Scenario One:

Years ago, when my son Daniel and son-in-law Michael were developing the PowerPack, they wanted it to be superior to similar products, so they used their technological skills to find the best and most cost-effective components they could find that were already being produced by reputable suppliers. In most cases, such factories were in the United States, but in some, they were overseas. Their success was such that our PowerPack has been emulated by other ministries who wanted to design their own product, some of which are quite incredible.

Many of the chips we used were purchased in China (this was more than a decade ago). Eventually, arrangements were made for those specific components to be drop-shipped worldwide rather than shipped to us, and we shipped them to others. This saved us a lot of money in producing each unit. It also saved a month in production time, allowing the preachers globally a head start in evangelizing with the Jesus Film.

That process was logical and made sense. Still, I only revealed it to make a point. Imagine this …

Scenario Two:

Now, let’s consider an alternative scenario. What if we had decided that the best approach was to send Daniel to China to personally source the computer chips or, even worse, to establish and manage a factory to produce them? The sheer magnitude of such an undertaking would have been staggering, and the results far less productive than the logical method we chose. We would have had to cover his travel expenses, insurance, language school for many years, private school for his children, housing, visas, corporate registration with the government, attorneys, business permits, licensing, etc. He would have had to adapt to a culture he did not know, food he could not eat, a language he could not speak, weather he could not bear, and laws he could not understand. His very presence would have raised suspicion from the government, resentment from local businessmen, competition from competitors, and confusion among the general population.

Furthermore, these conditions would have made the final product economically out of reach for those who donated to purchase them (you) and left the preachers in every other land waiting for a product that may never arrive.

So, which scenario do you feel is best?

I suspect 100% of you will say scenario one is superior, and you would be correct. As described in scenario two, no business could last by implementing such a ridiculous business plan. Still, if it is silly to approach business that way, I feel it is tragic to only approach God’s business (missions) in that manner. I say “only” because sometimes, the only way to get the job done may be to send a foreigner. Still, due to the herculean efforts of missionaries in past generations, those days are almost entirely behind us.

Some of the items in the PowerPack were invented by Daniel and are exclusive to our system. For example, our “competitors” did not have a sound system (or a good one), so Daniel developed one and holds various patents. Soon, when word came back from our end users that it was burdensome to have to unplug the projector to plug in a microphone, Daniel added a second audio jack. When it was later determined that sometimes the preacher needed a tribal interpreter, Daniel added a third input. He found that by using our 3D printer, he could create the amplifier case in-house at a cheaper cost than paying for one-at-a-time construction elsewhere.

So, you see, sometimes there is still a need for American input, innovation, and participation. Our key to success is to equip the national preachers to do what they do best as we Americans do what we do best, and in some cases, do what only we can do.

This perfectly illustrates the Biblical ministry philosophy of the Final Frontiers, Great Commission Fund. We do what only we can do (raise support, develop and provide tools, etc.), and they do what they can do better than us (reach their peoples and tribes with the Gospel in a manner acceptable and understandable in their culture). This method eliminates the need for deputation, furlough, language school, and cultural adaptation. It cuts right to the core of the need and answers it. And what does our method cost? Globally, national missionaries (church planters) can be supported on a ratio of about 100 to 1 compared to American or foreign missionaries. This is not to say that churches should not support American missionaries, but rather, from a stewardship standpoint, admonish us that considering the ratio, any American we send had better be good. No, make that great!

Since a monthly salary for a national missionary is typically between $25 and $500, many churches and families could support one or more full-time. So, we created the Great Commission Fund, enabling anyone who desires – to give any amount they choose, at any frequency they choose. We combine theirs with the offerings of all the others and subsidize the ministries of thousands of national missionaries. (There’s that ratio thing again.) In addition to the ratio factor, most of our men, probably 85%+, are in closed or restricted countries where foreign missionaries are inhibited or prohibited.

So, if we are going to fulfill the Great Commission, what better way than with the Great Commission Fund? In a nutshell – collective giving provides the funding to assist those with unlimited access to reach their tribes and countrymen for Christ.