By Pastor Phil Cooley
As a parent, I spend a lot of time thinking about the gifts that I give my children at Christmas. Some of the presents I give are the latest toy that has whipped my children into a frenzied state. (This category includes everything that has batteries solely for the purpose of making noise.) Other presents I give are chosen to communicate how well I know them. All of them are chosen with great intention as gift giving is an opportunity for me to express my deep love for them. We see the power of gift giving to express love in God’s loving act of sending His son Jesus to us as a baby, truly the greatest gift of all.
As we approach the end of 2019, I want to take a moment to again share with you a great opportunity to give the gift of love by helping to spread the name of Jesus Christ throughout the world. The Christian Missionary Alliance is inviting all its member churches to consider participating in their year-end missions giving focus, “We Will Launch”. My hope is that each of us would thoughtfully and prayerfully consider how the Lord is calling us to give to this significant mission.
The mission is significant. Forty percent of the world’s population has never heard the name of Jesus. The Alliance is focused on reaching out to these people groups. They anticipate big things in 2020 as “God has opened 12 new pathways to launch a gospel presence among lost, overlooked, and displaced people in the regions beyond.” With this year-end giving opportunity we have the chance to participate in these mighty works even as we are not the ones being sent.
Not only does the Alliance anticipate new inroads made in 2020 but new ministries have already been planted in 2019 as the Alliance has sent 60 new workers into the world. While these workers have established a foothold, our financial gifts will bless them and support them in their efforts to build what God has planned.
This Christmas season my family will be giving a gift to the “We Will Launch” campaign. I am excited to share with my own children how the decision to give a gift is a decision to love another person, even if we never meet that person. I am excited to share with them how the things we have can be used by God to introduce the good news of Jesus Christ to people that may otherwise never hear His name. As you thoughtfully plan your gift giving with your loved ones, I invite you to consider adding one more gift to that important list.