“In the ministry of fundraising, we need to be ready to teach the correlation of faith and finances in difficult places so that disciples can learn to trust in God’s supply, not the supply of the West. As they reach further into their own territories and language groups where Western people and money cannot go, we can see the Great Commission accomplished as an “Acts 1:6-8 strategy” – no matter where the steward lives – turning fundraising into more worship in stewardship, Christian belief into deeper discipleship and an increase of cross-cultural ministry to more unreached people groups.”
Barbara Shantz, TWR Global Development Liaison, in a paper entitled: “The Power of “Cross-Cultural” in Stewardship and Fundraising” (Stewardship Summit 2015) 9-10.
Having just completed my first draft of a curriculum entitled, Faith and Finances, this comment from Barbara’s paper struck a chord with me. I wholeheartedly concur that disciples around the world must be taught to trust in God’s supply! We in the West have been largely to blame for the spreading the erroneous thinking that money fuels mission globally, when in reality, God does!
This year I am sensing God leading me to serve the global Church for two reasons. First, He has opened doors for teaching and service in places like Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, and Guatemala. Second, I was recently appointed as the International Liaison for the ECFA to help rally Christ-followers around the world to faithfully administrate God’s work.
I am sensing that I when speak in these settings, I must lead with an apology on behalf of the West with regard to this problem while exhorting students to learn to trust in God’s supply. As stewards in rich and poor nations alike understand that the foundation for fruitful ministry is faithful stewardship, God’s work will flourish, not dependent on money, but on God as it did in the days of the NT.