Many of you get the same emails and Facebook updates that I do. For the past two years, at least, we have been inundated with worthy causes and world events that have demanded our attention and response. Like clockwork, Fellowship Baptists have responded. Through your donations, your pledges, and even your sweat equity, the Fellowship has served in places like the Gulf Coast, Indonesia, Haiti, and Chile. All of these response efforts have been in addition to the ongoing transformational work of CBF field personnel serving throughout the world. For years we have been able to live in a utopian missions funding bubble. Our needs were always met, our field personnel thrived, and we faithfully responded to various disasters. And then-POP!
Did you year that loud “pop?” That would be the funding bubble that we have been in. So what do we do now? How do we do what we have always done? How do we respond effectively to a world in need? How do we continue to fund field personnel? What do we stop doing? These are all valid and challenging questions. Many of you have emailed and called to say that missions and funding missionaries (field personnel) is a top priority for you and your church. Wonderful. The only thing left to do is translate those calls and messages into dollars. For a moment let’s play a game called- “Did you know?”
Did you know that-
*on average, it cost $130,000 to keep a family on the mission field for one year?
*on average, it cost $90,000 to keep a single field personnel on the mission field for one year?
*in recent history, the yearly Offering for Global Missions(OGM) goal has not been met?
* in the event that we do NOT reach our yearly OGM goal, funds are taken from the CBF undesignated account?
*the Offering for Global Missions(OGM) funds the living and ministry expenses for all fully funded field personnel ?
*currently there are 77 fully funded and 51 self-funded field personnel serving through CBF Global Missions?
*the 51 self-funded field personnel, although they benefit from team structure, travel assistance, laptop computers, and the member care network, they must raise their support outside of the Offering?
* currently we are running on a $600,000 deficit. If we do not close this gap, field personnel could be forced to leave their places of service?
These numbers are sobering.
In the midst of all of this, CBF continues to work among the poorest of the poor and impact the world. Let’s play that game again.
Did you know that-
* Since 1993, more than 300 individuals have been commissioned as CBF Field Personnel?
*Since 1992, more than 80,000 people have served through short-term mission engagements?
*More than $6 million dollars have been given in response to natural disasters in the US, Asia, and Latin America?
Currently, in addition to the 128 field personnel that are serving around the globe, short term workers are serving in Haiti and other locations where CBF does not have field personnel. In short, the need is there, so CBF is there. But the original question remains- How long can we keep this up?
Without appropriate funding something will have to give. CBF will be forced to stop doing something. Look at the listings above, what life-changing ministry will be affected by these new financial realities? Here are three things that you can do right now.
1.) Pray. As always, lift up the names of our field personnel and the minstries that they are a part of. A great way to do this is to contact the CBF Store and order a Prayers of the People prayer calendar or a CBF Global Missions Field Teams brochure. Both of these pieces contain information about all of the current CBF field personnel. Pray also that chuches and inviduals will remember the promises that were made to the field personnel appointed over the years and that giving will reflect this recommitment to those promises.
2.) Share. Print this off and take it to church with you. Share this information in your Sunday school classes, deacons’ meetings, etc. Help others understand that we need to hear from them. Trust me, every dollar counts!
3.) Stay informed. Continue to monitor the CBF website, blog, and Facebook page for updated information. Consider yourself a CBF Global Missions advocate. This task will take all of us working together.