Engaging the World
For those who lead in mission, service and peace ministries.
Thinking beyond the offering plate
By Marty Lehman
Aaron and Mabel looked for ways to teach generosity to their five children. Mabel told of sitting down with the family before they went to the shore for a vacation to talk about the projected costs of the trip: gas, lodging, food, and so on. If their budget did not allow them to give an equal amount to missions, they would cut back on the length or cost of the vacation. When arriving home again, they tallied the actual cost of their vacation and then wrote a check in the same amount as a special offering to a local mission organization.
When we think about congregational giving to mission efforts, how do we define mission? Too often we think of mission projects as “out there” and not something that happens at home. When I think of mission, I think of Jesus’ greatest commandments: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Matthew 22:37-39). Mission giving is much broader than our stereotypes and is something every household should be involved in as a part of the congregation’s overall outreach program.
All of us are blessed with time, talents, and money that we can give.
A congregation’s giving to missions comes from households. Households give to their congregations, which in turn give to mission programs at all levels—local, regional, and international.
Congregational households also give directly to missions when members:
• work in social service every day they go to work;
• assist each other with meals during a time of illness, the birth of a child, or a death, and when they pray or care for each other;
• donate money directly to mission organizations;
• do short-term mission trips; or
• create loving and supporting relationships at their workplace, no matter what their work.
All of us are blessed with time, talents, and money that we can give in some way to increase mission giving in our congregation. Let me share two stories that illustrate this point.
In 1982 Aaron and Mabel discovered, when talking with a tax adviser, that they had given eighteen percent of their earnings to charity that year. They were both pleased, but then the tax adviser mentioned that the tax law allowed them to give up to fifty percent of their income in tax-deductible contributions. Aaron and Mabel decided to give more. With effort, they raised the amount to 24 percent in 1983. “We tried harder, we squeezed our cash flow.” Then they raised the amount to 29 percent. “You don’t know how hard it was for us. But you can only experience the real joy of giving when you make significant sacrifices.” By 1990 they finally arrived at 50 percent. By making huge sacrifices, Aaron and Mabel have increased their congregation’s mission giving in significant ways, by giving through the congregation and directly to mission organizations.
Marge and Alta are two sisters who are not wealthy but are resourceful with their time. They are retired from their careers, but not from service. As master quilters, they have made quilts for numerous Mennonite charity auctions. Their highestpriced quilt sold for $7,000, while a pieced comforter was sent to a foster child to give to a friend. “Just because we can’t give a million dollars doesn’t mean we can’t give. We can give right here at home, with our shoes off.”
Inspiring households to give to mission efforts is the key to congregational mission giving. How can a congregation do this?
A congregation’s giving to missions comes from households.
1. Be creative.
By concentrating only on offering-plate giving, congregations miss numerous opportunities for members to give to missions. Help congregants find ways they can use their time and talents to support mission endeavors.
2. Tell the stories of what congregants are doing to support missions.
Storytelling is an inspiring and practical way we can learn from each other. By sharing stories a congregation gets a broader perspective of how its members are involved in mission efforts at all levels.
3. Engage the congregation in direct involvement with a mission family.
Partnership programs link mission families and congregations in ways that allow congregants to become involved in international mission efforts.
Marty Lehman is director of financial development for the executive board of Mennonite Church, USA. The stories for this article were written by Dan Hess, of Advancement Associates Inc., as part of the Generosity Project, an effort to increase generosity within the church. She is a member of CollegeMennoniteChurch, Goshen, Indiana.