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Frequently Asked Questions  

1. Are there scholarships for mission trips?
2. Why are missionaries' full names not used?
3. What are the requirements for membership in the committee?
4. Our church sponsors missionaries already; why do we need more?
5. How are missions-related funds spent?
6. I am not called to be a missionary. Why should I support this ministry?
7. How do I know if God is calling me to be a missionary?
8. What kinds of missionaries are there?
9. How can we correspond with missionaries?
10. Christianity is losing ground all around us, don't we need all our resources at home?
11. Does "Missionary work" always entail living overseas?
12. How can I obtain help in witnessing to a (Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Mormon, etc.)?
13. What is an unreached vs. a reached people group?
14. Missionaries destroy local cultures, why don't we leave others to worship and live their way?
15. What are some of the main obstacles in the church to the work of missions?
16. Do I have to be ordained to be a missionary?
17. I don't feel called to go overseas, what are some other ways to be involved in missions?
18. I thought all nations already had a Christian witness.. why are we still sending missionaries overseas?
19. The world sends its best students to the US. Why not reach them while they are here?
20. What are the priorities of our global missions committee?
21. What is the current strategy in global missions for our church and in missions in general?
22. I'm a college student, are there missions-related classes that I can take for credit?

1. Are there scholarships for mission trips?

As with all church programs, ours has a limited budget. Often a scholarship can be made available but decisions are made based on need as well as our budget. Please contact us directly for info.

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2. Why are missionaries' full names not used in our website?

Basically for security reasons. Some countries do not welcome Christian missionaries. Additionally, some countries do not grant visas to individuals who may be involved in sharing the gospel. Sometimes we forget that our website and other documents can be seen worldwide and an indiscretion could be harmful to missionaries in countries where the gospel is resented.

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3. What are the requirements for membership in the committee?

Our main requirement is a heart-felt desire to see the world reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Global Missions Committee meets once a month on the first Monday. Meetings usually last 1 hour, but often times there is homework! Additionally, members are expected to support our efforts and, in general, to participate in organizing events, classes, etc. We are a friendly bunch, so join us!

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4. Our church sponsors missionaries already; why do we need more?

Simply put, because the need is huge and the call of Christ is for all to know the Father that none should be lost.

Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We cannot reach out to all the nations with the current numbers of missionaries. The US missionary force has been steadily declining for the last 30 years and many ministries overseas as well as in the US are lacking the funds and personnel to keep functioning. For almost any and every reason that we can think, be it economic, development, hygiene programs, medical benevolence, education, and even the spread of the gospel, much of the world still depends on a handful of nations to provide most of the missionaries. The US now provides maybe 35%-40% of the missionary workforce worldwide but its influence is diminishing while South American, Asian and African numbers continue to increase. There is no good reason why a church as active and wealthy as we are should be matched in numbers of missionaries by nations such as Korea or India who can hardly afford local missionaries yet are sending them worldwide.

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5. How are missions-related funds spent?

The bulk of our funds are spent in direct support of missionaries or mission organizations. These include: Mission Aviation, Medical Benevolence Foundation, the Haiti Education Foundation, Caleb Project, Wycliff Bible Translators, Antioch Ministries, Millennium Relief Development, Mars Hill Productions, Musalaha, some individual missionaries in the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) Frontier Fellowship, and a small amount is reserved for scholarships for Short Term mission trips for adults.

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6. I am not called to be a missionary. Why should I support this ministry?

Romans 10:14
But how can they call on one in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in one whom they have not heard? How can they hear without someone preaching to them, and how can they preach unlessthey are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Isaiah 52:7)

All of us are called to share the gospel. It is a misconception that only those in full-time ministry need worry about this or that they are the only ones prepared to do so. Simply put, we have received a blessing from God and with this blessing comes a responsibility. We are the children of Abraham by faith today.  Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Galatians 3:7) What was Abraham's assignment 4,000 years ago? What is ours today? God blesses through personal reconciliation to Him. Abraham's assignment was to use his blessings - both spiritual and physical to be a blessing to all the nations by sharing the knowledge of the living God that they may believe in Him. Ours is the same: to use our physical and spiritual blessing to announce His Kingdom within all nations, eg. to disciple all nations.

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7. How do I know if God is calling me to be a missionary?

Matthew 9:37,38
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

We have heard this scripture a million times, and while most Christians interpret this to apply to others, the fact is that God did not specify who was going to be a missionary and who would not. Missions, as we define it today, is simply the spread of the gospel. If your neighbor is Taiwanese, there is a good chance that he/she may be a Buddhist animist or atheist. Knowing this, if you decide to establish a friendship with this person in the hopes of being able to earn his/her trust and thus the right to share what you believe, you are doing missionary work. Please read that again!

You can be doing missionary work right in your neighborhood and reaching the nations for Christ simply by inviting your friends to come to your church and telling them how much Christ has meant. We usually call this "sharing the gospel" while if you get a plane ticket we call it "overseas missions". Somewhere we need to realize that EVERY Christian is expected to be active in saving souls. Telling people the good news of the saving grace of God does not require seminary training but simply a willingness to open your heart and reach out. Now, how do you know if you are called to be a missionary to a specific people group in the world? I can only say that the first step is to decide that you are going to be a missionary where you are today, start there. Learn about missions, take our classes, go on short-term opportunities. This may be a life-calling for you, but there is much to learn, so start now!

1 Chronicles 16:23-23
Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations.

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8. What kinds of missionaries are there?

Isaiah 49:6b
   ... I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.

Well, that is an easy question. The willing kind. Considering that you can use your current set of skills to perform missionary work in your own backyard, and that this applies to all reading this, the possibilities are innumerable. If your knowledge expands primarily in the field of music, for instance, you could become an ethnomusicologist. Such a person studies the native music of a people and helps them to develop Christian music that feels like their own. We are not interested in converting people to US culture. Far from that! The ideal is for the native believer to have in his/her hands hymns that glorify God in their tongue, their rhythms, etc. This usually goes hand in hand with translation work such as Wycliffe does through the world. So you could be part of a team with linguists, social workers, medical personnel, engineers, accountants, computer experts and others who have chosen to make missions their primary ministry. Some keep their secular jobs and are called "Tentmakers" after Paul who practiced his trade while journeying for the Lord. Or you can go "full time", raise your own support and take your skills anywhere in the world. A primary question, then, is what are your skills? If you know these, there are any number of agencies that would love to provide some guidance! Please contact us and let's talk if you are interested or even curious.

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9. How can we correspond with missionaries?

That really depends on the specific situation. Some missionaries live in countries that are open to the gospel and thus there are no security issues. For other missionaries, we may have to give you specific instructions that will safeguard the missionary and his/her work. It is a shame that in this day and age we are still engaged in "cloak and dagger" type of techniques to carry the gospel into some nations, but then again it has never been fully "safe" to preach about God even in the US or European countries. Who ever said that Christianity was boring should have spent some time talking to a missionary!

If you are interested in corresponding with a missionary, please speak with anyone in the Global Missions Committee, we'll be happy to set you up with the missionary of your choice. Missionaries love to get letters from 'home' and to know that they are not forgotten.

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10. Christianity is losing ground all around us; don't we need all our resources at home?

Revelation 5:9-10
Your are worthy …because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation …and they will reign on the earth.

God has purchased people for himself from every nation, not just from the US. While it is tempting to take care of ourselves first, the fact is that a church that takes care of itself first and then sees others is not what Christ ever intended. We are called to be "other oriented" in all aspects of Christianity and this is no exception. But actually the real news is that Christianity worldwide is increasing in numbers at a rate that is unmatched by any other major religion. Please see our Statistics page for more on this; we are NOT losing ground in the overall battle, and some would argue that we are not losing it in the US either. What we have seen and all acknowledge is the rise of the cults and occult as well as a resurgence of some heresies in the Christian church. This new openness leads us to 'see' for the first time influences that have been around for a long time. So don't despair, the battle belongs to the Lord, we are still growing and expanding and will soon have a viable local church in every ethnic group in the world no matter how remote or obscure it may be! Finally, consider this: Final Frontiers' Statistics indicate that every week some 3,500 new churches are opened in Latin America, Africa and Asia. This is primarily due to the fall of communism, the large increase of Third World mission agencies and missionaries and finally the past achievements of the Western mission movement.

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11. Does "Missionary work" always entail living overseas?

NO! In fact, you may never be "called" or asked to travel overseas. The notion that "missions" means "overseas" is false. It comes from a misunderstanding which sees the US as a Christian nation and sees non-Christians as those outside of this country. In this simplistic view, in order to help make converts you have to leave the country!. As mentioned elsewhere in these FAQ, there are plenty of important positions and roles in this country that need volunteers. What a shame that so many shy away from getting involved in missions because of fear that they'll be asked to relocate to some forgotten area of the world never to be seen or heard from again.

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12. How can I obtain help in witnessing to a (Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Mormon, etc.)?

The church library has some information on this topic. Additionally, the World Religions class and the materials provided in it should be helpful. If you have a more immediate need, please contact us directly and we will work with you.

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13. What is an unreached vs. a reached people group ?

This question is answered in greater detail in this page: People Groups. Basically, an unreached people group is one among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize their own people. They lack a church that has the numbers and strength to reach their own people. A reached people group is one among which there is a viable local church capable of preaching the gospel to their own. Notice that this is different from stating that everyone is a Christian or ‘saved’!

From Unreached to Reached, these are the usual stages:

First Stage: Pioneer - first contact with people group; no believers.

Second Stage: Paternal - New believers become learners as the missionary acts as a spiritual parent.

Third Stage: Partner - Nationals become partners with missionaries, and the two groups work together.

Fourth Stage: Participation - Missionaries are only invited guests of the national church, which stands on its own two feet.

The five major blocs of peoples that make up the majority of unreached peoples are: Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Han Chinese and Tribals.

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14. Missionaries destroy local cultures, why don't we leave others to worship and live their way?

This is a fallacy. All cultures are in a constant state of flux. They influence ours and we influence theirs. The question then becomes not whether a culture is going to be changed but by whom and whether its people will benefit from the change.  At some point in our culture we came up with this concept of the "Noble Savage" that permeates popular culture with some misconceptions: native peoples are presented as tall, muscular, fit, healthy, with keen eyesight, ears  that rival an owl's, the ability to read nature and the weather, etc. They are presented as almost super-humans who, if  left alone would do just fine.

Those of us that know native populations have a different picture: most are far from being the physical specimens that are presented in the movies; their many illnesses, lack of hygiene, promiscuous behavior, ignorance of basic agricultural methods, improper diets, internecine wars and other factors mean that most native populations have extremely high incidences of infant mortality, venereal diseases, extreme lack of certain vitamins/minerals that are not a part of their limited diet, etc. Life expectancy for Motilon Indians in Colombia South America is still in the mid 40's and they are not alone. Missionaries bring education and medicines to tribal peoples who desperately need them. They bring clothing,  sound agricultural techniques, basic hygiene education, help heal inter-tribal disputes that have exterminated more natives than any other single cause, and a balanced diet that helps them avoid diseases that are almost unknown outside of the jungles because we have incorporated these principles in our lives for so long.

Additionally, of course, the missionary also serves as a tie between the tribal peoples and their governments, which often times do not want to deal with the problems that these tribes have. Missionaries oftentimes are the only ones that defend  natives from the antics of traders that would enslave them otherwise. The education provided by the missionaries is usually the only formal education offered and is what tribes need in order to interact with the outside world which continually encroaches upon them.

And, oh yes, missionaries bring the gospel. Missions work to tribes would be better described as 80% developmental and 20% religious. But this 20% is the most important as it brings the gospel to people that may otherwise not hear it. The  gospel of Jesus Christ has always been a positive influence that frees people from the chains of animism. Here again, only  those that see this from the outside could possibly consider native religions as "good" for their followers. Christ brings with  him peace, equality, freedom and much greater prosperity to the peoples of the world than any other religious belief.

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15. What are some of the main obstacles in the church to the work of missions?

As we see them, the primary obstacles are:

1-) The church is fairly ignorant of the remaining task of taking the gospel to all people groups. As well, we are ignorant of helpful tools and information that would help to equip churches and promote involvement;

2-) Churches generally speaking do not have access to good teaching on missions, up-to-date and provocative statistics, breakthrough stories of unreached peoples being penetrated with the gospel;

3-) We seem to have majored in the minors and provide a program or a committee for everything under the sun . . . our churches sometimes resemble a supermarket of choices. But we have pushed aside the central task of the  scriptures which is to evangelize the world. Pastors and members are responsible for this situation, but we are also able to correct it!

4-) We have promoted misconceptions of who should get involved in missions - such as, misfits, super-spiritual Christians and those who sense a "call";

5-) The church sometimes is trapped in sinful desires so that it is incapable of caring for anyone other than itself;

6-) Finally, lack of patience. The church should be patient as well as supportive and willing for the work of their missionary to be that of sowing. They must also be very prayerful knowing that they are called to lift up the hands of their "Moses" while the battle for their particular people group rages. Only those churches who make long-term commitments of prayer for a people group and the missionaries working among them will likely reap a significant harvest.

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16. Do I have to be ordained to be a missionary?

Absolutely not! In fact some mission agencies specialize in working with individuals that do not have a seminary degree. In any case, ordained ministers can be used in many capacities, but the bulk of missions work is still done by thousands of people whom God has called to give their talents in this special fashion. If you are interested in talking about this or any other topic, please let us know! We'd love to help..    

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17. I don't feel called to go overseas, what are some other ways to be involved in missions?

One must not feel that missions always starts when you set foot on foreign soil. There are very large communities of foreigners and internationals living in our mist. Houston has now surpassed Los Angeles as the most cosmopolitan city in the US. Over 180 nations are represented in our mist. Workers are needed for this vibrant mission field. Other ways to serve include teaching the church about missions, lending your 'secular' skills to the work of missions (secretarial tasks, computer work, engineering support, etc.), volunteering in one of the many mission agencies in Houston is very easy. All that is lacking is YOU! All agencies need volunteers for a variety of tasks, just like charitable agencies and others. Tell us what you can do and we'll help you to get plugged in! This is easily some of the most rewarding work you'll ever do!

Please consider these valuable ministries: Prayer, Giving, Correspondence, Visiting, Hospitality, Short-Term and Long-Term opportunities, Committee Work and Mobilization. We'll be happy to give you more details about any of these.

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18. I thought all nations already had a Christian witness.. why are we still sending missionaries overseas?

While the bible translators have done an excellent job in general of conveying God's word for us, sometimes the use of certain terms has been confusing. Nations (or Basileas in Greek) is a geo-political unit such as Spain or Korea. This term is absent in the New Testament but for one exception. Elsewhere in the NT and in all of the OT the references are always to ethne or "peoples" .. this is a term that we use in missions, more specifically we use people groups. God has called us to establish a witness in every ethne not in every basilea in other words, God has called us to do precisely what our heart tells us God would do.. reach out to everyone. Virtually all nations have a Christian witness whether it is independent of foreign missionaries or not. However, some 10,000 people groups (some with 200 members some with 2 million) remain amongst whom there is not a viable, self-propagating indigenous-led church. That is why the task still remains to train and send missionaries to the world and to our own backyard.

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19. The world sends its best students to the US. Why not reach them while they are here?

What we see happening in America offers the church opportunities to plant churches among unreached peoples. God is bringing multitudes of internationals to our land as immigrants, refugees and students. It is estimated that 25% of the world's future leaders are currently attending U.S. universities and colleges.

This is a fantastic opportunity that is being largely missed by the church in the US. We have been conditioned to see the foreign mission field overseas but somehow we miss the great numbers of foreigners or people of foreign descent living in our mist and who still have ties to their homeland. It is certainly much cheaper and effective to reach students while they are attending our universities than when we have to go to their turf. There they do not need us. Here they do need our help and appreciate it tremendously. While we take the opportunity to help them, we also establish friendships that often last a lifetime and can lead to conversions. Some of us in missions have not seen a more fruitful area of ministry than college ministry to international students. CLPC works with an organization called ISFFP to reach our international students at San Jacinto College and the University of Houston. See our section for ISFFP. 

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20. What are the priorities of our global missions committee?

We endeavor to increase knowledge of missions at CLPC through our classes: Vision for the Nations, World Religions, and the World View Library. In addition, we remain committed to support our missionaries, maintain an active Short-Term missions program to Haiti and Mexico, involvement in outreach to international students, and other opportunities for evangelism.  

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21. What is the current strategy in global missions for our church and in missions in general?

In the beginning global missions were carried by monks and missionaries who traveled to the coastlands of the world and set up missions in the larger cities. Toward the end of that period, several organizations began to push toward the  inlands, to spread the gospel in the cities and towns that comprise the central areas of a country or a region. The current strategy is looking with a much finer point to see the world as being made up of people groups, not nations. Once thus divided, the task becomes easier to identify and catalog but perhaps more difficult as we see the real need. The large Church, for instance, has not touched the Tuaregs or Hans or the large Muslim populations in its mist. So, having a large church in a nation does not guarantee that all of its people are reached with the gospel. Current missions strategy identifies each one of these people groups worldwide and targets them with prayer, ministry teams, translation teams, etc. There are as of 1999 some 10,000 groups identified amongst whom there is no viable Christian indigenous church. However all of these people groups have been claimed by various churches and organizations worldwide and will have teams working with them shortly. CLPC's global missions program supports missionaries that are making a difference in these people groups and reaching the unreached. Please see more about the missionaries and efforts we support elsewhere in this site. 

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22. I'm a college student, are there missions-related classes that I can take for credit?

Yes! CLPC supports participation in a class called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. This is an intensive 15 week class that offers undergraduate and graduate level credit through The College of Biblical Studies and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. It is possibly the most up-to-date and best introduction to missions available today. Classes are offered in Houston every year. For the most recent schedule please visit this site: www.houstonperspectives.com

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