Let me first say what a blessing and privilege it is to be a part of the wonderful body of Christ through GGC. And please note that these words that I write are with a heart that is laying prostrate. With this said, I'm seeking wisdom from you whom are more wise then I.
The wife and I were talking about the Mexico trip. I did the math and figured that at least $56,000 is going to be spent for one week for everyone to go (80 people at $700ea.). Would it be a better use of God's money to give it to a missionary already down there that could use it to hire locals to do any work so it would help the towns economy? Don't get me wrong, I think mission trips are a wonderful thing and I'm not "above" such services. But we only get to spend the money God has lent to us once. My wife says it's a great way to bond with your fellow church members and it's a wonderful cause. I agree that it is. I remember Chris' message that Grace is going to do a few things great instead of a lot of things well. Is spending this money for a week a great thing or a good thing? Should we instead focus these more "hands on" trips to be more local, to be higher impact and lower cost? Please know my heart in this. I'm not trying to be "cheap". I'm all for sending the money so they can build schools and churches and clinics, instead of using it on plane tickets. I'm struggling to do the right thing, to do the thing God wants. The thing that will give God the most glory that only He deserves.
Trish said that when her family was living in Haiti, the local people there got discouraged when they saw Americans down there with all of their "riches" like watches and earrings and "nice" clothes (without holes and the right size). $56,000 is a lot of money in America. Just think of how far it could go in Mexico without us to get in the way. As I stated at the start of this note, I'm seeking the wisdom of you that are more wise than I. What are your thoughts? ...and please don't excommunicate me.
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6 comments:
brother you're definitly not getting any advice from somebody who is wiser than you or anybody else.that being said my short answer to you is there is no right or wrong thing to do with your money as long as you are giving it with the right heart and motives. i think it's the act of giving to the needy that counts not where (luke 3:11,acts 10:2). i know the last couple of years God has humbled me through contact with kids that don't have much or are hurting right here. for example i gave a ride home to a couple of burmese kids this year and they opened up to all the turmoil they have been through in their young lives. also with interaction i have had with the inner-city kids their future is bleak , we had one of our young players gunned down this last summer (nice kid,wrong crowd) so i guess my point is whether you decide to use your money & time for mexico or things closer to home they are both good in God's eyes.
btw you can't be excommunicated we are non-denominational.
And we can't ex-communicate you b/c we have no membership. So you're safe...at least for now. haha
And I'm not older nor am I wiser, but here are a few more thoughts...I think a big part of the group going down is the fact that people in Mexico are all about relationships. The idea that people in "the rich United States" cares enough to take a week out of their busy schedule to come spend time with us is huge. But I also think the money would mean a ton to them too. My only question would be how to get it to them with all the red tape in Mexico.
I think the overall idea of the trip, or as Chris put it last year, is "to be a blessing to the people of Mexico." Now whether that's through building relationships and serving them for a week, or whether that's through giving money, I don't know. I'm with Pat that as long as the motives are right, God can use the blessing in whatever form it comes in.
I just know that the looks on some of the kids' faces in Mexico were different when we left than when we came. And if I could go again this year, I'd go in a heartbeat...
Wow Dan,
that's impressive. here i was going to give you a hard time about you never getting on and replying/posting but then you go and totally redeem yourself!!! one of the things i love about this (blog stuff) is we get to not only learn more about our "teammates" but also to see things i would/have never thought about.
my advice is don't wear nice jewelry and if you need some pants that are too big or too small with holes then just let me know. (mostly too big though, i mean come on..fat guys gotta eat)
your post reminded me of a discussion i had once with an individual where we kind of came to a consensus that often times mission trips can serve the group going as much if not more than the group that is being served. you have a great point about the finances. i wonder which impact is more significant .... sending money or showing that as brothers and sisters in Christ we are willing to not only sacrifice money but our time. i'm sure/would think that some might be bothered but many will be blessed!
i do know all the answers!
jeff
ps i just can't drop the sarcasm... grrr!!
As I was searching my pantry for a piece of chocolate, the thought came to mind--totally unrelated to the chocolate.
When Christ was having his feet washed in perfume, the opinion was that it was way too costly and could have been spent on something much better. We all know Christ's response to this.
I think that supports Pat's original statement and ultimately goes back to Jeff's original blog a month ago. Christ looks at the heart and uses the heart to make great change. God doesn't always call us to seek out the "greatest adventure"; he just calls us to seek him out.
That said, I had a really hard time worshipping to "Revolution Cry" this Sunday. As I looked around and saw so many with hands raised to heaven and heard so many voices proclaiming their desire to engage in Revolution, I wondered how many of us, myself included, actually are doing ANYTHING besides functioning in this world and HOPING to cast a glimmer of Christ's love. This is the topic of discussion amongst many great thinkers right now: Labberton, Colson, and even Bill Hybels who recently admitted that Willowcreek went wrong. How can I sing that song when I'm so comfortable in my surroundings?
So atleast since I've started this blasted book that won't leave me alone, I've struggled with my "lazy faith" and how do I reach out to my neighbor. Sure, it's great to go overseas, across continents, and acorss borders to proclaim the message of Christ--it's necessary. But, I've often wondered about our "neighbor" right outside our back door. How can we ignore our brothers and sisters placed right here on our own soil, speaking our own language?
A new book,"UnChristian", has come out and details the disgust that non-believers have with believers. They believe we're hypocritial, selfish, and bigoted.50% of those with such beliefs believe so not because of harsh media comments, but because of personal interaction. Ouch! Colson once stated in a book of his that at the root of "culture" is the word "cult"; therefore, when something goes wrong with the culture--as in the ills of America--you have to look at the cult. And if that cult in America has been Christianity, what does that have to say about us as Christians?
I think your question, Dan, intended or not, hits a bigger question: What are we doing about the hungry children of God who are right at our feet?
So I just read that book Unchristian, and it blew me away. No wonder we're having trouble amking a difference in the world! But I'm with Lindsay. I've been struggling with this exact concept of reaching out to people in our own community. But my reason, or excuse for now, is that I'm not sure what it looks like. Is it serving in a soup kitchen once a week? Is it bringing a family in the church a meal? Or befriending someone outside the church? Does it mean David and I need to live in the projects and minister to troubled children and risk our lives every day going to and from our apartment in order to live out this call of dangerous worship?
My frustration right now is that I know a lot that is wrong with christianity, and how people view us as corrupt and such (which is deserved most times), but what does it look like to truly serve the people of our community? Where do I begin if I truly want to start living differently than the people who are lulled to sleep and just live comfortably every week?
i think these kinds of questions are great...it makes me think of lindsay's original post on dominant paradigms...
should we do anything without thoroughly thinking it through?
i think the answer to this one looks different for everyone. for me, the investment of $ to both go and take my 11 year old daughter is well worth the money. it places me in a situation where i can practice humility, serve someone other than my selfish desire to obtain more stuff...i can drop some tiny mexican child on his face while spinning him in circles, etc...
plus the investment toward giving my daughter a perspective on how the culture she lives in is vastly different than the one we will experience in mexico is priceless...
i can agree with jessica that the raction from the mexican people was nothing like what dan described in haiti...our pretrip classes are very good in describing both the heart attitude, our physical appearance, and our words and expressions can drastically effect how we are received...as in all things effectiveness increases as humility increases...
as difficult (uncomfortable) as it is for me to go...sign me up...
i really resonate with lindsay's comments... i feel disgust at my ability to sit on my comfy couch in front of my big screen tv for hours...so when can we feel change is taking place? can we be content with small steps? or do we need to make huge changes? does it start externally (start serving) or does it start internally (change your thinking) or is it a combination? how can we help each other, when i am convinced it is different for everyone?..we are all in different communities, have different gifts, passions, relationships, ideas about what it is to get outside ourselves, etc...
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