A Spirit of Generosity

If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.  Rather, be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.  Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing.  He may them appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.  Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.  There will always be poor people in the land.  Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. 

- Deut. 15:7-11 

Living in consumerism America, it can be so easy to get caught up in the things of this world.  Everyday, we are attacked with messages from the media that encourage us to spend more and focus more on ourselves.  We feed our addictions, holding on to what's "rightfully ours" with a clenched fist.  All the while, we seem to forget that what's "rightfully ours," is not even ours to begin with.  "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it" (1 Tim. 6:7).  Jesus Christ is the Father of all good things.  It is Jesus that gives us any good that we experience on this earth.  And it is Jesus that chooses to bless us, under a certain stipulation: we are to be a generous people.

An article recently came through my inbox titled "Generosity is the New Evangelism."  Written by Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard, the article talks about creating a culture of giving in your church.  I believe that what they said transcends the church.  Here's a snippet:

The truth is that God doesn't need our money, but He knows that our orientation toward money reflects our obedience to the Lordship of Christ and how well we grasp that he is the source of all we have.  As followers of Christ, our goal in life is not gaining power, possession, or prestige for ourselves.  We exist, along with the entire body of Christ, to fulfill the Great Commission until Christ's return.  Generosity offers one of the most powerful ways for us to leverage the blessings of God for the advancement of the Kingdom.  Best of all, when the church acts with generosity to serve others, it is a clear picture of Christ, who generously gave his life and all He had on the cross that we might find life forever. 

I would encourage you to read the rest of the article, which can be found here.  If the book this article is based from interests you, head over here.  Fall is the perfect season to start planning ahead for next year's mission trip.  If it's been awhile since your group has participated with Christ For the City, let me remind you of some of our offerings.

Urban Plunge: Urban Plunge trips happen year-round in Omaha and Lincoln, NE, Sioux Falls, SD, Des Moines, IA, Kansas City, MO, and Dallas, TX.  We offer customized trips from one-day to week long.  While Urban Plunge is for youth and adults of all ages, it is a great introduction to missions for the younger generation.  We still have openings for this fall and winter, so contact julie@cfci.org for more information.

Mission Teams:  CFCI offers 7-10 day mission trips that are perfect for your church or group.  We'd love to have you serve in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia,  or Peru.  What grabs your attention?  Contact shawn@cfci.org to get details.

Short-term Missionary:  Perhaps, you are an individual with a call to serve.  We can meet your needs, too!  Go to Argentina, Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Mali, Spain, or the U.S.  We coordinate trips for one-month to a year.  To discuss your options for ministering, contact dick@cfci.org.

Be blessed,

Julie      

Simply Go.... And Receive Much

Christ For the City is extremely blessed to have some awesome Short-term Individuals that give of themselves to serve with us on the mission field.  One such person is Sabrina Slater, who just recently arrived to Brazil.  The following is an excerpt from a post of hers titled "Lessons from the Amazon... Day 2".

In the silence of not yet fully understanding and having command of Portuguese, all I can do is talk with GOD, all I can do is meditate on His word, all I can do is pray.  Ah, may I seek Him at all times, but may the lessons of the silence permeate the rhythm of my life.  Behold... "See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland" (Isaiah 43:19).  

If you would like to follow Sabrina's blog, head on over to: sabrinaslater.tumblr.com.  I'm sure she'd love to have you!


Sabrina's not the only one being impacted.  Pam Tullman, who's serving over in Peru, is, too.  A couple days ago, she shared the following story:

On Saturday, I worked with about 40 kids, ages 9-12.  I showed a short video, and shared on the topic of dreams, and trusting God with our lives.  I did a symbolic activity with the kids.  Jamie, a new friend from the church, made a big tree.  I had each kid put their hand (with paint) on the tree like leaves as a way to give God their lives.  They all made the decision to hand over their dreams and futures to the Lord, trusting that no matter what they go through in life, God's plan is best.  Sometimes, life will be hard and we won't understand why things are happening the way they are, but we have to truly know and believe with all of our heart that the Lord is in control, and is worthy to be trusted.  It was beautiful to see 40 kids placing their lives and futures in God's hands.

 Such a cool story, Pam!  Check out what else she has on her blog: followingavision.wordpress.com.

Does being a Short-term Individual with CFCI interest you?  If so, find out more information on our website.   We can't wait to serve with you!

Wherever You Are, Serve Well

Three Urban Plunge participants serving at Heartland Hope Mission!

 

  Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to help lead a round table with some college students.  Various ideas were passed around the room, but the discussion seemed to center around two main ideas.  Is there such a thing as a "calling"?  Is reaching the unreached people groups more important than bringing the Gospel to those in the U.S.?  Those in the room came from a mixture of backgrounds and experiences, and they all held to their own opinions on the debate.

     I recently wrote a post titled "Reaching Our Jerusalem".  In that post, I referenced Acts 1:8, which directs us to serve our community and city, our nation at large, and then the ends of the earth.  I think that much truth can be found in that verse.  Where we are now, is just as vital as the ends of the earth.  While we should never diminish the significance of going overseas, I think that sometimes we can get caught up in the hype of the overseas missionary.  Relevant Magazine has an excellent article that discusses this very thing; it's called "We Need Boring Christians", and it's a very quick read.  I would encourage you to take a moment and read it.

     Based on my understanding of Jesus, I know that He loves everyone in the world equally, and He died for all.  He desires that each one of us should come into a saving faith.  Thinking about it this way, it means that the unreached people groups that have never heard the Gospel before are just as important as those in the U.S. who have potentially heard the Gospel message many times.  And the reverse is also absolutely true: Americans need to hear the Gospel and the love of Jesus as much as or even more than the unreached.  I think that we need to be careful not to classify non-believing Americans as unworthy of hearing and receiving the Gospel.  The mentality that, "Well, they've had their chance to hear the Gospel, but they rejected it," should be refuted.  Someday, Jesus will return.  How will we answer Him?

     I would probably be classified as a boring Christian.  Growing up in a Midwest farm family, the furthest I've ever traveled was to Florida when I was six.  I went to a local Christian University, where a big emphasis was placed on intercultural ministry, especially if it involved going overseas.  I distinctly remember several conversations I had with different students who were Intercultural Studies majors.  They just couldn't seem to understand why I didn't want to go overseas.  I'm not in the slightest against going out of the country someday on a short-term mission trip, if the timing is right.  I don't feel called, however, to do long-term mission work out of the country.   After one mission conference session, I was talking with a student in the lunch line.  I was honest with him and said, "While listening to the guy share his incredible stories is really cool, I just don't feel that burning in my heart that God's calling me overseas."  Take it or leave it. 

     I am a big proponent of being missional locally, marketplace ministry, and being present and active in the here and now.  I know of people with grand plans to serve God overseas someday.  It's wonderful that they feel God leading them to Africa and other places.  The problem, however, is that they are not present where God has them now.  All of their energy and focus seems to be on getting overseas someday, and they miss out on the opportunities available right where they're at.

Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living. - Jim Elliot  

 
I think that Jim Elliot was spot on.  We are called to serve well, wherever we are.  Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  1 Peter 4:10 states, "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."  And one more verse, found in 2 Corinthians 9:7b, which easily can relate to serving: "God loves it when the giver delights in the giving."  I don't think any of these verses talk about putting your serving on hold.

Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him?  Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him?  I'm not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things -- things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him." - Oswald Chambers

     I'll be the first to admit that it's not always easy to remain present and active in the here and now.  I'm a dreamer, so I have a tendency to squander my thought life thinking about a glorious, idealistic future.  God is faithful, however, and he continually brings people and opportunities into my life to ground me in the present-day.  Christ For the City offers plenty of ways to serve, both in your community and around the world.  If you're interested in going out of the country, get a group together and take a short-term mission trip to a Latin country. Or, go as a short-term individual for one month to a year.  You can even get involved in the U.S., through our Urban Plunge program.  Just by going on an Urban Plunge, you are guaranteed exposure to at least 7-9 ministries and organizations.  We make it easy to reach out and serve.  If you don't know where to start, just start small.  The more you serve, the easier it becomes.  And, I can resolutely say that God will bless your serving ten-fold.

     Wherever you are, serve well.  

Be blessed,

 Julie