Gallup recently released a study on personal savings accounts in Africa.  The study showed that only a handful of people have personal bank account.  When you live from hand-to-mouth, it’s hard to think of saving for “rainy day.”  Only 2% of Malians have a personal bank account.  Sixty-six percent said they didn’t have one because they didn’t have enough money.

While we lived in Zambia (9% of Zambian have a personal bank account), the Barclay’s bank branch manager ran off with a lot of money he stole from the bank, left his family, and died of AIDS before they could catch up with him.  Just as we Americans have a hard time trusting banks these days, Africans have a hard time trusting what little they have to a bank front loaded with fees and service charges, only to have it stole.

See below the full article from Gallup…

Africa and Savings accounts

CHRISTIE STORM ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Areport urging Southern Baptists to re-energize efforts to spread the Gospel and plant churches will top the agenda at the denomination’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., next month.

The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report not only presses for a revival of evangelism in the face of declining baptisms but also outlines new responsibilities for the denomination’s missions organizations — the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. It also calls for increased giving by all Southern Baptists.

Ronnie Floyd, pastor of First Baptist Church of Springdale and The Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, is the task force chairman.

He said he believes the recommendations, crafted after a year of discussion across the country, reflect the wishes of Southern Baptists.

“We believe we have our finger on the pulse of the vast majority of leaders and people in the Southern Baptist Convention,” he said. “But June will tell.”

With 16.1 million members, the Southern Baptist Convention is the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. But membership has dropped in recent years. The number of Baptisms climbed slightly from 2008 to 2009, but have dropped sharply in recent decades.

Bloggers and commentators have dissected the report and many have voiced opposition to the changes online and in Baptist publications across the country. Even leaders within the denomination, including Morris Chapman, president of the powerful executive committee, have expressed concern with portions of the report.

Others, however, support the recommendations and think the changes will streamline the denomination’s efforts to reach the world for Christ.

“I think the report is crucial and essential to the future of our denomination, because the structure our convention is operating under is a model that is antiquated,” said Jeff Crawford, pastor of Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Smith. “This report refocuses who we are and what the No. 1 focus of the church needs to be and that’s the Great Commission, taking the Gospel around the entire world.”

Crawford, 40, will attend his first convention annual meeting this year. In the past he hasn’t felt compelled to make the journey. This year is different.

“I find the Great Commission relevant,” he said. “I can get excited about the Great Commission and I think it will strike a chord with many other pastors as well.

“I think there’s a general consensus that we need to do something different. People can get nervous about what that means but I think everybody realizes we can do better and we need to do better.”

Crawford’s hope is that the report will unite convention members under one common goal — sharing the Gospel. He said the very relevance of the denomination is at stake.

“We can’t afford to be irrelevant,” he said. “We need to send a message that the denomination can be relevant and the right way is to make sure we are centered on the Great Commission.”

Thousands of delegates, called messengers, will gather June 15-16 in Orlando to consider numerous resolutions, elect a president and other officers and hear from the task force.

Floyd said as the 23 task force members met with Southern Baptists during the past year they found most are concerned about how the denomination of autonomous churches can pull together to reach the world for Christ.

“This is a very complex ministry that has to work really hard at cooperating with one another,” Floyd said. “This is about how we can do it better.”

In all, seven recommendations will be presented by the task force, including one to phase out the so-called cooperative agreements between the North American Mission Board and state conventions in seven years and establish a new strategy for partnership. That would mean state Baptist conventions will no longer receive funds for in-state missionaries and church planting efforts from the national mission organization. In Arkansas, that amounts to a loss of about $500,000, according to Arkansas Baptist News.

The Missouri Baptist Convention stands to lose even more — almost $2 million — and the executive board has expressed concern about several other aspects of the report. The group’s executive director, David Tolliver, will attempt to make a motion at the annual meeting to delay action on the report to give the entities involved time to study the impact of the proposed changes.

FINANCIALLY SPLIT

While Southern Baptists are generally united in wanting higher membership and more baptisms, they’re divided over how to split the money.

“We need to take some time to study the ramifications of their recommendations. I may be for every one of them once I fully understand what it will mean to Southern Baptists,” Tolliver said.

Tolliver will be one of many messengers attempting motions on various topics. He said there’s no guarantee he’ll even be acknowledged, but he’ll make the attempt.

Tolliver said he’s concerned about several components in the report, including a section proposing a new category of designated giving — Great Commission giving — which he believes will hurt the denomination’s Cooperative Program. Since 1925, the Cooperative Program has helped unite Southern Baptists in a spirit of cooperation. Local churches contribute to the Cooperative Program and state conventions fund their ministries with a percentage of the money and forward the rest to the executive committee to be disbursed among the various denomination entities.

As for the cooperative agreements, Tolliver said the report leaves the future of funding unclear.

“But if Southern Baptists decide to dissolve those agreements, I, frankly, will do that and we’ll begin to adjust,” Tolliver said. “We’ll live with whatever Southern Baptists want us to do.”

Floyd said the recommendations concerning cooperative agreements are an attempt to utilize the North American Mission Board more effectively. The proposal calls for “refocusing” the board by making church planting in North America the top priority. He said that requires moving funds.

“We need to move as much money as we can out of the South and into areas where Christianity isn’t known,” Floyd said.

Mike McDaniel, pastor of Grace Point Church in Bentonville, hasn’t attended an annual meeting in several years but is making the trek to Orlando this year. His congregation is similar to many others — it affiliates with the Southern Baptist Convention but also with other entities, including the Willow Creek Association, and supports them financially. The majority of the congregation’s contributions go to the convention. McDaniel calls these congregations neo-Baptists, those who no longer place the same value on aligning themselves with a denomination.

“Denominations are shrinking,” he said. “They are relics of modernism and we are in a postmodern culture … where we are anti-institutional.”

McDaniel sees the restructuring of the convention as an attempt to stabilize the denomination but he’s not sure the changes will foster a sense of cooperation, especially with the dissolution of the cooperative agreements.

“My conclusion is that it will create a competitive spirit,” he said. “It’s a fight for a bigger piece of a shrinking pie.”

WORLDWIDE REACH

McDaniel said changes to the Cooperative Program are needed because the current system is not efficient if the goal is to reach the world with the Gospel. Most state conventions keep more than 60 percent of their cooperative giving funds in state. He thinks the majority of funds should leave Arkansas.

“There needs to be prioritization on evangelizing the unreached peoples of the world,” McDaniel said. “If 60 cents of every dollar never left the state, did we really believe in global missions or did we believe in Arkansas missions?”

Ultimately, McDaniel said the denomination’s pace of change could be too slow for many churches.

“I’m afraid the more progressive churches loyal to good, sound Baptist doctrine aren’t waiting around for the slow giant to wake up and change,” he said. “They are moving on.

“People in our church aren’t waiting for the IMB and other SBC organizations to change and catch up with the times. They are getting seminary degrees … going on missions with pioneers. They are ready to go and they are not going to wait around five more years or so until the denomination can finally get going in the right direction.”

As for Floyd, he encourages Southern Baptists to read the report. It’s online at pray4gcr.com.

“Southern Baptists are very concerned about the future but the problem is they are not sure how to get there,” he said. “We need to build a compelling vision that rallies them to a better future. … We need to create a climate where change is acceptable.”

We do a lot together: raise 3 awesome children, start churches, travel on mission to 20+ countries together, but I am so proud of her that she is a confident and capable leader, communicator and missiologist.

Lori may have left me but in 4 hours and 23 minutes (not that I am counting), I am picking her up from the airport and bringing her home.  She is returning from K-village where she traveled with the 7 other women.  They were armed with only their backpacks, and a translator or two, to live in a mud hut (AKA: the Grace Point Hilton), draw water from a well, and teach villagers about Jesus.  But to top it off she sprained her ankle while in the capital city and went to the bush on crutches…wait the story doesn’t end there.  K-village church (GPC first church plant) and GPC have been working together to see a 2nd generation church born in N-village some 2 hours walk away.  Despite the crutches and 100+ degree temps she and a couple of other ladies from the team and some leaders from K-village church traveled with her to N-village and shared more stories of Jesus.  Thirteen ladies became Christ followers in N-village.  There are now 19 Christ followers in a very remote village with a population of 600.  This is an amazing harvest in a predominate Muslim and animistic setting.

My wife left me…but she can leave anytime if this is the kind of work she is goin be about.

PS: she also proofs my blogs, but since she left me I might need your help with my grammar or spelling, send any needed correction to mike@gracepointchurch.net

Here is an article that is worth reading if you are a Beyond Borders thinker like myself.  Eric Swanson, of Leadership Network (and outstanding para-church thinking, equipping and catalyst organization) had this article in their recent Network Advance. It is a great help for seeing the mission effects of when churches become missional.  When churches go on mission with God, the way we look at the world, the mission of God, and our mission in life is effected.  Read and be blessed.

1) Mutuality- The future of missions will be shaped by mutuality between East and West, North and South, sending and receiving nations. Because there are now vibrant believers and thriving churches in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eurasia, and even the Middle East, we in the West shouldn’t think of ourselves as the saving force in world missions. Churches worldwide are learning to come together.

3) Investing in leaders -Leadership is everything. Wherever good things are happening, a capable and passionate man or woman will be leading the way. Churches that are effective overseas have learned to leverage the passion of local leaders. How do you recognize good leaders who will make great partners? The most obvious sign is they are already engaged in effective ministry without any outside help.

says that even in the toughest of countries they don’t leave Jesus at the immigration booth. Jonathan told me, “When we are asked if we intend to proselytize people through our service we tell them, ‘We’re here to make Jesus known and Jesus gets known through his followers doing good’–as opposed to, ‘We are not here to get followers of Jesus.’ So far, that has worked for us.”

5) Greater financial accountability-Churches that effectively engage in global ministry are thinking differently about who, what and how they support missional engagement. The days of cutting a check and hoping for the best are rapidly disappearing. With all the needs and opportunities in the world, global missions leaders of the future are working to maximize every dollar expended on global outreach. Effective missional churches of the future support mission-critical projects that their global partners deem important. This type of giving can only come from a trusted relationship. Churches are learning never to start initiatives that will require western dollars to continue.

6) Business as mission-An emerging funding model ties business and mission together. This is more than missionaries posing as businesspeople but rather missional entrepreneurs who are starting businesses and creating jobs in the countries in which they serve.

7) Focus-There is a power in focus. On the flipside, the most frustrated pastors I interviewed were those whose churches supported scores of scattered legacy missionaries who were serving all over the map. Much of the time, these missionaries were not home-grown but rather nephews of former staff, or friends of friends, or a missionary tied to a designated gift. The often unstated missions goal was to place representatives from the church on every continent of the globe. Churches today are learning to do better by focusing on fewer places of engagement.

Technology -With every breakthrough in communication technology, there have been innovators who have exploited that technology to advance the gospel. The printing press, radio, TV, and the Internet have allowed the church to increasingly enter a world without boundaries. All around us are glimpses of churches that are discovering the power of today’s newest technology–to impact a country without ever physically visiting that country. Tech-savvy mission leaders are shrinking the world with technology.

i. William Gibson, quoted in The Economist, December 4, 2003 Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gibson. Accessed June 20, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

I want to first  join with the co-laborers from Grace Point Church (GPC) in praying  for the work and people of Haiti that GPC members have been investing their life in for the past 7 years.  Their labor has been faithful and sacrificial throughout these years.  In my estimate, we have commissioned 35 or more members from our church to serve in Haiti.  They have helped to build Joy House, prayed over the voodoo temple, and have started  the workings of a congregation.  Thank you, John and Kay Rodgers, for being the GPC champions of the Haitians.  We stand with you as you collect supplies and return to Haiti as soon as you can to rebuild the work and lives of the Haitians you love so much.  GPC stands with you financially and in prayer.  Learn more about GPC’s work in Haiti on their blog.

On a national scale, I am thankful for the North American Mission Board’s and the International Mission Board’s disaster relief efforts that they are  engaging throughout the nation.  No one feeds or serves the least of these better in the name of Christ and in times of crisis than Southern Baptists and their Disaster Relief units.   If you would like to give to a fund that 100% will go to helping Haiti survive this crisis, consider making monetary gifts to the SBC Disaster Relief.  There are a lot of people willing to take your money to “help” in Haiti.  I would like to think it will all get to the right place and do what you intend for a gift to do.  I think we have learned from Katrina, there are those who don’t share in the same level of financial accountability as other established relief organizations.  Consider the SBC Disaster Relief  a solid choice.  This is the fund my family will be giving our donations to.

Finally, I heard an inspiring story regarding a missionary who was on the ground capturing the story of Haitian children with Compassion International.  It is an amazing story regarding the  value of life and writing your last letter.  Watch the story and consider going on the Last letter website and typing your own last letter as you live beyond borders.  It may be a very healthy exercise for us all.

Click on this link for the video and be blessed

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34933049#34933049

The cost is great and the price is severe for many.  We have a family in our body who feel God calling them to go to some of these countries that are listed among the top 10 watch countries for persecution.  For this family to  live and share their faith in Christ will be illegal.  We, who are followers of the Most High God, must intercede for them.  As they go forward doing  His will by taking the gospel to some of the those most hostile to the message of Christ, we must pray!

See the video below as a source of information and a call to prayer.

Gibson following his graduation on November 27th

If I didn’t know any better, you would think that I orchestrated the events to coincide.   I couldn’t have put the events together had I tried. I am simply not smart enough.  The story goes (and I am sticking to it) that I was coming to Zambia to look for Memory.  I sent word ahead of my coming to every worker and national church planter I had worked with and had their contact info.  I asked for Friday, Kalinga, Markwetti, and Gibson to help me in the search for Memory.  Since news travels painfully slow here, and I came so quickly, the news of my coming and the call for help to look for Memory never made it to Kalinga or Gibson in time.  The news made it to Gibson, but it was after we found Memory. I haven’t seen Kalinga yet:(

Gibson found out I was looking for him and calling him to Livingstone, as he was climbing out of the Zambezi Valley on foot, walking his way to the closest public transport some 9 hours walk from his home. He was already on his way into town, not Livingstone, but rather Lusaka( the capital city) to graduate from Lusaka Baptist Theological Seminary.

The story gets even more interesting.  Four years ago, when I shared Gibson’s story at GPC while we were still meeting at Bentonville High School, GPC responded with such generosity.  Gibson is a humble, faithful, and committed church planter that helped Lori and I pioneer a work into the village of Siankwakwani.  Siankwakwani was a village that had literally never even heard the words “Jesus Christ” before.  Not  to mention  any narrative of the Scriptures.  The village headman said there had never been a white man in their village before.  I was the first white man to enter the village and I came with my Zambian brothers baring “precious seed”.  The entire village showed up to hear the stories of Jesus.  As the seed took root in their heart, many became followers of Jesus.

To this day one of the highlights of our time in ministry is seeing a church born in Siankwakwani.  When we left for the States, I left Gibson as the Pastor of Siankwakwani Baptist Church.  They were 30-40 strong.  The village was steeped in spiritism, but a new Spirit was now at work in this village.   It was clear after a couple of volunteer mission adventure trips to Zambia, and 2-3 years of pastoring under Gibson’s belt, that Gibson was going to need further training.  When I told the people of GPC, they responded overwhelmingly.  We were able to pay for most of his seminary, transportation and lodging costs,  through the special gifts of our members.  He has spent the last 4 years going back and forth to Lusaka three times a year for  training as a bush pastor.  Yeah GPC, you did it again!!!  Your generosity has impacted lives around the world, lives you may never see this side of heaven.  You pulled through and gave when there was a need.

When the special gift money ran out a year or so back, we began support Gibson as he finished up his education through our Ministry Budget.  So when our members give to the Ministry Budget they can know their gifts have gone to help educate and train a bush pastor in Zambia named Gibson.

This is a long story to say, I represented GPC this weekend at the graduation of a Zambian pastor we helped to educate and train.  Friday Syabbamba and I stood in as his family when he received his diploma.  I can say I would not have come to Zambia for his graduation ceremony, but since I was in Zambia and the issue with Memory was resolved,  I sped 6 hrs North to the capital city for his graduation.

I leave Wednesday to head home, but I am going to stop for two days, after such an involved journey and drink in some Africa.  I want to smell it, breath it, taste it, see it, feel it, and smell it.  I am going to pause and rest and study.  Look for photos in the days ahead of Africa, Gibson’s graduation, and Memory and Gift on Facebook.

Saturday at 8:30 AM, 230 volunteers showed up at GPC ministry campus ready to give their day in service to NWA.  Teams were wrapping gifts that our members donated for 140 less fortunate children around the world and sending shoe boxes through Operation Christmas Child.  Two other teams went and served two local shelters for women in transition (Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter and Saving Grace).  Others prepared meals for volunteers and people in the community while others assisted with childcare.  Still others collected food for the Salvation Army.

The flagship project of the day was serving the Rogers community through a Neighborhood Makeover project.  Thirty homes were served with  hands in the dirt, bagging leaves, mowing yards, chain saws blazing and tree trimming.   Trash was also collected to our dumpster’s capacity as 80 Grace Point members and attenders put their faith to work and shared hope with people of NWA.   I am so proud to pastor such a serving, giving, and caring congregation.

You have been a blessing to our community, body, soul and spirit…that’s what a church is supposed to be.  Watch this video that captures the heart of the day.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Friday has taken in a lot over the past 5 days.  At times I found him just standing observing our lives, interactions, our ways, busyness, and customs.  He was silent much of the time that we were driving and would every now and then speak out a random observation.  Things like: “Your trees don’t have thorns.” (it seems that everything in Africa has thorns attached to them) or “Your roads are very good” (There are basically two paved roads beyond the cities in Zambia, a road that runs North and South and one that runs East and West.  Both are filled with huge potholes).   The last question he asked on the way to the airport for his return trip home was if we had elephants here.  He said he hadn’t seen any.:) His observations are real and raw at times.  So yesterday I gave him the assignment of writing down a few observations that he had made about America (the good, bad, and ugly).  I said let them be as they come to your heart.  So I want to list out with very little commentary his observations.  All I say will be in brackets [  ]. I will let you draw your own conclusions and applications.  Whatever you do, don’t just read them.  Let them read you.

1. America is a developed country.
2. Law is enforced.  I don’t see the windows of corruption.
3. People live in towns.  I didn’t see a village.
4. People are very busy.   [OUCH!!]
5. People don’t live in extended families. [in Africa it is not uncommon to share the raising of your children and the caring of your elderly together as a family in one home or courtyard]
6. Men do jobs for women.  Kitchen and washing, etc. [Go ladies! You have trained us well:)]
7. Family is important. Spending time with kids is important. [Friday was impressed that both sets of Grandparents, a couple of nephews all came out for Joshua's Saturday morning football game]
8. Everybody is shopping almost everyday. [welcome to the world of consumerism and materialism]
9. No chitenge for women. [women wear a cloth covering around their waist or on their heads as an all purpose material and for decor.  It is a customary dress for women]
10. No babies carried on the back of a mother. [once a baby is born until another baby is born (there are no planned pregnancies) or until they are up to 2 years old their mother will carry her babies with her on her body, creating a tremendous bond between mother and child that will last their life time.  We saw a difference in the bond between Lori and Joshua verses our other two because Lori carried Joshua on her back while living there.]
11. Always on program [this one hurts about as bad as the always shopping observation.  A program is translated as a "schedule" for us.  He is saying we are always going and preparing to go and do something.  It has been said in Africa that "missionaries have watches but African's have time."  Friday noticed that everyday we were going, going, going; doing, doing, doing.  It is not uncommon for an African to wake every morning and not know what he will do that day other than live in that day.  Many African's live the motto we Americans throw around, but never are able to master: "Live in the moment." ]

Friday begins his journey home today taking a little of America with him.  I know for those who spent some time with him while he was here, he left a little bit of Africa in our hearts.

People from each of the 42 nations in this video will stand, fall or dance before Christ thrown one day.  Pray for the nations as you watch Matt danced.  He filmed this over the course of 14 months (can I have his job?)

 Where is Matt?

FAST FACTS:  There are

639 people groups of over 100,000 in population (=543 million people) with less than 2% Christian

2,873 people groups less than 100,000 in population (=47 million people) with less than 2% Christian¹

1. Finishingthetask.com