Departure day

October 13th, 2014
Departure Day!

Matthew 28:18-20  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

I am constantly asked, "Why do you invest so much time, effort, and resources to Missions when there is such a great need right here at home?" It's a fair question, and one that I refuse to answer in a generic manner. My answer is simply this; Jesus commands me to make disciples of all Nations!

Disciples listen to the voice of Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit's help, obey Him. Jesus' Great Commission compels us to invest in the disciple making process both at home and abroad. Doing so at home can be a challenge, so how does a church successfully do so abroad? How can we effectively make disciples of other Nations if we're only on the Mission Field for 15 or 20 days a year?

The answer is pretty simple. As we obey the call to "Go", we partner with like-minded churches. Our short-term mission trips usually have 2 focuses: Investment & evangelism...

Acts 15:41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

We invest in the lives of the long-term missionaries. Simply coming to Ukraine encourages the Pratts and their team. We seek God for creative ways to to encourage and undergird the work that Jesus has called them to. Whether it's putting on a church retreat, speaking at a pastors & leaders conference, providing personal & ministry supplies or simply "Hanging out", we want our time to "Encourage & strengthen" the missionaries.

Acts 2:40-41 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

We also focus on evangelism. Sharing the gospel and introducing people to the grace of God through Jesus brings new believers into the church. Our goal is to help them become part of New Horizons Church where Mike and his team can help the new believers become devoted disciples of Jesus! 

Today we begin our trip to L'viv Ukraine. Keep us in prayer as we travel, and keep checking back for updates and pictures