Partnerships On and Off the Field

An excerpt from...

Partnerships On and Off the Field

By Don Moon, Argentina
January-March 2014

World Gospel Mission missionaries are required to return to the United States after their term (often three to four years) on the field has expired. WGM calls this time homeland ministry assignment, which is when missionaries reconnect and build relationships/community/partnerships with family, friends, ministry partners, and churches. It’s a different kind of ministry but an important part of the missionary experience. As you can imagine, missionary families travel many miles during this time and often look for assistance from ministry partners along the way. Don Moon shares below just a few of the ways the Moons’ ministry partners have helped them in the past, using practical means to minister to his family.

Chris and Deb organized a soup and sandwich supper that allowed us to invite people from the area to hear about our ministry as Mission Mobilizers.

John and Rhonda loaned us a small camper for a couple of months so we could save money on lodging while we traveled.

On two different HMAs, someone purchased a house for us to live in while we were in the U.S. for a year and then used the house as a rental property investment.

Dan and Regina offered us their home for a week of R&R while they went on vacation!

Mike offered to sell our vehicle for us after we left the U.S. to return to the field so that we could use it right up until the day we left.

God has used many people to provide for our needs during our homeland ministry assignment. Whether it is a bed for the night, a meal together, gas money, a goodie bag, or a word of encouragement, many champions have invested in us, and together we are able to help take the gospel to a needy world. Thanks to every one of you!

Is there something you could do for a missionary or your pastor or Sunday School teacher that would help them in ministry? Take time this month to host a dinner, send notes of encouragement, or offer to prepare goodies for someone in ministry in your sphere of influence.

ACT: The partnership doesn’t have to stop with just you. Grab your friends, family, or small group and challenge them with this same thought. What can you, as a community, do this month to help a missionary, a pastor, or a neighborhood in need?

The Discipline of Love

An excerpt from...

The Discipline of Love

Learning to reflect Christ’s character
By Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
July-September 2013

Most of us sane people would admit that something as strenuous as running 26.2 miles takes a certain measure of training. The body is just not naturally inclined to produce that kind of endurance quickly.

It’s the same with practicing the kind of sacrificial love modeled by Christ. There’s no question that we are called to love others, too. A gander through Matthew 25 reveals that distinguishing marks of believers include feeding the hungry, clothing the needy, and visiting the vulnerable. In Mark 21:31, Jesus emphasized the importance of loving and serving our neighbors as much as we would want the same for ourselves. Acts of service are not emphasized for their own sake, but they are to be done out of an attitude of love.

But our fallen nature means we are naturally inclined to be selfish. Without regularly committing to love others, we can easily fall into patterns of behavior toward others that are not Christ-honoring. Loving others as Christ intended takes practice and training.

Luke 2:52 gives us a great “training plan” as a place to start in the discipline of love: “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people” (NLT).

We have those four areas in which we can show love: by sharing wisdom and by meeting physical, spiritual, and social needs. But who are we supposed to reach out to? Think about the three primary social circles we all live in: our families, our church or other fellow believers, and non-Christian “neighbors.” Plotted out on a matrix, this creates a nifty guide we can use to brainstorm small expressions of service and love we can do for each of these three groups of people in these four different ways.

Growing in the discipline of love takes commitment, willingness to be guided by the Holy Spirit, and creativity. But the repercussions of us becoming more intentional in loving others are huge! Think of how this world could change if we actually lived what we preached. So what are you waiting for?

Do you need to flex your service muscles? Fill out the Discipline of Love matrix with ideas to show your family, your friends, and your neighbors Christ’s sacrificial love.

Visit www.disciplenations.org to learn more about what God is doing through people who are committed to whole-person discipleship and reconciliation around the world.