January 06 Update on Village Missions
The arrival of this New Year has caused me to reflect on the passage of time. Perhaps you too find it hard to believe that the previous year passed so quickly. For 2006, I would like to follow and implement the commands of Scripture in Ephesians 5:15 – 16 (NASB):
15Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
I want to make the most of my time in my walk with the Lord and in my various roles as husband, father, and Director of Village Missions. May His sufficiency enable us all to make the most of our time!
Thinking about time reminds me that it has been some “time,” October to be exact, since I updated you about the Mission. God is moving in many exciting ways, and I would like to take the “time” to share with you some of those ways.
First, I am praising the Lord for the response to our appeal for staff conferences. As of today, we have received about $50,000 in donations. I had really no idea what to expect. This response demonstrates, of course, God working, but also the depth of good feeling about Village Missions. I have also noticed that some donors to missionaries who hadn’t given in some time not only gave to the staff conference need but also to their missionary. I really praise the Lord for this outcome for the Mission and missionary.
We had quite a challenge working with our software. We have recently upgraded all of our Stewardship and Accounting software through the Murdock grant we received. We are still learning more about the software and integrating the accounting and stewardship areas. Without going into details, we had some difficulty matching a missionary with their donor. I personally signed about 200 letters to certain donors that support missionaries and wrote a small note. I wanted to encourage and thank them personally for supporting their Village Missionary. Again, without getting a formal report, it seems that at least some have responded with increased giving to their missionary.
A very significant development is the approval by the Board of the Statement of Purpose and Values. You will find a copy of this statement in this issue. I believe that this purpose statement describes what we are trying to accomplish as we provide leadership to churches. It is as relevant for the large church as it is for our smaller church because, small or large, we are trying to develop spiritually vital churches. In the coming months we will be exploring any other changes that need to be made in light of this new Purpose Statement.
The Board also approved a Sliding Scale for new churches requesting leadership. As I have mentioned in previous articles, I have been concerned about the inability of some small churches to afford us, especially with the high costs of the Benefit Plan. The sliding scale works like this: A church will be required to give 10% of their general fund offering to Village Missions. If they have some unusual expenses such as having to rent a parsonage or church building, this amount will be deducted from the remaining offering. We will allow the church to have $600 per month for operating expenses and outside missions giving. The remainder will first go toward the Benefit Plan and then toward missionary salary. As the offerings increase, more will go toward the Benefit Plan and salary. The sliding scale will be helpful to the churches and will result in more going toward our costs as the church grows. I am very excited about the great opportunity this will provide for struggling churches to receive leadership.
The Board also gave approval to move forward in exploring an expansion in Alaska and in the Navajo Nation. District Representative Vern Wilkinson and Village Missionary Craig Norwood did some survey work in Alaska in the early fall. They found many closed churches or churches needing leadership. Their visit resulted in a request for leadership from Nenana, AK, near Fairbanks. We are still working out the details of the costs and our strategy for raising funds for the project. A proposal will then be brought before the Board.
Mike Jones and I visited the Navajo Nation in December. We learned of many churches without leadership or with pastors who were forced to work full-time in outside jobs. We met several young men who had been to Bible College but were unable to serve as pastors because of the lack of funds. One sharp young man, Daniel, works during the summer to save enough money so that he can minister fulltime as a youth pastor during the remaining months. An Anglo pastor and missionary who was born and raised on the reservation told us that various mission organizations have struggled with turning leadership over to Navajo pastors because they have no financial support. Consequently, many of the churches are weak and ineffective. It appears that the ministry of Village Missions would fit quite well. As with Alaska, we are working on a plan to present to the Board for funding and for providing leadership.
The need in Alaska and in the Navajo Nation is great; much like the need across rural North America when Rev. Duff founded Village Missions. I believe that God is leading us to continue supplying leadership to country churches (the sliding scale) and to reach new peoples and areas (Alaska, Hispanics, Native/First Nation) in rural North America. Please pray with me for wisdom and God’s direction as we move forward. I believe that this is the way that God would have Village Missions make the “most of the time” until Christ returns.
