Mycaring FAQ
See our statement of faith.
It means the local church is at the centre of training and sending people into cross-cultural church planting among unreached people groups. The local or sending church is the context in which cross-cultural missionaries are nurtured and discipled, identified by church leadership, and thrust out by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-4).
When a person or church approaches WEC about moving into a cross-cultural church planting ministry, WEC takes the lead from the church in the following three areas:
- confirmation of that the person's walk with God is vital and growing, and that the person's character (not necessarily gifting) is suitable for leadership in their church
- sensing that God is moving both the person and the church towards that particular missional vision
- consequent willingness to send the people through WEC and support them prayerfully, financially, emotionally and practically
If the church can affirm these three areas then the church, together with WEC, proceeds towards facilitating the person's ministry. If the church cannot affirm these three areas then WEC will not proceed with facilitating the person's ministry.
Around 30 other Australian mission groups, along with WEC, identified with what has become known as the Croydon Declaration. It was a joint statement apologising to the church for certain patterns of behaviour that tended to leave the local church with less opportunity to fulfill its role in God's global purposes.
At WEC Australia's national conference in 2004 Evelyn Hibbert, an international trainer for WEC, challenged delegates with the concept. The conference agreed to pursue the approach across all our training and sending ministries. Since then WEC Australia's teams have been working at implementing the concept.
As stated above, the local church is the context in which God identifies people who are being sent by the Holy Spirit into cross-cultural church planting ministry. WEC's equipping and support for local churches has several elements:
- tools to help sending churches decide whether individuals are suited to cross-cultural church planting ministry.
- specialist training in cross-cultural church planting.
- partnership with sending churches in providing practical and pastoral support for church planters once they go overseas.
Historically WEC Australia has had a significant ministry to the local church. However, WEC tended to follow certain patterns common among many para-church organisations. Instead of the local church being the context in which God trains, identifies and thrusts out workers, people would engage with a para-church organisation, such as a missions agency. The agency would then formulate a training, orientation and support raising program for the recruit. Many times the church would just be told of what is happening and asked to support the project.
Each WEC area of ministry around the world operates autonomously, with decisions made by the people involved on the ground together with their field leadership. The sending church does not have a direct say but does have a level of influence corresponding to their level of engagement with the particular ministry. However final decisions are made by field.
We identify with scriptures such as Ephesians 3:1-11 that speak about how the gospel has reconciled Jew and Gentile, bringing them together in a gathering. This gathering is testimony to the purposes of God accomplished in Christ and is central in God's mission. It is both the vision of the Great Commission and the means of fulfilling it. We are sent by our sending churches to plant new churches among unreached people groups through WEC.
WEC identifies six key ministry areas needed for the sending of cross-cultural missionaries: training, member care, mobilisation, media, logistical support and leadership. Each of these areas are fulfilled through a combination of sending church and WEC resources. A church may include particular skills, for example, financial planners who can help their cross-cultural church planters. If not WEC can help meet that need through its network. Many sending churches are now choosing to draw up an agreement between themselves and WEC so as to ensure each understands their roles and all areas are covered.
No. But as a guide, before people go to a ministry area for the first time they need to have their plane tickets in hand, set up costs, several month's living expenses, and a good indication of continued support.
For most Christians in Australia, God faithfully provides through a job, business, pension or some sort of economic activity. People in WEC, however, perform a service that generally does not produce an income, either for themselves or for WEC - WEC Australia does not pay a wage to any WEC missionaries. All people serving with WEC are volunteers, some full and others part time.As they share their vision for the world with churches, small groups and individuals, God faithfully provides financial support for our workers.
People serving in WEC who have low support are encouraged to seek the Lord in fellowship with their field leadership. If required the field will consult the wider leadership, including WEC Australia and their sending church/s to find solutions.
Each field determines a guide as to basic living and ministry costs within the country. On top of that each person decides if they would like to add components such as superannuation, home assignment travel, or insurances. The final level of support, then, is different for each person.
WEC stands for 'Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ' and reflects our desire to give the remaining unreached peoples of the world an opportunity to respond to the gospel.
God directs our ministry, often challenging us to bold faith. Therefore, we do not let finance determine our ministry, rather God's hand on us as individuals and as a fellowship determines our ministry. Finances can be a part of the circumstances through which God guides us but they are never the only one.
WEC the organisation does not have a large source of income and each person serving in WEC needs to see God, through his people or other means, provide both their personal and ministry needs. It does have some income through ministry activities, gifts, and bequests. Like all areas of WEC ministry, WEC Australia sees God provide for its role of facilitating Australians and their churches to plant churches among unreached people groups.
No. All money given to our Australian personnel or projects goes to them.
Gifts to WEC are not tax deductible. However, there are some avenues for particular situations that allow for tax deductibility. Please contact our Support Services team for more information.
If you would like to arrange to leave WEC a gift as a part of your estate then please contact Support Services.
WEC does not make financial appeals. Our priority in serving is always to give. Therefore finance is not a dominant feature of any singular communication or ministry unless there is a relational context that allows the WECer to take the initiative in talking about finance.