“Essentially, the Church has many responsibilities but only one mission, and that is the evangelization and discipling of all nations.” (Daniel Bacon, Equipping for Missions).
At Crossroads, we believe a healthy church is a missions oriented one. God has given us a clear task to perform, called the Great Commission, stated by His Son:
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…” – Mathew 28:18-20, NAS
Certainly, an obedient church has the approval of God; in obeying the Great Commission, a church is also the recipient of the joys and blessings of seeing God’s handiwork in the lives of those who are saved.
Our great desire is not only to advance the kingdom of God by supporting missions; we like to see members of our own congregation answering the call to take the Gospel to unreached peoples.
Support
Crossroads Bible Church (CBC) is a member of the Christian Missionary and Alliance (C&MA). The predominant emphasis of the C&MA is to promote self-propagating Great Commission churches that will spread the gospel to all nations.
CBC supports a number of ministries, locally and internationally, which seek to accomplish this purpose. But the larger bulk of support comes through personal contributions directly made by church members. That is, members are encouraged to support missionary endeavors directly instead of under the halo of CBC. By contributing directly, members stay in closer contact with the missionaries and agencies they support. They can see more precisely how their funds are being used and the missionary or agency can keep its supporters more closely informed of progress and prayer needs. This is something that CBC would like to encourage.
CBC does this by educating its members about missions – its scriptural importance, operations, challenges, needs, and victories. They do this also by allowing the congregation to hear from, and interact with, missionaries face-to-face. CBC’s most prominent effort toward this goal occurs during our yearly celebration of missions: The Missions Conference.
The Great Commission Fund
Being a part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, we have a great tool to support missionaries directly with out involving the church in the details of the finances. It is called the Great Commission Fund (GCF).
The C&MA does not require its missionaries to raise their own support. Instead, missionaries and their ministries are financed through the GCF. C&MA church members and friends give to this fund regularly. What are the advantages of the GCF?
- It supports the most-significant cause in history: reaching lost people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- It places missionaries in their countries of service quickly.
- It frees up missionaries to concentrate on their ministries instead of on raising funds. A missionary does not need to function as an independent enterprise; it is more of a group effort between missionaries and supporters.
- It develops a stronger team spirit among missionaries on the field.
- It insures that well-qualified missionaries (not just good fundraisers) are sent to the mission field.
- You can give to the Great Commission Fund by placing your donation in an envelope and writing “Great Commission Fund” on it. Place it in the offering on Sunday, or drop it off at the office.
For more information, including what Faith Promises are, the Orchard Foundation (estate planning), and GCF reports, visit the GCF page on the C&MA website.
At other times through out the year, CBC may invite worthy representatives of various ministries, or worthy missionaries, to speak, either during one of our services or at a special meeting. Members are encouraged to speak with them afterwards and consider God’s leading to support them in prayer and financially.