Personal Stewardship- It's More Than Sending Money
Acts 13 records for us the first call to send. That's right. Many have labeled it the first missionary call, and it is. But in Acts 13, it's more than just Paul and Barnabas who hear the call. In fact, the call doesn't even come to the missionaries. It comes to the senders, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Notice to whom the command is directed. And it's the senders who respond: "When they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."
Maybe you have friends who decided to go overseas as a missionary. Or maybe you've been investigating overseas missions yourself. But up to now you just haven't sensed the Lord leading you overseas. What do you do?
Deepen your involvement in world evangelization by responding to the call to send. Whether or not you presently know someone who is going, you can still be a sender.
A sender is someone who deems their most strategic contribution to world evangelization to be staying in their home country and living in such a way as to support most effectively the maximum number of "goers" as they are able. This sending ministry does not replace their primary involvement in the task of world evangelization as expressed by their reaching the lost around them.
Senders aren't staying here as an escape from going overseas. They aren't among those who breathe a sigh of relief when they hear that not everyone is called to go. Rather, they've surrendered their lives to be anything and go anywhere God wants them to go. Some of them would be overseas in a minute if God opened the doors for them to go. Perhaps sending is temporary for them and eventually they'll take on the goer's role.
Like the goer, the sender has a burden for peoples of other cultures to come to the Lord. But having assessed how God has shaped him and the place that God has called him to fill in the body of Christ, the sender concludes that he can best advance the kingdom by sending others.
A sender isn't a washed-out missionary or a goer who never made it. God calls us all to be involved in world evangelization and he calls many to be senders in his plan.
A Simple Lifestyle
A sending lifestyle is a simple lifestyle. It is living with balance, not living in indulgence. Buying what you need, splurging occasionally, but not over-doing life. Being content with the sufficient.
Why do you live this way? So that you can store your money for a rainy day? No, you live this way to release more money for God's work.
A Supporting Lifestyle
A sender desires to support most effectively the maximum number of goers as he is able. "Most effectively" and "maximum number" go together. Your goal shouldn't be to support more goers than anyone else. Your goal should be to effectively support one goer, then increase that slowly until you support the maximum number the most effectively as possible.
What does "most effectively" mean? There are several areas to consider. For example, regarding financial support: to financially support someone effectively means giving them enough money on a yearly basis to pay for more than just the prayer letters and thank you notes which they send you in response to your gift. It means giving them enough money so that they don't have so many individual supporters giving minuscule gifts that they can never catch up on the thank you notes. This doesn't mean you shouldn't give until you can give in sizable amounts. You can give smaller amounts in an efficient manner, like bi-annually. But it does mean that it's better to give two missionaries $25 per month each, than to give five missionaries $10 per month. Financially support them in an effective manner.
Second, to support effectively includes supporting via prayer and regular correspondence. It means to support them when they come home by helping them to re-integrate into the home scene. And so on.
So in evaluating how many you can support most effectively, ask yourself with how many can you keep in regular correspondence?
How many can you pray in depth for on a regular basis? If the answer is only one, then support only one and give them your full financial support. If you think you could effectively support two, then split your full financial support between them, and so on.
To better understand how you can most effectively serve missionaries, put yourself in their shoes. Ask yourself what would be most helpful if you were a missionary and try out your ideas!
The Task is Still Yours
Being a sender does not end your involvement in the evangelization of the world. It's not an either/or situation; either be a sender and send or be a goer and evangelize.
Senders need to be involved where they are. They need to reach their neighbors, to reach immigrants, international students and businessmen, all those culturally distinct from them. We are all commanded to be witnesses. Your sending ministry does not replace your primary involvement in the task of world evangelization.
Are you called to be a sender? Don't belittle it - it's a meaningful and needed calling. Purpose today to obey God's call on your life.
Excerpts taken from "Sending . . . It's More Man Sending Money" by Kathi DeCanio. Permission granted by Caleb Project, 10 W. Dry Creek Circle, Littleton, CO 80120.
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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