When You Don't Give

By Jaimie Lancaster

Have you ever thought about what happens when you don’t give to missions?

In my short time working with IM global partnerships, I have heard truly remarkable things. Reports of church planters released from prison who immediately went out and baptized ten people. Stories of people beaten and threatened with death for sharing the gospel, yet who returned again and again until their persecutors joined a Bible study. Accounts of Cuban pastors faithfully proclaiming the gospel in dire economic conditions. In Central Asia and Pakistan, evangelists and pastors work in extremely volatile conditions to share the good news. Ivory Coast experienced a flurry of baptisms recently, while Panama and Brazil are training tomorrow’s leaders today.

So, what happens when you don’t give? The typical answer is “nothing happens.”

I won’t be presumptuous. You see, the gospel of Christ will continue. From Satan’s fall until today, all attempts to stop the good news from being proclaimed have failed. Jesus said even the gates of Hell wouldn’t stop the advance of the Church. When you don’t give, it doesn’t stop the gospel; it just makes a difficult task that much harder. People continue to preach and suffer for the gospel and, as Paul and Silas, consider themselves worthy to suffer. That won’t change.

The change comes when we partner with these courageous ambassadors of the gospel. With our participation, more church planters go. More souls respond to Christ. More leaders are trained. More brothers and sisters are added to the Kingdom.

This August, when you give to the World Missions Offering, you can be assured your gift will provide the funds, training, materials, and resources needed to advance the Kingdom.

All of us working together make an impact.

About the Author: Jaimie Lancaster and his wife Tammy served in Uruguay for almost 22 years, most recently planting a church in the Carrasco neighborhood of Montevideo. Currently, they are serving on a stateside assignment. Learn more about the World Missions Offering: iminc.org/wmo