FEBC Global

(NOTE: This article was submitted by Roger Reimer, a long-time global worker in Ecuador, through the medical hospital in Quito.)

We must address the why and how as we build a global program.  We commend churches for having a global interest and making it a priority, reflected by their involvement in sending and supporting global efforts.  But how much effort have we placed on understanding why we do global work or how we should go about responding to opportunities that come up?  I think the two are interrelated and need to reflect our best strategies that have a biblical foundation and are credible in a watching world.

Since Jesus came into the world to show us a model of how we should live, let’s look at some of the key components of His life.

• His faith was integrated into everything He did.
  • He didn’t have a secular life and a spiritual life. 
• He addressed unmet human needs and shared His faith simultaneously, not sequentially.  He didn’t heal so that He could preach; He did both in response to the needs of the situation.
• He ministered to the crowds around Him and dealt compassionately with individuals in their hour of need.

When it comes to developing strategies for how we go about doing global ministries, let’s consider the examples we have from the life of Christ and His disciples.

• In His teaching opportunities, He used a lot of parables and stories to illustrate what He wanted to get across to the people.
• He used a lot of examples from nature that everyone would understand.
• He reflected the emotions of love, compassion, and empathy that He integrated with His teaching.
• He always challenged His disciples to think about their lives and the consequences of how they lived.
• If you like summaries, His sermon on the mount is a good example.
• In His context, I think Jesus assumed that there were all kinds of people listening to Him.  Believers, skeptics, non-believers, and curious onlookers.  So, He presented a message that was appropriate for everyone. 

There is another component to any strategy for missions that needs to be emphasized and considered: the perspective of the nationals with whom you want to serve.

• All too often, we as a sending agency or participant in the global scene have an idea of what the need is or what would be a good strategy without investigating the needs of the local people we want to serve.
  • One illustration might be helpful.  On one trip to a rural community, as we visited with the local people, I noticed a building needing repair, and I asked what the history of this place was.  They responded that this building was built by a visiting group who had decided that the community needed a new church.  Since no community participation was included, the local people just assumed that the building was the visiting groups’ church and not theirs, so they did not have any sense of ownership or responsibility to maintain the building.
• So, think about how you will include the input of the people with whom you want to serve for their ideas of a good strategy.

I think another component of our discussion about missions regards the intensity of pursuit, our passion for responding to Christ’s command, and our eagerness to obey.  The apostle Paul frequently used the expression “to pursue after his calling,” not just a lackadaisical following.  Does our commitment to the “to all the world” effort reflect a real sense of obedience to God’s calling on our lives as Christ-followers?  Does our life illustrate a sense of intensity and passion as we serve, or is our effort only a reflection of human effort? We need to be dependent on God’s empowerment to accomplish all that He desires for us.

There are resources available to further your investigation of global ministries’ philosophies. I would encourage you to build a good foundation for how you will proceed into the future as a globally-minded person.  Try exploring the web pages of your favorite mission agency to see how they describe their philosophy for ministry. For easy reference, check out our “Sending Agencies” Page for an extensive list of sending agencies and a link to their websites.