Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. – 2 Corinthians 9:7

Please indulge me this week as I talk shop and expand a bit on my teaching from our final Sunday of Missions Emphasis regarding the Missions Faith Promise (hereafter MFP) we receive annually for our missions support. The past two Sundays have given us a wonderful start toward funding our missionaries in 2026!

Following are a few Q&A overviews, particularly for those of you who are newer to LifePoint and our strategy for missions giving. I will number them for ease of reading:

1. Q. Do we have to give to missions through LifePoint to be saved? A. Yes, Mark’s gospel tells us that Jesus came saying, “Repent and believe in the gospel” [and give to missions through your local church]. That, I hope, is an obvious joke. What you give to missions (or any other Christian cause) is between you and the Lord. We give because we get to, not because we must. For the record, the quote is actually “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

2. Q. Do we pay our MFP up front? A. Only if you want to. We are happy to receive it monthly during the course of the year, or any other frequency that works best for your budget. My wife and I give monthly.

3. Q. How do we designate our MFP? A. If you are giving via check, please indicate “Missions” or “Faith Promise” in the memo line. If giving through our online portal, utilize the drop-down box option to indicate what portion of your giving is to be designated to missions (or any other designation). All undesignated gifts go to the general fund of the church.

4. Q. Can I give if I am not a member of the congregation? A. Yes. Many non-members give to the ministry of the church. However, if you are a regular attender and a financial supporter of this ministry, why not consider going through our membership process? (smile)

5. Q. How are MFP gifts distributed? A. Our Missions Planning Team meets monthly to determine matters related to missions giving on behalf of the LifePoint Church family. All funds designated to missions at LifePoint are utilized for missions support. There are no exceptions to this rule.

6. Q. How does one become a part of the Missions Planning Team? A. All team members must be members of LifePoint Church for at least one year, have a heart for missions, be willing to meet regularly and to volunteer in other mission-related activities, and be a financial supporter through the MFP. Team members generally rotate every 3-4 years.

7. Q. Are MFP gifts anonymous? A. Yes. The only person who sees names associated with any offerings given to LifePoint is our financial secretary (for record keeping and tax purposes), and those who help count our physical offering on Monday mornings (however, their goal is to collect funds and designate them, not to look at names on checks).

8. Q. What if I/we pledged and we lose our income? A. My suggestion is that you stop giving to the MFP until you are able to support yourself and your family again. If the Lord blesses, you can always resume when you are financially able. Your missions pledge is based on what you are aware of in your life at this time, not what will happen in the future. No one can know that except the Lord. You are not making a binding vow before the Lord; you are promising to be generous as the Lord supplies for your needs.

8. Q. Should everyone love pastor Jym? A. Yes. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Blessings all! Please pray that our MFP will be generous and that we will utilize the funds faithfully for the advancement of the gospel!

Grace and peace

Pastor Jym

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