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A MISSIONS MINUTE

Where are you investing your missions dollars?

A balanced approach. "Diversification"


The Assemblies of God approaches World Missions through a multifaceted approach
including: 
"Reaching"  (Evangelism), Church "Planting", "Training" (Leadership Development), and "Serving" (Compassion Ministries).  Every church should endeavor to include support for missionaries in each of these areas.


Assemblies of God missions includes World Missions and US Missions. Every church should endeavor to participate in missions at home. The US represents about 5% of the world's population.  Our local churches are part of the "mission" in the US.  Thus the local churches entire operational budget is part of its investment in reaching the lost locally.  10% of its TOTAL mission's budget is a reasonable investment in US Missions to target specialized ministries and outreaches.


Every church should be investing heavily in world missions. 
As much as 90% of its TOTAL missions budget should be diversified over the 6 AGWM Regions of the world plus International Ministries and invested in evangelism, church planting, leadership development, and compassion ministries.

Local Church's World Missions Giving:  Missionary Support 75% , Special Projects 15%, Short Term mission trips 10%

Boots on the Ground
The missionary is the ultimate God ordained method to spread the Gospel to the "uttermost ends of the earth."  The missionary is one who is sent by the church to expand Christ's church.  As one who lives among the nations he understands the culture and what is effective in bringing them to the Lord.

Long term relationship with nationals.
Most people come to the Lord through relationship with another person.  Because the missionary lives among the people long term relationship are developed resulting in effective evangelism and discipleship.

Long term growth
Christ called the church to "make disciples."  This process begins with evangelism but must become ongoing discipleship.  This can only happen with missionaries on the ground.

Missionary Projects & Programs 15%  (BGMC, STL, LFTL)
Effective focused investment into missions projects and programs can empower missionaries to accomplish tasks outside their normal budgets. 
Each of the various programs like BGMC, Speed the Light, Light for the Lost, etc., support and fund targeted areas of need.

AGWM oversight and accountability.
Money that is invested in these projects and programs go through numerous layers of accountability and oversight assuring effective use.

Local accountability with nationals
A new trend in recent decades has pastors in foreign countries contacting churches directly in the US for help in projects and support thus by-passing the missionary.  Cutting the local missionary out of the loop opens the US church to investing in missions without any "on the ground accountability" or oversight.  Unfortunately this has led to thousands of dollars beings mismanaged or embezzled.

Short Term Missions Trips 10%
Specific focused efforts such as church building can be effective.
MAPS teams building churches around the world has been incredibly effective over the years and perhaps one of the greatest short-term missions trips for the local church with long term impact. 
MEDICAL mission trips are another effective use of short-term missions with both a compassion and evangelism focus.
EVANGELISM trips are often in conjunction with Youth ministries.  These trips typically have short term impact on the field but long term impact in the youth themselves.

Greatest benefit is often to those on the trip. 
All missions trips have some level of ministry impact.  Perhaps the greatest benefit happens to those who go on the trip as it opens their hearts to the needs of people outside the US.  This expanded vision for the lost typically results in more fervent prayers and increased giving. 
The DANGER of these trips is that some individuals divert their missions giving and place it all into their own personal travel expenses for these short term trips.

Least efficient use of missions dollars.
Although there is a definite place for short term missions trips it must be understood that typically these trips are very expensive and usually the least efficient use of missions dollars.  Thus, short term trips SHOULD be part of a church's overall missions thrust but SHOULD NOT dominate its missions budget.

A TOTAL Missions Giving Strategy
All churches should approach TOTAL missions giving with a holistic and diversified philosophy.
>90% of TOTAL Missions budget should go to World Missions
>>>Diversified across the 6 Regions & International Ministries
>>>Diversified targeting Evangelism, Church Planting, Leadership Development, and Compassion Ministries
>>>>>>75% of World Missions Budget supports Missionaries
>>>>>>15% of World Missions Budget in projects and programs
>>>>>>10% of World Missions Budget in short-term trips
>10% of  TOTAL Missions budget should go to US Missions

 

ARCHIVE

Current Missions Minute

Diversification

Understanding the Missionary's Budget

Keys to Helping the Itinerant Missionary

 

Peninsular Florida World Missions

2699 W. Commercial Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
954.731.5433

Pastor Thomas Manning
World Missions Director

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