Lie #8
Adapted, with copy right permission, from the book, The Insanity of Obedience by Nik Ripken
This is a 6 min read
“We are eager (we say) to participate, but we desperately want to participate on our terms.”
Can we all just have a moment of silence for every soul who has stood up to volunteer as the church Nursery Coordinator.
If that’s you, I’m virtually handing your a Kleenex (the soft Puffs Plus brand) and giving you a big hug. You’ve been through the fire and you my friend will be the one loudly shouting AMEN throughout this piece on Lie#8. I just want you to know, I hear you.
Recently my Pastor husband requested that I take on the role of Volunteer Coordinator for an outreach project he is starting in our community. His request came in the poorest timing. HOW did HE know I was in the midst of writing an article about how, as a whole, the passion of the Church for overseas missions is too often centered on short term overseas work while neglecting the mission happening here in the home church environment.
“That was your official title in Mongolia right? And you were an absolute genius at it” he smiled, completely unaware that he was digging the knife deeper.
The term, “Volunteer Coordinator” for a Church run ministry could be synonymous with “person silently crying in the corner.” You know that nice lady at church, always asking for your help in kids ministry and giving you a big smile when you say,
“Oh, sorry, kids are just not my thing.””
or the ever popular,
“I’ll pray about that.”
Well let me share an insiders secret…she’s probably not smiling on the inside.
(Hence the Puffs Plus Kleenex)
Okay enough of the funny stuff. Here’s something not so funny at all.
In my four years on staff at Cup of Cold Water Ministries I have shadowed our Executive Director, Dan Hennenfent, throughout the vetting process of those who come to CCWM enthusiastic to become missionaries and looking for a sending agency. I’ve learned so much from Dan simply by observing and enjoying his excellent interviewing skills. I wish the following dialog did not happen often. I wish it were a rare thing, but it isn’t. It’s actually more of the norm than not.
And this is where I begin to get nervous. I can feel myself holding my breath. I’ve been working under Dan’s leadership long enough to know what question will be coming next…. and sadly this is where the vetting process all too often ends for us.
“So, tell me,” Dan leans in,
Dan, in his patient demeanor will give some kind words of encouragement along with suggestions to get involved in their local church and start discipling someone. He will throw out some ideas and state something to the effect that they should,
“Begin doing here at home with your local church what you would love to be doing as a missionary a plane ride away.”
Honestly, this usually seems to strike them as a new idea and they appear grateful for the suggestions.
I’m usually shocked too. People seem to separate themselves from ministry life overseas and ministry life right here in their home town. It’s as if we as a Church turn on and off our missional mind according to the miles we are away from home. We can’t seem to integrate the two.
Nik Ripken touched on this reality in LIE#4 and we are revisiting it now with a new twist.
“Consider for a moment the mind-set and practice of some volunteers who regularly go overseas. While clearly being a blessing in the overseas setting, the reaction of their sending church is perhaps less enthusiastic. Returning home, overseas workers visit their sending and partnering churches. In good faith they thank the church for sending such helpful and productive volunteers. Later, after the service, it is not uncommon for pastors and lay leaders to say something like this: ‘ Well, I’m glad these volunteers were of good service to you on the field, but we have never been able to get them to lift a hand in support of local ministries within their home church.’ In some cases even regular worship attendance and faithful stewardship from such volunteers is not consistent. ”
Back to the nursery
As a missionary, I experienced the other side of this scenario while on furlough in the USA. My husband and I were about to be reconnected to our home church after two years away. We were staying for three months so both of us were eager to be of help to our Pastor. We told him and the church staff that we were willing to help in any way needed. Of course we envisioned being given tasks to lead Bible studies on missions or teach in some capacity. Both of us had to laugh all the way home when we shared the tasks our lead Pastors had found for us. I was asked to take on the Wednesday night nursery and Troy was asked to do some long needed repair work around the building.
“Well, we’ve been humbled.” Troy spoke into the disappointment I was feeling.
“We did tell them we would do whatever was needed.”
The truth is we didn’t want to do whatever was needed. We wanted to serve the way we wanted to serve.
Spending three months in the nursery, and repairing toilets was likely the kindness of God on two souls who may have been getting ahead of themselves.
“Ministry among the Nations simply must be a natural extension of whatever ministry is happening at home. Being a poured-out and broken vessel among the people we know best is essential preparation—even more, it is a prerequisite—for ministry among
people we do not yet know. ”
Wait, what’s that? I hear you nursery worker, volunteer coordinator….AMEN and AMEN!
“God help us if we attempt to do in faraway places things that we would never dream of doing close to home!”
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