“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~ Matthew 28:19-20
New Grounds for Missions
You don’t have to travel to the far corners of the globe to engage in missions. The mission field is here in our own neighborhood, right beneath our noses. How so? When you think about it, every kind act, every selfless deed offered on behalf of our Lord is missional.
Missions is providing a meal for the homeless, tutoring a child who is falling behind in math, reading a book on tape for the blind and disabled, hosting a refugee family – even simple acts such as bringing a plate of homemade cookies to an annoying neighbor can make a big difference in building the Kingdom.
Missions is thinking outside the box, finding new ways to serve the Lord. Where would we be today, after all, if in 1955 the Seattle Presbytery had not thought to plant an outpost missions church in the southernmost reaches of King County: namely, John Knox Presbyterian Church!
A 10% Tithe to Get Us Going
Missions have always been a priority at John Knox Church. The Building Our Lives for God initiative will give us new ways and means. A full 10% of the gifts and pledges received will be
dedicated to mission projects. How will we use the money? We will select local and international projects, where we can provide both funds and direct participation by congregation members as they live out Building Our Lives for God principles. These projects could support current mission partners, or involve new ideas for John Knox – out-of-the-box projects that will help each of us find our special missions service niche.
Some missions ideas God has put on our hearts already
The options for future mission activities are as limitless and expansive as God’s great love for us. Here are a few examples, nothing firm, nothing cast in concrete, just ideas:
Adopt-A-Village in Honduras
When the mission team visited Honduras in May 2010, Proyecto Aldea Global invited us to visit the rural village of Piedra Pintata. Here, 220 people live in ramshackle houses with dirtfloors and no sanitation or potable water. (Not unlike the living conditions we discovered in Flor del Campo 25 years ago!) Our mission: A short-term commitment of three to five years, with projects ranging from installing water systems and latrines to concrete floors and a preschool for the little ones.
Update 2011: A portion of our annual Honduras Mission Team spent 5 days in Piedra Pintada. They were Randi Allred, Eli Bestgen, Elaine Cherry, Janet and Sage Gibson, Scott and Lisa Grayson, Ron and Nancy Oldenkamp, Pete Stiles, Larry Williams and Bud Winders. During that time they focused on three general projects. The first included painting a very large water tank that will store and supply clean water to the 40 homes in Piedra Pintada. A major and significant event, this will be the first time that the village will have access to clean water, a critical need for sanitation, cooking, showers and other daily necessities. While we were there the water supply was turned on and the tank filled. It was a joyous celebration for everyone and a significant day in the life of Piedra Pintada.
The second project included training in the areas of personal hygiene for both children and adults in the basics of washing hands, brushing teeth and CPR.
The third project was to assist in the construction of "Pilas", a combination water tank and wash basin, toilet and shower. The concrete flooring had already been completed in several of the villager's homes and it was our task to cut and attach the wood framing, corrugated siding and roofing. In the end we were able to complete six Pilas.
When we return next Spring we anticipate there will be more Pilas to complete and some plumbing and construction needs to individual houses. As in past years our visit to Piedra Pintada was hard work, it was fun and we look forward to returning again next Spring.
Transform Burien
Transform Burien is a cooperative group of Christ-centered churches located in the Burien/Highline area. Their mission and vision is to bring the good news of Christ Jesus to every resident of this community. We financially help support Transform Burien and more importantly we staff the center at least once a month to bring food, clothing and the Gospel to those in our community. To learn more you can visit their website.
Belize Partnership
The Student and Family Ministry team mission trip has been working with Pastor Angel Castillo of El Buen Pastor in Orange Walk, Belize for the last couple of years. Over that time, we've felt God calling us to deepen the relationship with Pastor Angel and his church. Through BOLFG we are taking the initial steps to further this relationship and grow God's kingdom in Orange Walk. We are supporting Pastor Angel financially so he can devote himself to full time ministry which will benefit his church, community and also allow us to take additional trips to Belize to do ministry in the future. This summer, a small group of adults will be traveling with the SFM mission team to work with Pastor Angel and his church to explore ways to grow our involvement in that community in a meaningful way. Our intent is to have additional people from JKPC travel to Belize in 2012 and years beyond for mission work.