Lean Manufacturing and Missions

A random fact you may not know about me. I’ve worked in large corporations, and have experience working in ‘lean six sigma environments’. I’ve managed projects based on Six Sigma principles, and managed teams based on lean principles to make them more efficient.

Great! I hear you say. What is that?

Much of my work used to be (and to some extent in my current role still is) about process improvement. Removing waste from a process so that it is more efficient, faster, and more cost effective – without any loss in quality. Often, by removing the waste in a process, you actually get a better product in the end for less cost and time. That is lean six sigma in action.

Great! I hear again. So what?

I’ve been thinking recently a lot about the Great Commission (as you will know if you are a regular reader). I’ve also been thinking a lot about ‘churches’ (in this case, meaning the organizations we use to define church), and I think we have a lot of waste in our process.

And I am not the only one thinking it.

Today a post came along on Dave Black’s site regarding church planting in foreign countries - Can We Please Do Church Planting Cooperatively?

Dave has some great points, as usual. In his post, he poses this question -

How can we justify sending our well-paid church planters to Ethiopia when Ethiopian evangelists and church planters are eager to do the work themselves at a fraction of the cost?

Why do we send ‘expensive’ missionaries to a foreign country, when there are already many doing the work there for significantly less cost, with more effective methods? I am not saying that we can do all things remotely – there is always a place for people to go to an area to preach the Gospel or do other work. But in many cases there are already people there who we could ‘partner with’ to get the work done!

Lets take a look at some figures. Right now I just ran a quote to fly to Ethiopia next month – the costs range from $2100 to $4200 – for economy, per seat. If I were to go with my wife and kids, that would be 4 times that amount.

There are workers in Ethiopia right now, preaching the gospel full time, with wives and family who live on $40 a month (and struggle to get by). So for my cheapest airfare, for me alone, I could double the salary of one of these workers and still pay them for the next 2 years – that is two years of full time gospel preaching from someone who is local, knows the culture and knows the language.

And I haven’t even factored in any costs for me to do anything – that was just to get to the airport in the capital!

Again – I don’t want to discourage those who are called to the mission field, but we need to take a close look at what we are doing! Do we desire to go to a foreign country for selfish reasons (experience, cultural change, prestige?), or for completely honest reasons? Are the resources we are consuming in going to these countries disproportionate to the work that is being done?

There will always be needs to go to these places, such as going and helping with humanitarian needs, or helping teach those who are then preaching the Gospel, or many other things. But lets take a look – an honest look – and see if what we are doing is actually advancing the gospel, with the resources that we have been given – or if really we are just wasting what we have been given.

The Great Commission – Who can Go?

After our study last week on the Great Commission, I’ve spent some time looking around at missions and missionaries. I wouldn’t call it an extensive search and investigation, but a look around.

And what did I find?

No matter what you do, no matter what your experience, God can use you in the mission field.

Whether ‘at home’ (because ‘all nations’ means the one you are in too) or abroad, there are needs all over the world, even for people as strange as computer guys. And if they have need for computer guys, they need pretty much every one else too.

You see, we sometimes live under this picture that all missionaries go out and exclusively preach the world, evangelize, baptize and start churches. Not so! Preaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ is certainly the main focus, and in some way everyone participates in this work, but there is a lot of work out there.

Don’t believe me?

Take a look here, at the current list of needs just with one mission organization. And that is just a small list. Behind these people are those that support in prayer and financially. Those that organize and arrange behind the scenes. And not everyone goes with a formal organization like SIM. I challenge you – look, and you will find something that you could do.

So – no matter what you do, no matter what your skills are, God can use you. Introvert? Extrovert? Preacher, builder, IT Guy? God can use you.

It comes back to the church – the body of Christ. We are all parts of that body, and each a different part. I blog and am an IT guy – God can use me. You might be a builder, a plumber, a cook or a cleaner – God can and will use you too.

So the question now remains – will you go? And what will you do?

Skeletons in the Closet

Psalms 25:14-18 (NLT)
The LORD is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.
My eyes are always on the LORD, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.
Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress.
My problems go from bad to worse.
Oh, save me from them all! Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.

Cities are strange places. The are a conglomeration of humanity, a virtual stewing pot of peoples lives. And yet, in our modern interpretation of cities, we all have walls. We drive to work in our own cars, or maybe catch a train with thousands of others – yet never saying a word to anyone. We read our books, fiddle with our phones, listen to our iPods full of teaching, music or something just plain funny to get us through.

We are surrounded by masses of humanity in a city – and yet, there is so little communication we may as well live like a hermit in a desert. It reminds me of the old sailors rhyme – water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink….

So what can you tell about a person just by looking at them? In most cases, not much at all. You might be able to see affluence in their clothing or dress (and yet you could just be seeing credit card debt and slavery to fashion ideals), you may be able to see someone’s general attitude by their expressions or the way they stand or sit (but who knows what hides behind those smiles). At most, you can sometimes tell if someone is tired, though that is no guide with the advent of coffee and energy drinks by the thousand. You used to be able to tell the poor at least by how they dressed, but even not all who appear to be poor are so – just as not all who appear to be rich truly are.

I sometimes wonder as I am walking through a mall, or driving in traffic through masses of suburbia, who are all these people? What are they doing? Do they know God? Have they even heard of Jesus, apart from in blasphemy? What hurts and crimes hide behind their walls? What amazing testimonies are buried under the mass of humanity that surrounds them?

I was reminded of this again when someone I talk with online shared his story with me – you can read it here. Until that time, I had no idea what he had been through in the past – the past was just something inside of him that we can’t see just by being around, or reading, or even talking with him.

But it was there, the whole time. And his story is just one of thousands, millions, even billions of stories out there of people who are hurting, who are in need, who need to find a way out and through the pain of this life.

There are a thousand ‘escapes’ from the pain that many people suffer (drugs, alcohol, and more), but they all lead to deeper depression and more hurt. There is only one place that we can all go to for healing – to the God who created us all. He alone can heal our hurts. And He alone hurts more than we do when He looks upon the fallen and sinful world we live in.

So next time you are driving through suburbia, catching the train with thousands, or milling with hundreds in the city or the mall, take a moment to think – who are these people? What are they really doing here? Behind all the nice clothes and pretty makeup, what true stories hidden behind their masked smiles? What skeletons are hiding in their closets?

I beleive once we come to this point that we start to see and feel the hurts of others that we will develop true compassion for them. We will start to take the time to pray for them, to talk with them, and to share with them – there is a God who cares, and cares more than even they can imagine.

And He is calling.

What is the Great Commission? A Command to Go.

Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(This is part 5 of our multi-part series on The Great Commission)

Over the past few days we have looked at the Great Commission, and discovered that Jesus commands us with all authority, that we are to make disciples by teaching them and baptizing them, and that He will be with us.

And so now we come to the crunch. If we are a disciple of Jesus, we will do all that He commands us, just as we teach others. And what does Jesus command?

Go.

There is a time for preparation. There is a time for learning and knowing what to teach, and what you will share with others. There is a time to build up. But all of those times are not eternal – they are for a time and a purpose, and they come to an end. And when they do?

Go!

But where will you go?

You could be like Craig, who is going by ministering to the men in his city, men who would raise some eyebrows should they walk into a church today. These men need someone to minister to them, and Craig is in that gap.

You may be like Dave, who with his wife, goes regularly to minister to the lost in Ethiopia out of their own funds. God has given them a passion for the Ethiopian people, and they do all they can to support and minister to them.

Or maybe you will be like Roy, who uses his love of motorcycles as a door to minister to others who also ride, but don’t know about what Jesus has done for us all.

One thing you can be sure, whether you are called around your home or called across the world – God will call. He will prepare you, He will give you the words and He will make the way.

All that is left for you is to obey.

And Go.

What is the Great Commission? The promise!

Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(This is part 4 of our multi-part series on The Great Commission)

The last words in the Gospel of Matthew are the words of Jesus, and they are a striking promise.

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

A striking promise of faithfulness, from Jesus, who is God, who lived a perfect life, died a horrible death, yet rose again as prophesied on the third day.

The words could not be clearer. Jesus is with us always.

Not just on Sundays, or Saturdays, or just when we are praying. Jesus is with us always. We may only go to him once a day, once a week, or even less – but He has promised to remain faithful to us, and be with us always.

And it is these words that bookend what we call the ‘great commission’.

All authority has been given to Me….I will be with you always.

The great commission is not just a call to go and do things, but go and do them knowing that we are commanded by one who has all authority, and will be with us always.

Let’s just spend one minute on that. If He is with us always, He is with us during all our personal trials. He is with us when we are up, and when we are down. He is with us when we think we are alone, or when we are surrounded by others.

He is with us when we speak to others about Him. He is with us when we pray with others, teach others, disciple others and baptize others.

And some of these things aren’t easy. Sharing your faith with someone is not an easy task, and is often met with rejection, skepticism, and in some parts of the world severe persecution.

But we know this – not only are we commanded, the One who commanded is with us, and He has all authority. The circumstances of life in this fallen world may not be good (and probably won’t be good), but Jesus is with us, guiding us, teaching us, leading us to the place He wants us to be, to the place that will bring the greatest impact – whether we can see it or not.

Jesus has all authority – and will be with you always.

All that is left now is for you (and me) to go.