Missions as an Overflow of Grace
by Lynsey Auman, Director of Missions & Connections
Following Jesus has a kind of rhythm to it. We receive His grace, His love, His mercy, and as we are shaped by Him, that life begins to move outward through us. Not out of obligation, but because that’s what living things do. We breathe in; we breathe out.
That’s how we’ve come to think about missions at The Village Chapel. It’s not a separate program or a polite add-on. It’s part of what it means to be whole disciples of Jesus. It’s the natural “breathing out” of a life shaped by Him.
From the beginning, we’ve believed that loving God and loving our neighbors belong together. Jesus didn’t just teach about the kingdom of God; He embodied it, moving toward people, serving them, and inviting them into new life. When He tells His disciples, “As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you,” He makes it clear that following Him means being sent. If we want to be whole disciples of Jesus, our faith has to take shape not only in what we believe but in how we live, give, and serve. We want to be a church where the good news of Jesus is demonstrated in both word and deed.
If we want to be whole disciples of Jesus, our faith has to take shape not only in what we believe but in how we live, give, and serve. We want to be a church where the good news of Jesus is demonstrated in both word and deed.
One of the clearest ways this conviction shows up at TVC is in how we give. From every financial gift that comes into the church, 15% is set aside for missions, right off the top, before anything else is paid. That means every time you give to TVC, you are already participating in what God is doing in our city and around the world.
That shared generosity allows us to support a wide range of trusted partners whose work generally falls into three areas: justice, mercy, and evangelism. Rather than trying to do everything ourselves, we choose to come alongside organizations and missionaries who are deeply invested, experienced, and aligned with our beliefs. Through these partnerships, we’re able to do far more together than we ever could alone. We are deeply thankful for the work our partners do year-round and grateful that, as a church, we get to join in what God is already doing.
We also want to steward those relationships well. Our Missions Board is made up of TVCers who generously volunteer their time and expertise to oversee the missions budget, maintain relationships with partners, and keep us all informed about needs and opportunities. When we serve with a partner organization, a Missions Board member often helps lead and coordinate that effort. Their wisdom and faithfulness bring an important layer of care and accountability to how we engage, and we’re incredibly grateful for them.
At the same time, we are reminded that financial generosity is only part of the picture. We want to be a church that shows up with our time and presence, not just our resources. We call our hands-on opportunities “Serve the City,” and they take many forms, sometimes all-church projects, other times opportunities within specific ministries. Our hope is that serving becomes a shared rhythm of our life together, not something done by a few, but something practiced across generations and communities. It’s also important to us that we stay connected to real, ongoing needs in our city, especially through our mission partners. One of our long-term hopes is that every small group and home group would find ways to meaningfully serve together, meeting needs in our communities while growing more connected to one another.
Another piece that’s especially meaningful to us is inviting every age and stage into this. Each year, the Missions Board allocates funds to our Kids, Youth, College, Men’s, and Women’s ministries so that each group can engage in hands-on service, not just giving financially. A recent example of this is the annual TVC Kids project, where children pray for and assemble care packages for kids at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. It’s simple, but it’s powerful: kids serving other kids. They’re not just hearing about loving their neighbor; they’re practicing it.
At the end of the day, we want to be a church shaped by the Word, formed in Worship, living as His Witness, and enjoying Withness. We don’t claim to be experts in every area of need, but we do want to be faithful, thoughtful, and generous in how we engage the world God loves.
We don’t claim to be experts in every area of need, but we do want to be faithful, thoughtful, and generous in how we engage the world God loves.
Our prayer is that missions at TVC would continue to shape us into people who love well, give generously, serve humbly, and follow Jesus with our whole lives, for the good of our neighbors and the glory of God. We breathe in His grace. We breathe out His goodness.
