The bread pledge

• Pledging commitment together can be a team-building exercise for mission councils or committees.
• The pledge emphasizes enriching the lives of others, raising concern for missions to bring Jesus to the world.
• Having a team make a pledge together recognizes the value of the members' participation in the task before them. By using the metaphor of bread, this pledge calls to mind Jesus' words about the bread of life.

Bread is the world's most widely eaten prepared food. Most bread is made from wheat, a biblical harvest symbol. If we take Jesus' Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 seriously, we'll understand that outreach to the nations is as basic to the mission of the church as bread is to nutritionally balanced diets.

Using this bread pledge can be a team-building exercise or as an officer installation event. By using this pledge, you ask people to commit publicly to certain things. The idea, of course, is that when people say something publicly, they often feel internal pressure to follow through. Thus, a pledge like this can result in increased commitment from those serving on a missions council or committee.

Pledge for missions committee or council members

• We will work to enrich the lives of others
• We will seek to raise the level of concern for missions and missionaries
• We will be aware that our work has great value in the sight of our Lord -- just as bread has great food value
• We will work to bring Jesus, the staff of life, to the world

"I am the bread of life" — Jesus of Nazareth in John 6:35

This pledge can be used in a variety of situations, including installation services and planning retreats. Small loaves of bread can be given out to those participating in making or affirming the pledge.

    -- Howard Culbertson,

More help for local church world missions leaders

• Conflict management
• Handling difficult group members
• Council meeting icebreakers and motivation candy
• Resourcesfor Nazarene Missions International
• Checklist for local church NMI presidents