The terrain of church missions is often bewildering.

Should we prioritize evangelism or works of service? Local ministries or overseas missions? What's more important: giving our money or giving our time? Crisis relief or building sustainable, long-term ministries? And what about the often debated pros and cons of short-term missions trips?

In Mapping Church Missions, Sharon Hoover brings her years of experience in local church missions to bear on these and other thorny questions. Instead of taking a hardline stance on one end of the spectrum or the other, she approaches each question with nuance, adding helpful data, presenting new perspectives, and always pressing gently past surface questions to the heart of the matter.

Whether we're fully aware of it or not, our churches come up against these questions whenever we consider how best to use our resources for the mission of God. Written by an experienced guide, this book maps the terrain of church missions in careful detail, helping us plot our church's unique course as we seek to serve Christ's kingdom.

Sharon R. Hoover is the director of missions at Centreville Presbyterian Church, where she leads local and global outreach and equips the congregation to connect through prayer, internships, and regular serving opportunities. As an author, she writes devotional and inspirational works for all who are exploring and growing in the journey of faith, contributing to Everbloom: Stories of Deeply Rooted and Transformed Lives and Don’t Hide Your Light.

Her passions for education and global issues led her from being a high school teacher to a Middle East analyst with the CIA and then to serving in the church. Through writing and speaking, she encourages women as they seek God in life, in play, in family, and in work. She lives with her husband, and occasionally-visiting college children, in the suburbs of northern Virginia.