tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6204574339903392052024-02-20T15:42:36.698-08:00Trends in Biblical MissionsMissions Works! How can we make it work better?David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-27975431287779446382014-03-30T10:50:00.003-07:002014-03-30T10:50:04.764-07:00Mixing business with missions<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some time ago a man I know bought a business. He wanted to be able to have a sustainable income that would allow him to go on more missions trips. Unfortunately the business did not take off and he ended up working two other jobs to pay off the debt. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Business is risky and many Christians are not up to taking that risk with their missions dollars. We are in a system that almost all of the dollars given go straight to the missionary. And people are generous and there are a lot of dollars out there! But there is also a vast need around the world of more missionaries and plenty of missionaries wait 2-3 years in order to get to the field. Certainly this discourages others from going into missions as well. If money was not an issue would you take 2-3 years and go on mission? I imagine there are many people who would be more likely to pursuit it.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So the question is: Is it worth the risk of our missions dollars to use business for the sake of the kingdom?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Jesus tells the parable of the talents in the New Testament. He rebukes the third servant for hiding his one talent and applauds the other two servants who invested theirs’. Methinks that Jesus likes the idea of investing for the kingdom. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How much investment have we done with our missions dollars? Wouldn’t it be great if we could multiply those dollars before they arrived to the missionary? Is there a way we could take the millions of dollars going into missions yearly and multiply the millions? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I do not have any solid answers here, but I do know that God has given many people creative minds. The church has many businessman who could think through these things. I do have some ideas, but I do think there are better ones out there that a little prayer and meditation can bring out.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Pray about it. First pray that it is for God’s glory and not our own. Then pray boldly that God will show us a way to invest for His kingdom as well as provide for that investment! </span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-69355874725654854532013-12-09T04:56:00.001-08:002013-12-09T04:56:36.115-08:00To ask or not to ask, that is the question<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I do not know of any missionary who decided to be a missionary so that he could ask people to support him. It has always been in spite of having to ask for support. Some missionaries do well in raising support because they are good at asking. Others really struggle. In the past, missionaries mainly targeted churches, but lately there has been a shift to looking for individuals with which to partner. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Praying his support in was made famous by Hudson Taylor. He would not even let the need be known, but taught the orphans and his family to just pray and allow God to supply the need. So far we have not had enough faith to follow this thinking. I have also heard a sermon on how Taylor’s family suffered because their health needs were not always met. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I am not against asking. Most advice from books or conferences will tell you how to “make the ask.” They say not to be ashamed of it either, and rightly so; it is not like missionaries are trying to rob anyone. We are to go into partnership with others in reaching the world and because of that, we can ask boldly to be involved in what God is doing around the world. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have asked a couple people lately and it does not seem to go to well. I am sure it has to do with my asking abilities not being up to par. I have also had some conversations with others on this and being asked can seem awkward. It would seem that having the conviction that you are supposed to give to a certain person would be easier to give to rather than feeling you need to give because you were asked. Kind of like in church when the Pastor does his little giving lecture before the offering. You should not give because of the lecture or guilt; we give out of love and conviction. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have also providentially met partners out of nowhere. After sharing the ministry with them, they have felt led by God to give. This has been most encouraging as it confirms God’s calling on our lives. We know that God is with us and He is the One who is sending us to the field. We have made lists of potential supporters and yet it ultimately has come down to God touching hearts. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We do give to missions as well. Actually, we have several missionaries who support us too. In our giving endeavors, we have given out of conviction that we should give to faith promise or certain missionaries and that has seemed the most rewarding. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I would like to see some conversation on this one because our circumstance is different than other missionaries and other givers. What is your perspective? Do you like to be asked to give? </span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-62375976590204406192013-11-13T07:31:00.000-08:002013-11-13T07:31:21.288-08:00Missionary Survey results<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On November 6th I created a survey for missionaries to see their experience with support systems. We had 40 missionaries take the survey. The idea for doing the survey came out of a comment on the blog that made me wonder if I am lobbying for a different type of support system that missionaries do not even want. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We had a wide variety of participants, many newer missionaries, but plenty of veteran missionaries. Some needed little support, like less than 3000 a month, but the rest spanned the spectrum up to 7500+ a month. There was a trend of people who needed less than 3000 dollars a month. They generally had just a couple supporting churches and it took them less than a year to raise their support. It seems like this crowd would be more shorter term missionaries, even though there is no way of telling since I did not think of that as a question.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The stats showed a difference between the newer missionaries and veteran missionaries. The veteran missionaries had much more church support as opposed to individual support. Of the 9 veteran (16+ years on the field), all but one had more than 11 supporting churches, and only one had more than 45% of their support coming from individuals. All but two did their pre-field ministry in less than two years. They were almost even (5-4, preferring more supporting churches) on the question of whether to switch to a system of having 3-5 supporting churches as opposed to 15-20. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The newer missionaries (less than 10 years on the field) were different in most aspects. Again, the ones that did not need as much money mostly took less than 1 year on pre-field, but the others took a little longer and in some cases, really long. Of the 24, eight took 1-2 years, four took 3-4 years and four took more than 5 years. It definitely seems like pre-field is taking longer now than it used to take. Half of the newer missionaries have more than 45% support coming from individuals and half have more than 11 churches and half have less than 10 churches. There was much desire for a different system of support as 19 said they would rather have a 3-5 church system as opposed to 5 who liked the system we have right now.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My eyes popped when I first put out the survey, because the first 10 respondents said they had no monthly accountability from churches. But it ended as 60% saying they were not held accountable each month. I kind of regret saying monthly and wish I would have put bi-monthly or quarterly, although it may not have changed the results. I had a question about how many churches really partner with the missionary in ministry, which could really vary on the missionary’s definition of partnership, but 18% said no churches do, and 28% said that 1-2 churches do. Of course Dave Southwell said he has lots of churches who do! But not every missionary can be as cool as him! It seemed to me though that the church/missionary relationship has plenty of room to grow closer. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Overall, 2/3 of the participants said they would rather have a 3-5 church support system. 55% would be pleased with that change. 31% said they might be pleased with that change and 13% said they would not like it. Almost all thought it would take work. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One of the respondents told me about his situation in which he needed a lot of supporting churches because of the work he is in with planting churches. It takes a lot of money to plant multiple churches and so he needs a large pool of resources. He really helped me understand that perspective (and made me wonder if my perspective will change as we start planting churches this next term). I do however believe that most missionaries believe they would benefit greatly by traveling less when they are home and having great partnerships with churches that exceeded the churches just sending money. </span></div>
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David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-5024397206956184872013-11-11T04:48:00.000-08:002013-11-11T04:48:00.448-08:00Independent or unorganized cooperation?<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We independent Baptists pride ourselves in being independent. But are we really independent? When it comes to missions, I would argue that we are not. In missions we support missionaries for 25-300 dollars a month. Is that all the money it takes to send them to the field? No, there are other churches and individuals that help them out as well. So in that sense, we are not independent, but rather have an unorganized cooperation. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We cooperate with more churches to send our missionaries to the field. We just do not know who those churches are. What we really have is multiple consortiums. Each missionary family represents one consortium of churches working together to send that missionary family. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Can we reverse our unorganized cooperation? It would be impossible to convince all us independents to revamp our whole missions system at one time, but we can start trends now that will make a difference over time. Here are a couple trends to start us off. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">First, organize and know your missionaries. Sometimes missionaries are off the field and you don’t even know it! Assign small groups to a missionary or a member of your mission team to concentrate on certain missionaries. If a prayer request arises or any other needs, those in your church can be one of the first to know. They can also send encouraging notes to the missionary.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Second, instead of finding new missionaries to support, consider raising your current missionary’s support. Not to say you never support a new missionary, because new missionaries are needed, but your missionaries are probably also looking for new support from somewhere. It can either come from a new church, which means more money and time spent going somewhere else, or it can come from you, which means less spreading out on the missionary’s part. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Third, consider some type of consortium. A consortium is a group of churches that support the same missionaries. If one church is sending out a missionary, the other churches pledge to support that missionary in agreement that the sending church will support the other church’s missionaries. In the past, traditional consortiums have had varied success. Consortiums can be hard to maintain because of the imbalance in churches with sending missionaries. If church A sends out 2 missionaries and church B sends out 10 missionaries, church A may not have the capacity to support 10 missionaries, so church A gets mad because they are not fulfilling their agreement...</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But what if you were creative in finding the benefits of the consortium and partnered with a couple other churches in your area to support some of the same missionaries? You might even do it already. Most pastors have pastor friends in the area; coordinate with them on supporting the same missionaries and then plan how you can take advantage of meeting with them at the same time. See if between a few area churches, you can take on a good percentage of that missionary’s support. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The key to all this is time. To make these moves all at once would be nearly impossible, but start the trends that will make the difference over time.</span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-47322894397619682052013-11-05T14:51:00.002-08:002013-11-05T14:51:52.113-08:00Internships<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In an earlier post I mentioned the idea of missionaries doing internships in churches as a requirement for receiving the support of the church. Traditionally missionaries spend either one night, one weekend, or one week with a church before they receive support. While great times may be had during these meetings as well as meaningful relationships built, there is usually not too much depth to the relationships. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The most important church relationship for the missionary should be with the sending church. A sending church should be a huge system of support for the missionary. Not just financially, but in relationship, accountability, and ministry training. A summer internship at my home church during college gave me insight into how the local church operated and helped with relationships between the Pastors and myself. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A 25-50% support rate for sending churches would allow for more involvement and intimacy with their sending church. Then if they did a couple other 3 month internships at other churches with an understanding of receiving a higher amount of support, there would be more stability for the missionary, as well as more intimacy with the churches. We were just in a 5 day conference in which we got to know several families by meals and hanging out. I can just imagine the friendship development if we would have had a couple more months. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I heard a Pastor say that if they support us for 25% of our support, they would like 25% of our time on furlough. I thought that would be great. One of my friends on furlough has an office at his sending church and is able to participate in all the Pastor’s meetings. One of the major aspects of furlough that I do not enjoy is the lack of involvement in a single local church. We do not have time to be involved in weekly ministries. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If missionaries could do a 6 month internship at their home church where the church was committed to 25-50% of their support, then 3-4 three month internships in other churches who were committed to 10% of their support, they could be to the field in a year and a half with a significant amount of strong prayer support. I know that does not add up to 100%, but with those close of relationships with the churches, along with close family and friends there will inevitably be support for them on an individual basis. (Half of our support comes from individuals). </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The transition to this type of support system would not happen overnight. It would take dozens of years, but the implementation and results of these types of partnerships will be well worth the effort.</span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-9881978758611276972013-10-22T06:53:00.003-07:002013-10-22T06:59:12.238-07:00Cooperative Program for independents?What if there was a Cooperative program for faith missions (basically meaning independent baptist missionaries)? I know that goes against being independent, but independent in the Christian circles does not sound too biblical anyway. I know, I know, it can be good in some ways, but with missions, is being independent a good thing? It may have once been, but with the demands a missionary faces today, I do not believe it is the best.<br />
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With southern baptists, at this point, they have such a broad base that it comes from all the donations of many churches. Something independent baptists are too independent to have. So how would a Cooperative program with independent missions work? Glad you asked, cause I have a few ideas, that would all seem impossible. That is right. Think about how many missionaries are out there to support. There is plenty, which means it would take plenty to fully support them. So the Cooperative program would not be able to start fully supporting each missionary. But it could start by supporting some missionaries for some and then continue to grow as it gains credibility.<br />
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The Cooperative program would probably start out small and it would have to be a business making money, not just depending on donations. There would have to be people with business minds to run it and be successful. There would be prayer. There would be investment. There would be work. It could start with one business, but continue on to many more. In the book the Circle Maker, they have a coffee house called Ebeneezer that now gives six figures yearly to missions. What if we started a chain of businesses whose profits went completely to missions? There could be restaurants or coffee houses, stores or garage sales, car lots or shoe lots. I do not know what God will use in this, but I know He can use anything.<br />
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In middle school my Pastor gave the whole congregation one dollar each and preached about the parable of talents. Many of us did not just hide the talent so that we could give it back; we invested it. I bought jolly ranchers and sold them for 5 cents each. I do not remember how much money I gave back after a month or two, but I am pretty sure it was around 20 dollars. Many others had been even more creative and lucrative. I believe investing is biblical, but in our missions giving, we look at the giving as an investment for the kingdom of God. And that is right; but what about actually investing our money before it reaches the missionary.<br />
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What if we could put it into a business that will give back two-fold, three-fold or more? I know that investing can be risky, but that is what the servant with the one talent thought and the master labeled him a fool.<br />
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In 2009 I introduced a real estate idea on my personal blog and it did not seem too popular. I am back at it again wanting to introduce it. So look for that next. But if that is not the idea that God will use, what else is out there? Do you have any ideas? I think investment is a worthy idea that will not have a huge initial impact, but can be very profitable in the long run.David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-22430163301870383462013-10-14T20:05:00.004-07:002013-10-14T20:05:47.902-07:00Circle Maker<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My mom gave me a book to read called the Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, Pastor of National Community Church in Washington DC. The book is about praying circles like Elijah did on Mount Carmel, the persistent widow in Jesus’ parable, Hannah for a baby, and so many others in the Bible. We need to pray that way for God’s will and for the dreams that He gives us. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This book has encouraged me to pray circles around several dreams that I have. Three of them have to do with missions. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#1- Church Planting in the Brazilian Outback. What an incredible opportunity to plant churches in a place where they have few churches. Check out the video that tells about the opportunity. I am praying that God will start a church planting movement there, which is something only He can do. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#2- Our missions system will continue to change to a partnership model where churches are actively involved in their missionary’s ministry. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#3- For years now I have dreamed of a fund that will decrease the needed support for missionaries. One thought is to use the skills and abilities in the church to fix up and rent out houses with the funds benefiting missions. I actually have a huge document describing all the ideas in it and a brief two page business plan should anyone be interested. At some point I will post it to the blog. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What are your dreams that you are praying through? How persistent are your prayers. Mark Batterson writes about walking around his prayer requests just as the Israelites walked around Jericho. It took persistence and faith. We must work in prayer to see God’s hand move in miraculous ways and remember that He wants to answer those prayers as the loving Father who loves to give gifts. </span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-30661000354990580092013-10-09T18:09:00.003-07:002013-10-09T18:09:58.340-07:00Tent-making<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“I just don’t really want to do the whole support raising thing and so I thought I could have some sort of business to provide all my support.” A college student told me while I was out recruiting. “I understand” I said as we continued the conversation.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As it turns out, that student is not alone as a main concern posed by potential missionary candidates has to do with raising support. Of course, the alternative is tent-making, which comes from Acts 18 where it talks about Paul making tents as a means of income so as to not be a burden on the churches. So is support raising wrong; is tent-making wrong? Of course, we all know that neither are wrong, but lets talk about the pros and cons of tent-making.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The motives behind the decision are important. We are on mission to make disciples and so in each situation, we must see if it better helps us make disciples. Tent-making can provide a great source of contacts as the missionary will interact each week with plenty of clients or other workers. This is a great way to make disciples! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If the main reason for tent-making is to avoid support raising, you may not have that high of view of the ministry. I experientially understand the fears associated with raising money, but serving the Lord in a foreign country is a huge privilege of which one should not be ashamed. God provides and it is a sanctifying process to see the ways in which He does provide. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you do go the route of the tent-maker, you will most likely have less time for ministry. The route would probably look like two full time jobs. One day time job and one night and weekend job. That may be alright if you are single, but where does the land the wife and kids in your priorities? It will be tough to maintain an intact thriving family in this situation (and that all depends on the type of secular job you will have). </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Also, is there a temptation in your life to chase money? If so, you may struggle with money being the goal rather than the job being the means to the end. I heard about a doctor who was working in the hospital while at the same time ministering and he could either get paid or volunteer, but either way he would be doing the same thing. Get paid! Then use that money for ministry or to offset costs. There was another situation in which a pilot could use his plane to fly government officials and get paid. He was not already doing this, so there was a decision to be made on where the focus would be laid. If he just flew all the time, he may have influence and less money to raise, but what about the church he was planting? He would at least have to set boundaries time-wise as to how it would all work out. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Years ago I watched a video about a Philippine pastor with a vision of sending out thousands of missionaries as workers! Awesome! They would go into different countries with different professions and be a witness wherever they went! That is a quick way to send a lot of missionaries! I have friends that are in closed countries working in the field of education. They are able to be witnesses to the nationals there and have a church. One term for them would be “kingdom professionals.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There are many opportunities in missions today. Consider what is best for you, how your time can be managed, how affective you can be with a tent-making workload, and what your motives are. Do not be afraid to raise support, but do not be afraid to be creative as well. For some, tent-making would not give them time to devote to ministry; for others, it provides more ministry. Whatever you do, make disciples and give glory to God!</span></div>
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David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-69859631529309553502013-10-08T04:18:00.003-07:002013-10-08T04:18:26.019-07:00Worst Fear<br />
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There are many things to be scared about as a missionary, but my worst fear is family illness. Not to me, but a serious illness to my wife or kids. I feel like God allows trials quite often in the lives of missionaries as a way to sanctify them. </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some of the missionaries who have influenced me the most have been through this. Sometimes they come home and teach; sometimes they take home office positions. Whatever they do, they are very valuable. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yet, in the missions world today, home office staff are often undervalued. I wish I could adequately explain how influential they are to missionaries on the field as well as new or potential missionaries. And still, it is much harder for a home office missionary to raise support. I have a friend in this situation working a part time job to help supplement the loss of support. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While I understand the perspective of the churches in dropping “home missionaries,” a partnership model will be in tune with the missionary and know their heart of service. Usually the missionary has no choice in the matter. They would much rather be on the field, but health forces a different assignment that is not at all a step down. Actually, the home office missionaries are the leaders of the mission board. They are facilitating and leading the missionaries in their region and/or training others and giving tons of advice. They are very essential; yet churches sometimes drop them for this raise. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Be a partner. Know and love your missionaries. Invest in their lives. If that worst fear happens in the life of your missionary, run along side them with words and acts of encouragement. </span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-69921528292234007702013-10-01T07:09:00.003-07:002013-10-01T07:09:25.599-07:00Partnership- It works both ways!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This past weekend in the missions conference we were in, one of the missionaries said partnership works both ways. The churches expect to hear from the missionaries, for very good reason! But what about the missionaries hearing from their churches? We would like to know what is going on as well. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have had a couple of churches do this; one very faithfully and the other hit and miss. Of course, many churches do this indirectly through facebook. I can hear about their different activities by reading facebook. In fact, I just talked to someone who is going to be encouraging small groups to interact with some of their missionaries by writing them notes. I suggested using facebook (if both parties have it) to keep up with the missionaries and occasionally send words of news and encouragement. One of our churches has a church-missionary facebook group and often asks for prayer requests through that. Missionaries do not have to receive formal letters (although those can be nice), but whichever way in which we hear or see involvement is exciting. We want to hear how the church/individuals are doing and the different ministries happening (cause sometimes we steal your ideas...and you, in turn, can steal ours)! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">No, we do not need monthly emails, although that can be nice, but hearing from the churches is always a blessing. Some churches are content with sending money and that is it, but that is not partnership. How do you keep in contact with your missionaries? </span></div>
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David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-14770559181867593572013-09-25T05:35:00.002-07:002013-09-25T05:35:46.253-07:00Guest Post: 10 Ways to Intentionally Partner with Missionaries<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>I met <a href="http://www.amomentwiththemillers.com/" target="_blank">Sean Miller</a> at a missions conference and he has continued to be a good friend serving around the world. Check out this post on partnering!</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This is not a new topic to the mission’s discussion, and one that is easily agreed upon. I can make the case like many others have for creative ideas to bless missionaries, grow your church’s relationship with them, etc… but more often than not, various writings about this topic do not lead to action. Just as a heads-up, these 10 ideas are primarily geared toward a home church partnership. Missionaries simply aren’t that special for every partnering church to feel compelled to do all of these things! Missionaries are everyday people just like you, simply seeking the Kingdom’s growth in a different context and it is also their “job”. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">However, cross-cultural missions has its own unique challenges that a home church and partnering churches need to seek to help the missionary family overcome. There was a story once told about William Carey: “After hearing an account of the spiritual needs of India, the secretary of the meeting remarked: "There is a gold mine in India, but it seems almost as deep as the center of the earth. Who will venture to explore it?" "I will venture to go down," said Carey, "but remember that you must hold the ropes."</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The local church must “hold the rope” for their missionaries as they serve cross-culturally. If you are reading this and are not a missionary’s “home church”, still look to apply some of these ideas to your other supported missionaries, perhaps albeit in a reduced fashion. If you are a home church to a missionary or missionaries, don’t feel pressure to apply all of these immediately! Start somewhere, and seek the Holy Spirit to reveal other ways to “hold the rope”.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>*NOTE</b>*…. none of the below has anything to do with regular support giving. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">10. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">You show grace</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Missionaries are sinners, are not perfect and they should not be put on a pedestal. The missionary that says, “praise the Lord, brother/sister/pastor everything is great”, is more than likely being superficial in conversation. Go deeper. They will thank you for it, even if it is painful to talk about whatever current issue is going on. Except, in going deeper, show grace. There is spiritual, cultural, language, financial, personal, family, marital, health, material and everyday pressures that you in America </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>do not understand </b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">unless you have lived as a cross-cultural missionary yourself. It may be easy for you to do different things you are supposed to do or follow advice given, but it is much harder for them. Show grace, it will go a long way. Don’t assume because a missionary is struggling in a particular area that it means they shouldn’t be on the field. The Lord may be refining them through the above pressures to equip them for further long-term ministry. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">9. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">You do crazy stuff for them</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I know of a church missions team member that heard a missionary loved Starburst jelly beans, so they bought a case of 40 bags! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Another missionary friend of mine knew there were no street names where he lived, so they made a legitimate road sign with his name on it! One of our churches knows we like Milo’s Sweet Tea, so they made sure they would have a couple gallons of it when we visited them on furlough.. Seemingly a trivial idea given to them lets the missionary know you are listening, even to the small comments.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">8. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">You randomly call them</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The missionary has time to call people. Any missionary that has no time to talk to people back home is too busy and doesn’t plan his/her schedule in a “non-burn out” healthy way. You make time for what is important to you, and you as an effective church partner need to make time for them if they are truly important to you. One of my missionary friends faithfully talks to his senior pastor every single week, talking and praying together. No agenda, no “trying to fix him/them”, just to pray with him and provide a safe place to talk about whatever is on his mind or heart with no fear of being criticized. This can happen easily and free in today’s modern era with VOIP home phone options, Skype, Facetime, etc… </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">7. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">You plan a team of people to intentionally love on them</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Effectively showing this kind of love doesn’t happen because you “want to” or “feel like it”. This takes careful, deliberate action by a member care team at your church. They can be a sub-committee of the local church missions committee or it can be a separate team by themselves. There needs to be people assigned to this, with not a lot of other things on their plate. They need the ability (and the resources allotted to them) to make it happen.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">6. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">You seek to understand them</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Try to understand your missionaries. If they send a newsletter (print or email), read it and make notes to bring up in your next phone call/email with them. Intentionally follow them on Facebook or other social media. This means once a week or before a phone call, read what they have posted and make mention of it. Learn their likes and dislikes; find their hobbies and what makes them “tick”. Find out about their culture, struggles with the local people, and what is “not” in the newsletter about daily life. For example, questions like: “What is the grocery store like?” “Are there family things to do where you live?” “What are fun things that happen?” “What is the ministry like?” “What do you do on a daily basis?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">5. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">You visit them</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Put it in the mission’s budget to have a member of your church visit them and spend a couple days with them. Some missionaries live in business and vacation “high traffic” areas. Make sure if people in your congregation goes to that country or near that country the missions team asks them to stop by and visit a nearby missionary. In this visit they could bring needed items or even just simply have a quick meal with them. Have a staff member or pastor or missions committee visit them at least once a term. This one-on-one visit should be separate from any short-term ministry team visits.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">4. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">You personally give to them above and beyond regular support</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Unless a missionary comes from a wealthy family, they are most likely broke. Only recently have missionary organizations been providing financial stewardship education, and it is usually limited. Pay for them to go through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University or pay for them to go through the Crown Financial Ministries MoneyLife program. If they make comments on social media or in a newsletter about a personal need, pay attention to it. They more than likely have thought through it, prayed about it and debated whether or not to even share about it. After evaluation of how best to help, intentionally try to meet the need. Most missionaries have minimal salaries, often times have high costs of living, and some may have debt they are trying to eliminate. As a general rule, if they come to share at your church, they are spending money (personal, ministry finances or both) to get there. It is very helpful to give them personal money/cash specifically for them. They probably have private needs they aren’t sharing.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">3. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">You care about and love on their kids</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Third culture kids have much adjustment in their lives. Make sure when they are on furlough they can do fun things, not just get dragged from ministry meeting to missions conference. If their kids just want time with their parents, make it happen. If the kids want to go to Chuck-E-Cheese, take them. While they are on the field, ask what the kids like and cannot get where they are. A few young girls at AWANA from my church growing up sent our 4-year-old daughter some Disney princess magnets, in a package just for her! Our daughter was very excited by the gift and it meant a huge amount to us as her parents! MK’s love to get mail just for them, even if it is just a few stickers thrown in with their parents’ mail.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">You care about their marriage</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A missionary’s marriage is one of the highest places the enemy attacks but it is also one of the most “assumed all is well” things a local church partner thinks. Just because a missionary is cleared for service and the ministry is growing does not mean all is well at home. Are pastor’s sometimes jerks to their wives? Guess what? A missionary does the same thing. Do pastors and pastor’s wives have to intentionally work on their marriage? Missionaries have to as well. Except as stated above, they also have other cross-cultural pressures of being on the field, in addition to normal life’s struggles and stresses. Send them marriage books, have older couples lovingly mentor them and provide a “safe” place for counsel, send them a personal gift to go on a nice date, and ask them if they are having regular date nights. Have the church give them an overnight get-away on the field or back in the USA when they are on furlough. On a practical level, make sure when they are staying with people on furlough that the couple has “alone” time, if you know what I mean. That probably is being sacrificed if they are going from place to place, living out of suitcases and the family is staying in one bedroom. Ask how your church can help build up and lift up their marriage.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">1. You faithfully pray for them and tell them that you are faithfully praying for them</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Most importantly, pray for them. Pray faithfully and often for them. Keep current prayer requests on bulletin boards and prayer sheets. Make sure that if your bulletin has “Our Missionaries” on it, ensure their names are included! Tell them that you are praying for them. Send them a quick email when you have them as the “missionary of the week”. Write them and have others write them a note simply saying “I prayed for you today”. Prayer truly moves mountains in the ministry, and knowing that there is a truly partnering prayer team behind them does wonders for the missionary spiritually. There is nothing worse than hearing a church say “yeah we are praying for you!” when in reality it is just to sound spiritual. Never think you have told the missionary enough that you are praying for them. They are easily forgetful with all that happens in a day, week or month. They need faithful prayer.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sean Miller currently serves as a missionary with Child Evangelism Fellowship in St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean with his wife Mandi and daughter Maddy. If you want to find out more about their life and ministry, visit <a href="http://www.amomentwiththemillers.com/"><span style="font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #2b00ae; text-decoration: underline;">www.amomentwiththemillers.com</span></a></span></div>
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David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-43746788419905831842013-09-23T09:04:00.000-07:002013-09-23T12:54:19.969-07:00Partnerships<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A great buzz word for the missionary church relationship is “partnership.” I love that churches are looking at it that way, because that is what the relationship is! How does this pan out in churches? If you want to be partners, you want to get to know who that partner is, but how does that functionally play out? Here are a few cases of what some churches are doing. Feel free to input what your church does.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">FCBC is a smaller church (150 or so) with a big heart for missions. Last year they gave around 41,000 dollars to missions and their commitments after this year’s conference jumped to 48,000. In this year’s Wednesday through Sunday missions conference they had four missionary families represented; three of whom were already supported by the church and one other they are now taking on. The Pastor is looking to raise the current missionary’s support given by the church from 50 to 100 dollars a month. According to him, with the amount of missionaries that leave the field (unfortunately); this is a possibility. Yet, they still are looking to gain new missionaries as well! The Pastor also is praying for someone to be sent out of their church. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This new missionary they took on will be working with a couple the church already supports. It is great to see the church invest with multiple families into a specific field they really want to see reached. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I appreciate this Pastor’s heart for missions. He works an extra job and his wife works. Many pastors in that situation would probably put more emphasis on being paid as the full time Pastor, but this Pastor’s heart for missions is so big that he places the emphasis on the church giving more to faith promise. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Calvary Baptist Church used to have a longer missions conference, but like so many churches, they have shortened it up due to the busy schedules of its members. However, in order to get to know their missionaries better they will have a cookout on a Saturday night with informal questions to the missionaries. They want it more laid back so people are more apt to really get to know the missionaries. The missionaries will teach different Sunday schools and then have a few minutes in the main service to show their presentation. At night there will be a banquet as a time to get to know the missionaries even more. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Heritage and Cornerstone both do missions months. Each Sunday they have a different missionary in to present their work. This seems to be popular amongst churches today. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Many other churches have missionaries in for an evening service and decide to take them on either by church vote, missions committee vote, or the Pastor deciding. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I think it would be neat to go to a church on a Wednesday, take a couple days for final organization of a Saturday soccer tournament outreach (or some other outreach) in which I helped organize and speak at... and then speak at the church on Sunday. Doing ministry together is always a blast and a good way to get to know people.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One missionary did an internship with a church with an agreement that they would support them for a larger chunk of their support. Love. Love. Love. In case you did not catch that. I loved that idea. Why? Because the church can really get to know a missionary better when he is there for 2-6 months. The missionary does not have to constantly be on the road (and potentially raise his support in a year, or year and a half, while still being in a stable environment for that time). Then the church will really feel the heartbeat of the missionary and both will be better able to serve one another (sounds like a Biblical principle). What if home churches supported for 25-50 percent, then the missionaries did two other internships where the church supported them for 10 percent each. (Then the rest could be made up by individuals). The missionary could have 3-4 supporting churches (wouldn’t be so burdensome during furlough) and they could really get to know those 3-4 churches which would then provide much more powerful prayer support.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This writing has caused other internship ideas to float around my head, so be looking for another post on it! For now, how does partnering work in your church? Do you have any ideas for it?</span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-28027972018090259802013-09-18T08:16:00.001-07:002013-09-18T08:16:37.711-07:00Independence DayThe last couple days have been independence days for countries in Central America. Mexico's was yesterday. On Sunday I went to a Spanish Church celebration. Iglesia Bautista de Chattanooga now meets at Maranatha Baptist Church in the afternoons at 2 o'clock. They are sharing the building and on Sunday they fellowshipped together. Each nation represented had a table (tables) of food. (I was invited to take Brazilian food and Sarah cooked me up some beans and rice and farofa).<br />
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The service went well and then we ate afterwards. The Americans from the church there thought it was great! They tried food from all different nations and were thrilled to see what was available. They were able to get a perspective on the various cultures represented with which they are sharing their church. Often we do not see that side of the foreign families who enter this diverse country.<br />
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Have you gotten to known any foreign families in your community? Have you tried?David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-29701003207356858342013-09-16T07:37:00.001-07:002013-09-16T07:37:48.393-07:00Inward Focus versus Outward Focus<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We were having a dinner time conversation the other day about church’s inward focus today. What is the functional purpose of the church today? Where do they put their money, time and effort? The day we had that conversation, I had actually been looking at church budgets trying to figure out how much money usually goes to missions in churches. One average amount that I came upon said that 7% of the budget is spent on outward ministries. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In our conversation we talked about elaborate buildings, gyms, and perks that come with churches. It seems that having the right facilities is of utmost importance for churches. Of course, seeker friendly churches were made popular about a decade ago, to which many responded; “we will continue preaching the Bible, the truth, and not soften our message,” yet it has effected our practice in striving to have the best facilities and programs. And these are not bad things! We want to attract people to church and not have run down facilities; but do we go overboard? I have heard (or seen on a plaque), “this building was built under Pastor so and so,” as if his success was shown by a building being built. “He led us through this capital campaign.” So is that was success in ministry boils down to, a building campaign? I understand that a building is often the result of more members, but when we look back to show where success stories come from, shouldn’t they be from making disciples. “I was taught about true discipleship by Pastor so and so.” “Three of our elders were saved and discipled under that Pastor.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now back to the percentage of outward ministry. I think about the first church. Their building maintenance costs were, hmm, I don’t think they had buildings. Does that mean buildings are bad? No. But it does make you think. How did the Pastors in the first church know they were successful? Did they get a promotion to a bigger, higher-paying church and then say they were called of God to go there? I guess the Bible did not put that part in. The Bible does say Pastors are worthy of honor though and I don’t negate treating Pastors well. But I read somewhere, and this may not be true, that the average Pastor was making 83-113,000 a year. Is that right? I read of another Pastor whose housing allowance was 2100 a month (maybe they lived in New York City). Pastors deserve a lot, they put up with a lot and I don’t want to take away from them; I just want to think about where our focus is. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When you update your church furnishings and your buildings, think about your motives. What does the decision boil down to? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We need to do this to reach more people. Awesome. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If we build now, I will be able to invite more lost people. Great.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We will be so much more comfortable if we have this. Really?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I do not think I need to argue about the riches that come from having an outward focus. We all claim to have one, but how does that functionally work out when it comes to your money, time and efforts? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One young man wrote a blog on having a goal of a 50% missions budget and most churches said that is impossible for them. Only with some bigger churches or unusual circumstances did that seem even feasible. But what do you think it should be? What is possible for your church?</span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-61349559913594210852013-09-12T08:41:00.000-07:002013-09-12T08:41:07.806-07:00Less for More with graph<br />
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Some people argue that churches should provide full support for their missionaries. That would be cool. But I know it is not realistic for most churches. Plus, many churches are not sending churches to any missionaries and they need to support missionaries. I think that a huge percentage for any missionary receiving support from one church would be 50%. Our church has done up to 25% and that has been wonderful. </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There is no doubt in my mind that moving to a less for more strategy in churches will save money; maybe not as apparent on the church’s end, but on the missionary cost, which ultimately saves the church’s money. The big saver has to do with time spent on pre-field ministry. With less churches to visit, the missionary would save thousands each month he is on the field and not at home. He would also save hundreds on gasoline and car costs. In addition, the mailings it takes to gather speaking opportunities is tremendous and would save much time and money. The church would save budgeted money when they are not paying out honorariums, travel and boarding costs for 6-10 visiting missionaries each year. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With this system, I believe the missionary attrition rate would be lowered, thus saving the churches money as well. Having 4-5 strong partnership churches (with an emphasis on a very strong supporting church), the missionary can better receive counsel through the hard times that almost always happen in fitting into a different culture. It costs over a hundred thousand dollars to send a missionary to the field for a couple years, so obviously, any missionary attrition avoided saves much money. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So how should we support missionaries? I suggest shooting for a long term goal (maybe 15-20 years down the road) of having under 10 missionaries, hopefully 4-5. It really depends on your church size and capability of supporting missionaries. I have made a little graph of different support amounts where you can see the differences in numbers and budgets and give you an idea of where you can maximize your partnerships. The side by side columns go together as a sending church partnership plus a non-sending partnership. Probably no church will fit exactly into any one of these exact amounts and partnerships, but it does give you an idea of around how many partnerships you could have and at what level of commitment. </span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 126.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yearly Missions budget of</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 135.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Monthly amount of support</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 78.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">500/month</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 114.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">100/month</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2000/month</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">500/month</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">3000 month</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2000/month</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 126.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 135.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yearly amount</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 78.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$6,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 114.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$1,200.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$24,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$6,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$36,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$12,000.00</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 126.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$10,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 135.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 78.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 114.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">3</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 126.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$25,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 135.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 78.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
3</div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 114.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
5</div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 126.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$50,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 135.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 78.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 114.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">4</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 126.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$100,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 135.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 78.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 114.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">3</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">4</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 126.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$250,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 135.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 78.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 114.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">4</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">4</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 126.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$500,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 135.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 78.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 114.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">8</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">8</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 126.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">$1,000,000.00</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 135.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 78.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 114.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">16</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6 #d6d6d6; border-style: solid; border-width: 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px 0.2px; height: 12.0px; padding: 1.0px 2.0px 1.0px 2.0px; width: 67.8px;" valign="top">
<div style="font: 10.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: right;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">17</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font: 13.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font: 13.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font: 13.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I also doubt that any church can go immediately into this amount of a partnership (unless you are a brand new church), but they can be goals to shoot for over much time. Missionary support in churches constantly changes as missionaries leave the field for various reasons and as hopefully the budget goes up (as you as a church are missionaries reaching your communities). Use this money to work towards your goals. </span></div>
<div style="font: 13.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 13.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What do you think? Is this an attainable goal? Is your church already working towards something similar? What does it look like? What are your doubts about moving to a system like this?</span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-63442482396988939172013-09-10T08:00:00.002-07:002013-09-10T08:00:32.472-07:00Storytelling in a Biblically illiterate world<br />
<div style="font: 13.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
I often take for granted knowing the basic stories of the Bible because they were all I ever knew growing up. What missionaries are finding, and even US pastors these days, is that many people do not have a general knowledge of the Bible. What used to work for evangelism in the 70’s with proclaiming Jesus as Savior of sins now receives puzzled looks and slammed doors. Understanding salvation happens by the Holy Spirit, but it also happens by explanation of the Scriptures. We can no longer recommend a read through John and expect people to understand the content.<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
<div style="font: 13.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 13.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://www.goodsoil.com/training" target="_blank">Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship</a> introduced me to these concepts, but when I was on the field, I really saw the need to teach the stories of the Bible. God’s Word is a meta-narrative (one big story) of His love for us and how He is redeeming a people for His name. When one understands this, one can see God’s plan through Jesus’ death on the cross to pay for our sins. </span></div>
<div style="font: 13.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 13.0px 'Trebuchet MS'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One of my first assignments in the Amazon was helping to teach at a Bible institute for Ticuna indians. The Ticunas have had the gospel for 50 years or so and have had plans for reaching other villages. We were teaching them basic theology classes, but they were not quite getting it. After stepping back and receiving advice from other missionaries, we decided on a Bible storytelling approach in which we just told Bible stories. Classes doubled in size and frequency in attendance greatly improved. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We learned that in oral cultures, storytelling is very important. Actually, most of the world prefers storytelling. Think about when you are in church tuning the sermon out, thinking about your tasks for the week. When do you re-enter the sermon? Something clicks when the preacher starts telling a story. Think of all the stories Jesus told! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So what we have found is that chronological Bible storytelling is a great tool for both evangelism and discipleship. Start with creation, the fall, flood and babel and move on through the OT as you see God work through Abraham and the Patriarchs and Moses in Egypt and onto the Promised Land. See the different leaders, promises, prophets and the hope of a Satan conqueror/Messiah/Deliverer that would reign forever! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://www.goodsoil.com/resources" target="_blank">ABWE has developed great tools for adults and children alike in their Good Soil program. Check it out!</a> There are also other resources all over that are using this popular old method of declaring the gospel.</span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-35561368287930540462013-09-04T06:44:00.004-07:002013-09-04T06:44:23.368-07:00Missionary Iron Man- Battling for the support at Missions Conferences<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Fall is missionary conference time. We have been in some great conferences in the past and are looking forward to several conferences this fall that will be a big blessing. One difficulty though for us on pre-field was the competition that comes with Missions Conferences. I know that it should not feel that way, but with most conferences comes the unspoken reality that the missionaries the church likes the most will be supported. The other ones will be kicked off the island. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In order to receive support the missionary must put on the best show possible. But the truth is, one should not feel as though he has to elevate the importance of his ministry above that of the other missionaries. That is just wrong. We are all on the same team with the same goal of making disciples to the glory of God.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There are ways to prevent this competition thought from even entering the missionaries’ head. Churches, take note! Do your homework first. Decide beforehand if you as a church would like to support a missionary before inviting him to a conference. Then let the missionary know that they have made the cut. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Tell the missionary that he can relax and have a good time. Check with him on the comfortability of the kids and make a comment about not needing to have perfectly behaved children. Most missionaries know this, yet reality tells them that they could lose support if their two year old throws a fit because they are tired from long nights at conferences. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As a missionary visiting new churches, it is hard not to feel like you must perform, but churches can take creative steps to prevent this feeling. </span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-66104570415246463622013-09-02T08:20:00.000-07:002016-08-08T19:12:10.661-07:00Guest Post: Money, Missions and Fear<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333233; font-family: "lucida grande"; font-size: 13px;">A guest post! I am very excited that someone was willing to post here; may this be the first of many. If you are interested, please let me know. This post is written by a friend in missions whose name can't be mentioned. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333233; font-family: "lucida grande"; font-size: 13px;">I've recently started working with an international missions organization as their student missions director. It has been an absolute blast seeing how God is working in young people and raising them up to be missionaries. Interacting with students and hearing their passions, experiences, and ideas has been exhilarating but along with the job comes hearing about the fears and worries students bring with them to the world of missions. </span></div>
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Missions comes with so many potentially terrifying components: new country, new culture, new language, new people, new home, and on and on and on. But the one I most frequently hear about is the issue of money and missions. As a student studying missions, I know this topic was the one that most scared/frustrated me. I would hear how much it costs to go to the field and could not fathom where those funds would come from. Sure, missions agencies would explain how they raised funds and that, though it took time, it was possible. But it frustrated me hearing how it could take years to find churches and people that would help. </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So I did what any creative, independent, mistrusting young person would do: I started planning how I could get that money myself. I didn't think I could rely on the church to help me get to the field and then found a million ways to rationalize the flaws of the church support method so that I could go to the field without the church's apparent poverty holding me back. I thought of saving up money in the states and maybe finding a secular job I could do as tent-making on the field (you know like Paul did!…on a few occasions…).* I did an international internship and even saw first hand that I could not rely on the church as much as the missionaries had suggested I should. I had to foot around 50% of the bill that summer and the other 50% was mostly family members. Unfortunately I am not an isolated incident, these plans and ideas are popping up more and more as I talk to students and prospective missionaries.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I say all of this to show that there is a huge disconnect between the church and missions and a large part of that disconnect is just paper with presidents' faces on it. That disconnect has resulted in a new generation of willing missionaries having little to no faith nor trust in the local church to step up and send them. The fact that new volunteers' plan A is to work outside of the local church clearly shows that many new missionaries start their path toward the field with the assumption that the local church is a fan of missions but rarely a participant.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I mentioned earlier, rather satirically, that the church has an "apparent poverty." This is obviously not true since churches tend to be some of the nicest, most ornate, and well kept pieces of property in the USA. So the American church as a whole is by no means broke except for the areas it has driven itself into debt through building projects and other huge in-house projects. Because of this apparent wealth, new missionaries have developed a mistrust of the local church because though there appears to be funds for every kind of in-house program and amenity, very rarely are finances not "too tight" to be able to help the missionary. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This is my request of the local church (and it's members): if you have money and resources, give when needs are presented with a balance of discernment and generosity. In Acts the Christians "gave as they saw need" and some sold what they had to give so that there was no needy people among them. So why is it that the church then, which was not even considerably close to being as wealthy as the American church is today, was able to fund ministry so freely and generously when today we can't hardly imagine parting with $25, $50, $100 a month to send workers into the unreached places of the planet in accordance with Christ's final command before He ascended. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So, church, if members of Christ's body are willing to go, help them. Put their ministry needs before your personal desires for a nice this or bigger that. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">"Seek first the Kingdom" </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">*I am not condemning tent-making ministries, I am however worried that the motives behind pursuing them are based out of fear/mistrust of the church's ability/willingness to help them. I think there is a lot of merit in combining some platform ministry with the support of local churches.*</span></div>
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David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-74367223069564435652013-08-29T07:45:00.001-07:002013-08-29T07:45:52.574-07:0010/40 Window<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The 10/40 window has been a very popular and driving missions term in the last couple of decades. Many efforts have gone into recruiting missionaries to go into these unreached areas to evangelize many who have never heard the gospel. Praise the Lord for all that has been done and all that God is doing. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I sometimes have felt guilt for not going to this part of the world. I have read many articles, heard many messages and have many friends advocating the need in the 10/40 window. It is a great need! Some churches now will only support new missionaries going to this area of the world. In the book <i>Missions in the Third Millenium </i>author Stan Guthrie quotes people as saying “those in other countries have had their chance” and “no one deserves to hear the gospel twice until everyone has heard it once.” I know that most 10/40 advocates are not this stern, but it sometimes gets implied. While I agree that everyone needs to hear the gospel, I tend to disagree on the philosophy this teaches in our goal of making disciples. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How many times did you hear the gospel before you were saved? I heard that the average is seven times. Did you immediately become a mature fully devoted follower of Christ? If we are to reach the unreached, will it only be Americans that can reach them? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The International Baptist Mission board has put great focus on the idea of unreached people groups. They have started to pull their missionaries from “reached” areas in order to send them to the unreached. While I agree that the unreached need to be reached, I disagree with this decision. Americans are descending the list of countries that send out missionaries. Why can we not train the nationals in these “reached” countries so they may be more effective in sending their missionaries? This is also a need. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I work in Brazil and there are plenty of churches needing pastors. There are not many choices when it comes to receiving a Pastor. In Brazil there is a need to train Pastors and missionaries. Brazil is growing economically and in Christianity and could be a great sending country; but if we pull our trainers from the country, it will fail. 10/40 window countries are more receptive to Brazilians because of their skin color and political neutrality. Americans often need to use “creative access” to get into these countries, when Brazilians just go in. I know Brazil is not the only country where this is the case. Can we not have a focus for the 10/40 window by focusing on training in other countries? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Another issue with the 10/40 window focus is that there are other areas in the world that are just as needy. Europe has dove into unreached status in many areas; Brazil has places that are under 2% evangelical as well and I know that there are other countries in the same boat. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Stan Guthrie also says: “the concept of the Window is at odds with another key missiological principle - reaching the spiritually receptive. Is it ethical to take missionaries away from regions where large numbers are entering the kingdom, such as the Philippines, in order to send them to resistant areas where the harvest is almost nonexistent? The answer should be sending more to both. Missions is not a limited pie. We need more people, more money, more resources, more thinking, and more prayer, both in the Window and around the world, until the Great Commission has been fulfilled.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Let's reach the unreached! But lets not forget to train mature disciples in other countries that will extend their influence in even the unreached areas.</span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-74332277492733121252013-08-27T04:57:00.002-07:002013-08-27T04:57:45.449-07:00I have a dream!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have a dream that one day missionaries will be multiplied across the globe. I have a dream that they will have a strong partnership with a sending church that supports them in every way possible. I have a dream that no missionary will have more than five supporting churches and that they will find rest a possible goal during furlough. I have a dream that churches will support no more than ten missionaries and have active partnerships with each one of them including trips to the field and active communication. I have a dream that together we will reach the world for the glory of Christ’s holy name and it will culminate in a multi-nation, multi-linguistic worship service that lasts forever!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If we have no vision, we will go nowhere. What does the future look like for missions? I do not know for sure, but I know that we can work to improve. God has always had a great plan for reaching the world and we cannot stop it! But we can join in and do our best, making wise decisions that will benefit the cause and bring glory to Him.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is about process. Martin Luther did not think racism would stop that year; he knew it would take time. Nick Saban, coach of the Alabama football team, is famous for “process.” He does not worry about the future, he thinks about the next practice and how that will fit into the goal of developing his players to win the next game. We must also think about the process it must take to arrive at the future vision of making more disciples of Christ. If we improve on the partnership and support models, there will be less burnout of missionaries and more funds available resulting in more disciples made.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Let’s do this thing!</span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-70328182761546746082013-08-26T10:50:00.001-07:002013-08-26T10:50:20.067-07:00Dangers in long term missions<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Dangers with long term missionaries? Is that even possible? I wanted to deny it, but after thinking for only seconds, I realized that there are not just dangers in short term missions, but also in long term missions. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The job of a missionary is to work himself out of a job. Paul stayed in one city as a missionary for three years max, his average was 6 months. He went to the cities, preached the gospel, organized the believers, appointed elders and moved on. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The main “danger” that I thought of when I read over a comment from a fellow missionary is dependency. In mission started churches, often the church is dependent on the missionaries. Obviously, it needs to be at the beginning, but as soon as possible, nationals should be taking over. The national's mentality though is “why would they need to teach when there was a better qualified missionary available to teach?” The missionary needs to de-emphasize himself and re-emphasize the gospel and God’s word as the real need. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We need to be careful and conscious of “rice Christians” (those who see the financial benefit there is to being a Christian and “converting” for this reason). This topic might have frustrated me most about being on the field because it is hard to tell who your true friends are. My neighbor always started to ask spiritual questions right before he would ask me for a favor. He was really obvious, but most are not so obvious. Long term missionaries need to be careful with how they help out so as not to create an easy atmosphere for false converts. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I loved living in the Amazon and could see myself there forever doing plenty of needed ministry. But with that I could envision myself forgetting the idea of working myself out of a job. Missionaries need to keep that in mind as they train leaders to whom they may pass the baton. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What are the other dangers in long term missions? </span></div>
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David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-74080334408956340162013-08-24T04:50:00.000-07:002013-08-24T04:50:23.216-07:00Should missionaries use an agency or strictly the local church?<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I posted this article a few weeks ago on my personal blog and was pleased with the feedback: I added that plus some additional material to this post.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A recent trend in missions is for missionaries to be sent out of their local church without a board. Very biblical, I like it. I wish sometimes we just had one church that is really behind us pushing hard, investing in our lives. But we don't, and I am in some ways glad. We go through ABWE, the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism. Yesterday we had our board interview in which the board loved and encouraged us. They made us know that they are behind us. I told them that we loved ABWE cause their structure kept us on the field.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You see, a mission board understands missionaries. Churches probably do to some degree, but it is not their specialty. ABWE specializes in training missionaries, taking care of missionaries, mobilizing missionaries, counseling missionaries and networking in missionary resources. When we had way too many bad boat rides and were ready to give up, our administrators told us we were not bad people for feeling that way. They told us they loved us and we were doing a good job. They told us to take breaks when we needed breaks. They loved us so much. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">ABWE does not take the place of our home church, it aids our home church. The home church is the sender and the board is the facilitator. When one is sent out of a home church with no board, they do not have the networking resources. ABWE has a structure all set up to help with accountability and support on the field. They are also able to get international health insurance at a group rate. They have developed high quality internationally friendly evangelism and discipleship material. They understand how different cultures work and how to prepare for the life of a missionary. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Before we arrived on the field we were required to attend several training seminars. We were told what to expect. That understanding can save the life of a missionary who will face daunting cultural challenges. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So yes, be a great home church; and sure, support them for 100%. But make sure that you are connected to the resources you need to make your missionary as successful as he can be.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I received some great feedback after this blog. People seemed to think that it would be cheaper through a church, but a couple people pointed out that the church may not be as prepared as to the training aspects of sending a missionary. Jeff Selph pointed out that it would depend on the church. The larger churches might have the capabilities to do more training and sending, but the smaller churches might not have those resources. Aaron Carpenter pointed out that the mission boards could do a better job informing the churches of their role. Our mission board, ABWE has a conference for Pastors in which they go over how to be a great sending church. I highly recommend the conference for churches with missionaries.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Here is another conference in Nashville <a href="http://sendingchurchgathering.com/"><span style="font: 13.0px 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #2b00ae; text-decoration: underline;">http://sendingchurchgathering.com</span></a> that will go over being a sending church. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Nathan Sloan, a missions Pastor, says: “My challenge to mission boards is to allow the sending church to really take an active role in training and sending. Most boards talk about supporting and assisting the local church, about the church being the key figure, but most boards don't actually function in this manner. <br />
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My challenge to the local church and its leaders is to take your rightful place in missions- be the trainers, senders and sustainers you're called to be. Giving sacrificially is important but it is just one part of the puzzle. Local churches need to be about equipping, coaching, missionary care, on-field engagement, etc. <br />
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A new trend in missions is for mission agencies and local churches to work together in all aspects of the mission process. My prayer is that this continues!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Stan Guthrie, in his book <i>Missions in the Third Millennium </i> weighs in on this topic in the first chapter. He defends both sides. “Citing what they see as the high costs and ossified thinking of traditional missions agencies, a sizable bloc of churches, sometimes called megachurches for their size and clout, has decided to go it alone...they risk making the same mistakes and relearning the very same lessons the agencies have over the decades.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Some in the church-only movement see the church, either locally or through denominational boards, as the only legitimate sender of missionaries.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Agencies,... are being forced to justify everything they do.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Tom Stellar, missions Pastor at Bethlehem Baptist, says “I don’t feel we have the time or expertise to do what a well-run agency can do.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Jim Reapsome, editor at World Pulse and Evangelical Missions Quarterly says “churches want regular performance reports, more say in missionary deployment, up-to-date financial support information, pastoral care for missionaries, and current information on agency personnel needs...most agencies come up short in these areas.” “I have listened to both sides and am amazed that they cannot find time to sit down and listen to one another with mutual respect, trust, and appreciation.”</span></div>
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David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-32026985125548409302013-08-23T06:03:00.001-07:002013-08-23T06:03:10.359-07:00How do I transition to a less for more strategy?Let's say that you agree we need to support less missionaries for more money. You like the idea of saving travel time and money for our missionaries. You want the missionaries to spend more time investing in their home church. What are the steps to taking your home church to that missions philosophy? Realistically, it is not going to happen over night.<br />
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Of course, there must be vision casting within the church for this to happen. People must understand the overall goal, but they also need to know it will take time. First of all, we can't just start dropping all the missionaries randomly. That could cause a lot of chaos. Remember, this process will be very slow. There will not be a sudden shift in missions that will have all the missionaries taken care of, but you can gradually make the changes that will make it possible for the future. </div>
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Check up on the missionaries. Sometimes those you support are not even on the field! Unfortunately that happens. Make sure they are being held accountable for their work. This topic links closely to the topic about partnering versus supporting. Be a partner!</div>
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Instead of supporting new missionaries, increase the support of those you already support, especially those from your home church. A comment was made on the blog that if one church supports for too much and then they have a change of leadership, the missionary could be out. I understand that (and really think that if the church had a proper leadership structure, it wouldn't depend on one Pastor. There should be a leadership structure that is constant and are the main decision makers). There is always the chance a church can drop a missionary, but the missionary would have to spend time raising more money anyway, whether before he gets to the field or once he is on the field. If he has a strong relationship with people in the church, it should not be that easy for a new Pastor to come in and take his support away. That is why it is important to have a partnership attitude with our missionaries, not just a business-throw the money at them- type relationship. </div>
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If you do get to the point where you can take on more missionaries, look for missionaries whose home base is close by. They should not have to travel so much to be around you. (I hope to have an article on here sometime about consortiums). You can also lobby for the missionaries from your home church to find churches nearby that will support them so they don't have to travel so much.<br />
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Also, share this idea with other churches. Encourage them to buy into this philosophy because it won't work if only a couple churches are doing it. Actually, churches are already starting to do this, but the majority is not. Let other churches know what can happen and be excited about it.<br />
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<a href="http://jeremywallace.net/2011/12/02/why-independent-baptist-missions-is-failing/" target="_blank">Here is a link to another great post on this topic by Jeremy Wallace, an independent baptist pastor in Chattanooga.</a> </div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-6964040108892855292013-08-15T05:31:00.001-07:002013-08-15T05:31:06.951-07:00Short term trip shortcomings<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My parents took our whole family on short term mission trips as children. Out of that I felt called to missions and took a couple more trips to confirm that calling as well as the location to which we would minister. My wife caught interest of missions from two short term trips and that is one major reason I caught interest in her. Many missionaries felt their call to missions after a short term trip and many fields have received a big boost from these trips. Obviously, short term trips play a vital role in missions. </span></div>
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However, there are several stories in which we look back and see examples of how short term mission work has damaged the progress of making disciples. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Great Omission is a book by Steve Saint (son of missionary martyr Nate Saint) who talks about what happened with the Auca indians of Ecuador. While the Auca church boomed after the return of Rachel Saint, the site became a tourist attraction for short term trips. The church was then left in disrepair and short term missionary Pastors took the place of lead pastors due to the overflow of them. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">David Whiting, Pastor of Northridge Church of Rochester cites this example and explains the error in it. We often do not understand the cultural differences that are underlying factors in missions. In this case, as well as many other countries, if you construct something, you are responsible for its maintenance. Upon arrival in the Amazon I felt compelled to dig a well for poor people in our city. I sought advice from other missionaries and found out that they already had a well, they just did not maintain the well. In fact, with several different issues, the nationals would not take initiative because they were used to receiving. When they did receive, they expected more and did less. We hear people boast about taking clean water to many areas of the world and I am sure it happens effectively in many areas, but in some places, due to this cultural difference, they will only have clean water for a couple of months. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Pastor Whiting explains that places like Haiti and Africa who have received billions of dollars of “help” are none the better. We must be careful with how we give help in both charity giving as well as short term trips to help out. Finding the right organization is important. If you don’t, you could end up hurting more than helping. Probably helping in a way that doesn't just give a fish, but teaches them to fish would be more practical. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Another story is told of a man who went to the same place each year for short term missions. He was in a pre-service meeting when the question was asked, “so who is going to raise their hand and go forward tomorrow night?” He was shocked and asked for clarification. They said, “well, we value these trips so much and get so much out of them, that we want you all to come back each year. We know if all of us go forward each time, then you will not believe us, but if around half of us go forward, you will all come back each year.” I know this does not happen everywhere and that there is legitimate fruit, but there must be some sort of long term accompaniment in order for disciples to be made (in contrast to apparent converts with little or no follow up). </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A Pastor told of how good it felt to take a team to Mexico and build two houses. After a few years they figured the price it took per house; 30,000 dollars. It would have given jobs to Mexicans that could have done it for 3000 dollars. When they presented the houses to the families, the husband was no where to be found. What should be his job of providing a house for his family, was given to someone else, thus shaming him. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A lot of this material I am getting from Pastor Whiting’s missions series <a href="http://www.northridgerochester.com/sermons/details/256" target="_blank">“The Great Omission” that can be found by clicking here</a>. I feel like I have not done justice in this blog to the strong points he makes. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I know that short term missions is needed, but I think we must consider some of the consequences, balance the ratio of long term versus short term missions spending, and think about exactly what we are trying to accomplish. Short term missions will never go away because we will always need missionaries and there is so much it can accomplish. <a href="http://trendsinbiblicalmissions.blogspot.com/p/short-term-trips.html" target="_blank">The short term trips page on this blog</a> has some great tips in the comments section on how we can think through some of these issues. </span></div>
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David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-620457433990339205.post-53159002226960461622013-08-13T06:18:00.003-07:002013-08-13T06:18:38.701-07:00College, Seminary, Debt, and Missions<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have enjoyed counseling younger people interested in missions and it seems like there is a topic that often comes up. College debt. One young man was overwhelmed with the future of college debt and wondered what to do about it. The other is studying for his masters and his parents told him to put a 2000 dollar mission trip on his ever growing loan package (that could be a topic for the short term trips page). His plan was to work until he could go to the field. I wonder what his future will look like, but if he follows the footsteps of many, he will get a job, get a wife, get some kids, have a life, and not be on the mission field. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Is this just reality that we can do nothing about? Is this the only way? I do not want to write as though I have an answer, I want to ask the questions and hear from you. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">What was the educational level of the disciples? I know there were not master’s programs around at that time... but there was a lot of very educated ministers called Pharisees, Sadducees, etc.. Yet the disciples did well; granted they had Jesus and we just have cheap imitations of him. (that was a joke, don’t try to defend yourself).</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have read a book lately that every Pastor/missionary should read called Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp. He argues that the education system has developed a church that looks more at the education of a candidate Pastor than his actual spiritual maturity. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I will never argue that college/seminary is always bad for those in ministry because it does usually greatly enhance a person’s gifts/knowledge to allow him to have greater influence. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I just wonder if there is a cheaper way to develop these minister’s gifts and knowledge to where they could be more effective earlier in life because they are not under the pressure of paying off debt. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I mentioned Sojourn in one blog article and they actually have a school of missions out of their church. I know that every church does not have these capabilities, but there are programs out there that offer courses for cheaper.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our mission board, ABWE, has varying requirements for their missionaries. If the missionary will be a Pastor/seminary teacher or in a similar position, he is required to have at least a degree for it. Other missionaries are required to have at least OT/NT survey classes, Bible Study Methods and a doctrine class. They also are required to take a Good Soil (20 hour) seminar and an Essential Missions Components class. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We can’t throw the untrained out to the wolves to be devoured; we must train our missionaries and pastors, but is there a way we can avoid the debt? What are your thoughts, ideas?</span></span></div>
David and Sarah Carrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14387355127535702980noreply@blogger.com7