It’s perfectly fine to be passionate about Missions and World Evangelism as long as it’s combined with actionable knowledge and skills.
Happy New Year, travelers! 2023 is here and it’s time to look ahead to the future. I’m currently mulling a blog series in my head but before I get to that there are a few article ideas that don’t fit neatly into a series. So, I figured I would start 2023 by penning these topics so I can expand them later if need be. Today, let’s look at the intersection of passions and skills in missions!
In a previous post we touched on what a formal mission plan was and what it entailed. I wanted to write a couple posts that’ll help prospective missionaries draft a mission proposal to show possible donors, loved ones, and pastors. To start, let’s look at what makes a successful business plan that will gain investors. Imagine two entrepreneurs…
Tale of Two Entrepreneurs
E1 is a young college graduate with a compelling idea: what if there was a suite of apps that helped a school stay on top of all the record keeping they have to do and would be both secure and convenient for teachers to use? E1 comes from a family of teachers and has heard their complaints for years. The solutions are swirling about in their head and they know that the solutions are found in this suite of apps. Only problem? E1 went to school for an Education degree with a minor in Business Administration. They have no idea how to create an app and don’t know anyone that does.
E2 is a middle aged insurance broker who dreams of starting a business and living a more financially independent life. After years in the insurance industry, E2 catches wind of an underserved market: foreign travelers that are visiting the US. They have a connection at another insurance agency that could sell them temporary travel insurance plans at wholesale prices. In fact, they even already have a few clients that they’ve booked as a test. All they need is initial investment to get started.
Okay, now assume you work for an investment firm. You are entrusted with other people’s money. Which of the two entrepreneurs above would you invest in? E1 has an inspiring idea and has the education to make that idea convenient to the target audience. Problem is that E1 has no idea where to start and doesn’t have the network to gain people who do have those skills. E2 has the expertise and network to make the business do well. They even have a few freelance test clients. E2 is a safe investment even if the work isn’t that exciting.
When it comes to gaining donors (the same as investors in a business context) the rules are slightly different but the outcome is the same. You are convincing someone else to buy into your idea/mission and contribute funds. The difference is what donors get in return as opposed to investors. Either way, no one will buy in without seeing that you have got what it takes to be successful. That’s why a Mission Plan is essential.
Passionate Cluelessness
In our day, passion rules the airwaves. Online gurus and the voices of our mentors tell us to “follow our passions” so much that we start to think that that is a fundamental law of the universe. However, the Bible takes a different approach. Proverbs 12:11 says the following:
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, be he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
It’s perfectly fine to be passionate about something. I’ve played musical instruments and sang for most of my life and at one time I was consumed by passion for music to a fault. I practiced more than needed, I was looking up tips and techniques online, and was doing my best to try and impress my mentors and instructors. Sounds like a model musician, no? No. Here’s the thing, I was doing all of that on my own and without proper instruction first. In my extended practice hours, I learned bad form that had to be beaten out of me in private lessons. Those tips and techniques made my singing lazy and lacked any real emotion. The hard work I did to impress my mentors only gave them a headache because I didn’t consult them first.
Passion can drive actions but it has to be informed passion. After all, if you want plenty of bread, you’re gonna have to work the field. The passionate desire to not starve is a driving force but if you don’t know the proper way to till, seed, germinate, and irrigate a field then that passion is all for naught.
Back to our two entrepreneurs. E1 may sound more passionate. They have family in the education world and have a degree in it themselves. Our modern eyes would say, “Yes! Give them the money they need to get started and the rest will sort itself out.” However, that is still a big risk. They may be passionate to not starve but they don’t know the first thing about growing crops.
E2, on the other hand, seems like an opportunist. They’re only seeking investment because they have opportunity to do so and probably didn’t grow up dreaming of owning an insurance company someday. Yet, the experience they gained in the industry after years of hard work will help them actually be successful with their endeavor. They know how to work the field.
Exposure Therapy
All of this was a long winded way of saying: It’s perfectly fine to be passionate about Missions and World Evangelism as long as it’s combined with actionable knowledge and skills. You have to know how to reach the Lost and how you’re going to be useful for the Kingdom. This is where our passion for missions meets our skill and talents that we’ve acquired over the years.
A “Formal Mission Plan” will really help solidify for yourself and others the WHAT that you will be doing on the field. Donors want to know how you will use the money and if you are approaching them with a simple, “I want to tell the world about Jesus!” then you won’t get many takers. They want you to tell the world about Jesus as well but they also don’t want you to crash and burn while in the streets of Kathmandu.
Write a plan so that any cracks or deficiencies in the plan can be exposed and worked out. Take that passion for working with children and put it into an actionable plan. It’s one thing to ask for money so that you can teach kids overseas. It’s an entirely different thing to ask for money to work with children at a Chinese orphanage in Shenzhen called Hope House (no association with any actual orphanages) as you teach them English Bible stories. Now we have a plan!
Once you have that plan, your mentors can help you pick it apart. Remember, I suffered in my musical pursuits because I didn’t have the proper knowledge and instruction to do it right. Learn how to work the field first before missions becomes a “worthless pursuit” for you.
Okay, I had planned this to be only one post but it’s a little long already so I’ll publish a second part next time. I hope that you take away the fact that passion is great but its not enough alone to be successful in winning over others to your work.
With that said, that’s all for now travelers.
May the Lord bless you and keep you until next time!
Kenneth See
SRM Founder