An Ideas You Can Use Article

sharing the vision

By Richard Atwood

Cofer’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, (where I attend) tried a new approach to missions giving this past fall. The new approach was the One Vision Conference. Pastor Mike Gladson wanted to highlight the needs, both in North America and across the world. He said, “The Great Commission isn’t a multiple choice, but a command to do all. God gave us one vision.”

Before:

We invited six missionary couples to attend the conference (two from Home Missions, two from International Missions, and two who are going to Central Asia to teach). Each had an opportunity to preach, an opportunity to present their mission, and to display their work in the auditorium. The church made travel and hospitality arrangements for each couple, including a large basket of goodies upon arrival.

During:

We kicked it off on Sunday morning. One missionary gave the morning message, and another presented his mission. On Sunday evening, the church family enjoyed a banquet at a nearby location (with catered food so the ladies would not have to prepare the meal). Again, two missionaries spoke. Before services on Monday and Tuesday evenings, the congregation met for a simple meal so people could spend time with the missionaries.

We learned more about their fields and heard more inspiring messages from the missionaries. During the closing service on Tuesday night, after the missionaries spoke, the entire church took part in a special prayer service for the missionaries. Everyone held a light stick to symbolize spreading the light to the dark world. In each service, the songs and special music coordinated with the missions theme.

After:

We have stayed in close contact with the missionaries who participated in the conference, and updates about them are printed in the bulletin and announced from the pulpit. We pray for them during services and try to stay involved in their work. (Their email addresses are listed in the bulletin.) A group from our church is planning a trip to help missionaries in Utah.

Benefits

• People know the missionaries better after talking to them for several days.

• Giving to missions is easier. Donors can give one check to cover every missionary supported by the church.

• Missionaries don’t have to travel as much.

• By putting the missionaries in your budget, the pastor can say the offering will effectively promote the gospel locally, nationwide, and around the world.

• Churches of any size can do this. Cofer’s Chapel averages 200 in attendance. You don’t have to be a mega church. A church of 50 can host one home missionary and one international missionary and still make a significant contribution to their ministries.

• It reminds the church that they are part of something big!

[Helpful] Hints from Pastor Gladson

1. Go to another church’s mission’s conference to see how they do it.

2. Plan ahead.

3. Good music is very helpful.

4. Offer the option of giving to an individual missionary or to the One Vision fund.

5. Make it an annual event. Put it on the church calendar.

About the Writer: Richard Atwood is director of missionary assistance for the Home Missions Department. To learn more about the ministry of Home Missions, visit www.homemissions.net.