Dear CBC community,
On December 15th Elizabeth Shitemi did a wonderful job sharing her missionary calling, experiences overseas, and reflections on missions work. You can listen to her message if you like! She concluded with two examples of missions work that the Shitemis support financially and prayerfully.
I want to segue from those personal examples of missions support to explain CBC’s approach to missions giving. Historically, CBC committed 20% of our total budget to overseas and local missions. However, our budget was static for many years so we weren’t able to respond to new opportunities. We also found it difficult to maintain interest in our missions committee, church mission portfolio, and prayer for missions. Additionally this approach unintentionally diminished the missional character of the church itself, separating “church” funding from “mission” funding.
In light of these limitations we looked for new approach to encourage and develop mission involvement and support. We surveyed the congregation to find out how much mission work was supported directly by our community, apart from their offerings through CBC. What we discovered astounded us. The amount given to missions directly was 2.5 times as much as through the church!
So we transitioned away from supporting external mission work through our church budget to a decentralized, personal mission portfolio approach. We have only continued to support from the church budget our local partners, those who are members of CBC and also in full time vocational ministry. All other mission work is now funded individually according to personal convictions, interests and connections. Elizabeth shared an example of this model in the two mission works that the Shitemis support.
I want to encourage you to prayerfully develop your own mission portfolio. Much like a solid financial investment portfolio, your mission investment portfolio will reap a great dividend not only for you but also for many others! Keep in mind the words of the apostle Paul:
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”
2 Corinthians 9:6,7
Where might you sow generously to advance the good news of Jesus? Has the Lord given you any particular interest(s) in either a type of work or a nation? Is it evangelization, Bible translation, development/relief work, education, campus ministry, etc.? Or is it Kenya or China or France? Or is it unreached peoples or women or children or refugees? Or has the Lord given you a personal connection to a missionary through school, church, family, or friends whom you could help to support?
The arrival of the Kingdom of God through Jesus the Messiah is good news for every nation and tribe and tongue. It is our incredible privilege and responsibility to take part in its proclamation around the world.
“How beautiful on the mountains are the fee of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
Isaiah 52:7
Blessings,
Pastor Dan