Have you ever thought about the idea of a financially sustainable mission work? I sure have. That’s the dream, right? A mission work that has the capacity to sustain itself financially and continue furthering the Gospel of Jesus without the need for ongoing foreign funds…But is it possible?

That’s the question we are wrestling with as a mission team. Not only do we believe it is possible, but we actually believe it is within reach. One of our major priorities is to be able to sustain the mission work in Mbale, Uganda by using what has already been given to create further ongoing funds for the ministry, plus initial support from partners. And the main priority in this endeavor is to build an apartment building that will provide needed middle class housing in the growing city of Mbale in a convenient location, while giving the mission ongoing funding from right here in Mbale. It may not be 100% sustainable from within (yet), but to be able to provide income that will go directly into the ministry is certainly possible!

The idea of ministry (or mission work) being supported by others is the norm in the modern world, and has been for generations. Truth be told, it has been common since the FIRST missionary was sent: Jesus. When the Father sent Jesus to Earth “to seek and save the lost”, he was supported by several disciples, mostly women. We see this very clearly in Luke 8:1-3 where it says, “They provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples.” Though Jesus did not collect money when He spoke, He also wasn’t 100% self-supporting…he had help from His followers.

Even Paul was supported by some church communities for his mission work. In 2 Corinthians 11:7-10, we see him talking about support for the work in Corinth coming from churches and brothers in Macedonia: “the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.” Mission work has been supported by partnering churches since the very beginning.

The Mbale Mission work has been supported by our friends and partners for THIRTY YEARS! Since the work in Uganda began in 1995, we have had many churches and individuals who have sold their goods and contributed to the work in order to plant churches, train church leaders, hold conferences and teachings, and support the growing mission staff. We continue to be thankful for – and humbled by – all the supporters and partners of the Mbale Mission work; even those we may never meet or know their names. Those partnerships have been – and continue to be – amazing blessings!

Paul even goes as far to say that when the church in Philippi partnered with his mission work in Thessalonica, it wasn’t about the financial support but about them partnering with the work God was doing in the world. In Philippians 4:14-19 – “…even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.” This was THEIR act of worship, of sacrifice, in partnering with the Holy Spirit (through Paul). To Paul, it wasn’t about the money (cue Jerry Maguire quote: “SHOW ME THE MONEY”) or gifts they sent, but about their partnership. He was so thankful that they showed the maturity and commitment to the work of the Lord by sending him aid. And for our partnering churches, this is also very true! What these churches have done to partner with the work of God here in Uganda (and all of East Africa) is an amazing testimony to their faithful-faith in Jesus, and their commitment to the Great Commission. Each of these churches will testify that they have been blessed, encouraged, and strengthened by the years of partnering with the work in Uganda. To this, we rejoice and praise God!

But there is a time and opportunity for Ugandans and the churches here to significantly contribute and financially support this mission work. This is also biblical for the Church in Uganda to mature and grow. Paul says in Acts 20:32-35, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” While Paul was in Ephesus, he worked to provide what he (and his companions) needed so that they could do the ministry. And we believe that this is a great example to the Ugandan Church that “it IS more blessed to give than to receive,” and it is right and good for us to provide what is needed from within…at least to begin that journey. We are maturing. We are growing!

In Acts 4:33-35, Luke tells us that the ministry was made possible by people from within the community sacrificing and providing what was needed; and “God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them.” From within! This growth and maturity produced much faithful fruit because it demonstrated that they truly trusted Jesus for all things.

So, we are embarking on this journey to reflect our maturity in faith and to be able to work to provide what is needed. We are taking steps (and have been taking steps for the past two years) towards this goal. But now things are getting serious! Because of a generous donation at the end of 2022, we were able to jump-start the idea and now have all design work created and approved for the start of construction. We have construction partners here in Uganda ready to help us begin and we have estimates for the total cost of constructing, as well as piece by piece. Just look at this building…isn’t it beautiful!

We now believe that to construct the planned apartments it will cost between $400,000-$450,000 (US dollars) – yes, you read that correctly. As many of you know, I spent time traveling America in June and July 2024 consulting with business, construction, property, and church partners who, after seeing the cost analysis and income expectation, felt very confident in both the ability to raise these funds AND the that the income justifies the expense.

We believe that in order for this to be of real significance to us here in Mbale, we also need to have “skin in the game,” so we have begun analyzing how we can best raise some of the funds with current mission resources. Namely, we are looking at two pieces of property that are not currently being used, which we could sell and put those resources into the new apartments. This means that we are not only looking ahead to what we can do to help provide what is needed here in Uganda, but we are also looking at ways that we can be a part of TODAY’s solutions. We are really excited about what this could mean for our spiritual, relational, and professional growth.

Once the apartment building is constructed, we will be able to fund the majority of ongoing ministry from our own income, thus creating stability and sustainability in the churches of Eastern Uganda. It won’t be completely self-sustainable (yet), but it is a huge step in that direction.

So, we are asking YOU to join us in this important step of growth. If you can help us with one major push to help raise the necessary funds, then you could be part of launching a ministry into the next phase of growth…sustainability. We pray that God moves you to be a part of this major fundraising effort, which will have a lasting impact on the ministry here in Uganda!

Next week is Giving Tuesday and we are very near the End of 2024. If you, your family, your business, your church, or your neighbors would like to be a part of this next BIG step in the Uganda Mission Work, please reach out and let’s look at how to do this. Thank you!

If you have any questions or want to discuss, please reach out to me through our Contact Us page. Details on how to give to come…