Impact is defined as having a strong effect on someone or something. I think all of us would agree that we want our lives to have a positive impact on the world around us. We want to make a difference. We want to know that our lives truly matter.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to have a spiritual impact. Jesus made this clear in Acts 1:8:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
At its core, being a follower of Jesus means being a witness to the world.
The congregational meeting last Sunday got me thinking. We approved a $2 million budget—the largest in the history of Eagle Church. That is a significant step of faith, and it reflects a generous congregation committed to joining God in the work He is already doing. In response to Jesus’ call to be His witnesses, Eagle will set aside 11% of that budget—$220,000—to support the spread of the gospel in our Judea and Samaria (local missions) and to the ends of the earth (global missions).
Then someone asked a simple but powerful question: What would it take to make that 12%?
In other words, how could we make an even bigger impact?
My challenge then—and my challenge now—is this: what if instead of asking the church to increase its percentage, each of us personally gave a little more, specifically toward an Acts 1:8 mandate? Not to Eagle’s general budget, but directly to the Great Commission Fund.
For the past 130 years, the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) has been the leading denomination in global missions giving as a percentage of income (Ronsvalle, The State of Church Giving Through 2022). That is not accidental. From the beginning, sending international workers into unreached areas of the world has depended not on institutions, but on the faithful generosity of individuals.
A.B. Simpson, the founder of the C&MA, led a deeper-life movement—a deeper connection with Christ that produced bold obedience and sacrificial generosity. Giving flowed naturally from hearts transformed by God’s presence.
This became even more tangible when I received the 2025 Alliance Impact Report in the mail. In 2025 alone, Alliance Missions invested $77 million for kingdom impact:
650 International Workers, including 49 brand new workers
82% serving among more than 200 unreached people groups
Ministry taking place in over 150 locations across 69 nations
$77 million given primarily through individuals.
That’s impact!
Giving to the Great Commission Fund is how we personally pick up the baton and participate in what God is doing around the world. And the compounded impact is extraordinary. Eagle Church has 228 giving units. If each one gave an average of just $100 a month to the GCF, that would amount to $22,800 every month, or $273,600 a year—more than doubling our missions budget.
That’s impact!
The question before us isn’t whether the need exists—the world has made that abundantly clear. The question is whether we are willing to respond. When we give to the Great Commission Fund, we align our resources with God’s heart for the nations and allow our lives to echo far beyond our own borders. May we be a church—and a people—who boldly invest in what matters most, trusting that God will use our obedience to change lives, communities, and eternity itself.
Ted Harris
Associate Pastor