Mission agency, CMS NSW, has raised more than $500,000 as part of their annual end of financial year appeal.

The ‘One Life, One Mission’ appeal is a way for the organisation to encourage Christians to give to mission work throughout the world.

Associate General Secretary Malcolm Reid explains that while CMS has been blessed to receive the funds that they have, they still require another $900,000 to reach their target of $1.5 million.

“If we don’t raise the required funds we may have to look into liquidating some of our assets,” he said. “[If we do that] we may have to reassess our candidature procedure next year.”

Mr Reid explains that if the target is not met they won’t be bringing any missionaries home, but it will affect their work in the future.

“It won’t have an instant effect; we’ll see the effects in the years to come,” he said. “We want to buy a new missionary house; but we might not be able to do that.”

CMS General Secretary Malcolm Richards and Chairman Robert McPaul sent a letter to supporters last week, asking for financial and prayer support.

“As the 'One Life, One Mission' appeal draws to a close we ask you to pray that we would receive the funds we need to keep our missionaries engaged in ministry across the world,” the letter said. “We are in the final week of our annual appeal but we are still short of the funds to keep about nine missionary families on the field.”

Mr Reid believes that there are many factors that might have contributed to the short fall in funds raised.

“I have never seen it this far short, or seen the money come in this slowly,” he said. “Aussies just aren’t spending at the moment. There is fear around the carbon tax, and whether what is happening in Europe is going to affect me. People are also wondering if their utility bills are going to go up.”

Peter Sholl and his family are missionaries in Mexico and are dependent on funds from CMS to continue their work at MOCLAM, an organisation that provides Moore College courses in Spanish throughout Latin America.

“One thing that has struck me is the wealth of resources that we have in Sydney,” he says. “I think we have a responsibility to share with the rest of the world where those resources don’t exist. There are so many things we can share — people, time, money, books. We are well placed to have a spirit of generosity.”

“I think people assume that we will always make it,” Mr Reid said. “Under God we have… but we don’t have anything to fall back on.”

Photo: The Day of the Virgin Guadalupe is an important festival for the predominantly Cathloic Mexican people.