One Man and a Very Long Line

Picture Moses at his post from morning until night. The line of people stretches out of sight, and every person in it needs an answer.

His father-in-law watched for a full day and then said what Moses needed to hear.

Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. (Exodus 18:18)

I think about that scene whenever a church says, "We leave missions to Brother So-and-so." Reaching the world is heavy work. Hand it to one faithful person, and you will wear that person out. The work will thin out right along with them.

So we plan to share it. Our World Evangelism Committee has twelve seats: four officers and eight subcommittee chairpersons. Each seat holds one piece of the work, and no seat holds it all.

Before we walk through the seats, hear this plainly. Nobody sits at this table to earn anything from God. He already loves the world, and He loves you. The committee is one way a church says yes to what the Father started.

Jesus Shared the Work First

Jesus never ran His mission alone. He appointed seventy people, paired them up, and sent them ahead of Him.

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. (Luke 10:1)

Look at the pattern. He chose the people, sent them in pairs, and followed right behind. Sharing the load is not a compromise. It is how Jesus works.

One more thing belongs here. An organization chart has never sent a missionary. The Lord of the harvest does that. Our chart only helps us stay out of each other's way while we say yes to Him.

Four Officers Who Hold the Table Steady

The Chairperson: A Servant at the Head of the Table

Our Missions Pastor, appointed from the pastoral staff, takes this chair. The chair keeps the vision in front of the committee, leads the monthly meeting, and asks honest questions about how the program is doing overall. It also carries missions into the church's Co-Workers' Meetings, so the committee never works alone in a side room.

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

This chair is a place to serve. It is not a place to rule.

The Vice-Chairperson: The Steady Second

Someone from the Steering Committee fills this seat by appointment. The Vice-Chairperson ties our committee to the rest of the church's leadership and takes the chair when the Chairperson cannot be there. Subcommittee chairpersons can also bring their reports here. This seat also leads our yearly look at the missions policy, so the written words keep up with what God teaches us.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. (Ecclesiastes 4:9)

A wise chairperson wants a partner, not an audience.

The Secretary: Keeper of the Memory

The Secretary records the minutes, gathers each chairperson's written monthly report, and keeps the Policy Handbook current. Every new member gets a copy of that handbook, and the Secretary makes sure it lands in their hands.

God told Habakkuk to write things down.

Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (Habakkuk 2:2)

A committee that writes things down does not start from scratch every time the faces change.

The Treasurer: Faithful With What Is Not Ours

The Treasurer keeps the books, gives the committee a clear financial report each month, and works with the Celebration Coordinator on the ways we raise money for missions. The committee decides how to spend the budget. The Treasurer makes sure every dollar goes where the committee said it would go.

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2)

Notice the word. Scripture asks for faithful, not brilliant. The money came from people who gave out of love, and this seat handles it with steady, careful hands.

Eight Chairs Where the Work Gets Done

The eight subcommittee chairpersons carry most of the hands-on work. I think of them in three groups, because their jobs answer three simple questions. How do we open the church's eyes? How do we send people? How do we stand behind the ones we have sent?

Opening the Church's Eyes

The Annual World Vision Celebration Coordinator plans the one weekend each year when the whole church lifts its eyes to the nations. The church prays, eats together, and hears what God is doing around the world. This chair plans early, hands a piece of the weekend to every group, and works hand in hand with the Treasurer.

That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. (Psalm 67:2-3)

The Education and Training Coordinator teaches the congregation about missions all year, not just at the celebration. This chair also picks the training events our committee members attend, so none of us serves without help.

The Communications Coordinator keeps news moving in both directions. Prayer requests come in from the field, and the church's letters and cards go out. This chair also puts missionary names in front of the congregation each week, so people in the pews learn to pray for faces they have never met.

As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. (Proverbs 25:25)

Sending Hands and Feet

The Local Evangelism Coordinator keeps our church sharing Christ across town. Jesus told His followers where the witness starts.

And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

A church that shares Christ across the street naturally sends Him across the world. This chair also helps recruit volunteers and helps every committee member stay active in local outreach.

The Short-Term Missions Coordinator plans trips and finds the people to go. Every committee member goes on at least one trip during their term, so this chair keeps the calendar and helps each of us find a fit. Seeing a field with your own eyes changes how you pray.

The Seminary Student Scholarship Officer stays in touch with students preparing for ministry and helps the church support their training. Paul knew how this works.

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)

Today's student may be tomorrow's church planter.

Standing Behind the People We Send

The Missionary Support Officer cares for missionaries on the field and on furlough, and leads the church in praying for them. Birthdays, hard anniversaries, and a phone call that asks "How are you?" before "What have you done?" all live in this chair. When missionaries come home, this person makes sure they get rest before they get a schedule.

We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth. (3 John 1:8)

The Missions Organizations Officer serves as our contact with the mission agencies and associations we work with. This chair also checks that each organization's statement of faith matches ours and brings any concerns to the Missions Pastor early and kindly. One clear, gentle conversation at the start protects everyone later.

How the Work Flows Month to Month

Every subcommittee chairperson answers to the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson. Each brings a written report to the monthly meeting covering the past month, and we review the highlights together. Chairs advise the committee on their area and recommend next steps. If neither the chair nor the assistant can come, they tell our Chairperson ahead of time.

Each subcommittee also has an assistant chairperson who leads in the chair's absence, plus members who work under the chair. That is how twelve seats become a whole church at work.

Here is a simple way to keep the reports short and useful. Answer three questions on one page. What happened last month? What is coming next? What do you need from us? A chair who answers those three has told the committee everything it needs.

And here is what all of this looks like on an ordinary Monday. A missionary family has a birthday this week. The Missionary Support Officer knows the date. The Communications Coordinator puts the name in front of the congregation. Someone from the pew mails a card. Three people gave ten minutes each, and a family on the other side of the world feels remembered.

When a Chair Sits Empty

Some months a chair will sit empty. People get sick, get tired, or move across the country. Life happens, and I will not pretend it doesn't. That is why every subcommittee has an assistant chairperson, and why nobody carries a seat alone.

When someone needs to step back, welcome it. No one gets scolded for a hard month. Rest, and let the assistant carry the load for a while. Grace works that way at this table because grace works that way everywhere.

Chosen First, Then Sent

Jesus told His followers something that settles why we serve at all.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. (John 15:16)

Chosen first, then sent. That order matters. He picked you before you did a single thing for Him, and the sending flows out of that love. Every seat on this committee is a way of saying thank you, not a way of paying a debt.

Twelve seats, one heart. Nobody carries the world alone, and nobody ever had to, because the One who sends walks with the ones He sends.

And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20)

If this encouraged you, I would love to have you along. Subscribe to Ministry by Mercy, and new articles for pastors, missionaries, and church leaders will land in your inbox as I write them. We are all followed by mercy, and that mercy reaches every seat at this table.

#FollowedByMercy   #AudienceOfOne