Some help from others can sometimes jumpstart a ministry.
A $5,000 Project
by Richard Atwood
Recently, someone called about a Home Missions project recommendation. They wanted to raise $5,000 for a Home Missions church need. I emailed our home missionaries and received about 20 responses. It made me wish I was rich and could give each of them the money. Only one was picked.
That gave me food for thought. Maybe others (local churches, state, and local associations) could be challenged to adopt a Home Missions project. The general director wants me to make perfectly clear that funds for this kind of project should not replace regular faith promise giving to individual missionary accounts. That is how they stay on the field and give 100% of their attention to the new work. If their account goes into the red, they may have to leave the field to raise money. Sometimes, it is nice to give occasionally for a special need that can really help the new church grow faster.
Let me explain my philosophy on helping new churches. I don’t think anyone should get everything given to them. I have four children. They didn’t get eveything they wanted when they were growing up. The fact that my wife and I didn’t have much money made it easier to deny them some things.
However, I hope that even if I had been rich, I wouldn’t have given in. It is good for them to work for what they need. If they ever do work to get a new car, they will appreciate it more. In attempting to be good parents, we tried to help our children get a good start. We didn’t pay for everything (couldn’t afford to), but I’m sure the help we did give was encouraging to them.
This brings me to new churches. Yes, they should work hard and pray and sacrifice to get what they need (and those I know are doing that.) But some help from others can be a real encouragement and can sometimes help jumpstart a ministry.
Here are a few of those needs that home missionaries gave to me:
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Greg Floars (Michigan) – a new van for ministry
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Jeff Isaacs (Michigan) – finish renovating their building
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Howard Gwartney (Arizona) – architect for a new building
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Scott Cheatham (Colorado) – remodeling their building
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Kent Nelson (Virgin Islands) – scholarships for the Christian school
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Don Bailey (Texas) – money for a new building
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Bill Reynolds (Rhode Island) – help to pay off land
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David Sexton (Virginia) – buy land
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Jeff Crabtree (New Brunswick) – new piano
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Tom Jones (Pennsylvania) – finish renovating their building
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John Reed (Wisconsin) – new Heating and Air Conditioning
The list could go on. Some of the missionaries would like help in advertising. Others have a land fund. Maybe you could contact the missionary you support and find out what project your church could take on. Please remember to keep up monthly faith promise support. That is vital to their being able to stay on the field. But a little help on a special project may just be the boost they need.
How Can We Do This?
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Challenge your Sunday School class to raise $1,000 and ask four other classes to do the same.
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Vote to take $5,000 out of your church budget.
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Sponsor a contest between the men’s group, the women’s group, and the youth group to see who could raise the most money for the project. The winners get dinner cooked for them by the other two groups (and bragging rights).
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Give $1,000 from your church and ask four other churches in your conference or association to do the same.
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Challenge everyone in your church to sell things online or host a yard sale and give the money to the Home Missions project of your choice.
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Use your imagination.
About the Writer: Richard Atwood is director of missionary assistance for Free Will Baptist Home Missions. Learn more at www.homemissions.net.
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