There are a couple of thoughts I have after reading your post and the original that you referenced.
First, I don't agree with equating nonwhites with underprivileged. So that leaves us with two questions to answer as to why more ethnic minorities are not engaging with the denomination. #1, in our multiethnic congregations, is everyone given equal opportunity to join the short term missions teams? I would argue that yes, they are, because most of the churches I work with do fundraising as a congregation to support whoever wants to go, as long as they work on the fundraising too (make the pies, wash the cars, work at the dinners, etc.) #2, in our ethnic churches, are they uninterested in missions or just uninterested in going through our denomination? Is money really a factor? I tend to think not, because I have seen some incredible donations come through our ethnic churches after a disaster. So what is the real reason?
Setting aside the STM issue, let's talk about funding missions. This is actually something that affected World Renew's decision to move towards a country support approach rather than a missionary-centered approach. Many of our overseas staff are not from North America, or if they are, are not Christian Reformed. So they don't have their own church, Grandma and Grandpa's church, and their aunt and uncle's churches to get support. Nor do they have the social connections mentioned in the article you referenced. Yet, their stories are just as powerful, if not more so. One of our staff actually had someone come up to her after church and say, "this is the first time in my life I have heard an African woman talk about Africa." Of course, as the article mentioned, it is this pooling of resources that is possible in nonprofit organizations and denominations, not so much parachurch organizations. I suspect, though, that if the parachurch organizations were able to shift their fundraising strategies they could have a similar approach.
in the U.S., IRS 990 forms provide similar information. Interestingly, when checking on Guidestar, CRWRC's are available but I did not see other agencies or CRCNA.
Hi Lou, I think those discussions are going on at the upper levels. I haven't heard of anything concrete happening, just meetings. Steve and I are part of an interagency group that works with churches and we meet regularly. We work quite closely to help bring missions to the forefront of churches. On the field, as you probably know, the missions agencies work quite closely as well.
I'd be interested in knowing what sorts of collaboration those "in the pews" would like to see.
I have very much enjoyed reading everyone's comments. I just returned from a trip to Uganda where a church from North America is developing a relationship with a church in Uganda. What struck me most was the similarity between the two churches, even though divided by so much distance. Also how vibrant that church in the "developing world" is!
Regarding engaging businessmen: I hesitate to say that money cures everything. But I do hope that they feel they can get involved through our agencies. What do you think should be done to improve that? What would that look like?
Lou: CRWRC is seeking clarification about fiscal autonomy, as government agencies want to be assured that we have control over our finances and that it's not really controlled by CRCNA. We are still very much committed to partnering with other agencies and we couldn't function without the support and partnership with our churches.
Hi Lou, the "our agencies" with which I hope that business people feel they can engage with referred to CRCNA agencies in general (CRWRC, CRWM, and PWW although it's not an official "agency")
The fiscal autonomy was referencing just CRWRC. I can see where that would be confusing, since in the first paragraph I used "we" as in representing all of CRCNA, and in the second I was referring just to the agency for which I work.
Hello Elizabeth, I was going to suggest Bethany Christian Services, but I notice from your profile that you are already aware of them :-)
In the U.S., CRWRC and the Office of Social Justice partner with Bethany Christian Services' PARA in the area of refugee resettlement, and we encourage our churches to get involved.
In Canada, CRWRC is more actively involved in refugee resettlement since in Canada churches can actually be the sponsoring organization.
Commenters on this topic may be interested in viewing the latest global missions post, "Funding Global Missions." I talk about the changing support models and link to a more in-depth article by Catalyst Services. http://network.crcna.org/content/global-mission/funding-global-missions
I want to thank everyone for their participation in this forum, and encourage lurkers (you know who you are) to join in if you have questions or further ideas.
As Steve alluded, it is very difficult to explain the strategies of entire agencies in sound bites on a forum. I have forwarded a link to this discussion to CRWRC's codirectorate and a few others, and all have said that they are more than willing to talk to anyone who would like to talk more in depth about these issues.
To expand our thinking a bit, I'm sharing (with her permission) Susan Van Lopik's thoughts on the topic. She is our director of program excellence:
Our Reformed WorldView provides the basis for anyone to see their vocation as part of the mission of God. Thanks be to God for pastors, business people, students, social workers, teachers, lawyers, doctors, investors, etc. who understand and accept a call to work in God's Kingdom using the gifts they have been given. Poverty, hunger and injustice are issues that are so complex that many approaches are necessary, and thus the gifts of many are required. While economics plays a very big role in both the cause and solution to poverty, hunger, and injustice, it is not the one and only cause nor solution. While supporting world wide business development can play a part in creating change that is necessary to bring hope to the poor, the hungry and the oppressed, business alone cannot create the change that is needed.
It is ugly to look upon poverty, hunger and injustice, and to grapple with the sin in this world that gives birth to these tragedies. Yet, in the midst of this pain we see people coming together, communities around the world recognizing their own assets, strengths and abilities to create change for themselves. We see local business people in Nigeria who work in peacebuilding and reconciliation, beyond creating financial capital, but building social capital as well. God's mission is 3-D, a world of layers and nuances, there is a place for each of us, a deep place for each of us to bring our gifts in service to God.
I don't know what media you're referring to, but I have seen links to numerous articles (TV shows, newspaper clips) on facebook. The links my friends tend to post are about the attackers getting shot because the intended victim was concealed carrying. So the media I'm coming across IS outraged.
I just spent some time with CRWM and World Renew missionaries from West Africa. I can tell you that through patience and genuine relationships, Muslims are coming to Christ. I cannot give you statistics or numbers. But for those who have been saved, I am grateful to God.
Posted in: How Can We Change Support-Raising Models That "Keep Missions White"?
There are a couple of thoughts I have after reading your post and the original that you referenced.
First, I don't agree with equating nonwhites with underprivileged. So that leaves us with two questions to answer as to why more ethnic minorities are not engaging with the denomination. #1, in our multiethnic congregations, is everyone given equal opportunity to join the short term missions teams? I would argue that yes, they are, because most of the churches I work with do fundraising as a congregation to support whoever wants to go, as long as they work on the fundraising too (make the pies, wash the cars, work at the dinners, etc.) #2, in our ethnic churches, are they uninterested in missions or just uninterested in going through our denomination? Is money really a factor? I tend to think not, because I have seen some incredible donations come through our ethnic churches after a disaster. So what is the real reason?
Setting aside the STM issue, let's talk about funding missions. This is actually something that affected World Renew's decision to move towards a country support approach rather than a missionary-centered approach. Many of our overseas staff are not from North America, or if they are, are not Christian Reformed. So they don't have their own church, Grandma and Grandpa's church, and their aunt and uncle's churches to get support. Nor do they have the social connections mentioned in the article you referenced. Yet, their stories are just as powerful, if not more so. One of our staff actually had someone come up to her after church and say, "this is the first time in my life I have heard an African woman talk about Africa." Of course, as the article mentioned, it is this pooling of resources that is possible in nonprofit organizations and denominations, not so much parachurch organizations. I suspect, though, that if the parachurch organizations were able to shift their fundraising strategies they could have a similar approach.
Posted in: Leadership or Preaching? What is more important in the CRC?
Why do you have to choose one or the other? I think both are important. The days of one person being able to do it all (the domine) are long gone.
Posted in: Accountability and Clarity in Salary Grid
in the U.S., IRS 990 forms provide similar information. Interestingly, when checking on Guidestar, CRWRC's are available but I did not see other agencies or CRCNA.
Posted in: Concept of a Global Missions' Agency
Hi Lou, I think those discussions are going on at the upper levels. I haven't heard of anything concrete happening, just meetings. Steve and I are part of an interagency group that works with churches and we meet regularly. We work quite closely to help bring missions to the forefront of churches. On the field, as you probably know, the missions agencies work quite closely as well.
I'd be interested in knowing what sorts of collaboration those "in the pews" would like to see.
Posted in: Concept of a Global Missions' Agency
I have very much enjoyed reading everyone's comments. I just returned from a trip to Uganda where a church from North America is developing a relationship with a church in Uganda. What struck me most was the similarity between the two churches, even though divided by so much distance. Also how vibrant that church in the "developing world" is!
Regarding engaging businessmen: I hesitate to say that money cures everything. But I do hope that they feel they can get involved through our agencies. What do you think should be done to improve that? What would that look like?
Lou: CRWRC is seeking clarification about fiscal autonomy, as government agencies want to be assured that we have control over our finances and that it's not really controlled by CRCNA. We are still very much committed to partnering with other agencies and we couldn't function without the support and partnership with our churches.
Posted in: Concept of a Global Missions' Agency
Hi Lou, the "our agencies" with which I hope that business people feel they can engage with referred to CRCNA agencies in general (CRWRC, CRWM, and PWW although it's not an official "agency")
The fiscal autonomy was referencing just CRWRC. I can see where that would be confusing, since in the first paragraph I used "we" as in representing all of CRCNA, and in the second I was referring just to the agency for which I work.
Posted in: Concept of a Global Missions' Agency
Hello Elizabeth, I was going to suggest Bethany Christian Services, but I notice from your profile that you are already aware of them :-)
In the U.S., CRWRC and the Office of Social Justice partner with Bethany Christian Services' PARA in the area of refugee resettlement, and we encourage our churches to get involved.
In Canada, CRWRC is more actively involved in refugee resettlement since in Canada churches can actually be the sponsoring organization.
Here is a link to more information: http://www.crcna.org/pages/osj_refugees.cfm
Posted in: Synod World Missions: Missionaries to Raise 90% of Their Salaries
Commenters on this topic may be interested in viewing the latest global missions post, "Funding Global Missions." I talk about the changing support models and link to a more in-depth article by Catalyst Services. http://network.crcna.org/content/global-mission/funding-global-missions
Posted in: Concept of a Global Missions' Agency
I want to thank everyone for their participation in this forum, and encourage lurkers (you know who you are) to join in if you have questions or further ideas.
As Steve alluded, it is very difficult to explain the strategies of entire agencies in sound bites on a forum. I have forwarded a link to this discussion to CRWRC's codirectorate and a few others, and all have said that they are more than willing to talk to anyone who would like to talk more in depth about these issues.
To expand our thinking a bit, I'm sharing (with her permission) Susan Van Lopik's thoughts on the topic. She is our director of program excellence:
Our Reformed WorldView provides the basis for anyone to see their vocation as part of the mission of God. Thanks be to God for pastors, business people, students, social workers, teachers, lawyers, doctors, investors, etc. who understand and accept a call to work in God's Kingdom using the gifts they have been given. Poverty, hunger and injustice are issues that are so complex that many approaches are necessary, and thus the gifts of many are required. While economics plays a very big role in both the cause and solution to poverty, hunger, and injustice, it is not the one and only cause nor solution. While supporting world wide business development can play a part in creating change that is necessary to bring hope to the poor, the hungry and the oppressed, business alone cannot create the change that is needed.
It is ugly to look upon poverty, hunger and injustice, and to grapple with the sin in this world that gives birth to these tragedies. Yet, in the midst of this pain we see people coming together, communities around the world recognizing their own assets, strengths and abilities to create change for themselves. We see local business people in Nigeria who work in peacebuilding and reconciliation, beyond creating financial capital, but building social capital as well. God's mission is 3-D, a world of layers and nuances, there is a place for each of us, a deep place for each of us to bring our gifts in service to God.
Posted in: The So-Called Knock-Out Game
I don't know what media you're referring to, but I have seen links to numerous articles (TV shows, newspaper clips) on facebook. The links my friends tend to post are about the attackers getting shot because the intended victim was concealed carrying. So the media I'm coming across IS outraged.
Posted in: What Is the Real Impact of Muslim Relations?
I just spent some time with CRWM and World Renew missionaries from West Africa. I can tell you that through patience and genuine relationships, Muslims are coming to Christ. I cannot give you statistics or numbers. But for those who have been saved, I am grateful to God.
Posted in: Ideas for a Church Communications Survey
You might check with either the research center at Calvin College or the Pew Forum website.