Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… -Matthew 28:19
The passage above from Matthew’s Gospel has come down to us as “The Great Commission.” It is the final command of Jesus recorded from his earthly ministry. We are called to be a people who take the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to the nations and, after seeing them respond in faith to Christ, to baptize them in that same name (“name” here, incidentally, is singular, giving us a strong Trinitarian formula that indicates that all three Persons of the Trinity go by one Name – God).
In mid-September we will begin our annual Missions Emphasis. The title we are giving to this three-week emphasis this year is “Final Command – First Priority.” We’ll talk about LifePoint’s priority as a local church to SHARE, SEND, and GO in missions, so that we can do our part to fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus gave to his church, which started with eleven disciples and spread to the world because of their obedience to his final command. That emphasis already started this year with a small group of LifePoint folks who went to a local school to complete some hands-on work for them, followed by over 250 of you who gathered this year for Make an Impact. Missions isn’t just about giving money, it is about being involved in the task of spreading the good news of Christ in the multiple ways in which we interact with people in our lives. Many of you went out not because your going was “the gospel,” but because by your going you demonstrated the love of God to believers and non-believers alike, and in so doing it makes possible the proclamation of the gospel to those who may not have been inclined to listen before they saw with their eyes or heard with their ears that followers of Christ care for their community. I am glad that many of you took the time to participate, and I hope you were blessed by blessing others. I know that I was, and have been every year that I have participated.
Our Missions Emphasis kicks off on Sunday, September 18. That morning during worship we will be in Acts chapter 10 breaking down the incredible events surrounding the first apostolic mission to a Gentile audience as the apostle Peter, after some persuasion by an angelic messenger, brings the message of hope to the Roman centurion Cornelius and his family. That evening we will gather together again to hear from Beth Guckenberger, who, along with her husband Todd, founded Back2Back Ministries, a mission ministry with whom LifePoint has partnered the past five years, sending nearly 100 of our people to Mexico to work with orphans in Monterrey and Mazatlan. You can click here to watch a video on more of Back2Back's vision. Back2Back now also has ministries in Haiti, Africa, and India (Pastor Ethan and his wife Hannah will be leaving in January, Lord willing, to work in full-time missions with Back2Back, and we will get a chance to hear their story briefly during this year’s Missions Emphasis as well). After Beth shares with us Sunday afternoon, we will have a time for fellowship and food with a food truck dinner and dessert. Tickets will be available for the next two Sundays at a ministry booth and must be purchased in advance: $5/person with a $25 family cap.
After three weeks of our Missions Emphasis, we will take up our annual Faith Promise offering for missions. It is these funds that we then use the following calendar year to support our missionaries and make an impact not only on our city, but upon our world. My hope and prayer is that you will participate in response to The Great Commission, and that you will give in response and in keeping with the Lord’s blessing in your own life.
One final note on a somewhat different topic. Please be aware that starting Sunday, September 11, we will open our Special Needs/Sensory Room for children with special needs. If you have a child that you think would benefit from this resource, or if you have a passion for this type of ministry and would like to volunteer to serve in the room on Sunday mornings, please contact Mary Veal in the church office. In addition, we are also beginning a Bible study starting Monday, October 3rd, for adults with intellectual delays. Mary can also provide you with more information on this ministry.
Thanks for wading through a “newsy” Jym Shorts article this week.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jym