Choosing the Best

I had the joy of participating in the MK Re-Entry Retreat in Missouri a few months ago. While there, one of the missionary kids asked whether I wanted to go on the adventure course. “Absolutely!” We put on helmets and harnesses and climbed 30 feet in the air.

The height did not scare me, but I did not have enough strength or balance to walk across the wire. I had to abandon the quest. I think I made the best decision because a mishap on the adventure course may have prevented me from enjoying myriad other activities like glow in the dark dodgeball, a midnight Easter egg hunt, a Christian rapper, cardboard boat races, and a silent disco.

In leadership, we are taught to pick the very best over what is good. Through careful consideration and prayer, we determine the best course of action. This certainly applies to some changes WMU plans to make this fall at the request of our customers.

We are often asked, “Why can’t you ship materials in a box to our church once a quarter like Lifeway does? We don’t like WMU materials arriving at various times.”

We can do that, but at least two changes have to happen.

The first change is that all of our materials need to be on the same production schedule. Most of our materials are produced quarterly. Missions Mosaic is printed monthly. Overcoming this shipping obstacle means Missions Mosaic must become a quarterly resource, which will happen beginning September 2025.

The second change is in relation to how we allow magazines purchased by churches to be shipped to individual homes. Lifeway discontinued this practice decades ago, and skyrocketing postage costs likewise make this an easy stewardship decision for WMU. This will allow WMU to send churches all WMU material for every age level together in one box once a quarter.

While 90 percent of our customers are churches, 10 percent are individuals. I love retrieving Missions Mosaic from my mailbox at home. Like me, you have the option to purchase Missions Mosaic and have it delivered to your home with a postage fee.

I hope you, our cherished missions advocates, will see these changes as opportunities. For example, if you currently have Missions Mosaic delivered to homebound church members, this will give you opportunities to connect with them face-to-face as you deliver their magazines from the church shipments four times a year.

To be candid, I have fought against this change for years, but here’s what tipped the scales in favor for me: I don’t want our customers to continue to be frustrated by our materials arriving at different times or being lost. We send so many replacements. I want to be the very best steward of every dime entrusted to my care. Once I only considered the obstacles. Now I am truly excited about the opportunities these changes will bring as we seek to provide the very best resources using the very best solutions.

Father,

There is always competition for our time, talents, attention, resources, and hearts. Sometimes knowing what is best over what is good is really difficult. In 2025, help us weigh options carefully and make the best decisions possible.

In Jesus’ name, amen.