THREE WEAK LINKS IN THE MISSIONS-GIVING CHAIN

PLEASE HELP US GIVE OUR MISSIONARIES A RAISE!

THREE ‘WEAK LINKS’ IN THE MISSIONS-GIVING CHAIN

You know how Solomon described the strength of inter-twining strands that become much stronger when they are woven together. Ecclesiastes 4.12: And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

By the same token, we also know that the strongest chain can be broken by just one weak link.  Every link bears the strain on the chain.  BUT WHAT IF YOU HAVE THREE WEAK LINKS IN THE SAME CHAIN?  It will break soon and often until the links are strengthened.

When we talk about the ‘MISSIONS-GIVING CHAIN’, we mean the missions-giving supplies from us to our missionaries.  They depend on us [humanly speaking].  But, there are at least THREE WEAK LINKS that keep breaking and failing to support them adequately

1 – AN ALREADY-WAY-TOO-LOW SALARY

We give each of our missionaries the same salary: $1717.00 per month.  That’s less than $430 per week.  Way too little.  And, we haven’t increased their salary in 10 years.  [I gave you the history of their last increases in the December 2010 issue of the Mission Sheets – also on this page’s January 2011 posts.] I would dare to say that none of us could live on such a modest living wage – and wouldn’t want to try.  But, our missionaries do.  WE SHOULD MAKE EVERY ATTEMPT TO DO BETTER FOR THEM – but, their salaries come out of the General Fund.  And, our monthly General Fund offerings don’t presently cover all the necessary disbursements we make to our missionaries on a regularly, monthly schedule.

2 – A STEADILY, PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING COST OF LIVING

We all know how all our own living costs continue to – not just ‘inch up’, but – skyrocket.  We are presently, here in the US, in a dramatic increase in gasoline prices.  Our missionaries have paid WAY more for gasoline than we do – on a daily basis – for years.  Everything is going up in price faster than we can keep up with it.  Well, try to keep up with the ever-increasing costs of living on the same modest salary you’ve had for the past 10 years!  That’s what our missionaries are doing.  WE SHOULD MAKE EVERY ATTEMPT TO DO BETTER FOR THEM – AND HELP THEM TRY TO MEET THESE RISING COSTS OF LIVING…but we will have to consistently increase our giving to the General Fund in order to do that.  It is just that simple.

3 – A STEADILY, PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING OF THE VALUE OF THE DOLLAR AND THEIR LOCAL EXCHANGE RATES

Which means, very simply, that every one of those few dollars we are giving them exchanges for fewer and fewer of their local currencies – which, in turn, are also buying less and less.  THOSE ARE THE THREE ‘WEAK LINKS’ in the ‘MISSIONS-GIVING CHAIN.’

WHAT CAN WE DO?  What we MUST do is EACH OF US INCREASE OUR PRESENT GIVING FOR THE GENERAL FUND.  All the commitments we make to our missionaries are disbursed out of the GENERAL FUND.  If our giving to the GENERAL FUND either stagnates, or worse, declines, then we are not only NOT INCREASING OUR GIVING TO THEM, but THE OFFERINGS WE ARE GIVING ARE DECREASING by attrition and erosion.  THE CHAIN KEEPS BREAKING!

1 Samuel 25.17

Now, therefore, KNOW and CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO…


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