We believe that followers of Jesus are called to be joyfully and radically generous. As a church we’ve adopted this as a core commitment from day one. We have set our course to be faithfully making disciples and also able to meet needs as they come up. We’ve done without certain experiences and expenditures so that we can continue to give sacrificially from our shared resources. We want to be both organic in approach AND organized enough to continue to have an ongoing and lingering witness in our cities and neighborhoods. And your ongoing generosity is part of what God uses to make that happen.
Our financially generous acts as wildflower seeds which take root in both the places we plant them and in places we never would have expected, but together form a beautiful landscape of kingdom resources being utilized in making disciples and meeting needs around the world.
In a world that tries to tell us to hoard our resources and believe the lie that there is never enough, we strive to embrace the reality that in God’s kingdom there is more than enough and we are called to faithfully steward not just a portion, but all of our resources as what they are- kingdom resources.
As a community we pool together some of our resources in line with what we have discerned God has called us to give. This number isn’t a set percentage, but for some it’s a very generous 2% and for others it’s a generous 20% - the invitation is to sit with the Spirit, your community, and your budget and discern what is God calling you to give in this season. We then take that money and budget it for our community to continue being formed by God, together, for the sake of others as we witness to the good news, make disciples, and meet needs.
I know each season of life comes with its own unique temptations to forget we are stewards of kingdom resources (time, talents, and treasure alike.) None of us is immune to the cultural poisons of fear, scarcity mindset, or greed- so in each season we lovingly call ourselves to remember the gospel and invite one another to faithfully, joyfully, and radically steward all we’ve been given as kingdom resources!
Here’s a few updates on how Missio has been able to use our shared resources so far this year:
We were able to pay Kevin during his three month Sabbatical that should be finishing up the end of July.
We were able to provide emergency housing and resourcing to several individuals seeking refuge during domestic abuse.
We have supported church planting teams in 6 different nations. (Both financially AND pastorally.)
We’ve contributed to the local and global movement of the gospel through the Soma Family of Churches.
We have helped disciples seeking healing in therapy.
We have been able to keep our Mesa hub up and running- rent, insurances, inspections, internet- and all the unglamorous stuff that allows us to be a place of rest, healing, equipping, and sending in the East Valley.
We have been able to offer discounted rent to a new church being planted.
We have funded two part time and one full time gospel worker in Mesa.
We have been able to offer space to another church who is in the process of building in downtown Mesa.
We have been able to host cohorts, gatherings, parties, funerals, and art installations in our downtown Mesa space..
We have been able to resource MC leaders and plant seeds of new initiatives.
We have helped with rent payments in gaps between employment.
We helped subsidize the youth MC’s retreat- enabling all families in Missio who wanted to send a student to be able to.
We’ve provided financial assistance to multiple Missio members (rent, legal help, utilities, moving costs, lost wages.)
There’s more, but this is a pretty solid list already and I’m not sure many are still reading.
Oh yeah, thousands of meals, coffee’s, and acts of radical everyday generosity happening in your homes, schools, and neighborhoods.
Thank you for joining together to make disciples and meet needs with Missio.
Thank you for arranging your finances, living on less so that we can continue to be a blessing.
Let us continue to examine our hearts, our budgets, and follow the leading of the Spirit into joyful, radical generosity!