As a new church development pastor in a congregation with a similar demographic as ours, except on a smaller scale in a community with a greater cost of living, I advocated that our congregation give 25% of its budget to "mission". We defined mission as anything consistent with the ministry of Jesus Christ beyond the scope of the congregation's ministries.
The congregation enthusiastically embraced this vision of mission giving. The final three years of the five I served the congregation, we were the highest giving congregation (per person) in general giving, and in mission giving, in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies.
In addition to our annual support of a shelter for homeless men and women; a halfway house for men being released from prison, the local family services provider and a number of other agencies, we raised over $5000 for churches in the South that were destroyed by arson; $10,000 for a school district endowment to assist families living at the poverty level in the education of their children; and, $5000 for a Heifer Project Ark.
I mention these things because they show how effective we were in our encouragement of "mission" giving. However, though I advocated strongly for understanding "mission" as giving money primarily to others, I may have been giving that congregation an unhealthy understanding of mission. For such an understanding creates a false division between the program ministries of a congregation and its mission ministries, when, in truth, all that a congregation does in the name of Jesus Christ is mission.
After World War II, following a bureaucratic model of denominational ministry, Presbyterians began to emphasize membership and money to the detriment of many other facets of the Christian life. Governing bodies were primarily concerned with membership because their funding, through per capita dollars, was directly tied to membership. Local congregations, too, benefited from more members. More members meant more money to do more things.
At both levels, intentions were good. However, one of the detrimental consequences has been generations of Presbyterians who believed "all they had to do" was have their name on the church roll and pay their pledge.
While its hard to know how many Presbyterians accounted for such an understanding, we know the numbers are significant. For many years, the rule of thumb has been: "Twenty percent of a congregation are actively involved in the life and ministry of the congregation, while eighty percent simply have their names on the rolls."
To whatever extent such observations are true, I would like us to consider a different understanding of mission. As I suggested above, I am coming to believe that everything a congregation does in the name of Jesus Christ is mission.
Our confessions and, more importantly, our Savior teach us that the most important thing we can do with our lives is to gather together and offer our worship to God. Given the hundreds, if not thousands, of people in Monmouth who do not offer their lives to God in worship on the Lord's Day is this not a huge opportunity for mission - to reach out and invite our friends and neighbors to join us in our worship of the Living God?
Consider our ministries with children and youth. Jesus said that anyone who would hinder a child from coming to him would be condemned to hell. Yet look at our budget. We expect Margie and Heather to raise a significant part of their budgets through fees, fundraisers and grants. This is not to mention the number of families who have forsaken their baptismal vows to "live the Christian faith and teach that faith to their children". Add to this families that have no church home in our community. Is this not another huge opportunity for mission?
Even our building has a mission. Few people in our congregation ask to have their offerings designated to pay the utilities, the insurance or the upkeep of our facilities. Most who designate will say, "I want my pledge to go to mission." But if we had no building, where would we gather for worship? Where would we serve our bereavement dinners? Where would Teddy Bear care for children? How would we do ministry? Is it not a mission to provide a safe, comfortable place for people to gather to worship God, share in Christian fellowship and serve their neighbors?
As a pastor, I know that membership and money have their place. I am grateful for every member with whom I have served in ministry and I am grateful for every check that has ever been written to support the ministry of every congregation I have served. However, my point is simply this. The Christian life is so much richer than having our name on the church roll and writing a check. The mission of the church is so much more than supporting the good work of agencies outside of the church.
People of faith may God bless us with a vision for ministry and mission which is deeper and broader than what we see today.
