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Maximizing your Ministry Impact

I am amazed that we spend so much time and money on missions trips. Over all, by the millions, Americans are jumping at the chance to become missionaries - with one key stipulation: we expect to get our comfortable lives back very shortly, leaving the poor indigenous people behind.

Not every missionary experience is noteworthy or exemplary. I spoke with a young woman who was a missionary to several countries. She raised tens of thousands of dollars for her short-term missions excursions but sadly says of these trips, “I don’t think my trips really helped anybody at all. Except me.” Regarding the great deal of money she was able to raise simply by mailing letters to church members, family and friends, she admits, in all seriousness, that most people probably supported her “because I’m cute.”

I can recall, as a young Christian, watching while many people from the megachurch we attended excitedly planned for a trip to Russia. I listened when they returned and recall hearing very little about advancing the Kingdom but a great deal about the experience. Frankly, it was not unlike they had just returned from DisneyWorld or the Grand Canyon.

I’ll never forget one girl – a pastor’s daughter – who frolicked nude on a beach with a native family, including adult males.  Photos were taken and wound up being emailed to her dad’s computer.  Yikes!

On a documentary video, a church leader of a third world nation said, essentially, “We are not stupid. These missions trips cost a great deal of money for Americans to come here. We could have used that money. Look! We have one Bible.” In some cases, ministers must travel many miles by foot or bicycle to visit churches. They lack training, too. Why not raise money and arrange for several leaders to attend Bible college in the USA?

Don’t get me wrong. I KNOW that many missionaries are doing great things for God “over there.” I know some phenomenal missionaries whose lies are in danger where they’re serving.

I’m not saying we should quit sending missionaries. If all that happens is that a teenager gains a new perspective on life, that can’t be bad. Yet, as David Livermore wrote in his book “Serving with Eyes Wide Open: Doing short term missions with Cultural Intelligence, “ We justify our efforts by saying [youth] will come back and make a difference in their own communities, but the research has demonstrated it’s not happening… kids are going down and ‘loving on’ Mexican kids for a week and then coming home and being the same racist white kids they were toward their Latino classmates before they went on the trip.”

Short-term trips, lasting two weeks or less, drew about 1.6 million Americans to foreign mission fields last year, according to a survey by Robert Wuthnow, a sociologist of religion at Princeton University. The potential for these short-term missionaries to return home with a reformed worldview certainly exists. In fact, nearly 1 in 3 American youth now take part in a cross-cultural service projects before finishing high school. But where’s the fruit stateside?

We MUST ask ourselves if there is a better way. Yes, I believe there is! God has shown me the impact and effectiveness of using the InterNet and the lowly telephone to disciple people in foreign lands. I’m working on a PodCast that will allow people anywhere to hear my voice at any hour of the day – even while I’m sleeping (no more 3AM conferences in Africa). Many foreign ministers have told me that they utilize my written messages for teaching their churches while others have invited me to participate in “Telephonic Meetings” where I was allowed to speak over the phone to an interpreter with a microphone. These meetings always drew large crowds with many miraculous testimonies afterward. One man in Pakistan had planted over 900 House Churches. He had no transportation. I sent out eMail requests to people in my Address Book – most of whom I have never met – and they gave $1600 for his $1300 scooter.

Nothing beats having a website with posted messages, however. Ans anyone can do this!  What a blessing to watch the numbers climb every day as visitors from most every nation on Erath are hitting the site while I’m busy doing something else. Not only can I see where they’re coming from, but I can also see how long they remain on the site.

Amazing!

I’m no computer wiz, folks. On a scale of 1-10, I’m about a 5. I type with one finger and am very technologically challenged. I’m amazed how many people say things such as, “I’m praying for you and your staff.” Goodness, if they only knew! It’s just me, pecking in an extra bedroom upstairs, hair uncombed, slippers, a T-shirt and holey jeans. My dear friend, Keith Broadbent of Colorado was the one led by the Spirit to design and tend to my website. Another individual, Holly Miller, has felt led to design another site for the Workplace ministry. See, where God guides, He provides. Don’t ever allow your lack of ANYTHING keep you from doing what God has called you to do.

Need help with an eMinistry? Since it’s really God’s ministry, expect the help to arrive. It will.

Are you planning a missions trip? If so, please consider raising the money, then buying with that money a scooter, a laptop, Bibles and other Christian literature, or a Bile College education. How about webcams so you anyone in your church can teach? I know of a ministry to China whereby people are teaching English to Chinese students using Rick Warren’s “Purpose-Driven Life,” and with their government’s blessing! One woman in Texas is teaching 4 classes weekly with 80% of students becoming Christians. She told me that, with children, a husband and a home, she thought ministry would not take place for years. Now she’s doing this with her webcam.

Pretty effective, eh?

Missions aren’t bad. They’re good, but good can be the enemy of best. Let’s work smarter, not harder.

And cheaper.

Just thinking.