Missional Challenges

Friday, November 29, 2012

SHORT TERM MISSIONS

Have you seen the mission’s trips coming up in 2013? Maybe you’re praying about whether to go or not, or maybe you’re praying about which trip to go on, or maybe you don’t see the point in short term missions. Well, this missional challenge will address these issues. Let’s start with “why go on short term trips?”

There are many people who say, “just send money to missionaries, this is a better use of God’s finances. Why spend so much money on flights and accommodations, sounds like a waste, the mission field is in our back yard…” and there are some legitimate objections here. I won’t be able to answer all of these but let me start by speaking about the benefits of short term trips.
Let me answer this objection by saying how beneficial short term trips are.

First, Short term trips remove us from our controlled, comfortable lives and bring us into a cross cultural experience. When we leave for these destinations we leave our culture, our language and our loved ones. We enter a new culture, a place where another language is spoken and a place where Christians worship Jesus in a different manner. We do this because we want to encourage the Christians working in these countries, we want to see how the church (people not pews) is growing in other parts of the world, and we want to share Christ to the unbelievers. A note worth making as well is that we don’t believe the mission is just overseas. We believe God’s mission of preaching the Gospel to the lost and making disciples of all ethnicities is to be done globally and locally (2 Corinthians 5, Matthew 28:18-20). The term we use is “Glocal”.

The second reason we go on a cross cultural mission’s trip is for the encouragement of the churches in these countries. We want to encourage the believers in their work and we want to help them physically in the work that they may be under-staffed to do. This can play out in a couple ways: we may help build houses or construct buildings. etc.; or we may physically help in a camp where the Gospel is preached but there is need for people to counsel, to encourage and to follow up with those who have professed faith in Christ;or help in a Sunday School class. These are things that may only be able to be done through a group or team (maybe 10-15) of people who are willing and servant-hearted. Imagine the blessing we could be to people who have outstanding work but lack the manpower.

Third and lastly, I believe a very important part of the trip is the work God the Spirit is going to do in the leader’s lives and the team members. On a mission trip you close yourself off to the distractions that might be at home. Also, I believe through time in the Word, through serving, conversing with others and seeing the need of the people around you God works in hearts and maybe places a burden on your heart that in years to come may be the reason for being sent out to the field long term.

Now that we shared some thoughts for short term missions, let me ask you, would you like to go? Would you like to experience a cross cultural mission trip? Maybe you know French - have you considered the mission trip we have for Quebec? What about our trip to Bolivia, Guatemala or our youth trip to Baja? Would you consider joining us in Brasil? Lastly, if you’re not sure you want to experience it all at once, what about Manitoulin Island? You could help our missionaries, Pete and April, minister to the First Nation youth up North. We hope to help you in the vision for the different peoples in the world that need Jesus. Yes, they need Jesus here and now and this is our mission, but we also know there are people overseas who live without Christ and we have a message for them as well…

Commit these thoughts and plans to the Lord and feel free to contact Pastor Brian Mitton or Kenny Wallace, we’d love to help you take the next step.

I’d like to leave you with a verse from John. After Jesus had risen from the dead He spoke comforting and commissioning words to His disciples… “Peace be with you, As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.” John 20:21

Wednesday, September 18, 2012

ATTENTION ALL YOUNG ADULTS! What do you think your role in missions is? Do you believe God has given you a specific role in fulfilling His great commission? Why not attend the greatest missions conference in North America? This December we would like to encourage you to spend a couple days soaking in good teaching from the Bible and meeting thousands of other students who have sensed a call to the mission field. For more information check this site, https://urbana.org/. If you want to talk with us about the opportunities please feel free to contact Kenny or Brian at the Missions Kiosk.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Radical - Devoted to Christ. Serving the Church. Reaching the Nations.

This is a great resource for “community group”, family devotions,  and studies. All you need is the link, and you can download the notes to follow. There are seminary type classes condensed to about four hour lectures. The intention is not just for us to get information and store it in our brains; instead the challenge is for us to take the information, fall in love with Jesus and His grace then, pass the information on “teaching others to obey everything” fulfilling the great commission to make disciples. Browse this website, this is a great start point as David Platt teaches practical ways for us to study the Bible. He also has a series on “A Survey of the Old Testament”, “A Survey of the New Testament” and more.

This is a testimony from a young lady in Peru who received a scholarship from our church to go to Word of Life Bible Institute in Argentina. This is a result of sacrificial giving.

Testimony of SARAI TORRES (23)

I was born in a Christian home, since I was a little girl my parents taught me to love God and follow biblical principles. At the age of 10 I understood the importance of taking a decision for Christ, listening to a sermon I realized that being born into a Christian home wouldn’t save me and that my sin separated me from God. I asked God to cleanse me from my sin and reconcile me to Him through Jesus Christ. I repented and invited him to come into my heart.

Since I was a teenager I liked hearing the stories of Paul and his missionary journeys, I would always be interested in the testimonies of people that preached the Gospel in faraway places for Christ's sake. Little by little I started understanding what that meant and the desire to be a missionary started growing in my heart. I wanted to give myself full time to the Lord, there were two Bible verses I started liking more and more: Matthew 28:19 and Luke 10:2.

I shared with my parents the desire that I had and their response was that I first had to get a college degree. I applied to a college several times but I didn’t get accepted in the careers they wanted me to study; on my last attempt I managed to get accepted for a career I didn’t even understand, “Sociology”. I was at College for 3 years very dissatisfied, I had no peace in my heart and every day I asked God to help me because this was not what I wanted. I was very sure of the desire of my heart and one day I received an invitation to attend a Word of Life camp. I went there and it was a blessing to my life since the Lord clearly spoke to me in every single Bible study we had. In that place I took serious and important decisions and during the campfire service I gave the Lord all I was, all I had and all I hoped to be. I decided to drop from college and give a step of faith. During those days at camp, I learned about the Word of Life Bible Institute in Argentina and I knew that was the place I needed to go, it was an amazing feeling!

Back at home, I shared with my family the decision and they didn’t approve of it, so things got very complicated and uncomfortable. A few days later I received a message from Graciela Matos giving me the option of studying a year in the “Discipleship Training Center” at Word of Life Peru. She said that that year would be good to confirm my convictions. I took the opportunity and arrived at the camp to be in that discipleship program. During my time there, I learned to live by faith and I am very thankful to the Lord because He never left me, He was always with me and He gave me more than I could ever hope for. My convictions were confirmed, I knew I was in the center of God's will. The fact that I gave up everything for Him means a lot to me, He has fought my battles and I have continue to serve the Lord no matter what comes on my way.

I had been praying about my desire of studying in the WOL Bible Institute in Argentina. I knew I would go but I didn’t know how or when, since the main obstacle was that I didn’t have the money to pay for it. I only needed to wait for God's time, which was hard, but then, when I least expected it, the Lord answered my prayers. On February 3, 2012, I was informed that there was an offering from the Metropolitan Bible Church in Ottawa, for me to study at the Bible Institute. I didn’t know what to say, I was amazed! I had tears of joy and thanksgiving to God, the glory be to Him!
My family has accepted my decision of going to the Bible Institute, but they are not supporting me financially. I trust that the Lord will continue to work on my family. He has moved every piece for me to arrive at the Bible Institute. His promises never fail!

Thank you very much for this practical love that you showed to me! My prayer is that the Lord will bless you very much and continue to use you to preach the gospel to every creature in this world!

With love and deepest gratitude!
Sarai Torres

“Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.” – Daniel 10:12

Thursday, June 14, 2012

C.S. Lewis said, “The salvation of souls is the real business of life.”

God has a mission for each and every one of His believers (not just the specialists) to carry out in this world. He has told us to “go”, “teach”, “baptize” in His name, with His authority and help until we die or Christ returns (Acts 1:8, John 20:21, Luke 24:46-49, Matthew 29:16-20, Mark 16:15). Do you believe you are obeying God in this? The Bible says all believers have the “power” to be witnesses, but not all believers’ witness. We are all called to be His witnesses and use our God-given gifts here on earth. God told us to “go” (Matthew 28:19), not just to give financially and to let the others do the work. Let’s get involved in God’s mission!

Click here to listen to John Piper as he makes the case for going to reach those who aren’t reached.
 

Friday, May 25, 2012

When we talk about making disciples, how do you respond?  Is the great commission a topic for Missions Conferences or is it an obedient lifestyle to the commands of Jesus?  In this video Francis Chan challenges us with obeying the scripture and not just having answers.

Click here to watch.

Friday, May 18, 2012

In April 2012 Pastor Brian Mitton and Kenny Wallace (Missions Intern) had the opportunity to hear David Platt speak in person at the “Together for the Gospel” conference. Platt spoke on the Sovereignty of God and death defying missions. They were both very heavily impacted by Platt’s sermon and highly recommend this message for anyone with a vision for global missions. Below is the link so you can listen to this message.  

Question:  What were the lasting impressions this message had on you?

Kenny:
“We have heard of Jesus our Lord and Savior! Someone came and told us about Him because they were on a mission and cared for our souls. Others live without hope because they’ve never heard about Jesus. How long will they wait until they hear of God’s Son? If I don’t go who will?”

Pastor Brian:
“ I came back convinced more than ever that if our (every) church would adopt an unreached people group, would commit to sending short-term & long-term missionaries to these groups, then Christ’s mandate to reach every tribe & every nation would be possible.”

Click here to watch this sermon.