The Greek verb ekpempo is a compound of ek (out) and pempo (to send), meaning to send out or dispatch on a mission. It appears twice in Acts (13:4; 17:10), both times in the context of missionary sending — the church dispatching Paul and his companions for gospel mission.
Ekpempo captures the missionary nature of the Church. In Acts 13:4, the Holy Spirit had set apart Paul and Barnabas; the church then sent them out. In Acts 17:10, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. The double agency is significant: both the Spirit (Acts 13:4) and the church (Acts 13:3) participate in missionary sending. This models the proper relationship between divine initiative and ecclesial structure. The missio Dei (God's sending) works through the missio ecclesiae (the Church's sending). Every missionary dispatch is a participation in God's own sending of His Son (John 20:21).