missions & aid

I recently heard a couple of lectures where the speakers pointed out that much of Christian giving is going to support large aid organizations such as World Vision and Tearfund and not to support mission organizations. As an example the speaker referred to one aid organization whose budget is around $75 million a year and growing. In contrast to this, the largest amount that any single mission organization received last year was only around a million dollars. (Sorry I can't give you the quotes on these figures, but it certainly is worth looking into!)

So I have wondered what the difference might be in people's minds between a Christian aid organization and a mission organization.

Aid agencies:
Socially driven
Vision and purpose cast in social terms
Share "the need" first
Have large funding available
compensate employees for all their work
usually require practical training and experience for a particular job
concerned for the image of God in society (assist the poor, restore dignity...)

Mission Agencies
Theologically driven
Vision and purpose cast in theological terms
Share "the gospel" first
Receive almost no outside funding
employees must raise their own compensation
usually require some kind of spiritual and theological preparation
Concerned for the mission of God in society (church planting, education, evangelism)

I think there is a huge gap between Christian aid and Christian mission agencies that shouldn't be there! I think the biggest question for Christian aid agencies is how to keep their theological foundation? And the question for mission agencies is how to connect their ideal theology -their doxology, eschatology, etc- with where people are on the ground. These are not questions just for the agencies to be asking, but especially for those who give the funding.