REPORT
THE VALUE OF SYSTEMATIC GIVING
When I first visited the central African country of Chad many years ago, church leaders told me I was the first person from the General Conference to ever visit them. They said it made them feel they weren’t forgotten. Back then I didn’t
know much about the country, but I knew it was poor. Not just uncomfortably
poor, but how-are-we-going-to-survive-tomorrow poor. There were more than 7
million people living in Chad (today 13 million)—most of whom had never heard
the name of Jesus, or knew little about Him. More than 80 percent of the
population were existing below the poverty line and life expectancy was less
than 48 years of age.
It’s probably a
reasonable assumption that, even today, the average Seventh-day Adventist
doesn’t give much thought to Chad, or the church in Chad. Many would probably
have trouble finding it on a world map. And yet I discovered there was an
Adventist mission office in the capital, N’djamena, and throughout the country
nearly 1,500 baptized Adventists, 50 Adventist churches and companies, schools,
and even a hospital. And a large group of Global Mission Pioneers were
‘planting’ new groups of believers.
Today in the church some wheels squeak loudly and with great skill. And often the ‘big-wheel’ organizations that have the most interesting pictures, the most compelling video, the most heart-touching stories, get the big donations."
It’s probably a
reasonable assumption that, even today, the average Seventh-day Adventist
doesn’t give much thought to Chad, or the church in Chad. Many would probably
have trouble finding it on a world map. And yet I discovered there was an
Adventist mission office in the capital, N’djamena, and throughout the country
nearly 1,500 baptized Adventists, 50 Adventist churches and companies, schools,
and even a hospital. And a large group of Global Mission Pioneers were
‘planting’ new groups of believers. I got to thinking about
the old expression “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Today in the church
some wheels squeak loudly and with great skill. And often the ‘big-wheel’
organizations that have the most interesting pictures, the most compelling
video, the most heart-touching stories, get the big donations—“the grease.” I don’t want to
downplay the importance of project giving. It does a lot of good, and the
church’s Global Mission initiative to plant new congregations relies on it. But
what do we do about those parts of the world, and those people groups, that
can’t or don’t “squeak?” Those who have no way to share heart-gripping pictures
and stories with us?
The church’s
system of tithes and mission offerings helps ensure that areas such as Chad,
which may not seem as “glamorous” or have high visibility, receive help. Every
time you give your tithes and mission offerings, you’re helping make sure
wheels that can’t squeak get attention. You’re supporting
thousands of Global Mission Pioneers. You’re helping fund hundreds of
missionaries such as Cristy Shank, a young doctor working at Malamulo Hospital
in Malawi. You’re helping to feed and clothe poor people you’ll never meet.
You’re helping to plant new congregations in the world’s large cities. You’re
supporting the gospel going into “all the world.” We’re thankful for the
thousands of specific projects to which Adventists donate. But none of these
projects would get too far if it weren’t for a much wider and bigger system,
which provides the foundation for ongoing support. Every time you give
your tithes and mission offerings, you’re helping support schools, hospitals,
humanitarian work, media outreach, publishing, church planting and so much
more. You’re helping the church grow in areas where many church members earn
less than a dollar a day. You’re making sure that the wheels that can’t squeak still keep
turning.
