Money and Manpower: not to be crass, but this is what will be needed to see the Great Commission completed.
Yes, there are other things—like “God-sized vision” and “faith that moves mountains” and “willingness to die” and all sorts of such things. But in the end, these things lead down a path that can be measured by two things: money and people. – Justin Long
This post is inspired from my friend, Justin Long, who has some very powerful things to say about Money and Manpower in Missions. Justin goes on to say:
“Around AD 2000, we had about 420,000 missionaries (counting Protestants, Catholics, Independents, Anglicans). Of these, about 10,000 worked among the unevangelized. These 10,000 aren’t just Westerners. At bare minimum, we need to double this number. To really make a difference and have a chance of seeing closure, we need to add another zero – that is, 100,000 workers (here’s a longer explanation as to why).”
Strategically, any individual can make a difference by sending 100 workers. Churches can do the same. Send them to make a difference here.
Around AD 2000, we spent US$250 million a year on missions to the unevangelized world (World Christian Trends, p. 40). Comparatively, we spend $1.1 billion on missions to the evangelized non-Christian world (parts of Africa & Asia), and $13 billion in foreign missions and $163 billion on home missions to the Christianized world (e.g. America, Europe, Latin America).
Didn’t sink in yet? Let’s recap.
- $163,000,000,000 for the Christianized world (America, Europe, Latin America).
- $13,000,000,000 on total foreign missions
- $1,100,000,000 to the evangelized, non-Christian world (parts of Africa & Asia).
- $250,000,000 to the unreached, unevangelized world
Basically, we spent $162,750,000,000 more on reached, Christianized, evangelized people (ourselves?), and the unreached were forgotten, left in the dust of global evangelistic efforts yet once again.
This graph gives you a better idea of the Great Imbalance Of Global Missions in the 10/40 Window—the home of the unreached world:
The average church member gives about $2.75/week to missions. Doubling this is a worthy goal. But $10/month seems minuscule compared to the need. What if missions-aware members of the church made it their goal to give $100 per month toward ministry to the unreached, unevangelized world? That’s a much bigger goal, and could make a significant difference.
Here’s what we need at Within Reach Global: more hands on deck! We need missionaries, people who will be hybrid missionaries (1 to 6 months) and long term missionaries (6 months or more). Go to our Get Involved page to learn how to become a missionary to unreached peoples.
Money and Manpower: this seems blunt and crass, but if we aren’t sending, supporting, and sustaining gospel planters on the field, how will they go? And if they do not go, how will people hear? And if they do not hear… how will they believe?
Post adapted from Money And People, by Justin Long