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Foreign and Local Missions - 4/12/2010 11:18:18 PM
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crankius
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What does your church do for foreign and local missions?
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Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
Ecclesiastes 7:16
God's Attributes
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 9:03:40 AM
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theprincessbuttercup
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Home/local - community outreach, work with local support centers (like pregnancy support center, etc), give to Home Mission Board, support some individual missionaries and church planters, twice yearly short term mission trips
Foreign - give to International Mission Board, support some foreign missionaries and organizations, yearly foreign mission trips
We believe that the list of those we reach via Acts 1:8 is to be simultaneous.
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 9:15:25 AM
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rcjames
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From: Oklahoma
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As a Church we support a number of Missionaries.
Our individual members are encouraged to directly support what ever missions, Pregnancy Testing Centers, and other outreaches that they fell led to support. They are also encouraged to directly support any Missionaries that they feel led to support.
A large portion of the Tithes that the Church pays to the Denomination (Conference) also goes to Missionaries (Both foriegn and domestic).
Thanks
RC
_____________________________
Just a country Preacher's humble opinion
Read the first chapter of my latest book here;
http://www.deliveranceofsara.com
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 10:21:06 AM
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StephK
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Southern Baptist here so my church participates in the Cooperative Program for supporting foreign and national missions. There is also a state mission fund that is supported by a designated offering a certain time of year. The church individually has a community outreach center that has a food bank, a crisis pregnancy center, a very active prison ministry and they also support a couple individuals who are doing missions with a different organization.
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Stephanie
"Our God is not to be worshipped as one among many good and true beings, but as God alone; and his gospel is not to be preached as one of several systems, but as the one sole way of salvation." - C.H. Spurgeon
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 11:17:37 AM
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jhuperetes
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We have a specific set of guidelines whom or what we support.
We have a missions committee, who reviews and makes recommendations to the elders and congregation.
They also deal with the operational aspects, including the financial side, furlough help, travel, etc.
We support both domestic and international missionaries and missions.
crankius, if you give some more details on what you are looking to achieve, I might be give a bit more too.
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 11:19:37 AM
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mushhead
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Southern Baptist: We too support foreign missions through the Cooperative Program and the annual Lottie Moon offering. We also support my brother-in-law who is currently in Haiti.
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Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. Matt. 7:6
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 12:35:54 PM
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crankius
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quote:
ORIGINAL: rcjames
Our individual members are encouraged to directly support what ever missions, Pregnancy Testing Centers, and other outreaches that they fell led to support. They are also encouraged to directly support any Missionaries that they feel led to support.
quote:
ORIGINAL: mushhead
We also support my brother-in-law who is currently in Haiti.
I think the specific direct support of a ministry is very beneficial. It helps people get directly involved in prayer/finances/actions.
I'm glad you encourage direct support, RC.
Mushhead, when you say "we", is that your whole church? It's great when a church personally adopts a mission family to pray for and support.
_____________________________
Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
Ecclesiastes 7:16
God's Attributes
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 12:40:34 PM
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crankius
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quote:
ORIGINAL: 3cappuccinosmom
Locally...community outreach activities, jail ministry, connection with Teen Challenge, connection with a local pregnancy center. I'm not sure what else as we are fairly new.
quote:
ORIGINAL: theprincessbuttercup
Home/local - community outreach, work with local support centers (like pregnancy support center, etc), give to Home Mission Board, support some individual missionaries and church planters, twice yearly short term mission trips
quote:
ORIGINAL: StephK
The church individually has a community outreach center that has a food bank, a crisis pregnancy center, a very active prison ministry and they also support a couple individuals who are doing missions with a different organization.
Some people like to gripe about how awful Christians are, but truly, all of this local ministry work is great! Christians are serving and helping.
_____________________________
Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
Ecclesiastes 7:16
God's Attributes
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 12:57:21 PM
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crankius
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Question about foreign missions:
I was speaking with someone who had spent a great deal of time in foreign missions, and they said this (paraphrase):
"I used to think sending a missionary to live in a foreign community was the right way to do foreign missions. But now, I think it is not as effective. Now, I think our efforts are better spent supporting a foreign worker of the gospel in his/her own community. Americans are very expensive to send and support. For what we spend on an American family, we can support many foreign families in the work of the Gospel. Plus, the foreign workers already speak the language and don't have cultural barriers to cross."
Clearly, someone is first needed to spread the gospel where it has not been heard before, but once there are believers in an area, her perspective is worth pondering.
I'm sure supporting the local foreign missionaries has its own set of difficulties.
Many people feel called to go to foreign places where they don't speak the language, etc., and they have a very effective ministry.
Any input? What do you think?
_____________________________
Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
Ecclesiastes 7:16
God's Attributes
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 1:17:46 PM
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StephK
Posts: 2500
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quote:
ORIGINAL: crankius
quote:
ORIGINAL: StephK
The church individually has a community outreach center that has a food bank, a crisis pregnancy center, a very active prison ministry and they also support a couple individuals who are doing missions with a different organization.
Some people like to gripe about how awful Christians are, but truly, all of this local ministry work is great! Christians are serving and helping.
Honestly, I saw who was able to do and give after Hurricane Rita. It was the churches who came through like gangbusters.
_____________________________
Stephanie
"Our God is not to be worshipped as one among many good and true beings, but as God alone; and his gospel is not to be preached as one of several systems, but as the one sole way of salvation." - C.H. Spurgeon
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 1:28:15 PM
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crankius
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quote:
ORIGINAL: StephK
Honestly, I saw who was able to do and give after Hurricane Rita. It was the churches who came through like gangbusters.
That's great.
For whatever reason, such effectiveness doesn't make front page news.
_____________________________
Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?
Ecclesiastes 7:16
God's Attributes
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 1:47:34 PM
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theprincessbuttercup
Posts: 2290
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At the church I attended for most of my life, missions are a huge priority, and now the pastor there, along with several others, make a habit of going to different countries and training local ministers there in evangelism and discipleship. There are some people who just receive the Gospel better from someone of their own culture. My aunt and uncle were career missionaires, first in Vietnam and then in the Philippines, and this is what they spent a lot of their time doing. Those churches - many of them - are still thriving, and my aunt and uncle have been retired for 16 years.
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 2:02:47 PM
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doinkdom
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We are a small house church and we send monthly support to a family in Kenya. We are not attached to a denomination and neither is he or his family, so it's a good fit.
He attended seminary here in the states with my husband so we know his story, etc.
Recently, through the counsel of the Chalmers Institute, we will be helping him put together a business plan, etc. to open a bookstore with photo-copying, schooling and other services that will help provide for his family while he reaches his community.
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 7:19:16 PM
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rcjames
Posts: 7683
Joined: 7/15/2005
From: Oklahoma
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quote:
ORIGINAL: crankius
Question about foreign missions:
I was speaking with someone who had spent a great deal of time in foreign missions, and they said this (paraphrase):
"I used to think sending a missionary to live in a foreign community was the right way to do foreign missions. But now, I think it is not as effective. Now, I think our efforts are better spent supporting a foreign worker of the gospel in his/her own community. Americans are very expensive to send and support. For what we spend on an American family, we can support many foreign families in the work of the Gospel. Plus, the foreign workers already speak the language and don't have cultural barriers to cross."
Clearly, someone is first needed to spread the gospel where it has not been heard before, but once there are believers in an area, her perspective is worth pondering.
I'm sure supporting the local foreign missionaries has its own set of difficulties.
Many people feel called to go to foreign places where they don't speak the language, etc., and they have a very effective ministry.
Any input? What do you think?
If the man you spoke to was correct, then Paul and Barnabas and untold numbers of others wasted a lot of time bringing the Gospel to foriegn lands.
I think that one think the man ignorse is what Christ said;
(Mat 13:57) And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
(Mat 13:58) And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Now I am a firm supporter of going into a foriegn land and setting up Chruches and works that the locals do, but the foriegn missionary in the initial introduction of the Gospel seem to be more productive. It was true in the New Testament time, and it is true today.
Thanks
RC
_____________________________
Just a country Preacher's humble opinion
Read the first chapter of my latest book here;
http://www.deliveranceofsara.com
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 7:30:35 PM
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3cappuccinosmom
Posts: 4016
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quote:
"I used to think sending a missionary to live in a foreign community was the right way to do foreign missions. But now, I think it is not as effective. Now, I think our efforts are better spent supporting a foreign worker of the gospel in his/her own community. Americans are very expensive to send and support. For what we spend on an American family, we can support many foreign families in the work of the Gospel. Plus, the foreign workers already speak the language and don't have cultural barriers to cross."
I tend to agree with him.
That doesn't negate foreign missions. There has to be a starting point. But definitely all his concerns are things dh and i have considered too.
It depends on the missionaries though, and what kind of life they are willing to live. Some live extremely sacrificially, throw themselves into the language and culture, and are extremely effective. Others not so much. Sometimes a person with Western connections has more power or a wider door open than a local. There needs to be working together, but I think discipling and sending out many local evangelists is a better goal then setting up a mini-America mission clique in each country. That's why dh and I support Gospel For Asia as one of our primary places to give to.
_____________________________
 Moo
"Yup, I'm in agreement with Maggie here on all of this" Manda, April 2010
The Ballad of Bad Biruk
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 8:44:21 PM
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RJR_fan
Posts: 637
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From: RTP, in sunny NC USA
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quote:
What does your church do for foreign and local missions?
Our church's philosophy is two-fold: (a) prepare people for local ministry, and (b) plant churches. King's Park International Church has spun off an average of a daughter church per year for more than 20 years. In 1990, our folks were planting churches in Poland and Ukraine, for example. People who work with our founding tend to inherit his anointing.
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Blogging my way through the Turkish New Testament
Meet my beloved mentor, RJR
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/13/2010 8:51:56 PM
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RJR_fan
Posts: 637
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From: RTP, in sunny NC USA
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quote:
Many people feel called to go to foreign places where they don't speak the language, etc., and they have a very effective ministry.
THere's a lot to be said for reversing that process! Why not learn the target language from native speakers at local universities? Offer help with their English, show some hospitality, and you can make some friends for life!
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Blogging my way through the Turkish New Testament
Meet my beloved mentor, RJR
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/14/2010 3:19:57 AM
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Elena1030
Posts: 3146
Joined: 6/21/2006
From: Music City, USA
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quote:
ORIGINAL: theprincessbuttercup
Home/local - community outreach, work with local support centers (like pregnancy support center, etc), give to Home Mission Board, support some individual missionaries and church planters, twice yearly short term mission trips
Foreign - give to International Mission Board, support some foreign missionaries and organizations, yearly foreign mission trips
We believe that the list of those we reach via Acts 1:8 is to be simultaneous.
My church is Southern Baptist as well and does the same as theprincessbuttercup describes above.
One correction, though, the Home Mission Board is now called the North American Mission Board.  (Sometimes it's hard to make that mental switch when names are changed!)
Additionally, I as the head of my household (I'm single, never married) give to individual missionaries, one of whom is my own first-cousin.
_____________________________
"I like to stride, not mince." -- Maggie
Prayer thread for singles who desire to marry someday
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/14/2010 12:21:07 PM
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jhuperetes
Posts: 1948
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It maybe true that training the local brothers & sisters is better in some cases, but not all, or even in majority cases.
I can list several missions where the expertise is not available locally such as some aspects of alternative energy, water retention, building engineering, translation, security, etc.
Those expertise has to be imported.
quote:
ORIGINAL: crankius
Question about foreign missions:
I was speaking with someone who had spent a great deal of time in foreign missions, and they said this (paraphrase):
"I used to think sending a missionary to live in a foreign community was the right way to do foreign missions. But now, I think it is not as effective. Now, I think our efforts are better spent supporting a foreign worker of the gospel in his/her own community. Americans are very expensive to send and support. For what we spend on an American family, we can support many foreign families in the work of the Gospel. Plus, the foreign workers already speak the language and don't have cultural barriers to cross."
Clearly, someone is first needed to spread the gospel where it has not been heard before, but once there are believers in an area, her perspective is worth pondering.
I'm sure supporting the local foreign missionaries has its own set of difficulties.
Many people feel called to go to foreign places where they don't speak the language, etc., and they have a very effective ministry.
Any input? What do you think?
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/14/2010 12:37:49 PM
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theprincessbuttercup
Posts: 2290
Joined: 3/23/2010
From: Boo Radley's back yard
Status: online
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I think doing BOTH is the best case scenario. They can co-exist. They did with my aunt and uncle.
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/15/2010 12:15:57 PM
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mushhead
Posts: 338
Joined: 5/29/2005
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quote:
Mushhead, when you say "we", is that your whole church? It's great when a church personally adopts a mission family to pray for and support.
Crankius, yes the whole church supports his ministry, but some of the members offer additional support. Some of them travel with him from time to time.
_____________________________
MUSHHEAD
Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. Matt. 7:6
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RE: Foreign and Local Missions - 4/16/2010 3:08:01 AM
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RJR_fan
Posts: 637
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From: RTP, in sunny NC USA
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quote:
Or if further qualifications are needed, to possibly sponsor the further studies of some of the local staff so that they could upgrade their qualifications and skills , and eventually take over the running of the organisation in that country?
Several folks our family has befriended work in the treasury / banking sectors of a Muslim nation -- high-level bureaucrats, indeed. People smart enough to earn demanding graduate degrees in a strange foreign language (English) while living as strangers in a cold and unwelcoming culture (American).
Nowadays, "the natives" use the internet. Tehran has government thugs who confiscate satellite dish antennas -- then re-sell them.
The exception still appears to be "the dark continent," where tribalism, Islam, and witchcraft are slowly giving way to evangelical Christianity in many places, while the hypertribalism of kleptocracy (statism) is making life harder in Zimbabwe and South Africa. When people vote for their own destruction, it's hard to work up much compassion ...
The skills needed to civilize the nations (tribes) are more conceptual, and less bureaucratic, than you might imagine. The thugs who pillage their nations in the name of "democracy" have very detailed and elaborate bureaucracies. OTOH, the Christian worldview literature of R. J. Rushdoony continues to influence thoughtful Christians here and abroad as it summons us to proclaim the crown rights of King Jesus in every sphere of life.
The closest culture in need of missionizing is America's cult of secular humanism, the governing faith and state religion of our nation. We need to think, work, and live a lot better than the heathen around us if we want our gospel to have credibility. It's hard to persuade the humanist of the truth of our faith, if we consider his religion as "good enough" for our own children!
_____________________________
Blogging my way through the Turkish New Testament
Meet my beloved mentor, RJR
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