When it comes to missions, can small churches make a large impact? Some might try to hedge their bets. But Jeanette Orlando would tell you a different story.
The secret? Intentionally leveraging the church’s particular passions and gifting with a handpicked global partner.
In March 2024, Orlando’s pastor asked her to coordinate her church’s team for Converge’s 2:10 FOCUS. This evaluative, strategic missions coaching process helps a church discern its global calling and put it into action.
The 2:10 FOCUS process aims to match global needs with partnering churches. Together, they achieve three- to five-year goals neither would have accomplished alone.
Healthy churches multiply. They plant and strengthen other churches, while sending missionaries so the whole world can hear about Jesus. This missions coaching process, then, moves churches from no missions, haphazard missions or reactive missions toward strategic efforts. Churches develop clear, targeted goals based on prayerful, proactive choices.
‘Returning to our roots as a missional church’
Candace Fish, a Church Mobilization Associate with Converge, explains that Ephesians 2:10—of the 2:10 FOCUS’ name—can be taken individually. But it was initially penned to a unique church in time. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. The 2:10 FOCUS helps churches identify their unique workmanship. Then, it helps identify good works God may have prepared specifically for them.
Orlando felt energized by this possibility for her church and offered her assistance. After 36 years with First Baptist – East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania (FBC), this project “felt like returning to our roots as a missional church,” she says.
Thus, her FOCUS team kicked off the 14-month exercise to concentrate the church’s passions and resources toward a least-reached people group. For FBC East Stroudsburg, this meant looking closer at who they are as a congregation before deciding where and how to serve.
Like other congregations’ FOCUS process, they began with a simple churchwide online survey examining demographics, occupations, skills, service areas and ministry passions.
Church’s demographics help direct its projects
FBC East Stroudsburg, for example, enjoys a diverse population. Of its roughly 125 attendees, about 20% are Black, 20% are Latino, and more than a dozen are Polish, including several Polish speakers, estimates Orlando—a factor about to play a vital role in this process.
Following the survey results, Fish and others hosted a Discovery Weekend for the FOCUS team, together unpacking who their church is and what makes them beautiful. How might God be inviting them to purposefully engage?
Nearing the weekend’s completion, the missions coaching encourages attendees—representative of the congregation itself—to hone in on two of Converge’s suggested global projects as candidates for ministry partnership, or even an existing non-Converge partner of the church. After much prayer and discussion, FBC East Stroudsburg landed on projects in South America and Poland, reflective of their Latino and Polish congregants and directly reflecting their congregation’s heart.
FBC East Stroudsburg energetically welcomed the team’s findings. Next, smaller teams thoroughly researched customs, history, ministry opportunities and other data in the chosen regions. Each met virtually with members of potential global projects.
Gradually, the entire FOCUS team sensed the Holy Spirit’s leadership to partner with Converge’s 15:5 West Initiative. As per its name, 15:5 seeks “a gospel movement among the 15 largest cities in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia,” plus “at least five unreached villages around each of these cities.” Most cities in this region are <1% evangelical.
In particular, First Baptist began formulating a partnership with Converge global workers Lemuel and Brittany Martinez and the Szczecin Baptist Church (SBC) of Szczecin, Poland, a city of 391,000 souls. A Guiding Principles document outlined their partnership, including questions FBC East Stroudsburg hoped to answer, and what they hoped to accomplish together.
Wheels up: Building relationships in Poland
By May 2025, the FOCUS on-site survey team was wheels-up en route to Poland. The trip aimed to walk alongside Polish believers in true partnership. It was about learning, listening and preparation. The team’s specific goals: a better understanding of SBC’s ministry vision and goals, and of the Polish people and culture; observing how God is currently working; and exploring a reciprocal partnership.
Orlando describes the trip as “very fruitful” as they learned about Szczecin history and culture to prepare for effective missions and enter the project as learners. Among historically-Catholic Poland, for example, 90% claim Christianity. Only .3% would be evangelical.
The survey team also met over cups of coffee with Szczecin Baptist for Bible Study and worship in Polish, followed by the English-speaking Bible study and worship of the church’s international ministry. Polish food, Orlando remarks, was delicious; the hospitality “fantastic.”
The Martinez family, as well, found the visit “such an encouragement,” delighting in sharing their vision for Poland.
As FBC East Stroudsburg prepares for a likely return to Poland in the spring of 2026, the team now hones in on a few quick wins to engage the entire congregation and generate momentum after an extensive process. One possibility they are contemplating is a drive to sponsor the purchase of books for SBC’s fledgling bookstore and café.
The strategic missions coaching, from Orlando’s perspective, did not disappoint. For this beautiful partnership, she’s continued to pray Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”
As she recounts this path, her smile radiates hope. “We look forward with anticipation to witness His ‘immeasurably more’—for His glory.”
Interested in Converge’s missions coaching coming to your church? Check out Focus 2:10.