Transition to Agency
The transition from most places of work to a mission agency usually involves some different criteria that are very important. Those who feel a “call” to missionary service may ask, “Isn’t a call enough?”
If God has called a person to a missionary task, are other criteria set by humans necessary? If the call is really from God, such selection criteria may not be necessary, but “calls” may come from a variety of sources. Some people label their desire for travel as a call; others interpret their search for adventure and excitement as a call; still others interpret encouragement from family or friends as indicating a call.
Although many calls are what they seem to be, some may even be delusions. It is important to determine this. Milton Rokeach wrote The Three Christs of Ypsilanti, a book about three people in a state hospital who all believed they were Jesus Christ. Likewise, some mentally ill people believe they are called to missions. Certainly no one should be kept from missions because of performance on one psychological test, but if suspected pathology is supported by other tests and interviews, such people should not become missionaries, at least during times of active illness.
Today’s individualistic missionary “calls” seem to be quite different from the call to a worshiping, fasting church in Acts 13:1-3. To this church the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” After further prayer and fasting by the church, Paul and Barnabas were commissioned and sent on their mission. The call was to the church as well as to the individuals.
The ReMAP Studies
Many studies have confirmed that the attrition rate is very high. Missionaries today tend to drop out before the end of their first term or do not return for a second term. Of course, some of this attrition cannot be prevented. For example, some missionaries do not return because they died while serving. Others do not return because they reached retirement age. Still others do not return because they married someone outside the agency or completed their contracted assignment. Nothing can be done about this kind of attrition.
However, other attrition is preventable. Even more people leave because of problems in their marriage, because of family problems, or because of problems with their agency, their team, their culture—or because of the catch-all category of “personal reasons.” Two of the largest research studies ever done in member care were to study this problem of preventable attrition.
ReMAP I
In 1995 The World Evangelical Fellowship Missions Commission began what came to be called ReMAP I (Reducing Missionary Attrition Project). This study included data from more than 400 agencies with a total of nearly 20,000 missionaries from 14 sending countries. The final report, Too Valuable to Lose: Exploring the Causes and Cures of Missionary Attrition, was published in 1997, and contains nearly 400 pages of valuable information (edited by William D. Taylor).
Choosing who should go as a missionary to another culture and who should be kept from going is a major factor in preventing people from quitting. This book has 26 chapters, and four of them are about selection and screening. Pages 205-206 have an appendix which is helpful to agencies deciding whether or not people are likely to succeed in becoming a long-term missionary. The list is intended to help agencies decide who to accept and who to reject, but it is also useful to individuals who are trying to decide whether or not to become missionaries. If all of the following 20 statements are clearly characteristic of a person, that person is likely to succeed. If any of the following statements are clearly not characteristic, the person should seek help for them before serving in another culture.
SUGGESTED CHECK LIST FOR THE SELECTION OF MISSIONARY CANDIDATES
SPIRITUAL LIFE
· Gives a clear testimony of personal conversion
· Regularly practices the foundational disciplines of prayer, Bible study, etc.
· Has a clear conviction concerning a personal call to missionary ministry
· Demonstrates objective evidence confirming a call to missions
· Shows evidence of a firm understanding regarding basic Christian doctrines
CHRISTIAN CHARACTER
· Clearly manifests a life of mature Christian character and discipline
· Manifests joy and humility while serving others
· Has a teachable spirit and good reputation with coworkers and leaders
· Is considered to be trustworthy in all relationships
· Has a reputation of honesty in all financial matters
MINISTRY SKILLS
· Has completed a recognized course of biblical studies
· Demonstrates a proven record of effective ministry and service at various levels
· Is trained and experienced in effective leadership activities
· Demonstrates an eagerness to serve others within his or her abilities
· Has experienced fruitful cross-cultural service
RELATIONAL PATTERNS
· Is known for the harmony and integrity in his or her family relationships
· Understands and practices the role of servant leadership
· Is committed to involvement with the life and ministry of a local church
· Shows evidence of ability to work harmoniously with others in service and ministry
· Demonstrates a willingness to be accountable to leadership
ReMAP II
ReMAP II, Worth Keeping: Global Perspectives of Best Practice in Missionary Retention, began in 2003 and results were published in 2007. This study by Rob Hay, Valerie Lim, Detlef Blocher, Jaap Ketelaar and, Sarah Hay, included data from 600 agencies with 40,000 missionaries from 22 countries, and it contains more than 400 pages of valuable information.
This book has 35 chapters, and three of them are about selection and screening. Pages 69-70 have a list of 16 factors which is helpful to agency staff deciding whether or not people are likely to succeed in becoming long-term missionaries. The list is intended to help agencies decide who to accept and who to reject, but it is also useful to people trying to decide whether or not to become missionaries.
· Expresses a clear calling to missionary service
· Agrees with the agency’s doctrinal statement
· Knows and is committed to the agency’s principles and practices
· Demonstrates mature Christian character and discipline
· Has good character references
· Has committed endorsement from his/her pastor/local church for missionary service
· Has the blessing of his or her family
· Has ministry experience in a local church
· Has demonstrated ability to cope well with stress & negative events
· Meets health criteria determined by a physical examination
· Meets health criteria determined through a psychological assessment
· Exhibits contentment with present marital status (single or married)
· Has good potential for financial support
These lists are given here for people thinking about becoming missionaries so that they will know if they have a good chance of becoming long-term missionaries, and they will not be surprised when mission agencies ask about them. Note that these lists include many characteristics that are not considered for employment in one’s passport country.
Psychological Testing
As a missionary, especially if you are a missionary candidate, you may wonder about psychological testing. When asked to take such tests, you may ask some of the following: Why do I have to take these tests? Isn’t a call enough? What tests will I have to take? What will I learn from them? What will happen to me as a result of taking them? What if I refuse? Considering some of these questions is valuable.
Why psychological tests?
Psychological tests may be used with missionaries for many purposes. Some tests may be used in the selection process to screen out people from being missionaries. Others are used to help place people in the positions where they will be most effective. Others are used to give missionaries insights into their own personality traits and the traits of others with whom they work so that they can better work together. Still others may be used to evaluate difficulties children are having with their work in school. Thus mission agencies use psychological tests for a wide variety of purposes.
What tests will be used?
A wide variety of tests may be used depending on the purpose of the assessment. The best way to find out about which tests will be given and why they will be given is to ask your agency. The tests used should be reliable, valid, and standardized.
· Reliable tests are those that consistently give the same results. A good test will not say that you are a strong extrovert one day and say that you are an introvert the next.
· Valid tests are those which measure what they say they are measuring. For example, if a test claims to measure intelligence, it should be related to academic performance.
· Standardized tests are those given to everyone under the same conditions so that your results can be compared to results of others who have taken the test. For example, a score on a depression scale of a test might indicate that a person checked more of the items indicating depression than 90% of the general population.
Agencies request many different types of tests. They may want to know about a person’s cognitive ability, most commonly in the form of some intelligence test. Aptitude tests give some indication of a person’s potential to learn something, such as another language. Achievement tests measure what has been learned.
To help place people in positions where they will be happiest and most effective, agencies may requests tests of interests, personality characteristics, abilities, skills, and work values.
To learn what people are like, agencies may request personality tests. These are the tests that seem to produce the most anxiety among missionaries.
· MBTI: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was developed from Carl Jung’s personality theory and is widely given within mission agencies. Someone with minimal training can administer it. Its goal is to help people understand themselves and others along four dimensions, such as introversion-extraversion.
· 16PF: The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire was developed by a sophisticated statistical procedure which groups information into categories, in this case 16 categories of personality traits such as warmth, dominance, and tension. Persons interpreting the 16PF need more training than is necessary with the MBTI.
· MMPI: The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory was developed to diagnose psychological disorders, so some of its scales were originally labeled with terms such as Depression and Paranoia. However, it has been further revised and standardized on normal populations from which hundreds of normal personality scales have been developed. It is very widely used, gives a broad range of information ranging from disorders to normal personality traits. Only someone with extensive training should interpret it, especially as it relates to people in ministry.
The MBTI, 16PF, and MMPI are each more than half a century old, and each has been the subject of thousands of research studies. When interpreted by someone familiar with people in ministry, these tests and others like them can be a good source of information to help facilitate your personal growth. They may also help prevent your being placed in situations where you are likely to have difficulty.
What will I learn from the tests?
What you learn depends on the purpose of the testing, the tests used, what kind of professional administers the tests, and what agreement you made before taking them.
When psychologists administer tests, their ethical standards require that “an explanation of the results is provided using language that is reasonably understandable to the person assessed or to another legally authorized person (such as a parent of a child) on behalf of the client.” That is, you are entitled to an explanation of the results in terms you can understand. Of course, educators, counselors, social workers, etc. also give tests, and what they tell you depends on their own ethical codes.
If the mission agency has hired a professional to give the tests, the agency may ask that the results be given only to itself, and not to you. If you have agreed to that, you will not receive any of the results directly. In such a case what you do learn from the tests will depend on what the agency wants to share with you.
What will happen to me?
What happens depends on the purpose of the tests and the tests given. Nothing should happen on the basis of one test alone. However, if several reliable, valid tests and follow-up interviews indicate reason for concern, several things may happen.
· Rejection. One fear candidates may have is that they will be rejected by the agency. That seldom happens, but it may. A person having delusions and hallucinations should not be a missionary, at least not at that time. The person may recover in the future and then serve God in missions, but not everyone recovers from such disorders.
· Delay. Another fear candidates may have is that a problem will be discovered that will have to be solved before they become missionaries. For example, people with poor interpersonal skills may need to learn more about relating to others. Rather than being feared, this should be seen as an opportunity to improve one’s effectiveness in missions.
· Placement. The results of the tests may result in your being placed in particular places or positions. For example, a depressed person may become suicidal when put under the additional stress caused by living in another culture. A person with a personality disorder may seriously disrupt an entire team on the field. Such individuals may be given home assignments.
· Growth. Many personality, cognitive, or vocational interest tests lead to insight into your own traits, abilities, and interests. They can help you develop your potential in missions to its greatest extent.
What if I refuse?
If you refuse to take the tests, what happens depends on the policy of your mission agency. Probably the most important question to ask yourself is why you would want to refuse. If you are trying to hide something, it is probably better to get it out into the open and discuss it with someone in the mission. If you are afraid of what you might find out about yourself, you may be better off learning about it—and discovering that you had nothing to fear or that it can be changed.
Psychological tests are not given to harm people, but to help them. Gaining insight into yourself and being placed in the right position in the organization lead to personal growth and to more effective work in the kingdom.
Transition to Raising Funds
This chapter is written for those joining agencies which require raising funds. When joining any agency, it is vital for people to make sure that they understand what is expected of them and what the agency will provide for them. Before getting into specifics about fund raising, consider what does the Bible have to say about it?
What Does the Bible Say?
Paul, an early cross-cultural worker, wrote much about fund raising when he wrote to the Corinthian church in Greece (1 Corinthians 16 and 2 Corinthians 8-9). Some of the things Paul mentioned as he raised funds are relevant.
· He specifically asked for funds and even gave suggestions about how to raise them (1 Corinthians 16:1-2, 2 Corinthians 9:5).
· He encouraged people to give as much as they could (2 Corinthians 8:10-15, 9:6-7).
· He urged keeping the highest ethical standards (1 Corinthians 16:3-4, 2 Corinthians 8:20-21).
· He even compared some churches to others (2 Corinthians 8:1-8, 9:2-4).
Paul was not reticent about raising funds. Missionaries today need not hesitate about asking for money either.
Different Meanings
The same words are used when receiving a salary, but the meanings and the implications may be quite different when raising funds. When transitioning from receiving a salary, missionary candidates must remember these implications.
“Good Salary”
A “good salary” or an “adequate salary” may mean one thing in the passport country and something quite different in the host country. Whatever it means when missionary candidates begin to raise funds, it may mean something quite different when those candidates actually leave for their host countries. Two major variables may bring unexpected changes.
· Exchange rate. The exchange rates between countries often change over time depending on financial conditions throughout the world, and these can occur very quickly.
· Inflation. Inflation may occur in the passport country so that the funds raised no longer cover expenses in the host country.
Changes made in these two variables may reach frightening speed. We have been in locations where inflation was so bad that we did not exchange money from our passport country until we were ready to buy something!
Of course, prospective missionaries must remember that the larger their salary, the more money they have to raise.
“Great Benefits”
These may include a variety of benefits, but usually at least the following two.
· Medical insurance. Many missionaries today make frequent rather long “visits” back to their passport country, so they need coverage in both their host country and their passport country. This adds to the cost. They may be serving in a country where medical coverage is provided by their host country, but they want to have the option of going to private hospitals. If that is the case, the increased cost is something they have to raise.
· Education for children. Children may be able to attend national schools free, but if missionaries want their children in a Christian or international school, they have to raise funds for tuition. Agencies may have provisions for saving for TCKs college education, but missionaries need to remember that means they have to raise that money.
“Nice Raise”
Getting a raise sounds great, but it may mean that missionary service is delayed or interrupted. The board of one agency gave all of their missionaries a “nice raise.” However, because missionaries have to raise their funds, some new missionaries were unable to leave when scheduled. Other missionaries already serving overseas had to leave their work there and return to their passport country to “raise funds” for their “nice raise.”
“Comfortable Retirement”
Some mission agencies have pensions or retirement plans such as a 401(k), and these are very good to have. Missionaries have to remember that the “better” the plan, the more money they are going to have to raise in support.
“Generous Donor”
Having a church or an individual pledge a large portion of the needed support sounds wonderful, and it can be. However, the problem comes when something happens that stops the support. Churches change pastors or mission emphases, individuals die, retire, or go bankrupt, and this may mean the new missionary cannot leave when scheduled or the missionary serving on the field has to come home to raise funds. We know one couple that had a church provide 85% of their funds for a decade, and then it quit. We know of another couple that had an individual donate 50% of their funds for nearly three decades, and then he stopped.
Multiple Accounts
When working for a salary or hourly wage a person or a couple often has control over all the funds that come in. They often have their money in a single account, or at most one for each person. However, when they transition to raising funds, they usually have several accounts for the money donated to or through them. Here are some possible accounts they may have.
Personal Salary Account
This is the account that most individuals and couples had when being paid a salary or an hourly wage. This is their money to care for food, clothing, shelter, and other expenses found in living anywhere. Like other people, missionaries need to remember that they are stewards of this money God has given them.
With our Western emphasis on individualism and private property, we tend to think that the money paid to us for our work is “ours,” that we are responsible to no one for how we spend it. However, we must remember that everything belongs to God, and we are stewards of whatever we have here on earth. We do have control of it, but as stewards managing the money he has given to us.
Like the stewards in Matthew 25, we are all given different amounts of money to manage. Some of us have enough to meet our needs and much left over to spend in other ways. Others of us have barely enough to live on. God expects all of us to be good stewards of whatever he has given us whether ours is twice what others have, or ours is half of what others have.
Certainly we are to use the money to care for ourselves and those in our family. We are to use it for the needs of our family, including the need for recreation and leisure. God does ask us to give at least a tithe of this money to him, but he also appreciates an offering as well. We must remember that God counts money quite differently from the way we do. When Jesus commented on the woman who gave two small coins out of her poverty, he said that she had given more than those who had given large amounts of money out of their wealth. God looks at how much people have left. The question is not how much of our money we give to God, but how much of God’s money we keep for ourselves.
For many years R. G. LeTourneau (founder of LeTourneau University) lived on ten percent of his income and gave away ninety percent to Christian work, especially missionary efforts in Africa and South America. We may comment that we could do that with his income, but even when his business was in financial jeopardy, he continued giving his sacrificial pledges to Christ's work.
Ministry Expense Accounts
Most agencies have an account in which the funds are available for missionaries to use for projects and people they serve. Each missionary is responsible for how the money in that expense account is used. This is analogous to the wealthy man described in Luke 19. In that passage each person was given money to manage and was held personally accountable for the results.
We often refer to this as “stewardship” in which the steward is the manager of money. A steward is literally a sty-ward, the ward (keeper) of the sty (pen) of someone else’s animals—the wealth of people in Biblical times. He was the one to manage the wealth of another.
Missionaries today should understand this with little difficulty because many people living outside of their passport cultures for several years at a time give someone e;se power of attorney. This person (steward) can then do such things as deposit money, write checks, manage financial portfolios (if they have investments) while the missionaries are out of the country.
Although most people do not do it formally, Stanley Tam, Founder and President of U.S. Plastic Corporation, formally and legally made God the owner of his business. In 1955 while in Columbia he sensed that God wanted him to be an employee, so he now works for God and receives a salary like any other employee. Millions of dollars of profits have been administered by a foundation whose purpose is to establish churches in third world countries.
Though you may not legally become an employee of God, you are, in fact, the steward of the money given for his work as you invest it in people and projects in countries other than your own. You should always keep that attitude, an attitude of managing God’s money.
Personal Gifts
Some agencies have the provision for donors to send personal gifts through the agency to the missionary. These gifts then go directly to the missionary. However, the agency may still take out their administrative charge (usually around 15%), and some may reduce the missionary’s personal salary as well. Of course, supporters may give money to missionaries without going through the agency. However, some agencies require that such gifts be reported and may make deductions for them.
You may be thinking that certainly personal gifts given to us are ours, not God’s. There is no indication in the Bible that this is the case. We are stewards of whatever we have whether it is given to us because of our work or whether someone gives it to us as a gift. The same principles apply.
From the beginning human beings have been stewards of God’s property. In the early chapters of Genesis Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden to till and keep it. All of creation was God’s and they were to care for it.
Agency Funds: Designated
When people have donated money for a particular project, such as building a hospital or student scholarships, there should be no question. The only ethical thing to do is to spend all of that money on the project for which it was given. Anything else is dishonest.
When missionaries are serving on particular projects, some of these funds may be put into their accounts to be used for those projects only.
Agency Funds: Undesignated
Sometimes the home office sends funds to a group serving in another country and tells that group to use the money where needed most. If the home office specifies one person to make decisions about the funds, he or she is the one to make those decisions. However, the home office often leaves it up to a committee or even everyone serving in that country to decide how the money should be used. Then everyone is responsible for the decisions made. When this is the case a variety of things may occur, such as
· Competition for funds
· Pet projects promoted
· Personal power used
· Interpersonal problems
When this is the case those present must develop a way to make decisions between such things as
· Saving versus borrowing
· Faith versus presumption
· Cost versus quality
· Simplicity versus luxury
· Spending versus investing
People have different values on such things, and many hold those values dear. Some people may become quite angry when the group as a whole makes decisions that violate their values.
The best way to make such decisions is to come to a consensus through extended discussion and prayer. However, if such consensus is not reached, each agency should have a way of making group decisions, such as Roberts Rules of Order (older editions available online). Though the procedure of making motions, seconding them, discussing them, and then voting on them may seem tedious, this formal procedure is often needed. Then when the decision is finally reached, everyone must abide by the decision and not grumble or agitate.
Marriage Issues
Sometimes transitioning to raising funds results in some adjustments in how husbands and wives manage their money. Imagine these two plausible vignettes. Which one would occur is a matter of timing.
Vignette 1: Following a devastating flood in a nearby slum he often drove through, John went to the bank to get money from their account to provide relief for flood victims. He was shocked to find that nearly all the money had been withdrawn a few days before.
When he asked Mary what had happened to the money, she told him she had used it to buy a prom dress for their daughter Julie. He said, “You spent it on WHAT? It could have helped many flood victims. Now it will just be worn once and then packed away.”
Vignette 2: (You can see this coming.). Near the end of the school year Mary went to the bank to get money from their account to buy Julie a prom dress. She was shocked to find that nearly all of the money had been withdrawn a few days before.
When she asked John what had happened to the money, he told her he had used it to provide relief for the flood victims. She said, “You spent it on WHAT? We had been saving that for months for Julie. Now she will have nothing new to wear to her last big social event at school.”
The use of money is a major source of disagreement in many marriages. This may occur even more in missionary marriages, especially if poverty is more noticeable than in a couple’s passport culture.
What does the Bible say?
Though it is not in the context of marriage, the Bible deals specifically with the “You spent it on WHAT?” question. Look at the implications of these dramatic events in Jesus life as recorded in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12. While eating dinner in Bethany, a woman came and poured a bottle of very expensive perfume on Jesus. Note the difference between his followers’ reactions and the reactions of Jesus himself.
First, his followers’ reactions:
· They were indignant, furious.
· They asked, “Why this waste?”
· They said, “Sell it for a year’s wages.”
· They suggested, “Give the money to the poor.”
· They generally criticized what she did.
Second, Jesus’ reactions:
· Aware of their actions, Jesus intervened.
· Jesus said, “Why are you bothering her?
· Jesus praised her for her actions.
· He went on, “You’ll always have the poor, but not me.”
· He concluded, “What she has done will always be remembered with admiration.”
We must remember that God may count offerings very differently. The disciples saw the woman’s offering as wasted, but Jesus saw it as wonderful. Remember when he saw the poor widow put in two small coins. He noted that she had put in more than anyone else, even those who had put in large amounts of money (Mark 12, Luke 21). Now consider some things that couples can do to reduce the conflict over how money is spent.
Plan your spending.
Most people refer to this plan as a budget. Budgets for missionaries vary widely depending on where they live since the cost of living varies from country to country. People living in a jungle village will probably have smaller amounts and different categories of expenses than those living in major metropolitan areas. Make a list of your necessities, including at least the following, plus other categories relevant to where you live.
· Food
· Clothing
· Shelter
· Tithe and offerings
· Transportation “home”
· Other anticipated expenses and savings.
Most of these are obvious, but some need explanation. Malachi 3 cautions not to rob God. If you do not include at least your tithes in the budget, you are unlikely to have any “leftover money” for these, not to say anything about an offering. In marriage two become one financially, and your offerings are part of your stewardship together.
People remaining in their passport countries do not have to budget money to go home. However, expats often return to their passport country every year or two, and they need to plan for that large expense.
Agree on a limit.
Husband and wife should agree on a limit as to how much money each can spend without discussing it with the other. This is to prevent problems, such as, “You spent it on WHAT?” If both of them have similar views of money, setting a limit may be easy.
However if they have different views, this may require considerable negotiation. The “spender” (shop-a-holic) may want the limit set at $200—while the “saver” (control freak) may want to set it at $10. This couple needs to talk, listen, negotiate, and compromise to reach an amount they are comfortable with, at least one they can live with.
The budget and the limit may be revised at any time, but it should be reconsidered at least annually. Other things need to be discussed more often, perhaps monthly.
Have money meetings.
The budget is a plan, and it is rather theoretical. After the rent and utilities are paid, groceries are purchased, clothes are bought, money given at church, etc., then the couple is faced with what to do with the money left (if any). This is “where the rubber meets the road.” It is no longer theory, but reality!
What is left is your discretionary income, and you can choose how this is spent. It will be different for each couple. One person wants the latest electronic gadget while the other wants cable TV. One wants to buy books while the other wants to buy the latest DVDs. One wants a flat screen TV while the other wants to go out to more movies. One wants to go on a cruise while the other wants to hire a guide to hunt. Of course, do not forget about setting aside some savings. All of these require discussion and compromise.
One couple may want to cut back on “necessities” by moving to a smaller house, eating at restaurants less, or wearing old clothes longer. Another couple may want to increase income by taking a second job or the spouse taking a job.
Share the responsibility.
If missionaries lived in their passport countries, many could pay their utilities from the comfort of their homes by mailing a check, calling in their credit card number, via online access to their bank accounts, or even having them automatically deducted from their accounts each month. They can buy groceries for the whole week at the local supermarket in an hour.
However, in their host country, paying utility bills may take many hours spread over several days, and buying food may be a daily task of going to the market and negotiating prices with vendor after vendor. In these cases it is best for husband and wife to share these time consuming money tasks.
Avoid credit card debt.
Missionaries today face a temptation not available before 1950, credit card debt. Credit cards are very convenient and help avoid carrying much cash, but they may become a problem for some people. If you charge so much that you are unable to pay the card off in full at the end of each month, you are living beyond your means.
Credit card interest is nearly always higher than interest from a secured loan. Therefore, not being able to pay off the card is not only a first warning that you are headed for trouble but also it means that you are taking on higher interest—interest that may be raised at any time by the credit card company.
It is little wonder that Romans 13:8 cautions, “Let no debt remain outstanding.” If you cannot pay the card off a second month, you begin paying interest on the interest added at the end of the first month. That first month is the warning. If no action is taken, the compounding of interest tends to become a vicious cycle.
Find the problem.
Conflicts about money are often over other issues, and it helps to uncover these deeper issues. Here are some examples.
· “Spender vs saver:” “Let’s do… vs. No, that costs too much”
· “Now vs later” “We need a new…vs. Why, our old one is OK for a while”
· Control
· Independence
· Security
· Freedom
To each his and her own
Last, but not least—and probably MOST important. Each person needs some “No questions asked” money. This is an agreed upon amount that is literally given to each person each pay period, and neither one has to account to the other for how it is spent, or not spent. Savers can save it. Spenders can spend it. Givers can give it. Procrastinators can hide it under their mattress until they decide what they want to do with it. If they want to do random acts of kindness, they can walk along the street and give it to anyone they meet.
The amount is not nearly as important as the fact that the money is just that person’s. He or she does not have to ask for it. Neither is there need to justify it. Each is the full steward of it, responsible to no one but God as to how it is spent.
Money is a leading cause of marital conflict, but it can also be a part of marital satisfaction. Talking about money and agreeing together how to use it can improve your marriage relationship.
Stages of Missionary Life
The course of initial fund raising varies, but the following one is common.
· Much. At the beginning family and friends pledge support so that the beginning missionaries will not be discouraged, often responding within days of the first mailing.
· Little. After the initial “deluge,” funds tend to trickle in. People are not “sure” individuals will raise enough to go, so they may wait to see if the missionary is going to make it. Missionaries take meetings wherever they can, and the balance in their account rises only slowly or even declines.
· Much. After the long drought, when it becomes clear that enough funds will come in, people begin to get on the “band wagon,” perhaps wanting to be the ones who put the missionaries over the top.
Missionary candidates must remember that this is only one course of raising funds. Many others may occur, but very few of them are a constant flow like receiving a salary. One month may result in $20,000 in pledges of support, and the next month may result in only $100 in pledges.
A spouse who has difficulty tolerating uncertainty may become quite anxious during a long stage when few funds are coming in. As the fear of failure rises, he or she may say things like, “This is what I was afraid of. What do we do if we don’t get enough by the deadline?”
One spouse may begin to question whether or not God has really called them to be missionaries. This is especially likely if one has had a stronger sense of “call” than the other. As a result, tension may rise between the spouses.
· On The Field: No matter what the reason, couples may no longer have enough support for both husband and wife to remain on the field. This results in many very difficult decisions that need to be made by the couple.
· Home Ministry Assignment: Missionaries may find support dropping when they return to their passport countries. Continually having to justify their worth to supporters when doing what God has called them to do may discourage one spouse more than the other.
· Retirement: Financial issues at this stage of life may be the same as for people who were not missionaries—or fund raising may have to continue for life. Those who need to continue to raise funds may find that people do not understand why they do.
Finally, missionaries who raise support need to remember that their agencies take a percentage of the money they raise to “pay” for the support the agency gives to the missionaries. That means that the missionary has to raise whatever that percentage is, commonly about 15%, but it can be more or less.
Several brochures and one book on related topics are available free of charge on www.missionarycare.com.
· A brochure about contentment at http://www.missionarycare.com/brochures/br_contentment.htm
· A brochure about comparison and envy at http://www.missionarycare.com/brochures/br_comparison_envy.htm
· A brochure about expectations at http://www.missionarycare.com/brochures/br_expectations.htm
· A book about what missionaries ought to know at http://www.missionarycare.com/ebook.htm#ought_to_know