Faith Promise Commitment

Supporting Global Missions

How Does Calvary Support Global Missions?

Each March, during our REACH Global Missions Week, we ask you to pray and then make a Faith Promise Commitment in your giving for the next fiscal year, which runs from July 1 - June 30.  By faith we trust God to meet your needs and commitment to this promise.  Our budget for missionary support and other Reach Global Mission programs are first based on the total amount our people promise to give.  Additionally, the Mission Ministry Team prays for God’s direction in the final budget.  New Calvary attenders or those who did not make a commitment in March are asked to participate with new Faith Promise commitments during our Missions Emphasis Weekend in the Fall.

 

The Reach Global Missions program is separately funded and budgeted.  The General Fund church offerings do not supplement or take from the Missions Fund.  When giving to Reach Global Missions you must indicate the amount of your check you want designated as such and write “Missions” on your check memo line or offering envelope.  You can also give online.  Any gifts not designated for “Missions“ go into the General Fund.  (As a matter of IRS policy, Calvary cannot accept checks designated to individual missionaries for donation purposes.)

What is a Faith Promise?

Faith Promise is a way of giving to Global Missions.  Rather than waiting to respond to individual appeals as they come along,  a commitment is made for a full year by returning the Faith Promise response card.  This makes missions giving strategic rather than sporadic, and allows the Missions Ministry Team to set a budget with more adequate knowledge of what God’s people have committed.  This is a promise to God—a commitment between you and the Lord. 

 

Your Faith Promise commitment says that you believe:

* global missions is vital to accomplishing the Great Commission of the church and that the Gospel can change lives,

* giving, although important, is secondary to faith and praying,

* God will help you pay the amount you have promised.

How Do We Support Missionaries?

Calvary missionaries are supported at various monthly levels based on where they are serving, their length and type of service, and financial considerations.  Calvary does not totally support any missionary.  All of our missionaries are encouraged to have many additional supporters, both financially and in prayer.  In addition to the monthly gifts, the Missions Ministry Team sets up a budget and distributes to our missionaries extra financial help in the areas of: scholarships and gifts; emergency needs; travel assistance; re-entry gifts for those on home assignment; outgoing help for new missionaries leaving for the field; housing assistance; and other support when possible.  In addition to monetary help, we provide care for our missionaries through cards and letters, phone calls, missionary home visits, specific prayer, and other forms of encouragement.  You are part of making this happen when you personally connect with a missionary family.  A listing of our current Calvary missionaries is available from the Reach Global Missions Office or you can pick up a current Missionary Address listing from the Missions Table in the Worship Center Lobby.

Why Are There Separate Budgets?

Reach Global is funded through your Faith Promise gifts which includes support for Calvary missionaries serving worldwide and special partnership projects.  In addition, Faith Promise helps to support the practical means of some local outreach partnerships (i.e. tools, supplies, publicity) to allow for the training of our missionary candidates, follow up opportunities for short term team members, and means by which members begin the process of missions.

 

Reach Local is funded through the General Fund tithes and offerings to the church, which allows for the participation in local outreach by our people.  Our criteria for local outreach involves the Three C’s:  Close proximity to the church, Consistent volunteer opportunities, and Christ can be proclaimed.  For more information on local outreach click on www.calvarylife.org/reach/local.

What Are Partnership Projects?

Over the last decade Calvary Church has been blessed by being able to partner with several mission agencies doing work around the world, in addition to our missionary services.  Over $450,000 has been given for: the printing of Bibles; radio airwave messages; training of nationals; scholarships; humanitarian aid; and disaster relief.  Because of a shortage in our global missions giving this past year, we were limited in the amount of projects we were able to do.  It is our prayer that fiscal 2012-13 will be a better year! 

Is Faith Promise Biblical?

In 2 Corithians 8-9, we see God channel His blessings from local churches to thise in faraway places.  Specifically, the earliest churches were sacrificing for the sake of the church in Judea.  It is our desire that Faith Promise is a modern equivalent of such generosity.  There are a couple characteristics about the giving in 2 Corithians 8-9 worth noting.

      • The gift is more than one can naturally afford (8:2-4)
      • The gift flows from presonnal commitment (8:5)
      • The gift is optional, but it is a "test" of God's love in our lives (8:8)
      • The gift is previously promised (9:5)
      • The gift is a tool for blessing in our own lives (9:6)
      • The gift is presonally planned and purposed (9:7)
      • The gift can be given cheerfully (9:7)
      • The gift is provided by God (9:8)

This offering is also referred to in Acts 11:27-30; 24:17; Galatians 2:10; Romans 15:23-33; 1 Corinthians 16:-9.

How Do You Make a Faith Promise?

1.  Pray for what the Lord would have you do and know what He commands He also enables.

2.  Commit yourself to make a faith promise, realizing that your faith will grow as you stay committed to that promise.

3.  Look for the different ways God will use you to supply your faith promise.

4.  Be faithful to give as God enables you.

 

Who can make a Faith Promise?

God gives to all of His children - rich and poor - the privilege of giving. Our giving is a test of our love. It is also a test to see if God can trust us with the money He gives us. Everyone must make up his mind as to how much he should give. God says to never force anyone to give more than he really wants to give. He loves a cheerful giver. We should not give, wishing we could keep it. God loves it when we give because we want to give. When we make a Faith Promise commitment we promise to give God more than we have right now! We pray and decide on the amount that we trust God to help us get and then we promise God that if He provide it, we will give it back to Him. We need to be careful not to use this money for our own purposes. Remember, this is a promise only between you and God.

What are the results of Faith Promise giving?

Joy, blessing, increased ability to give, thankfulness to God, and it will bring glory to God and help spread the gospel.