Christians give because they follow the example of their Lord who gives abundantly. This week marks our fourth Abounding In Thanksgiving offering for 2020. These offerings support our mission partners around the world as we seek to fulfill the great commission. So, here are 20 ways to consider giving to the offering this week. Maybe these simple ideas (borrowed from writer Chuck Lawless) will help you think about gifts you might give to missions this year:
Give to God’s mission the equivalent of the dollars (plus at least one dollar more) that you plan to spend for Christmas presents. Spend some dollars on eternity.
Give 1¢, 2¢, 3¢, 4¢, 5¢, $1.00, or more per unreached people group (@ 7000 groups). That would mean $70, $140, $210, $280, $350, or $7000. The sacrifice might be steep, but billions still need to hear.
Instead of giving gifts, give Abounding In Thanksgiving Christmas gifts in honor of someone you love. Many of our loved ones won’t be offended if do not receive a gift; after all, the world needs the gospel.
Give $10, $25, $50, $100, or more for every year you’ve been a Christian. How long have you been a believer? Even if you give multiple times that amount, though, you could never match what God gave you.
Let the Word motivate you to give. Read, for example, the story of the cross in the Gospels or Paul’s instruction to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 9. When we read and hear the Word, we really have no other option but to give.
Give sacrificially in honor of the one who shared Christ with you. Give because you have been the recipient of the gospel message. I am grateful for the Sunday School teacher and pastor who told me about Jesus.
Remember your largest gift given to ANY need — then add to that amount. Give more to Abounding In Thanksgiving than you’ve ever given.
Give 10% of our church’s Abounding In Thanksgiving target. The target for this offering is $17,000. If nine others join you, our church will meet the target. If more than nine join you, praise the Lord!
Train your children to give to missions their allowance or money earned at a job. The dollars may be few, but the missions DNA you’re developing in the next generation will pay long-term dividends.
Give to cover the cost of keeping a missionary on the field for a certain number of days. The daily cost is approximately $170; use that figure, and multiply it times the number of days you will cover.
Give sacrificially in honor of a veteran, retired missionary. We support multiple missionaries who have come off the field in their older years. These folks will always be missionaries who want to get the gospel to those who’ve never heard. Honor them by supporting that work.
Fast for one meal per week between now and Christmas, and instead give the cost for those meals to the offering. Praying and fasting will likely only increase our giving – and missing one meal a week won’t hurt most of us.
Listen to these Week of Prayer stories or watch these Dispatches from the Front, and be challenged to give. It’s hard to hear these stories and not want to sacrifice for the sake of the gospel and the world. We’re privileged to support brothers and sisters who are giving their lives for God.
Give 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, .20¢, or more per unengaged, unreached people group (@ 3000 groups). Help get the gospel to groups for whom there is no current witness.
Challenge your small group to reach a combined goal for our Abounding In Thanksgiving offering. Push one another to give and help each other follow through with the commitment.
Match your monthly gift to our church. Of course, I am assuming here that you give well to support our church. If so, do the same for the AIT offering. If not, commit to increasing both!
Sell some “stuff,” and give the funds to the nations. Many of us have much more “stuff” than we will ever need. We can live without it, but the world cannot live without Jesus.
Set up a recurring monthly gift to AIT. By giving this way, you can spread your giving through the entire year.
Give $10, $25, $50, $100, or more for every year that a missionary you know has been on the field. Multiply the years by the number you wish to give to determine your gift.
Prayerfully give until your faith is genuinely stretched. As I have taught the church, we should “feel” our giving. Many of us give only out of our excess. Ask God to help you to give until you are forced to trust Him to meet your remaining needs or until you must put off a desired purchase or use of your money because you gave it to missions.
As always, I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.
To read past Lunchtime Musings, follow me at medium.com/@mikeverway
Mike VerWay
Pastor for Preaching & Vision