September 7, 2007

Dear Friends,

For years now I have started any talk I give in churches across the United States by saying, “I stand here as one of approximately 250 mission co-workers supported by you and other congregations in our denomination. We serve in over 65 different countries. Many are full-time educators, health professionals, evangelists, or community development and relief workers. Elaine and I are two of a smaller number whose work is in the area of peacemaking and justice. Whatever country we serve in, whatever particular emphasis our ministry takes, we are all part of our denomination’s commitment to both share and live the good news of Jesus Christ. What I will be sharing with you in this talk is just a snapshot into one facet of our denomination’s wider mission, which you have a vital part in helping make happen.”

I’m writing now to let you know about a big event that’s about to unfold in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It’s called Mission Challenge ’07. During October, 47 PC(USA) missionaries will spend a week sharing the stories of their ministry in 143 presbyteries. That’s more than 80 percent of our presbyteries! I will be spending one week each in Baltimore, Blackhawk, Lake Huron, and Detroit presbyteries.

Altogether, we hope to put speakers in 700 churches during October to share the news that every day, in Christ’s name—and thanks to your faithful support—lives are being saved, wells are being dug, and hope is being shared with people in need around the world.

More than likely a mission worker is coming to your presbytery. Please find out who, when, and where they are speaking and then go listen and learn. That individual is taking a full month away from family and normal work to invest in the vital task of interpretation that will help our members understand and get behind the wider world mission of our denomination. Will you please make it a priority to invest a couple of hours in taking advantage of their presence in your presbytery?

Another part of Mission Challenge ’07 is an appeal to every church in the denomination to support particular Presbyterian missionaries like Elaine and me, financially, with their prayers, or simply by taking a serious personal interest in their ministry. In mid-September a letter is going to the pastors and clerks of session in all 10,884 churches in our denomination. This will inform them of materials coming in early October that interpret the excellence of the Presbyterian Church as a mission-sending agency and invite them to offer financial support to Presbyterian missionaries through World Mission.

During the first week of October, a box will arrive in every church with bulletin inserts equal to the church’s average Sunday attendance. The inserts include a call to action, inviting all to participate in mission by praying faithfully and giving generously. These are accompanied by a DVD featuring our new director, Hunter Farrell. It contains two brief videos that bring to life a representative sample of our missionaries.

We can’t send a missionary to every church this October, but I’m hoping that all churches will participate in Mission Challenge ’07 by choosing a Sunday to view the DVD and distribute the bulletin inserts.

The fact that you have received and are reading this message probably means that you are one of our members who already has some level of awareness of our wider world mission and are committed to supporting it.  Sadly, that may also make you part of a minority in PC(USA). Too often during the 28 years that I have been giving mission interpretation talks across our denomination I have found myself in churches with no mission bulletin board, no link with particular mission personnel referred to in their Sunday bulletin, no reports from those serving in the wider world mission of our denomination in their church newsletters, and where few households receive or read  the PC(USA) magazines that provide well produced stories about the contexts and efforts of our mission personnel. The list could go on, but you get the picture.

Many of our members are simply not aware of the huge challenges and fantastic opportunities they could respond to by supporting PC(USA) World Mission, nor have they been sufficiently encouraged or enthused to do so. And as a result, the support is simply no longer there to meet many of those challenges and opportunities. Together we need to turn that around—and soon. As followers of Jesus Christ, we simply can’t be concerned with our own small corner and forget the wider world God also loves.

Will you support and encourage your church’s participation in Mission Challenge ’07?  Will you spend at least a few hours during October learning more about our wider mission and then sharing what you learn with as many other members as you can?

Faithfully yours,

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 172