Get Involved!
You don’t have to go to Outer Mongolia to be involved in missions!
Anyone who has been on life’s journey for any length of time will know that any effective endeavour is dependent on both front-line and back-office resources. For example, front-line people such as salespeople, doctors, judges and airline pilots cannot do their work with confidence and effectively without the necessary research, administrative and other support services.
I have become aware in recent years how many valuable, not-for-profit NGOs, established and operated by wonderful, committed and capable people are in need of improved back-office functions – e.g. assistance with human resources, better financial systems and processes, using modern communications methods and more effective planning. Simply, many of them need access to people with business experience and skills to help them to be more effective as an organisation through better back-office functions.
At the same time, we are living at a world when many of us ‘baby-boomers’ – those born immediately after the 2nd world war – are retiring and leaving the careers we have been in with significant experience and with deep ‘back-office’ and leadership skills. Isn’t there a match here?
If you are in this situation, give some thought to seeking out opportunities to serve and put back into the Kingdom or the local community, this expertise, either on a paid or unpaid basis. You have no idea how many opportunities exist – just think about examples such as:
- Mission organisations – speak to Jenni Kurten about needs that she is aware of for board members, people to serve as financial managers, etc in mission organisations.
- Charities – many have specific needs that they are not able to meet. There are opportunities to give some time and your skills to such organisations in the ‘back-office’ functions.
- Our own or other churches who often need resources in the administrative support areas – such as treasurers, communicators, etc.
If you have expertise, a heart to serve the Kingdom and some time on your hands, my experience is that there are many opportunities to serve. Use your talents – God expects it from you!
Take a look again at the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30.
‘Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
‘After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.”
‘His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
‘The man with two bags of gold also came. “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with two bags of gold: see, I have gained two more.”
‘His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
‘Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. “Master,” he said, “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”
‘His master replied, “You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
‘“So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
In his retirement, Roger Keyte has recently taken up a post as a member of the OM Global Finance Committee the Manager of the International Clearing House for Operation Mobilisation in the UK.
