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“What if $21 was the difference in someone hearing the gospel?”

That question has been running through my head all weekend. If I really thought $21 would make a difference in someone hearing the gospel, would I give it? Absolutely. While that may seem like a hypothetical situation, it’s not far from the truth.

Following a December board meeting, the board of Free Will Baptist International Missions made a difficult decision: In an ongoing effort to end financial shortfalls and rebuild cash reserves, the board voted to postpone sending all new missionaries—as well as veteran missionaries currently on stateside assignment—to their fields of service until “cash reserves reach a sustainable level of 10% of the operational budget (fwbgo.com).

What does that mean? It simply means this:

As of the Summer of 2012, there will be 18 missionary families that cannot serve in their field because of a lack of funding.

It’s not due to a lack of willingness. It’s not due to a lack of accommodations. It’s simply because of a lack of money. Families are ready and willing to go overseas to share the good news of Jesus Christ…we simply haven’t provided them with the financial resources to do so.

But it doesn’t have to be that way!

Let me introduce you to Pledge21K, an initiative to get missionaries back on the field.

Pledge21k is challenging 1,000 Free Will Baptists to give $21 per month to send these missionaries back to their field and the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Simple math will tell you that 1,000 people giving $21 = $21,000 a month and $252,000 a year.

Does that sound crazy and impossible? Absolutely. But our God does the crazy and impossible for His glory.

So here’s your challenge: Get involved with Pledge21K. How do you do it? Simple:

1) Visit the Pledge21K Cause group by clicking on this link. Join the Cause.

2) Click on the “Give” tab and sign up to give $21/month.

3) Invite your friends to join the initiative and tell them about what is happening.

4) Use Facebook, Twitter, blogging, etc. to spread word about Pledge21K.

5) Pray for our missionaries and pray for financial supporters.

6) Follow @Pledge21K on Twitter for updates.

This is a great day for Free Will Baptists and God’s Church.

I am 1 of the 1,000. Will you be one?

For the next few days, I have the opportunity and privilege to be part of something that is literally not of this world. The band I play in (I guess we’re a band), Surprised By Joy, gets to lead worship for E-TEAM. If you’re not familiar with E-TEAM, here’s a description from FWBGO.com:

E-TEAM is a life-changing, short-term summer missions experience for students who have just completed grades 10, 11, or 12. The program provides a week of intensive training and two weeks of hands-on cross-cultural experience where students learn from and serve with Free Will Baptist missionaries. The experience wraps up with a time of debriefing and closing ceremonies.

Groups consist of seven to nine students led by an adult couple. Destinations have included Japan, France, St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Chicago, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay, Panama, Brazil, and Cuba.

We were blessed with the opportunity to help lead worship last year and were humbled and honored when we were asked again this year. 

When I said it is not of this world, I meant it. These are high school students who have paid or raised thousands of dollars to come and go through training so they can serve others in the name of Christ. Their trip is no vacation. They are paying to be servants.

It is simply amazing to worship with these teenagers. They have no reservations, no egos, and have given up so much to be there. 

We’ve jokingly said that our only complaint (tongue in cheek) is that sometimes they sing so loud we can’t hear our own instruments. I’ll definitely take that any day!

If you think of it, pray for these incredible teens and their devoted leaders. They are about to embark on an incredible journey that will make a difference across the globe.

One of my good friends, Ryan Akers (FWBBC and Truth & Peace Alumni), went on a trip to Haiti some time back and was very moved and heartbroken by what he saw. Because of this, he decided to take action. As an avid runner, Ryan created his own group called “Run 4 Haiti” in attempts to raise money. Here is an excerpt from Ryan, from the Mountain Faith Mission web site:

I love running. It’s been a passion of mine for a few years now. I’m quite the running geek, too, as I enjoy reading magazines and books about the sport. As I’ve read, I’ve seen numerous stories of people who have raised money for some charitable cause. Thus, we find Run 4 Haiti.

Presently, I am training for the 2009 Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee. On April 25, 2009, I’ll toe the line with some 30,000 people to participate in the race. On that day, my goal is to have support flowing in from all over the nation for Mountain Faith Mission of Haiti. So here’s the deal…

I am asking for any individuals, churches, youth groups…anyone who wants to get involved to join the team by supporting Run 4 Haiti. Every single penny that is donated goes straight to Mountain Faith Mission. This money will help improve the lives of thousands of people on the central plateau of Haiti. My goal is to get donations of $1 a mile for a total of $26. In a country where we have so much, this donation would nearly be a month’s wage for many in Haiti.

I know many people will look at this and say, “Oh, that’s nice, but I’m too strapped for money right now.” Or maybe, “That’s cool…but I tithe…so I’m taken care of.”

I’m asking you to think a little deeper about this issue. Yes, the economy is bad right. Yes, money is tight. But even in these times, do our economic hardships even compare with the people in Haiti? Not a chance. 

Our economic problems revolve around cutting back in Christmas gifts and eating out. It may even involve losing a job. However, their economic problems revolve around survival–getting enough food to eat, getting medical help, etc.

To everyone who reads this, I encourage you to take some action, especially this holiday season. Maybe you’ll choose to support Haiti through Ryan. Maybe you’ll choose to get involved with Mocha Club, something I’ve been privileged to get involved with. Maybe you’ll choose to be a part of Malaria No More, which I wrote about in a previous post. Maybe it’s donating to Toys for Tots.

More than anything, help someone who is less fortunate. That $7/month or one time gift of $26 really isn’t going to hurt you that much.

Show the love of Christ. Give!

For more information, check out these sites:

Mountain Faith Mission- Run 4 Haiti 

Run 4 Haiti Blog

Mocha Club

Malaria No More

Very short blog because of lack of time. Jeremy Crittenden said I should follow up “The Worst Singings of our National Anthem” with “The Worst Singings at our National Convention” but I’m afraid I can’t find those videos. 

Anyway, Go Tampa Bay Rays! Beat the Red Sox. Make the Yankees jealous! Join So Taguchi in the World Series!

A couple weeks ago I was reading in Matthew 21, looking into the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. As I got deeper into the passage, something hit me like a ton of bricks. As I got to Matthew 21:15-16, I read the following (ESV): Read more…

I don’t like Christians. Sorry, but it’s true. Not all Christians, but some Christians. Why? Well…

Several weeks ago, I was in Charleston, West Virginia for the National Association of Free Will Baptists. If you’re not sure what this is, just imagine 6,000 Baptists all crammed into one convention center and occupying all of the hotels and restaurants within a 5 mile radius.

Located just minutes from the convention center was a food court, placed conveniently in the middle of the mall. One of the staff members of the convention decided to ask an employee of Chik-Fil-A just how everything had been going. The gist of the employee’s response: “Well, so far the teenagers here have been great; it’s the adults we’ve been having problems with.”

Later on in that week, some staff members from the same convention asked a waitress at Chile’s how things had gone that week. Her response: “Well, the tips haven’t really been so great.”

And thus, just a few examples of what it can be hard to like Christians. I’m not talking just from society’s point of view, I’m speaking from my personal point of view. Sure I love them, but I have a really difficult time liking “Christians.”

Talk to a Read more…