7 Minutes to Change the World.

“What is the one thing our church can do that will have the greatest impact on global missions?”

I have been asked variations of this question many times over the years. Based on my experience as a pastor, missionary, and missionary leader, I have come to the conclusion that there is one practice every church can do that will have the greatest impact on global missions.

It is a simple action that exponentially increases the advancement of the Gospel around the world.

But first, remember: “Big doors swing on small hinges.”

The door of global missions hangs on three hinges:

• The Word of God
• The Prayers of the Church
• The Sending of Missionaries

These three “hinges” are expressed in what I like to call the “7 Minutes to Change the World.” It goes like this:

Once a month set aside 7 Minutes of a Church Service to:

1. Share the Word of God and the Witness of missionaries regarding Global Missions. This will plant the Mission of God deep into the heart of the congregation.
2. Pray for missionaries serving around the world.
3. Receive a missions offering.

This monthly action will

• Sustain missionaries around the world.
• Expand your church’s vision.
• Open doors of opportunity for your local church.

If you put “The 7 Minutes” into practice, you will discover it is your entry point to global missions, not your end point. You never know where this journey will take you once you open the door.

It’s like Bilbo told Frodo,

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Now, about the money…

It is not my place to tell you how to spend the money God entrusts to your church to fulfill His mission. That is up to the leadership of the local church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

That being said, pastors and leaders often ask me,

What do you recommend we do as a local church to financially support Foursquare Missions?

Should we give it all to the Global Missions Fund?

Should we designate it to a specific missionary?

Should we support a specific project, place, or person?

What is the best way we can use the limited resources we have for maximum effectiveness?”

When asked this, I recommend as a starting point for discussion the local leadership consider doing the following (note: I am writing within the context of the Foursquare Church family, apply accordingly):

1. Set aside part of your general budget to support the people, projects, or places the Lord has laid on your heart as part of your church’s specific assignment in the Great Commission.

2. Receive a monthly offering for the Global Missions Fund to support the shared assignment we have as Foursquare churches. The Global Missions Fund resources Foursquare Missions International to:

• Fund catalytic leaders who open new church planting movements in unreached cities, nations, and people groups.
• Equip global leaders and missionaries for the expansion of the Gospel through the Foursquare Church.
• Cultivate church planting movements among new nations and people groups in partnership with national churches.
• Coach national leaders through the four stages of national development.
• Care for Foursquare missionaries.
• Network with the Global Foursquare Church to advance the Gospel.
• Facilitate missionary deployment to maximize their ministry fruitfulness.

You and your church may come up with even better ideas than what I have offered. That is great. I encourage you to do this. Like I said, I offer this as a way to get the conversation started.

Why I am writing this…

I offering these suggestions as one who lives out and lives with the consequences of every U.S. Foursquare church’s decision about global missions. My goal is for us to make wise well-informed, missiologically sound, and field-driven choices.

As the Area Missionary to Europe, I am responsible for the U.S. Foursquare Church’s mission work in the dozens of nations in my region and the nearly two-dozen missionary families serving throughout Europe. As Foursquare missionaries, we are not only sent to a people, we are sent from a people: The Foursquare Church. The only way we as missionaries can serve the field is because we have churches that stand with us: covering us in prayer and sending us with the financial resources necessary to reach the harvest.

Let’s start opening some big doors together.

Taking 7 Minutes to Change the World is a great place to start.

Let me know your thoughts. Leave a comment below. 

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