Why Support Missions?
Some Christians shudder when another missions offering is announced. Money for local needs. Yes. Money to aid the poor. Yes. Money for outreach. Yes. But why give to missions, whether they be for nations far away, or for the homeless in the inner city, or for indigenous people or for someone’s pet project? This question is raised by people whose God is too small! Understand more about God and you will support His mission.
We give to missions because that is where the heart of God is. God’s love and mercy covers all of creation. God had only one mission to bring all of creation back to Himself. Missions are the agencies God uses to fulfil His mission.
We give to missions because that is at the centre of Biblical teaching. Mission is at the heart of the Biblical mandate. They are not an extra added on to all else that the church does. Mission is at the heart of all, at home, abroad, in specialized settings.
We give to missions because that is the meaning of stewardship. Stewardship is not man’s method of raising money. It is God’s method if raising Christians. Stewardship involves the giving of our money to help the work of God, and to serve the needs of others. But it also involves how we make our money, how we earn it, how we save it, how we spend it, and how we give it. Stewardship is not our method of giving money to God, but God’s method of developing our character in line with His will.
We give to missions because that enables the fulfilment of the Great Commission. Jesus sent His disciples out to strange villages and to different races (Luke 10:1-12) to preach, to teach and to heal. He called us to go even to the ends of the earth. (Matthew 28:18-20). We either go or we give in order that others may go in our place. The whole world needs to hear the Gospel. Giving to missions enables evangelism.
We give to missions because our ministers and pastors faithfully preach the scriptures. The scriptures teach us to give systematically, proportionately and regularly. One pastor said: “In my early ministry I made the mistake of emphasising stewardship only at budget time. Now I see that the development of church members as Christian stewards is a year-round task, not just a seasonal emphasis tied to budget time.” Teaching our people to give systematically a proportion of our income comes from preaching the Bible. The Holy Spirit drives the message home to the heart when the Word of God is faithfully delivered.
We give to missions because our financial support encourages and enables dedicated men and women and their families to spread the Kingdom of God. We become partners with them in their ministry and we share in their victories.
We give to missions because that is the practical means by which we help our neighbour in need. Our love for others is expressed in our credit and debit-card transactions for missions. The love of God is expressed in our care for others through food, clothes, fresh water, schools and educations, hospitals and healing comfort and counselling.
We give because God first gave to us.
Rev. The Hon. Dr. Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C.
