Archive for 'Missions'
Why I’m a missions snob
Posted on 28. Mar, 2011 by Kenny.
I am what I am and I’m not ashamed. If you ask me, “So Kenny, what do you think about missions,” be prepared for some very strong opinions. You’ll certainly get more than you bargained for. Yes, I’m very idealistic. True. However, I think that my opinions aren’t totally grounded in my idealism. I’m a very logical person and when I see something that makes a lot of sense and other people just don’t see the whole picture, I can get very passionate about these ideas. This is the reason for my snobbery.
Here’s the deal. The needs in our world are great. I’m not denying that. There are needs on every corner of the globe. Kids are starving, people are being enslaved and hospitals need to be built. The needs are great. However, if you only have a certain amount of time and a certain amount of resources, wouldn’t you want that to go where the need is greatest? Do you just give to the need that is loudest or easiest, or do you give to the need that is most helpless? Logic would tell me that at times, there is a need to prioritize. Sure, the local single mom’s clinic needs money (and is a worthy need), but there are scores of individuals and organizations that are available to help… but there are needs out there that have little access to any resources or any help. That’s where I want to meet a need.
I am a factual person. Let me share with you some facts:
Currently there are about :
- 2 billion people in the world who claim Christianity as their faith and have access to a Christian witness.
- 2.4 billion people in the world who are not Christians but do have access to a Christian witness.
- 1.6 billion people in the world who are neither Christians nor do they have any access to a Christian witness.
These 1.6 billion people are considered the worlds most unreached peoples.
Here’s what makes me sick:
Out of the 400-500 thousand missionareis in the world:
- 73% work primarily among the 2 billion who claim Christianity and have access to a Christian witness
- 25%  work primarily with the 2.4 billion non-Christians who have access to a Christian witness
- 2% work among the 1.6 billion most unreached people
That’s a shame people. How unbalanced is this?
When it comes to giving to missions:
- 87% goes toward work among the 2 billion who are reached
- 12% goes toward the 2.4 billion evangelized non-christians
- 1% goes toward the 1.6 billion unreached
Here’s a quote about this injustice from Global Frontier Missions:
There is a lot of talk in the Christian world today about fighting injustice (human trafficking, slavery, AIDS, poverty, etc.) and we believe that those are issues that are near to God’s heart. But we also think that it is a huge injustice that 2000 after Jesus said to go and make disciples of all nations that only 2.4% of our missionaries are going to the 1.6 billion people who have never had the chance to hear the good news of the kingdom!
This is why I’m so focused on the unreached. A few years ago when I took 20 4th and 5th graders to Mexico, we spent a lot of time praying for the unreached. I considered this trip to Mexico as training ground. It was a time to sow seeds in the hearts of these kids. The trip to Mexico wasn’t “THE MISSION” but a means to the end. Yes, Mexico needs missionaries, but I could list off 20 nations that need more.
My wife and I tithe to our church first and formost. After this, we give toward those who are working among the unreached. We also give to kids and teenagers going on trips as we see it as an investment and missional seeds sown into their hearts. I don’t hate orphans. I don’t hate medical projects in Jamaica. I don’t hate missionaries in France. There are lost people and needs all over the world. I’m going to give to the need that is greatest and it happens to be the 1.6 billion unreached. If I’m ever going to jump on a bandwagon and rally support behind a missional cause, it is almost always going to be related to the 1.6 billion unreached. That is why I’m a missions snob.
“Harvest rots in the field no one is there to harvest it.”
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CMO:GO – Mission resources for kidmin
Posted on 28. Mar, 2011 by Kenny.
Over the years I have written quite a few posts about missions in general, missional resources for kidmin and practical ideas for getting kids excited and passionate about international missions. You can always use the handy search bar on the right to find such posts, but when writing the “Kids on Mission” article for K, I decided to gather all the posts I’ve written about missions and put them in one place where things are easier to find. That places is CMO:GO which is simply childrensministryonline.com/go. This site has always been about resourcing kidmin leaders and if content is too hard to find, then I’m not serving kidmin well. So, if you’re looking for ideas on missions, check out childrensministryonline.com/go.
A word of caution though. CMO:GO isn’t comprehensive. There are probably 30-50 posts categorized by local missions, foreign missions and other resources. Over time, I’ll be adding content here as well as inviting others to add content too. I expect that in a few years, this little portion of chidlrensministryonline.com will be a great resource for kidmin inspired missions. Let me know what you think!
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Missions Week
Posted on 28. Mar, 2011 by Kenny.
If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you’ve noticed that I’m fairly passionate about missions. What you may not know about me is that if I didn’t go into kids ministry 15 years ago, there is not doubt that I would be working among unreached people’s today. About 15 years ago I was at a crossroads. For years, I felt a strong call toward working with kids and I was actively pursuing that call. However, after working for a missions organization for a year before starting college and recognizing the overwhelming need in international missions, specifically to the unreached parts of the world, I surrendered my call to kids to God. I told him that if he could use my gifts to reach the unreached, then I was willing. God confirmed my call toward kids ministry, but he put a passion for missions in me that has shaped me ever since. From that time I’ve been experimenting on how to better incorporate kids in missions and missions in kids ministry.
If you get K Magazine, you’ll see that I got to write a little article about taking kids on mission trips. It’s called “Kids on Mission: Where personal transformation intersects the world’s greatest need.” It’s worth the read… I promise. I had a lot of fun writing it.
So, I thought that I’d take some time this week to write a little about my passion for missions and how it affects what we do in kids ministry. This site is always about equipping with strategy and ideas and I truly believe that we have a responsibility to sow seeds of God’s work around the world into the hearts of the kids we lead and teach.
Can I leave you with a little challenge though? Would you please read these posts and at least think about the content a little? I can always tell what content I write hits the mark and is engaging by the number of page views and comments a post gets. The posts I write about missions rarely ever gets any comments and significantly fewer page views. I don’t want you to read it to make me happy or leave a content just because I feel the information is worthy of discussion… I just want more people to care. I think its ironic actually. Usually it’s kids pastors who complain that they don’t get enough funding, lime light, attention and resources in the local church. We feel that what we’re doing is so important and urgent and if only people would give us a moment to hear us state our case, we can show them. In reality, missions to the worlds most unreached is the ugly stepchild of the church and would gladly change places with children’s ministry as far as attention and resourcing goes any day of the week.
Ha. I hope that didn’t sound manipulative. Thanks for taking the time to read. 
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The other end of the shoebox
Posted on 16. Mar, 2011 by Kenny.
I’d like to ask you to pray for my friends Joel and Heidi Hayslip. They are full time missionaries to Burkina Faso, West Africa. My wife and I have been supporting them for 6-7 years. They’re doing amazing work in one of the most unreached regions in the world. For years they raised money to provide a Christmas-like experience, giving thousands of kids their very first Christmas present while telling them about Jesus for the very first time. It was a small operation that saw thousands of men, women and children come to know Jesus in this mostly muslim nation.
Fortunately though, they’ve recently partnered with Operation Christmas Child of Samaritan’s Purse. Here’s the beauty of how this works. Samaritan’s Purse over the years has sent tens of thousands of gifts to kids in Burkina Faso without a strong presentation of the gospel (I think they would include written materials in the shoeboxes). However, my friends have developed half a dozen or so teams that can give crystal clear presentations of the gospel… specifically directed to children.
So, beginning this week, the Hayslips and their teams will be presenting the gospel message hundreds of times before tens of thousands of people. For thousands, this will be the first time they’ve heard a clear presentation of who Jesus is and what he did. So, please add the Hayslips and their teams and their efforts to your prayer lists for the next few weeks.
What I love most about all of this is that I know that many of you reading this post probably have been involved with Operation Christmas Child. You, your churches and volunteers/families lovingly send shoeboxes off to those in need, but rarely do you see what happens at the other end of the shoebox. The grateful hands that receive it… many who receive the gift of the gospel as well. When the outreaches are over, I’ll try to post an update with photos so you can see for yourself what great things were done!
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Ensenada reflections
Posted on 24. Jan, 2011 by Kenny.
The day after arriving home from our trip to Ensenada Mexico, I sent an email to the entire team. That meant sending it to all the volunteers and parents to make sure that everyone got it. I wanted to encourage everyone as well as tell everyone a story I’d forgotten to say on our last day in Mexico.
Pretty quickly I began getting replies for parents, volunteers and even some kids. Here they are. Many brought back great memories of this incredible experience.
Here’s an email from a parent who came on the trip.
Here’s an email from a parent who sent their son on the trip.
Here’s an email from one of the kids who came on the trip.
You’ll notice we had this thing with carrots.
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Sample Forms: Fundraiser Letter
Posted on 24. Jan, 2011 by Kenny.
One of the most effective ways to raise money for a mission trip is a letter. Have families leverage personal relationships to raise funds for the trip. between parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, aunts and uncles, raising the money won’t be that hard. Here is a sample letter that my wife put together from a kids perspective. The kids could then take this letter and make it personal.
Click here to download the fundraising letter.
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Sample Forms: Facts and Information
Posted on 24. Jan, 2011 by Kenny.
At the first meeting I had with parents, I provided a facts and information sheet like the one included here. It told all the dates of meeting, deadlines for deposits and costs for the trip, passports and other items. Every trip is different, but use this as a template for your families.
Click here to download the Facts and Information form.
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Sample Forms: Mission Overview
Posted on 24. Jan, 2011 by Kenny.
When I held my first meeting with parents about Surge, I gave every parent an overview. Essentially, what we hoped to achieve and what they could expect. Looking back on it now, we didn’t do many of the things I mentioned on the overview, but we certainly accomplished what we set out to do.
Click here to download the overview.
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Sample Forms: Packing List
Posted on 24. Jan, 2011 by Kenny.
We gave every participant a packing list. We needed kids to only take the essentials and for there to be no question on what they could or could not bring. This packing list allowed parents to literally check things off the list as they picked things up at the store and packed their bags. Feel free to use as a template for your own list.
Click here to download the packing list.
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Sample Forms: Permission Slip
Posted on 24. Jan, 2011 by Kenny.
This wasn’t just a duplication of the liability release. This permission slip was an important document. It is what gave the trip leadership authorization to take kids across the boarder and such. It was for parents who sent their kids on the trip alone or possibly a parents who couldn’t travel (think worst case scenario) and I needed to get the child across the boarder quickly. If questioned, this permission slip, that was signed by the parent and notarized gave me permission to take their child across the boarder, and because every child had a passport, we could link permission slips to each child. We also had copies of birth certificates which officially linked the parents who signed the permission slip to the kids we had passorts for. Cross every “t” and dot every “i.”
Here is an example of our permission slip.
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