Mission Support

 

This week I heard of another friend who was headed to work with an organization, here in the United States, who needed to raise financial support before beginning his job. Another friend shared with me the woes of his financial condition in that he was in the midst of a ministry, and his support has been less than adequate. I turned on the radio and heard the Christian Radio Share-A-Thon over and over, and over and over again. They spoke of the importance of supporting their work, because after all, I benefited from it, so I should pay for it. In fact, I guess, I should give sacrificially to benefit me.

My mind flashed to conferences I attended where I went to seminars on how to raise funds. I was told that I needed to make sure that those who could give had reason to give. I was told those who gave need to continue to be pampered so that they continue to give. I was told that we need to build a board of directors around the givers, and that if they gave, if their treasure was with us, their hearts would be with us, and they would pray for and partner with us to accomplish great things.

I find it odd that we operate this way in America. I find it odd that in this country we need to ask people to raise support in order to meet the needs of Americans. I understand why we might need to support someone overseas in remote destitute places, but here in America?

Why is it that Americans will not pay for something that benefits them spiritually? They seem to have no problem paying full price for golf (and all of the equipment involved), or a baseball game, concert, football game, play, etc. I am not sure I ever heard someone raising support so they could work at Ramada Inn, so that Ramada could keep their prices lower. When a person goes to a football game and pays $65 for the ticket, then spends another three dollars for a drink, as well as exorbitant prices for other snack food, parking, and a tee shirt, there seems to be hardly a whimper. Why? Well, they understand that in order to have a winning team, and an entertaining team, there is a price to pay. After all, if we are going to pay Brett Favre a million dollars a month, we need to get that revenue from somewhere.

What does that say about our society? Does it mean that if a person is involved in the Lord's work, if they are dedicating themselves to the King, we pay them….nothing? The fact of the matter is that those who name themselves Christians in our culture seem to be all about themselves. They will give money if it is about them, and if they are asked properly, or if their family would benefit. They will pay for entertainment and relaxation, and would expect to do so.

But we as Americans will not pay what it costs to nurture our souls.

I have been involved with and have watched many Christian organizations who have asked their staff to raise their own support in order to work with them. What they have basically said is that in order for us to meet the spiritual needs of our country, we need to make it a bargain. What that means to the organization is that their employees will spend a significant amount of time each year sizing up their friends, family, and guests to see how they could help meet their needs. It means that the organization will have to have more workers than secular organizations, because at anytime their staff may need to head out on deputation to raise support. It means that we need to have endless classes on how to "approach" people as to how they could support us.

I know what it has been portrayed to mean because I am in insider. It is portrayed as helping people learn to depend on God, it is portrayed as a way to help others invest in eternity, and , my favorite is that it has been portrayed as a way to get people to pray for you since where their treasure is, their heart is.

But, I have some questions.

Do I really want people praying for us whose treasure is their money?

Do I even want to partner with people whose treasure is their money?

Do I want to partner with people who give because of what they get or put people in powerful positions of leadership and policy making because I want to gain their money for our purposes?

Do I want to partner with people who give out of necessity and compulsion, and run campaigns that talk about necessity and compel people to give when the Scriptures teach us to not do that.

I cannot help but think of Jesus watching people give at the temple. He told us that one did it right. She did not have much, but what she did have she gave to God. She did not give out of her abundance, but just gave.

This is the lady I want to partner with. I want this lady on our Board of Directors.

The American church is impotent because it is all about itself, and our expectation of those who serve our King is that they should do this for nothing, at great personal sacrifice, and, for me.

I think the next time a church or individuals ask for a discount we might ask how many of their students went to prom last year and paid full price, or how many went to a concert, play, movie, or ball game, and paid full price, and ask why it is we expect those in Kingdom work to sacrifice.

Perhaps I overreact; perhaps not.

I am not God;, I am Dave. I indeed have found a treasure that is worth selling all I have in order to obtain, and I am discouraged to see so many who consider it something that should cost them nothing.