MISSIONS & LOCAL OUTREACH

Why Do Overseas Missions When There is So Much Need at Home?

Our church since its inception has put a priority on “missions.”  The word missions doesn’t appear in the Bible, but the concept does. I have a friend that uses the term “world evangelization.” I think that better describes what missions is. When people hear that some friends are moving to other places and foreign lands and that money is being sent to people and places we know little about, the question is frequently asked, “why do we support ministries there when there is so much need at home?” It’s a question that deserves an answer. We’ll give two reasons.

First, missions (or world evangelization) is not about need, but obedience. At the end of each Gospel and in the beginning of the book of Acts we find Jesus telling His disciples to “Go.” Obedience to Jesus Christ includes going, telling and making disciples. In fact primary obedience seems to have more to do with the spreading of the Gospel than it does with personal growth. As we “abide in Christ” and submit to the work of the Holy Spirit, He will conform us to His Image. An obedient Christian and an obedient church “goes.”

In the 1600’s a group known as the Moravians took this command seriously and attempted to “tithe” their congregations to the cause of world missions. They attempted to send one out of ten of their people to those who were without a Gospel witness. They also started a prayer meeting, that went on seven days a week, twenty four hours a day. This prayer meeting actually continued for one hundred years. In order for missions to be successful, it requires deliberate action on the part of the leaders and the people. Our tendency is to think about ourselves. God wants us to think about others and be outward. He’ll take care of us.

The second answer to the question, “why do we support ministries there when there is so much need at home?” is that the need at home isn’t as great as we might be lead to believe. Jesus boiled the law, the Ten Commandments and the Christian lifestyle down to two commands. One, “love the Lord with all of your heart, all of your mind, all of your heart and all of your strength.” The second He said was just like that, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” James tells us that true religion and undefiled before the Father is this: To visit widows and orphans in their affliction and to keep yourself unstained from the world.”

We live in the United States and if you’ve had the opportunity to travel throughout the world, you know there is no place like the USA. We live in the lap of luxury. No doubt we are a nation blessed by God. America also for the last several hundred years has been the primary missionary sending agency in the world. God has given us great wealth, but even wealth is a stewardship. If we use what He has given us for His purposes, we are obedient and He is honored.

Today the United States has 90% of all the full-time Christian workers in the world, but only comprises less than 5% of the world’s population. The other 95% percent of the world spreads about 10% of the full-time Christian workers. There are literally billions of people in the world who have yet to hear a clear presentation of the Gospel. Many people groups have not had the Bible translated into their native tongues. Yet, we have over a hundred “Study Bibles” to choose from and a great number of translations. We even argue over which translation is best. Millions of people could not go to a church if they wanted to . There are none near them. Millions die daily never having heard the mention of the name of Jesus.

The United States is unbelievably wealthy. I remember one time sitting in the home of a pastor in Bluefields, Nicaragua. I was wearing a pair of Wolverine work-boots that I paid $70 for. As I was sitting there, he was telling me about the gracious hand of God towards their ministry. He told me how month after month the Lord had provided the $35 rent required for the house he was living in that doubled as the church. A moment later, his attention turned to my shoes. “Wow, those are really nice boots,” he said, “what does something like that cost?” I was so embarrassed and mumbled out, hoping he wouldn’t actually hear me, when I had to state that my shoes cost two months rent. I left my boots there.

A pastor friend of mine in Nicaragua once told me that of all of the people working with the church there, many of whom received no salary at all, had never been on a retreat or a vacation. Ever. He said that in their lifetime they probably never would.

In the United States many of us, make in a week, what a banker in the third world would make in a year. Many of the products he buys cost the same as what you pay. The life expectancy in many of these nations is short. Some only expect to make it into their 50’s, possibly their 60’s. Naked children is normal in many developing nations. Food is simple and bought daily.

Jesus said we should, “Work while it is still day, because the night is coming when no man can work.” We have such a great opportunity before us. Let’s do what we can do to make His Name known and show mercy to those we can show mercy to while we still have opportunity.

SOME OF THE MISSIONS WE SUPPORT

• Gospel for Asia (we support dozens of native missionaries and pastors in India)
• Cuban Pastors (we pay the full-time support of several Cuban pastors
• Muslim Evangelism (in North Africa)
• Central Asia Leadership Development
• Missionary Care (Kelly & Michelle O’Donnell help missionaries stay healthy)
• Jeff Jackson (operates Shepherd’s Staff which helps missionaries on the field)
• Geoff & Val Gordon (work with students on New England college campuses)
• Calvary Chapel Managua, Nicaragua & CC Children’s Home
• Emily Jerome (leads ministries with Youth With a Mission, New York)
• Outreach to Palestinians in Israel
• Bradley Antolovich & For Zion's Sake
• Safe Harbor (works with the persecuted church)
• We operate a free Clothing Closet
• We support missionaries Anthony & Irene in the Middle East
• We support the local Crisis Pregnancy Center
• We support the local Awana missionaries
• We support “Shields of Faith” a local chaplains ministry for fire & police