To Whom Should We Give?

God often calls us to give to people who have the knowledge and resources to further His kingdom in a particular way. But as stewards, our goal should be to invest in other stewards who wisely use what God has given them. We should invest in those who are effective, efficient, and, to the extent possible, local to their area of ministry.

1. Effective: A ministry needs to accomplish a useful purpose. Some ministries seem to exist because of tradition. Effectiveness can be measured by the fruit of a plan’s efforts. Does it work? If not, can it be adjusted to work? Simply being busy does not translate to effectiveness.

Although ministries and nonprofits do not exist to be profit-making enterprises, they can generate customer-demanded services. But regardless of whether they create any products or services, they should be profitable in the sense of producing results and creating value.

2. Efficient: Because the Lord has called me to invest in other stewards, I seek partnerships with people who spend less than they make. The efficient use of personnel and resources can mean smaller staffs with higher output.

Businesses and ministries alike often have too many people doing too few things. Having one person doing multiple kinds of tasks or subcontracting out certain portions of the ministry can enable staff reductions and greater efficiency. Efficiency can also be viewed in how expenditures are managed. This means ensuring that purchases are necessary, produce value, and contribute to the organization’s priorities and long-term view. What matters is doing work that is crucial to the enterprise.

3. Local: I also look to invest in organizations that are run by people who are local to the area the organization is serving. Local workers understand the culture and people of their own area. This is not to suggest that just any local person will do. Find the most qualified person possible for even the most grassroots jobs. Employing local people in ministry also reduces the expenses associated with language training, cultural training, and travel to the field of service.

I think people who are not local can best support a ministry when they have a particular expertise and can then train local people to do that skill within their own ministry. This speeds the pace of the local people’s ownership of their ministry and effectiveness in the task.

Dear Lord, guide us to the people who are doing Your work in Your ways. Amen.