So, BUGB has altered the title, but the role is largely the same.  The "Home Mission Fund" grant visit is a big thing for small churches, and one of the hats I currently wear is as HMF visitor for a small church.  This morning I am reading their paperwork and trying to formulate questions to ask them when we meet in a little over a week's time.

It is always intriguing to see what isn't in the reports as well as what is, what the church chooses to explain and what it assumes you already know.  The little church I visit is doing some great stuff in its local community and its minister is working very hard and very creatively.  Yet there are tough questions we need to ask because this about spending other people's money in a way that best serves the needs of the Kingdom.

I claim that I take the 'bad cop' role and ask the tough questions leaving my colleague (we always take a church member as an equal partner in this) to play good cop.  But I always endeavour to balance the tough questions with some of our own vulnerability as another little church (... I notice x seems to be the case, it would be so for us too, can you tell me more about it... that kind of thing).

HMF Grants - or BUGB Mission Grants as the rose is now known - are a really good thing but there is also a real challenge to employ scant resources responsibly.  So it is a privilege to take part in this, but also it behoves me to ask the tough questions about giving, about commitment, about risk taking, abut mission.  I am looking forward to meeting the good folk at 'Oriental Drip' Baptist Church and hearing their news and working together to discern how financial support can be best employed.