions21. We understand why. With so many missionaries to consider, pastors want useful information to help them decide whom to contact.

But traditional rating systems present a problem.

Every missionary can have a bad day. One disappointing interaction shouldn’t result in a negative rating that follows a missionary and potentially affects future opportunities.

We wanted something that would help pastors make informed decisions without creating unnecessary risks for missionaries.

Our solution was simple: recommendations, not ratings.

There are no stars, scores, or negative reviews. A pastor can choose to Highly Recommend a missionary or make no recommendation at all.

How Does Highly Recommend Work?

When visiting a missionary’s profile, an eligible pastor will now see a Highly Recommend button.

Before submitting a recommendation, the pastor must confirm two things:

1. His church currently financially supports the missionary.

2. He understands that his name and church information will be associated with that missionary’s profile.

Once submitted, the recommendation appears in the missionary’s Recommending Pastors section.

This gives other pastors more than an anonymous endorsement. They can see which pastors and churches have chosen to publicly recommend that missionary.

• Who can make a recommendation? Only users registered as Pastor/Pastoral Staff on Missions21 can use the Highly Recommend feature. Missionaries and other account types cannot recommend missionaries.

How Does This Help Pastors Find Missionaries?

The Missionary Finder now includes the ability to sort missionaries by Highly Recommended, displaying those with the most recommendations first.

This provides another useful way to identify missionaries worth considering, particularly those a pastor may not have discovered otherwise.

Recommendations are intended to supplement the information already available through Missions21, not replace a pastor’s responsibility to evaluate missionaries for his church.

What Does This Mean for Missionaries?

For missionaries, Highly Recommend creates another opportunity to benefit from relationships they’ve already established.

A supporting pastor’s recommendation can help other pastors discover a missionary’s profile and potentially open the door to additional meetings.

Missionaries are encouraged to contact pastors whose churches already support them and invite them to visit Missions21.com to submit a recommendation.

Pastors who aren’t yet registered can create a free account at Missions21.com to participate.

Because there are no negative ratings, a pastor choosing not to recommend a missionary does not create a negative mark on that missionary’s profile.

• Can a recommendation be removed? Yes. A pastor may withdraw his own recommendation at any time. Missionaries cannot remove a pastor’s recommendation from their profiles. If there is a concern about a recommendation, pastors or missionaries can contact support@m21eco.org for assistance.

Helping Missionaries Reach the Field

At Missions21, our goal has always been to help missionaries connect with churches and reach the mission field more efficiently, while providing pastors with better tools to discover and evaluate missionaries.

Highly Recommend is another step toward that goal.

It allows pastors to share their recommendations with fellow pastors while giving missionaries another opportunity to be discovered by churches seeking missionaries.

• Already using Missions21? Visit the Missionary Finder to explore the new Highly Recommended sorting option, or visit the profile of a missionary your church supports to make a recommendation.

• Not yet registered? Join Missions21 and take advantage of the tools available to help pastors and missionaries connect.