What is meant by "Missions"?

Missions is someone going somewhere to tell someone else about the Lord Jesus Christ. What is the Mission Field?

The Mission Field is across the street, across the state, or across the sea. Every Saint is a missionary. You are either a missionary or you need one.

What is Faith Promise Missions?

Faith Promise Missions is a Biblical means of supporting missionaries through the local church in a way that does not rob the church of tithes and offerings. Since it is by faith, it does not come out of your resources, but out of God's riches. It is not according to your ability to give, but according to your ability to trust God to supply. There are three types of giving taught in the Word of God.

First, the tithes. This is the 10% of your income (which is not really yours, but belongs to the Lord - Leviticus 27:30). We are told what we are required to do with the Lord's tithe in Deuteronomy 26:2, 10. Here we are taught that we are to bring the tithe to the place where the Lord hath chosen to put His name; we are to put it in a basket: we are to set it before the Lord: and we are to worship before the Lord as we offer the tithe. Therefore, the tithe is to be given to the local church and used for local church operations.

Second, is the free will or voluntary offering. This offering was to be received for a specific purpose and was given of a willing heart. One of the best pictures of this in the Word of God is the offering which was given to build the tabernacle in Exodus chapters 35 and 36.

Third, there is a faith promise giving. It is also sometimes called grace giving. Faith promise giving, as stated in its title, is giving by faith. This is a means whereby each individual in the church can make a promise to the Lord, by faith, that he or she will give a personal offering on a weekly or monthly basis for missions.

This is to be above their regular tithes and offerings for the local church use. This plan of giving by faith is illustrated in the Old Testament in the life of Hannah. She wanted to give a man child to the Lord, but did not have one, and could not conceive one. She went to the Lord in sincere prayer and made a faith promise simply, "if You will give me a man child, I will give him back to You". God did and she did.

Faith promise was practiced in II Corinthians 8:10-12, when a missionary need was presented at Corinth. The church at Corinth responded to the mission need in two ways. First, they gave an offering to them immediately. Second, they promised that they would give another offering for the same need in one year. Thus, they made a faith promise offering. Faith promise is not a pledge that you make to a church or a person, whether he is a pastor, missionary or evangelist. It is a promise that you make to God, simply promising that as the Lord enables you, you will give an amount above your tithes and offerings to the church for the missionary outreach of your church.

Faith promise giving to missions is very clearly explained in II Corinthians 9:7-8. This Scripture has nothing to do with tithes, but is above and beyond that.