Articles for tag: Missionary Support

Incorporating Missions into Your Church Activities

By Emily Drayne From time to time, every church needs to refresh programs and activities, including missions ministry. No matter the church size, budget, or the number of missionaries supported, missions can easily be prioritized and incorporated into your church activities. A Minute for Missions An easy way to incorporate missions into your Sunday service is to do a “minutes for missions” each week. This can be as simple as showing a few photos of a missionary you support and talking about them for two or three minutes. Show a map of where they serve and talk about the

January 9, 2018

Money & Debt Stewardship & Generosity

How Budget Trends Are Affecting Missions

By Emily Drayne Missionary support, as most of us know, can be subject to change without notice. Consider the missionary on the field who hears her financial support is being cut by her top supporting church or individual. Time and again, a financially assured ministry has been deflated, usually without notice, in a single conversation. What causes such changes and what impact does it have on the missionary? Is there anything a missionary can do? Finding Balance A recent trend is for churches to refocus their mission efforts on local community development. This is a viable choice, there’s no

January 2, 2018

Jerry Harris

Money & Debt Stewardship & Generosity

The Tyranny of Numbers

By Jerry Harris I live every day with the tyranny of numbers. It’s everywhere I look, around every corner, in every closet, reminding me of the truth, the oftentimes painful truth. When I get up in the morning, the tyranny of numbers is waiting on the bathroom scale display. It’s in my Weight Watchers app on my phone, in my budget, my bills, and my bank balance. As a pastor, I face the tyranny of numbers when I see last week’s attendance, the offering number, and the number of baptisms. I live with the tyranny of numbers when I look

November 5, 2017

Mission Trips Aren”t Working

What We Need to Do to Keep Missions Strong Among MillennialsÂ By Haydn ShawÂ Â Baby boomers in the 1970s wore clothing inspired by India and followed rock-and-roll groups from Europe. Their millennial children buy phone cases from online stores in China and play video games with people from all over the world.Â Millennials (those who are 17 to 36 years old) have five times as many passports as previous generations (many of which are needed for short-term mission trips).Â Â Ironically, in many churches today, millennials know more about missions than their parents do. That”s because churches talk less about missions

June 7, 2016

Christian Living

Fresh Air This Summer

Mark A. Taylor Summer”s here””or almost, anyway. And by June, most of us, unfortunately, have given up on all those resolutions we considered January 1. Well, how about a fresh start? Summertime is the perfect time to try something new or do something special. Break the routine and give your spiritual life a boost. Here are six possibilities for fresh air this summer. 1. Â Spend the summer with Jesus. If you”ve bogged down on the Bible-reading plan you began in January, set yourself a summer goal. The Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John contain 89 chapters. Start this

November 10, 2015

Changes for the Better?

By Mark A. Taylor Every missions leader and missionary watcher will tell you missions is different these days. A generation or two ago, missionaries departed for a foreign field with the intent to spend their lives there. Now “long-term missionaries” stay for maybe two or three years. Those days, and in the generations before, missionaries went from the West to the rest of the world, and most American church members assumed “we” had the solution to the problems suffered by “them.” Now missionaries from Asia, Africa, and South America are going all over the world with the gospel. And some

April 27, 2015

New Testament Theology & Bible

Lesson for May 3, 2015: Work Together for the Truth (3 John)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the April 26Â issue ofÂ The LookoutÂ magazine, and is also available online atÂ www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. StoneÂ The three short letters sent from the apostle John to first-century Christians were likely all written about the same time. Reading 3 John, the shortest book in the Bible, we see that it is similar to 2 John, but it is more specific in naming the individuals involved. Salutation |Â 3 John 1 The addressee, Gaius, is a friend of John”s and

November 8, 2014

Missions Ministries that Work: Academy Christian Church

By Carol Norris From its beginning in 1973, Academy Christian Church”s leaders and members have emphasized missions. The program”s successes are due, in part, to the formal, documented policies and systems set up to help with decision- making and the ongoing operations of the mission team. These mission policies include a purpose statement, financial and selection policies, and responsibilities of the missionary, the church, and the team. There are also questionnaires for missionaries and organizations that request support; their responses are evaluated against set criteria. Mission support is an integral part of ACC. We believe missionary work is vital to

June 4, 2014

Salvation Theology & Bible

Time to Reconsider Conversion?

By Doug Priest I believe a person is incorporated into the body of Christ at the point of baptism. But if we focus only on baptisms””especially in resistant cultures””we may miss other progress that is leading a person toward salvation. It happened yet again. A missionary working in Thailand among the highly resistant Thai Buddhists received an annual questionnaire from one of his supporting churches. The church, rightly trying to be a responsible steward of its funds, wanted to determine the success of the ministry. The questionnaire included some helpful questions, like the health of the family, the spiritual growth

January 27, 2011

Missionary Re-Entry Fund

By Jennifer Taylor Pioneer Bible Translators (Dallas, Texas) created a Re-Entry Fund to provide help to missionaries returning home from a term of service overseas. Donations to the fund may provide help for missionary kids beginning college, missionaries needing counseling or retreat, or even missionaries who suddenly lose their support. www.pioneerbible.org ________________ Jennifer Taylor, one of CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s contributing editors and bloggers, lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Do you know of a church breaking new ground or leading innovative ministry? Contact bu**@*********ub.com.

December 7, 2008

Nurturing Missions Partnerships

By Janie Mehaffey READ THE SIDEBAR: “Church Pursues More Active Partnerships” by Janie Mehaffey Â Â Â A church cuts off support to a missionary after 20 years. Is it a travesty or a natural progression of ministry? Church and mission leaders are considering this and other mission-giving questions after Sam Stone stirred up the topic in his May 11 CHRISTIAN STANDARD column, “Second Thoughts About Mission Giving.” Sam”s article pondered, “What constitutes missions giving?” and “What responsibility does the church have?” Whether looking at it from the church”s perspective or through the eyes of a mission/parachurch organization, the view

December 7, 2008

Church Pursues More Active Partnerships

By Janie Mehaffey READ THE MAIN ARTICLE: “Nurturing Missions Partnerships” by Janie Mehaffey Â Â Â Â Â About six years ago, First Christian Church of Canton, Ohio, dismantled its missions board. The church is passionate about pursuing active partnerships, so it wanted to shift decision making and relationship building beyond one team by taking a more universal approach to missions giving. The church now supports endeavors that allow the entire congregation to serve alongside the missionaries it financially supports. During the time of this transition, Joe Franz served as executive pastor of community impact with First Christian. He says the

December 7, 2008

They Were Our Supporters

By Mike Sweeney When I speak to people about the prospect of entering cross-cultural ministry, I often hear them say, “I would love to become a missionary””if only I didn”t need to raise my own support.” I understand. The prospect of going church-to-church marketing myself never appealed to me. But, looking back on the whole adventure from the opposite side, I wouldn”t trade the relationships that developed with our supporters for anything. For the 15 years we served as Bible translators in Papua New Guinea, we always knew there were people praying for us by name, people concerned that our

May 27, 2007

Michael Sweeney

Do Some Missions Committees Interpret Their Strategies Too Narrowly?

Michael Sweeney reflects on how missions committees decide where to give—and why “front line” missions includes not only overseas workers, but also the supporters, trainers, and administrators who help them stay on the field.

February 19, 2006

Dale Meade

Ruth Herron and Anita Smelser

The Making of a Missionary

How should churches evaluate missionary candidates seeking support? Dale Meade challenges common assumptions and urges clear missions goals, meaningful commitment, and strong training standards for effective gospel work.

February 19, 2006

‘Are We There Yet?’: The Case for Short-Term Family Mission Trips

Short-term missions can be more than a meaningful week away. Learn how families can prepare, serve humbly, and build an ongoing Great Commission lifestyle that lasts beyond the trip.

October 26, 2005

Stewardship & Generosity Giving & Fundraising

The Giving We Dare Not Forget

After Hurricane Katrina, churches gave generously to relief and rebuilding. This article celebrates that response and urges believers to keep supporting missionaries, church plants, colleges, camps, and ministries that depend on steady giving.

September 21, 2005