Ted, appreciate what you shared, being the missions pastor in our church - we’re in budgeting season right now, so this discussion is very fresh for me. One thing I’m so encouraged by is being part of a sending denomination (The C&MA)…as we give & connect in with our workers serving cross culturally around the world - the main focus is working to establish local indigenous churches & reach the least reached peoples around the world (over 80% plus Alliance workers are working among those w least access to the Gospel in other countries) — I love this heritage & work to encourage other Alliance Churches to plug in with this heritage & DNA for how they support global missions in their budgets — plus so much more (such as praying for those sent, connecting & partnering w their work & efforts & w locals they are serving along side around the world).
I do think that denominations can be a force for good in this regard. I would note that the increasing number of non-denominational megachurches are much more likely to have a falling out with sending missionaries. I think they see sending as old school rather than an imperative. At the same time, missionaries that raise funds are bypassing local churches in favor of getting individual supporters. The long-term effect of this will be that the missionary force and local churches will have less interaction, not more. That is not a healthy future.
I appreciate organizations like Upstream Collective & Sixteen:Fifteen, who partner with & empower churches to realize that they are called to be sending — to reach those with least access to the Gospel around the world. It’s too common these days, as you said, Ted - that churches see sending as being for the agency or not important / plus that factor that those being sent don’t even have an identity of being sent by a church family (which would hold them accountable, support them emotionally & spiritually, and ultimately partner well for the furthering of the Gospel)…I full agree we are missing out without more churches truly engaged in being sending churches!
This seems to be an increasing issue, especially in larger churches. Several that I know pretty well, (or have heard from insiders) say that they have to have something they can "sell" to that large group of people who meet on Sunday. You can't have stuff that takes a long time. (One of those dropped us, though it was my home/sending church...they didn't "get" mobilization/strategy.)
I was surprised that the budget you outline, didn't have more water projects! That is what a couple of these huge churches are into. (Curious what %-age of the entire budget the $450K was.
A missions pastor of a very large church (who has since left) told me that he asked the Executive Pastor (when the EP was just coming into the church from another large church) what the mission program was at his old church. He said (almost a quote): we had 50 missionaries when I started. Now they have none. (Of course, he saw the writing on the wall.)
[BTW - the Executive Pastors all have their special national gatherings, just for EPs from huge churches (this church was something like 8-10,000). Most come from an executive business career. They gather to share how they run things...and tend to copy each other!]
A couple years ago, at the NAMLC, two former Missions Pastors of very large churches were there...sort of for their last time. Both had decided it best to attend other churches, and were going to small (less than 500) churches! Interesting.
I have seen churches do this well too. I have advised a number to SPLIT their "outreach" (they don't like to call it missions, which I get) into LOCAL and GLOBAL. I certainly tells the leaders of the church where there priorities are.
Ted, appreciate what you shared, being the missions pastor in our church - we’re in budgeting season right now, so this discussion is very fresh for me. One thing I’m so encouraged by is being part of a sending denomination (The C&MA)…as we give & connect in with our workers serving cross culturally around the world - the main focus is working to establish local indigenous churches & reach the least reached peoples around the world (over 80% plus Alliance workers are working among those w least access to the Gospel in other countries) — I love this heritage & work to encourage other Alliance Churches to plug in with this heritage & DNA for how they support global missions in their budgets — plus so much more (such as praying for those sent, connecting & partnering w their work & efforts & w locals they are serving along side around the world).
I do think that denominations can be a force for good in this regard. I would note that the increasing number of non-denominational megachurches are much more likely to have a falling out with sending missionaries. I think they see sending as old school rather than an imperative. At the same time, missionaries that raise funds are bypassing local churches in favor of getting individual supporters. The long-term effect of this will be that the missionary force and local churches will have less interaction, not more. That is not a healthy future.
I appreciate organizations like Upstream Collective & Sixteen:Fifteen, who partner with & empower churches to realize that they are called to be sending — to reach those with least access to the Gospel around the world. It’s too common these days, as you said, Ted - that churches see sending as being for the agency or not important / plus that factor that those being sent don’t even have an identity of being sent by a church family (which would hold them accountable, support them emotionally & spiritually, and ultimately partner well for the furthering of the Gospel)…I full agree we are missing out without more churches truly engaged in being sending churches!
Thanks Ted...
This seems to be an increasing issue, especially in larger churches. Several that I know pretty well, (or have heard from insiders) say that they have to have something they can "sell" to that large group of people who meet on Sunday. You can't have stuff that takes a long time. (One of those dropped us, though it was my home/sending church...they didn't "get" mobilization/strategy.)
I was surprised that the budget you outline, didn't have more water projects! That is what a couple of these huge churches are into. (Curious what %-age of the entire budget the $450K was.
A missions pastor of a very large church (who has since left) told me that he asked the Executive Pastor (when the EP was just coming into the church from another large church) what the mission program was at his old church. He said (almost a quote): we had 50 missionaries when I started. Now they have none. (Of course, he saw the writing on the wall.)
[BTW - the Executive Pastors all have their special national gatherings, just for EPs from huge churches (this church was something like 8-10,000). Most come from an executive business career. They gather to share how they run things...and tend to copy each other!]
A couple years ago, at the NAMLC, two former Missions Pastors of very large churches were there...sort of for their last time. Both had decided it best to attend other churches, and were going to small (less than 500) churches! Interesting.
I have seen churches do this well too. I have advised a number to SPLIT their "outreach" (they don't like to call it missions, which I get) into LOCAL and GLOBAL. I certainly tells the leaders of the church where there priorities are.
THANKS for your reflections...again!
Greg
Wow, spot on!