“This year we did grace giving for our conference and our giving went up a bunch. We have decided to double our current missionaries support depending on time they have been with us.” I high-fived Pastor Dwight, a Pastor in our area who does not support us. As a missionary, I would rather churches raise their own missionaries support than start supporting me. Why? Because in the long run this is better for missions. I have heard of missionaries with 50 churches. How in the world are those missionaries ever going to rest on furlough if they need to report to 50 churches, especially when they are usually spread out?
Missions works! God is doing a great work. God has worked through this system in the past, but it has not been easy and it is becoming more inefficient. Rising gas prices, inflation, higher cost of everything, has made support go up.
How can we implement a new system in which we support fewer missionaries for more money? Should we drop all our missionaries at once and look for missionaries from your town and support them fully? I doubt that transition would go smoothly, but if many churches would start to adopt these trends in their own timing, in the long run, we can make this transition.
Some of the benefits include, less pre-field time, less traveling for the missionary during furlough, more involvement in specific missionary’s lives, more savings on gas, paper supplies, phone calls... the list goes on and on.
So how does your church implement this? Some churches are going through their lists and making sure they are updated. I heard of a couple churches where many on their list are no longer on the field and the church doesn’t even know it! Check on your missionaries! Instead of adding new missionaries, consider raising your current missionaries’ support. Help your missionaries find new churches in your area so they don’t have to travel so much. Get people involved in your missionaries’ lives. Don’t just pray for them, write them, follow them on social networking, visit them, seek to know them. When you do support new missionaries, ask them about considering doing a few month internship with the goal of a high percentage of their monthly support at the end.
These are just some ideas. What other ideas are there?
Transitioning to a less for more strategy
Less for more with a graph to show some ideas on budgeting for missions.
I have a dream!
Transitioning to a less for more strategy
Less for more with a graph to show some ideas on budgeting for missions.
I have a dream!
From Jason (a missionary who can't publicly post from where he is at).
ReplyDeleteI think most of us have seen both ends of this spectrum. You can't say there is a right or wrong way, but there are some things we do need to consider (which many of these have already been mentioned). It saddens my heart to hear the numerous stories of missionaries who spend more time trying to act more like a salesman for their ministry than actually spending time on the field. It breaks my heart to see the needs around the world and to know that there are those who can get the job done, but the churches don't empower them to do so. It also saddens me to hear of so many missionaries who feel disconnected with the churches that say they support them. I understand that all churches don't have the funds to fully support missionaries, but I think we need to really take a look at this. Churches, let's view these missionaries as our children. Are we willing to take full responsibility for them financially and spiritually or will we just give them a little head start and hope to hear great reports in a year? It is the church's job not just to financially send our missionaries, but to also train, mentor, and regularly follow up with. Unless your church has the finances and the capabilities to both financially support and fully follow up and be a part of each person's ministry, then I personally don't think you are in a position to just keep adding for the sake of numbers.
Yes, our missionaries are going by faith, but it is us churches who need to be God's answers to these prayers. This will be a radical change for some churches, but it is a change we need to see to put more soldiers on the field and to invest into those who are on the field. We have a God-given responsibility for them, let's step up to the plate and give them every tool possible to help them achieve the task.
A friend of mine with whom we served in Brazil some years back was a strong proponent of this until his home church and biggest supporter changed pastors. The new pastor cut back on his support to the point that he had to return home for some length of time to make up for that loss of support. In many cases a broader support base both for prayer and finances, is a wiser choice.
ReplyDelete