What are the benefits of a local church partnering with missionaries to reach unreached peoples?  More specifically: why is it important for Southern Baptists Churches, who are already contributing through the Cooperative Program to the largest and most efficient missionary force in the world, to work in partnership alongside IMB missionaries to reach a specific unreached people group?

Much of the local churches missions’ strategy reflects the shot of a shotgun.  It has a wide spread but it isn’t lethal.  The strategy is to simply give to the Cooperative Program and go on short term trips to different destinations every year.  The quantity is there but the quality of work is lacking.  In order to understand the benefits of partnership, along with Cooperative Program support, we must first look at some downsides to a shotgun approach to missions.

·         Simply giving money does not cultivate fervor for missions in the church.  We must give to the Cooperative Program but it’s only when we sacrificially give of our resources (talents, time, and finances) will zeal for missions grow.

·         Yearly, location driven, short term mission trips tend to be glorified vacations.  It’s more about the experience than it is about the gospel.

·         When the experience of short term trips overshadow long term strategy, effective missions principles are violated and a lot of money is spent with little results to show for it.

If the shotgun represents quantity, a high powered rifle represents quality.  Its shot is precise and its force is lethal.  An effective mission’s strategy is one that is precise and lethal.  Here are some reasons why local churches partnering with IMB missionaries to reach a specific unreached people group through praying, going, and giving is precise and lethal.

·         It shows a commitment to effectively participate in what is already happening in a specific part of the world.  True participation in a work that is happening in Guatemala is not one weeklong trip.  Effective participation in what God is doing in a specific part of the world is investing in that work year in and year out.

·         A commitment to go back to the same place over several years produces strong relationships that can develop and support that can target real life needs.  We cannot truly grasp the needs of people that we don’t spend time with.  Strong relationships with missionaries and effective support of the work produce long term results for the gospel.

·         Committing to a work over time helps avoid unnecessary errors.  Investing in a specific missionary and trusting in their strategy allows the church to know things are going to be done right.  The people who know best what needs to be done are the ones who are giving of themselves daily to reaching a people group.  Casting our American ideas onto another culture will not advance the gospel.

·         A long term investment will produce long term results.  We cannot truly make disciples on a two week mission trip.

Why is this important?  First, we should desire for every penny we give to be the most effective it can be in reaching the world with the gospel.  What a tragedy it would be to spend thousands of dollars on missions each year and not have any tangible results.  Second, we are participating in such a partnership! We give faithfully to the Cooperative Program and to the work in Southeast Asia to reach the Lasa.  This is something we should be proud of.  Not only are we investing in work to reach people in every country on the earth through the CP, but we are directly connected to seeing that the Lasa are reached with the gospel.  Embrace this by continued faithfulness to pray, go, and give.

In Christ, 
Nathan

On Sunday our youth will be leaving for our end of summer camp.  There will be 15 of us going.  It will be a nice few days to relax, fellowship, and be in God’s word together before the craziness of the school year begins.  Please keep us in your prayers over the next week.

Our youth have done a lot together this summer.  We started out with a trip to Joplin, had same great time in the Word at Study and Swim, and did lots of fun things.  I love the summer time because we get to spend a lot of quality time together so it’s always bitter sweet when the school year comes.  There are new opportunities for ministry once the school year starts but everyone is so busy in today’s world.

This summer has been extra special as I’ve been able to make some final memories with my students.  I have truly loved serving here at Oak Crest.  We have the best youth around.  It’s crazy because I’ve never really felt like I’ve had a home.  Growing up in a military family we moved every three of four years.  The longest I ever lived in a place was four years.  So when people ask me where I’m from I never really know what to say.  At the end of this year we will be a month shy of being at Oak Crest for 6 years.  This is the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere my entire life.  We started our family here and this is all that my kids know.  So now when people ask where I’m from I’ll proudly know how to answer.  I’m from Midlothian.

Though it is nice to feel that I finally have a place to call home, the reality is that this place that we call home now is only temporal.  Our citizenship is not of this earth.  The goal of the Christian life is not to find paradise on earth but to live for eternity.  We can never allow ourselves to be blinded by the American dream into thinking that our ultimate goal is to live as comfortably as possible.  Peter said, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”  As aliens in a foreign land we cannot allow our lives to be consumed by created things.  Rather, we must give all that we are and have to the creator of all things.  May we all live with a longing for home.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” –Jim Elliot

In Christ,

Nathan