Thursday, 19 November 2009
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Supporting Ministries
By Dani
Once upon a time, I visited a random church that I had never been to before. I was travelling with a college drama ministry and my teammates were laughing and pointing at the mission’s board. You’ve seen these monstrous bulletin boards before. A large map of the world (from sometime before the Soviet Union dissolved), was thumb-tacked with photos of families with a country written next to their name. My family was in the upper left corner floating somewhere in Canada with a strip of yarn pointing to southern, upstate New York. Out of curiosity, I asked my dad if that church was still sending his church-plant money. His reply baffled me, “No”.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
-- Philippians 1:7-8It seemed a little crass. Did they forget that they stopped supporting? Did they just forget to support? Did they intentionally stop supporting but still leave the photo up to make it look like they still did? The implications were endless. For my own sanity, I decided that some kind little old lady felt our family was too handsome to toss in the paper recycling bin.
Then, I remembered that I had more than one postcard of missionary “friends” wedged in my Bible. At some point, I had forgotten to consistently pray for them. Maybe it was just because they hadn’t been on furlough for a while. Maybe my own hectic life, was getting in the way. Some of the postcards made me wonder if those people were even still assigned to that region. I couldn’t remember who was where, and it disturbed me.
This passage from Paul reminds me, that supporting missionaries should be a personalized experience. Many of them have Facebook or at least internet access. The reason that Paul considered the Philippine church to be with him was because he was writing to them. I would encourage you to pick one person or group to be personally involved with and support them with a focus.
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Comments (6)
Support comes in many forms. Though money is the most tangible and measurable standard of support there is also prayer support. Many churches will put up boards like that and add pictures of all the missionaries who pass through or go out from their church whether they send money or not. I do understand the need for physical support and the biblical demand that we love in both word and deed, but missionaries have often told me that prayer is a much more valuable asset to them.
I really like that this post hints at the fact that "support" comes in several forms. As a pastor the #1 form of support that I desire comes from a sincere Christian dedicating me in prayer. I need money, yes, that is very very true-- I need prayer sooooo much more than I need anything else.
Words of encouragement also are something that I think qualify as "support". But, perhaps most overlooked in the support division is action; taking up and actually working in the ministries and ways that your pastor requests. Attending the mission projects, the city clean ups, the Bible studies, the prayer meetings, the "rack the old ladies lawn" days, etc.
Good post.
Photos in the church foyer or in your Bible or bill box or on your computer can be good reminders to pray for those folks whether they are missionaries in any official sense or not!! Money is good and important but not at all the only support folks need as the other letters and your post say.
I try to use many ways to remind myself to pray for those I know who are serving God all over the world who I know to some extent or other.
Good point about getting busy and getting involved with folks via your church too by other commenter. It is sooo important to get going and rub shoulders with other in some capacity and not just be glad that your church funds go to some others.
I make no promises I know can't keep!
I do see donations as a good thing to help ministires, but instead of making them dependent upon your money, you'd be wiser to pray, and ask God first.
No man can commit to all organizations. Plus, there are times when you need the money (eg: to fix your car), and to go into debt, so that you can pay off the costs of the car, and still continue to support the ministry is just plainly bad!
A ministry should be self sustaining. A minister must go to a country called by the Lord, and the Lord will provide just like Elijah and the ravens. If a minister goes, called by the Lord, but because the faithful giving of the church stays there, when God no longer wants him there, but the person gets a comfortable life just because it's all he knows, then we are creating the works of man, not the works of God.
A gift should be in love, with love. Not forced, nor pledged. If you can't make a pledge in love, then don't do it!
Instead, give a gift in love. And if that gift in love was good, and you want to give more, give more.
But never get into a religious cycle of always giving because of a pledge you made when you where small.
Id' say BREAK ALL YOUR PLEDGES!!,
Take time to pray, and listen to God, together with your spouse, and elders or other givers preferably, and then, upon request of god's spirit either give, or don't give.
The human system of always giving because of one pledge must be broken, because it does not work, is not helping God's kingdom, and is even harmful in the long run, if not regularly rechecked.
You don't trust others with money just because they have been faithful to you the first time!
You can't even trust them if they have been faithful year after year.
But you can trust God, and continue to seek His guidance in the delivery of His money.
And if God says it's time to switch, switch!
Give your money and support to the ministry that in your eyes gives most glory to God!
Dani here...
@tsh44
I totally agree that support comes in many forms. My original story about the stopped financial support caused me to examine my own lack or spiritual support for missionaries that I knew. it was pretty convicting.
@sloggy and @deepestrecesses
yeah, i totally agree. it's crazy how easy it is to forget to pray for these people even with the magnets and postcards everywhere. I've just found that contacting these people helps me remember them more. This contact also becomes a form of support as well. Most ministries, global or not, need prayer and visits as much, if not more than actual money.
It's so exciting to see that other people feel the same way, that "doing" means just as much as "giving".