The 1 for 1 model is often praised as an innovative solution to poverty; however, while the hearts of companies may be in the right place, there are several unintentional consequences that often come hand in hand with this model that could cause more harm than good to those living in poverty.
The landscape of missions is constantly changing, but are we adjusting with it to remain as affective as possible? Do we adhere to the systems of previous generations at the expense of cultivating and empowering those who will carry global missions forward into the future?
As the approach to global missions evolves, heads now turn to the upcoming generation of millennials. While they are not perfect, there is gold to be found in those who will shape the future of the world as we know it.
In the wake of a changing global church, what should the local church keep in mind? How does the landscape of global missions change? How should missions agencies adjust to globalization? Here are a couple of things we found:
How one might teach others to live out their faith in one location might look completely different in another city. Many settings are multicultural now and that should be taken into account, so that we can navigate the challenges more efficiently.
While our Lord and Savior, Jesus, is the eternally the same, His church across the globe continues to grow and change with every year that passes. Here are a few things you might not realize about the global church in the modern world.
Christianity’s center of gravity is no longer moving north and west as it has in the past when Christianity spread to the western world. Now, the center has immensely shifted back towards the south and east.
The average missionary, like most non-profits, is in a perpetual state of fundraising. This is not as bad as it sounds however, many times it is for good reason. Though many missionaries are underfunded even well funded missionaries are constantly looking to increase their support health. The primary reason for this is that as a missionary's original objectives are achieved the ability to meet a greater need often presents itself, thus the need for increased funds and a never ending cycle of support raising.
