OMS Core Values
• HOLINESS — By God ’ s grace , we commit to submit to the authority of Christ and His Word , living lives of holiness , growing in Christlikeness by word , deed and all aspects of our lives ( John 17:17 ).
• FAITH — By God ’ s grace , we commit to live by faith , depending on God for all things , through prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit ( John 15:5 ).
• DISCIPLESHIP — By God ’ s grace , we commit to proclaim the love of Jesus through mentoring and discipleship in ministry , living out our Christianity as part of a community or team and partnering with other community members in a biblical manner ( Ephesians 4:11-16 ).
• ACCOUNTABILITY — By God ’ s grace , we commit to be accountable to God , to our leaders and to our constituents through faithful , persevering labor and good stewardship ( Luke 12:48b ).
• MINISTRY — By God ’ s grace , we commit to be involved in the fulfillment of the Great Commission through evangelism , church planting , leader training and partnership with churches to evangelize their nation and the world ( Matthew 28:18-20 ).
Taking Accountability
Seriously
By Travis Hamilton , Chief Financial Officer , One Mission Society
Editor ’ s Note : This is the fourth in a five-part series , covering OMS ’ core values .
Instantly blinded through an accident at work , Chuck Merrill and his wife Nita raised their nine children in extreme poverty . But blindness didn ’ t stop them from using what they had to help One Mission Society in its work around the world . Gifted as a musician , Chuck , along with Nita and their children , drove well over 1 million miles , singing at various churches and other Men for Missions functions , raising money to see the work of OMS continue around the world .
The sacrifices that Chuck and Nita made through traveling for the Lord and investing every extra penny they had into kingdom work was truly remarkable . Their lives epitomized the individuals in the parable of the talents . If Jesus had been talking about their lives in this passage , He would have repeated the words found in Matthew 25:21 , which states , “ Well done , good and faithful servant ! You have been faithful with a few things ; I will put you in charge of many things . Come and share your master ’ s happiness !”
Coming from a humble background , Chuck and Nita touched the lives of countless people . They raised money and awareness for OMS and its ministries , far more than most people will ever know . Chuck always told people , “ I would rather be blind and saved than sighted and lost .”
Knowing that many people sacrifice much in order to see the work of OMS continue , we take accountability seriously . Whether it is the few dollars raised by a children ’ s Sunday school class for Bibles for Africa ; a 24-year-old daughter , whose parents have entrusted her to become a missionary at OMS ; or the thousands of dollars given by a successful businessman , OMS strives to ensure the resources entrusted to us are used in ways that honor
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