Keep God’s Mission as Your Mission

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MoldovaHirvobatOne of the last words of Jesus to a fledgling, ragtag group of disciples, was a message of power and revolution. A power not of this world, but a power with authority from God the Father. Because of the authority bestowed to Jesus, flowing from God the Father, the disciples would be able to go forth and share with others the words of Jesus. They could have shared his words on their own to little effect. When coupled with the power of the Spirit of God through the supernatural Word of God, lives would change, God’s church would grow, and the world would change.

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

The world is still changing. One life at a time. Through the power of the gospel and the obedience of those who keep God’s mission their own.

I just returned from an amazing journey partnering with four churches stateside and 2 churches in Moldova, all for the purpose of building God’s kingdom through making disciples. I love returning every year to Filadelfia Church. God always does a new work each time. Lives were changed, hearts were won to Christ, and people became more dedicated than ever to the mission of God. After the journey home, I was finding myself thinking fondly and missing my dear friends in Moldova and reflecting on all the wonderful things we shared together as a body of faith. It’s always a joy to lead and come alongside others to see that together we can be a part of God’s great mission he has given the church. It is my prayer that God provides a way to return soon with others who share that passion and mission. I’m happy to be home, among cherished family and friends, a great community, and a wonderful church, but there is a longing to return. I wanted to do more, wanted to give more time, to share more truth. The task remains the same at home or in Moldova.

I write this as an encouragement to anyone wondering if what they’re doing matters to God. We go through seasons of spiritual mountains and valleys. Jesus knew the disciples would face trouble. In fact he even said that some may mistakenly think that killing a follower of Jesus would be doing God a favor. (John 16:2) No matter what they faced, Jesus knew that the power of His gospel would change lives.  The task? To go and make followers of Jesus from all people groups, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus promised them and every follower, that he would be WITH us. We have the power of the Spirit, the purpose of the mission, and the presence of Jesus.  Be faithful where you are. Have faith also to know that God can use you to speak to the nations about him. Missions is local. Missions is global. Missions is personal. Let God’s mission be your mission.

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,”  Hebrews 12:1

7 Reasons Why You Need to go on a Short-Term Mission Trip.

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IMG_89331. God commands us to make disciples of all nations.

Most in the church agree it is their responsibility to build God’s kingdom by making disciples. This is based on Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 to go make disciples of ALL nations. The command is simple enough: Go make disciples of all nations. If you’re thinking about going on a mission trip, obedience is the first place to start. Obedience is not optional. Obedience is costly. If we are not obeying God’s command, we are disobeying it. Simple, right? If most can’t go on a short-term mission trip, are they being disobedient to God’s command to go? Read on.

2. Short term missions experiences edify other believers the team partners with on the field.

When a mission team goes into the field to partner with another church for a week or two of ministry, that church is blessed in so many ways. The local community gets a boost by fresh faces who are passionate about sharing Jesus alongside familiar faces who labor daily to build the kingdom. The ministry in the field is encouraged by the love and sacrifice a mission team makes to in going and serving.  The local church may get some “goodies” or creature comforts that simply warm the heart or put a smile on their face. We ultimately don’t go for ourselves. We go to serve King Jesus and the local church in its cultural context. There are many decisions made for Christ that the local church will be excited to follow up on as a result of the mission team’s work.

3. Many career missionaries received the call to missions from going on a short-term mission trip.

I have many friends from seminary and college who are active in the mission field, or who have had long times of service on the mission field as a direct result of them going on a short-term mission trip. Short term mission trips plant seeds of faith in those who go and those seeds grow into a burning passion to impact a local people group through a longer-term relationship that short term missions simply cannot provide.

4. Your faith will be strengthened in ways you never imagined.

As believers, getting away from what makes us comfortable can be unnerving, but also faith building. Raising funds for a trip is hard. Not everyone has the resources to go on a short-term mission trip, so enlisting others help in seeing why God is calling you to go on a mission trip is imperative. Trusting God to provide requires faith. When God provides even more so than we expected materially, spiritually, relationally or otherwise, we are emboldened to carry out the task for which He has called us to. When we see people respond to the gospel in which we share faithfully, we are thrilled to be a part of the worldwide work of God to redeem man from sin. We are simply the messengers. God does the work, and a great work He is doing!

5. Other believers will be encouraged to continue the work God has called them to by your faithfulness to go.

Churches in other cultures do things differently in many respects than we do in here in the states. But we also share many commonalities. Pastors can oftentimes be discouraged while serving their church. When a mission team comes to partner alongside what the church is already doing, it provides confirmation of the work of God to many in the local congregation. The task is hard. No matter where a believer is, sharing Jesus doesn’t come naturally to most. When an energized group joins the local church, that same passion to share can oftentimes be contagious. It can also happen the other way around. The missions team can also learn from the people they have come to serve and serve alongside.

6. Someone may make the choice to go simply because you are going also.

Many things are taken into consideration when going on a short-term mission trip. Things like vacation days, time away from family and home, a schedule that is put on hold and so on If one person can make the leap of faith when juggling these issues, others may join them. Others are encouraged by such demonstrations of faith. Your gong on a mission trip just may be the impetus someone needs to go also.

7. Your church will learn to trust God more through sacrificial giving to missions

I’ve seen churches give tens of thousands of dollars to send teams to go on mission trips. I’ve also seen churches give those same amounts to missions in general to support the work of long term career missionaries. If a church can raise funds to send a team abroad to partner with a local church, a missions priority is established not in word only but in deed. The money is oftentimes in the forefront of people’s minds, but God is the one who provides. We must not forget that fact in our giving sacrificially to missions.

My question to you now is, will you go?

A Bus, A Dream, A Mission.

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Few can argue with the need for transportation within youth ministry. It’s a staple of ministries large and small. Either a church car pools, rents vans, or if they have the means, takes their own bus or van. Many years ago a vision was birthed to reach the students of Wilmington at a church with a newly hired youth pastor. With lots of creative fundraising and looking, a bus was found at an auction site. The bus had a diesel engine, but the listing said gas and we walked away with TWO buses at great deals. These were prison buses, used to transport prisoners.

Imagine two beige prison buses, driving back to Wilmington, and pulling into the church parking lot. For one season the youth pastor (me) tortured the youth group with orange t-shirts—riding in a beige bus! Never saw too many wear those shirts. (!) We were able to give one bus away to a young youth ministry in the next county.

Even cooler, there happened to be a guy at our church that used to paint buses! We taped the bus up, and we painted it the beautiful Teal colors you see now, in honor of our local UNCW Seahawks. We placed custom seats in it. The old seats had scratched etchings I’m not sure how cuffed-up prisoners could manage to write on the backs of the seats. We put a custom sound system in it. It was a youth ministry’s dream bus, or so we thought. It was God’s bus. It was our bus.

The memories students created with that bus are amazing. Many can tell you stories of riding to assist families hit by Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, MS, riding to snow covered mountains on treacherous winding mountain roads for unforgettable winter retreats, going to DNOW Conferences, Christian Music Concerts, Theme Parks, Caroling to Shut-Ins, or just a local trip to the beach to refresh tourists with a bottle of water and a conversation about Jesus.

All these memories were possible by God and by volunteers who gave of their blood, sweat and tears (and even a torn plantaris muscle) to get those crazy teenagers a little closer to Jesus (some quicker than others!) My drivers are the greatest in the world. They love Jesus, and they love students. All have contributed much to God’s purposes fulfilled in the lives of these students.

We are officially selling the bus. Going to miss this. In a way it’s transformational. This bus went from transporting captives as far as the law goes, to transporting those who were once captive to sin, and now set free in Jesus. Fittingly, the bus is being sold to an up and coming youth ministry a county away. Excited for them. They will rock that Bus for the kingdom! The legacy of the Green Bus will continue! I’m so glad such a resource was used and will continue to be used to point people to Jesus.

Trusting God at 80mph

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Understanding the title before you begin to read the rest of this post is most important. Picture me, frozen in time, gripping the handle tightly as my driver friend (insert favorite NASCAR joke here) races through the rainy, very slick roads of a small town in an Eastern European country, with a determined look on his face which speaks to his desire to make it to his intended destination—a church he pastors, or otherwise scrape the paint off the next vehicle ahead. I’m convinced this guy is passionate about seeing souls coming into the kingdom of God, based not on the attention he gives to the road, but rather the passion in his heart for the people of Hirbovat, Moldova.

Faithfully serving and teaching those gathered on a cold Sunday morning, where there are no padded pews or ladies who persist on having the thermostat adjusted (there is no thermostat here). The temperature is just fine, thank you. A warm 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The sermon comes with a dose of bundled up worshippers who sing with breath-you-can-see joy after walking fifteen minutes over mud, bumps, potholes; enduring splashes from passing vehicles and nosey loose pets. Such people are grateful for a space to call their own, although this is the second time they have moved, and are moving for a third very soon.

What is behind the passion of this pastor and the commitment of such people as these? It is, simply and profoundly put, trust. A trust in a faithful God who asks for reckless abandon to all who would come and follow him, no matter the cost. God will see us through. Through the sanctifying work of Christ, God will see us through. Trust that shows faith and courage when the power from a single power cord stretched to the limit goes out and the worshippers continue, not missing a beat. Trust that points to the power of prayer as family members come to Christ, and needs are met, proving God cares for his children.

Trust that even at speeds that feel like 80mph to me, are echoed by laughter and proclamation of a pastor who says, “I LOVE working for God”! To the God who owns the silver and the gold, everything is His, He proves himself faithful to this young pastor.

The same can be said of others who have come before this pastor, fervently working to plant a church that plants churches. Having moved multiple times and to multiple locations, there are many in Filadelfia Church who desire to see everyone in Aneni Noi come to faith and repentance in Christ Jesus. From young women being discipled, the widow’s needs being met, the student’s questions being patiently answered, orphans being rescued, to passionate missions teams eager to lock arms from across the ocean, this church stands on the front lines in the spread of the gospel.

Heart for the Community and Beyond

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DSC05074Sitting in a home drinking hot tea and eating chocolates in a country in Eastern Europe defies the regular fare that one’s mind often wanders to when thinking of being on mission for God. Yet the family we are with is much like my own; the mom is a teacher, the dad wants his son to do well in school, and they want to make interior improvements to their living space. We sit and visit for a while, nervously speaking our own language while hearing translation into another, hoping the family feels and sees the intent of compassion in our hearts. They certainly do, as truth is shared and prayers and hugs are warmly exchanged, and going away from the home doesn’t feel like it’s the last time we will see this family. In the evening we respond to an invitation to visit the mother’s school where she teaches and her son attends. The father also teaches history there. Walking along the not so busy street in the cool of the evening reminds me of a much slower time back home. We are not in a rush to get anywhere. Taking in laughs at life and how our paths have met, our friends we are with are so dear to us. This is the mission trip I’m on. It seems so familiar, not because of my previous times here, but a kindred spirit is shared among our team and our Moldovan counterparts. We both love the people here. We want them to see Jesus as he really is. There is a larger story here beyond the number of people that have come to know Jesus. Jesus is the point of it all for sure, but within the context of the lives of the people he chooses to touch, a beautiful tale of joys and celebrations found in the love of God and prayers answered through faith are a normal occurrence at the church we are partnering with for the week. We love Filadelfia church and its people. They love their community so much. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be here among friends. My prayer is that what we have done here together, will have lasting impact in the lives of those surrounding Biserica Filadelfia for years to come.

Prayers for Anenii Noi

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ImageThe face of a child lighting up when receiving love is one of the greatest images burned into my heart during my time while on a missions trip in Moldova. The humble prayers of an elderly couple genuinely committing their lives to follow Christ for the first time perhaps  after years of living to please God on their own also loom large in my mind. The reality is that many come to Christ before the age of 18. Seeing such a sweet moment of grace before my eyes excites me and reminds me of the hope available to every man, no matter their age or phase of life. To see a team of joyful Christ-followers serve in one accord for the purpose of spreading the good news of Christ, after much planning, many meetings, lots of prayer, fundraising, and more prayer reminds me of the attitude of the first Christians as they began a fledgling church in Jerusalem after the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Every person on the team has a story to tell. So many lives touched. so many hearts of ours broken and melded with the hearts of Moldova.

The Church of Filadelfia in Anenii Noi proclaims the love of Christ to those in their context, unselfishly, and with much sacrifice. With vision of reaching the souls of a community steeped in tradition, Pastor Igor Seremet leads a faithful flock to seeing God do great things in their midst like caring for the poor through a food bag delivery ministry, reaching the teens through a weekly teen worship service, reaching those who don’t speak their language by providing interpretation in their services and even having the vision to develop several mission points within their community, along with a currently newly planted church in Herbovitz, that is pastored by a missionary whom Filadelfia has trained and sponsored and sent out. My eyes are wide open to the people of Aneeni Noi and the faithful gathered at Filadelfia. Pray for Igor, his wife Mariana, their children Teo, Marco, and two other kids of who’s names I didn’t get. Pray for their church, that God would continue to do great things in their midst, as well as the many churches in the United States who are sending many teams their way to come along side them for the work of the kingdom. Pray for Pastor Igor, that he may continue to be strengthened and encouraged in his ministry. Pray for Pavel and his wife Lydia, and their  toyoung son Alberto, who are courageously leading the teen ministry at Filadelifa. Pray for others like Tatiana and Dianka, who are also vested in spreading the hope of Christ to those who need him.

Food Bags For Anenii Noi and Other Thoughts

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Moldova is a country of opposites. Like many developing countries, there are the haves and the have nots. But it’s not about what you have for me in being there, but more so a way of defining pursuits. There are many pursuits here. Some pursue a future dream that someday may be the new Moldova. Some pursue basic provision in  working odd jobs and selling wares in the open air market. Still others pursue attempts to numb the pain of the greyness of life in a country that’s been put on pause.

Still, Moldova is a country poised for change. The lives of its people have a destiny many do not realize. We are here for destiny. The destination of others, more importantly, the final destination. Many think they have it wrapped in identity with a building or a family heritage. But others are beginning to realize destiny in an entirely new light.

For one hundred believers in Anenii Noi, their destiny is above. Their hope is to spread the love of Jesus in many ways. Through one on one conversations, through the delivery of food bags, through creative outreaches, women’s conferences, teen programs, and the hope of even more, Filadelfia Baptist Church is leading the way in spreading the gospel to this community. Pray for them. Pray for our team and another team with us from Gainesville, Georgia that God would do amazing things here.

The Light of the Gospel

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Today was probably one of the best days we’ve had so far on our vision trip in Moldova. We were in the city of Chisnau and each pastor was assigned to go preach to a church. Our church was the Good Shepherd Church on the outskirts of town, led by Pastor Jurga. His wife, Oxana, led the worship and singing. It was a very young and family oriented church. We were so welcomed by this church. They took us out to lunch and we enjoyed authentic Moldovan cuisine.

We had some difficulties with the flights, but hopefully they will work out. We have been debriefed at the Baptist Union, going over some final details about partnering with churches. After the district briefing, we went  to do a bit of shopping, and that was fun! Seeing the smiling (sometimes laughing) faces of the supermarket employees, I had a blast buying some things from the clerk!

Next we traveled to our dinner and heard from some very grateful pastors and leaders in Moldova. In a sense, we were the ones learning from them. We have taken in so much information about the needs and desires of the Moldovan churches here, that it is at times overwhelming. However, God is so amazing in that He has presented some unique needs that I believe our church could assist with.

One pastor shared of how in 1975, if 24 of us would have tried to criss-cross the country seeing churches and pastors, we would have been prevented from doing so by the Communist Government, or worse. Now, the door has swung wide open for the light of the gospel to shine forth in Moldova. The exciting thing is that churches from North Carolina have a wonderful opportunity set before them. Joy fills my heart in seeing the wonderful Christ likeness of the Moldovan pastors. The humility, the vision, their hearts to see their fellow countrymen come to saving faith, is just so motivating and inspiring. It makes me think of my own attitude towards those who need Christ in my own country.

Lots to share with our church back home. So grateful for their prayers and support.