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Who Sends?

Discussion in 'Evangelism, Missions & Witnessing' started by DHK, Oct 17, 2009.

  1. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

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    Not wanting to derail another thread of, missionary sending organizations, I thought that I would start this one. Had I posted on the other thread I would have answered "the local church." Like Acts 13, when the church at Antioch commissioned Paul and Barnabas, it was the church that sent them. At the end of each journey Paul returned back to his home church at Antioch.

    Is the local church the sending agency or the mission board?
    In my situation the local church commissioned me to go. The mission board was simply a clearing house for funds. They were the ones that made sure that the support raised was sent to the missionary.
     
  2. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    We're an independent church and we have raised and sent many of our missionaries. Some that we support have already been sent by their home churches and we have worked with them in some form or fashion and now support them as well. But we don't have a mission board but a mission pastor who keeps up with the missionaries. Oh - and if we send a missionary, we tend to be their full support so they can be about the work that needs to be done rather than having to "fund raise" their support.
     
  3. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

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    I like that idea, when it is possible for the church to be the sending agency and fully support the missionary that they are sending. Of course many churches are far too small to undertake such a mission and thus it is impractical for them.
     
  4. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Yep. Early on, I'm thinking we did it the "regular" way but then we started home growing missionaries and it made sense, since they were OUR member, that we support them. So we did it with one. Then two. Then three and so on until we had a bunch! LOL I really like that idea. A number of our missionaries have gone on to get their full support from their mission (starting churches in other countries and the church is now able to be self-supporting), but we still send support for other needs they might have and we'll also send a team to help physically when needed. We make SURE we don't do missionary vacations but actual missionary work. I've heard of some "mission trips" that end up being really a vacation and tourism instead of helping the mission and we refuse to do that. We HAVE had some trips extend their time in a country to do a little tourism after they're done but oftentimes that's not feasable since they have limited time to be away so they're just there to do the work then leave. So many missionaries appreciate that about us. I had never thought of any of this until we got to this church.
     
  5. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    I believe the mission board is much more than a "bank". They are able to give assistance on matters such as passports, "political" situation of countries, co-ornidate mission works across a large area, be able to assist local churches seeking missionaries to support and much more.
    Provide training such as language, finances, customs ect. Possibly provide schools for MK...
     
  6. Spinach

    Spinach New Member

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    We are sent by our home church, though our support goes through a clearinghouse style mission.

    I like the way Anne described and wish it were that way for us, but it's not. We had to go church to church to raise our support.
     
  7. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Are you able to share your mission board with us?
     
  8. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    Even though the Southern Baptist International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board support thousands of missionaries at home and abroad, the ultimate authority comes from the local church.

    Each board is made up of members of local Baptist churches. These churches voluntary cooperate and pool their resources.

    I'ts not the only way, as we've seen, but it has been pretty effective for nearly a century.
     
  9. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    One of the encouraging developments over the past few years is the practice of local churches doing foreign and domestic missions.

    Many churches send out mission teams, which often include younger members. And they do not return unchanged. My first overseas mission trip years ago was a life-changing and theology-affecting event.
     
  10. Spinach

    Spinach New Member

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    I could, but my husband has asked me to keep anonymity (how on earth do you spell that word?? LOL!) and our mission board is so small that it we would be easy to identify us.
     
  11. faithgirl46

    faithgirl46 Active Member
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    If any of you have small bottles of soaps and shampoos etc that you received while at a mote or hotel gther them together and give them to the missionaires who are in the field.Inadditon go to the aisle that has the travelers shampoo deoderant, lotions etc, and include this in the mix. Also send them tracts.
     
    #11 faithgirl46, Oct 24, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 24, 2009
  12. Spinach

    Spinach New Member

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    faithgirl, please don't take the following personally:

    I know of no foreign missionary who would encourage the sending of hotel soaps and such. The cost of shipping is so high and that money could be put to better use. Donate those items to your church's missionary closet or food bank or something. If you really want to help a missionary, send faithful support. If you want to mail something nice, a card goes a long way. Or maybe something they can't get in their country. Or even better, give them a gift card from Amazon.com. Amazon ships to most countries worldwide.
     
  13. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Hmm, interesting, but - oh, this is off topic, so I have started a new thread


    Salty
     
  14. faithgirl46

    faithgirl46 Active Member
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    That is what I was talkingabout.
    Faithgirl
     
  15. Havensdad

    Havensdad New Member

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    That is a complex question. "The local church" is two or more believers gathered together. Any group of Christians, therefore, can send missionaries.
     
  16. Havensdad

    Havensdad New Member

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    Also, as far as the Mission Board, and all that, our church does both. We have about 100 members (real members, that actually attend, work, etc.); I believe we give about 10K a year to the Cooperative program, and another 5-10k to other missionaries, plus we have sent some missionaries ourselves. We are looking at getting into a full time mission effort, where we actually send church members a couple of times a year.
     
  17. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    I have been blessed to be part of churches, before being baptized into a Primitive Baptist church, who never had and/or avoided any affiliation or identification at all with mission boards and its "form factors".
    those local churches sent out their missionaries, whether they have gone thru formal schooling or not, based on the manifestations of their callings that they have exhibited, after much prayer, and after presenting them to the church.
    pledges of support were taken from members, freely given, and these pledges are then sent to the missionary/worker in the field, or the missionary/worker comes to the church to pick up the pledges.
    if there is another church who would like to help support the missionary they are instructed to send it direct to the missionary, or they are free to come and drop their support in the "box" after which it will then be sent to the missionary, and glory be to Christ in the church.
    I think these systems are the scriptural way, and so it wasn't hard for me to accept the thinking of Primitive Baptists when it comes to mission boards and mission-ism.
     
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