Untitled - St.Francis Magazine

More documents

Recommendations

Info

St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No 2 | April 2012 that come to our offices is forwarded to parish mission representatives over a 69,000 square mile area 16 with the understanding that they will be shared among church members. Additionally, the women’s prayer groups in churches throughout this same region are given the prayer lists and faithfully intercede for our missionaries. Some of our staff members who have served in the mission field found it encouraging and spiritually strengthening to join prayer and mentoring/accountability groups in their local villages or towns, even when members were of different ethnicities or denominations. This tends to counter the disturbing attrition rate among missionaries who, for various reasons, were unable to become attached to local sources of personal spiritual nourishment. The Seabrook Seven (2010) emphasize the need for missionaries to tend to their own spiritual health before they begin to care for others. In fact, this group (ibid., p. 85) asserts that, “Whatever is happening in a person’s life or circumstance, no other factor is as critical as how he is doing in his relationship with God.” To that point, in his widely-‐read devotional, My Utmost for His Highest (1935), Oswald Chambers suggests that focus on the work rather than Christ can lead to burnout and disillusionment. 3.3 Financial Most sending organizations require missioners to formulate workable budgets and then raise funds to address all their financial needs while in the field. To the ordinary layman, the idea that missionaries must plan time for deputation (fund 16 Our diocese is larger than any state east of the Mississippi River with 90 congregations in 60 counties and an average Sunday attendance of 9,300 “with gusts of up to and over 10,000 if it’s not fishing or hunting season” (The Rt. Rev. Gary Lillibridge in his 2012 Council Address, para. 42). 140
St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No 2 | April 2012 raising) comes as a shock. Prior to departure, retirement funding, tax allotments, educational (college) plans, and household and transportation expenses as well as ordinary expenditures along with emergency contingencies must be banked or pledged. Very few organizations help with fund raising so that this additional task is relegated to the missionary prior to departure and when he is on furlough. Our church helps our missionaries by arranging opportunities to present their ministry at conferences, annual councils, 17 symposiums, receptions, and local churches. In her excellent how-‐to book, Betty Barnett (op. cit.) provides check lists and forms with practical ideas for “friend raising” as opposed to fund raising. Long before missionaries return on furlough, we work within their itinerary to ensure that they have opportunities to meet with “friends” to share updates and to meet with potential supporters to grow the support base of their ministry. We also help with funding of special projects being overseen by the missioners or of special needs that may be beyond their ability to fund by ordinary means. One missioner suggested: It would be helpful to have some people help think through ways to keep my ministry visible and before churches and individuals when I am not around. Many development organizations like World Vision, Compassion, Food for the Hungry, etc., have large home staffs that are devoted to “marketing” the ministry. As a missionary, I am only one person, and it is hard to advance the work I am doing “in the field” and market it at home in the U.S. all at the same time with limited resources. So a team of people who 17 Each year our parishes come together for an annual meeting that includes clergy, parish representatives, guests, and directors of various diocesan ministries. The business of the church conducted; ministry reports are presented; Eucharist is celebrated; inspirational sermons are preached; and the church experiences a big family reunion. 141
Page 1: By Arab Vision & InterserveVol 8, N
Page 4 and 5: St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No
Page 8: St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No
Page 18 and 19: 18 - เอกสารวิชา
Page 86 and 87:
St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195 and 196:
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
show all

Untitled - St.Francis Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?