Boldness in Asking and the Three Parts of Missions
Possibly one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had is Ministry Partner Development. I talk to people I have never met and couldn't pick out in a crowd, I talk to people I've known for months or years. But one of the strangest challenges in MPD is boldness in asking.
Basically, I'm supposed to ask everyone; which, at first, didn't seem so challenging. But the more invested I got into MPD, the more of a challenge it was for me to simply ask people, familiar or not. Don't get me wrong, I love people (I'm such an extrovert), and I love talking about what I'll be doing, but asking people to join me in this ministry is pretty tough for me at times. It's not the sharing what I'll be doing and those details that makes me nervous, it's the asking people to financially support this ministry that can be quite the obstacle.
The truth is: people are defensive about their money. If they/we feel like someone is trying to finagle money out of them, they get pretty offended and offensive. I understand, I can get the same way if I feel like I'm being scammed...but the great thing is that I'm not finagling money!
There are three parts to missions: praying, giving, and going. I have been fortunate to be a part of each of these and intend to continue forever and always in some capacity! Prayer is important because satan doesn't want the Gospel to spread and so we must "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication..." (Ephesians 6:13-18a).
Lets face it, 'everything' needs money, missions isn't excluded from this. Transportation, shelter, food, visas, etc, all these things take money and who else to fund them but people who have the resources and/or who are willing to make sacrifices so that they can give to God's Kingdom. Giving to missions is just as important as physically going to missions. It truly is a partnership because without one, the other would not exist.
Finally, there's going...which is what I'll be doing this coming year. I feel like this one is pretty self-explanatory, I mean people GO to the far corners of the earth. Jesus told us to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:19-20a). John Piper said "Missions exist because worship doesn't", this means that because there are people and parts of the world that do not know the Living God and who do not worship the True God, missions are necessary to help make this happen. Missions are the Heart and Hands of God going to His beloved Creation and offering His Love, Grace, Forgiveness, Mercy, and best of all a relationship with the Creator of all things good!
So when I'm asking people if they would like to join me in this ministry, I'm not asking them to fund a soul-searching-post-graduation trip for me (this is, in fact, not about my soul, but about the lost souls), I'm asking them to help advance God's Kingdom by taking part in missions. I'm asking them to be a part of something bigger than any of us could imagine. I'm asking them to help fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
http://give.ccci.org/give/View/0632929
Basically, I'm supposed to ask everyone; which, at first, didn't seem so challenging. But the more invested I got into MPD, the more of a challenge it was for me to simply ask people, familiar or not. Don't get me wrong, I love people (I'm such an extrovert), and I love talking about what I'll be doing, but asking people to join me in this ministry is pretty tough for me at times. It's not the sharing what I'll be doing and those details that makes me nervous, it's the asking people to financially support this ministry that can be quite the obstacle.
The truth is: people are defensive about their money. If they/we feel like someone is trying to finagle money out of them, they get pretty offended and offensive. I understand, I can get the same way if I feel like I'm being scammed...but the great thing is that I'm not finagling money!
There are three parts to missions: praying, giving, and going. I have been fortunate to be a part of each of these and intend to continue forever and always in some capacity! Prayer is important because satan doesn't want the Gospel to spread and so we must "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication..." (Ephesians 6:13-18a).
Lets face it, 'everything' needs money, missions isn't excluded from this. Transportation, shelter, food, visas, etc, all these things take money and who else to fund them but people who have the resources and/or who are willing to make sacrifices so that they can give to God's Kingdom. Giving to missions is just as important as physically going to missions. It truly is a partnership because without one, the other would not exist.
Finally, there's going...which is what I'll be doing this coming year. I feel like this one is pretty self-explanatory, I mean people GO to the far corners of the earth. Jesus told us to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:19-20a). John Piper said "Missions exist because worship doesn't", this means that because there are people and parts of the world that do not know the Living God and who do not worship the True God, missions are necessary to help make this happen. Missions are the Heart and Hands of God going to His beloved Creation and offering His Love, Grace, Forgiveness, Mercy, and best of all a relationship with the Creator of all things good!
So when I'm asking people if they would like to join me in this ministry, I'm not asking them to fund a soul-searching-post-graduation trip for me (this is, in fact, not about my soul, but about the lost souls), I'm asking them to help advance God's Kingdom by taking part in missions. I'm asking them to be a part of something bigger than any of us could imagine. I'm asking them to help fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
http://give.ccci.org/give/View/0632929
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