Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
At Bethany, we believe that Christ has given us four primary purposes:
- To KNOW God through worship and His Word,
- To GROW through discipleship and in small groups,
- To SERVE others by using our gifts for ministry, and
- To SHARE our faith on three levels: personally, in our community, and around the world.
One of the greatest privileges we can enjoy in this life is to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ. Just think about it, the Lord of the Universe commissioned us to take His hope-filled message to the entire world.
He did not create an exclusive class of people to do it, He included us, every Christian, in this calling. Wow!! We are God’s plan to reach the world with the message that eternal life is available through Jesus. What an awesome honor to share the greatest news in the world…with the whole world!
In Acts 1:8, the first believers were told to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the entire world as witnesses for Christ. As we apply this mandate personally, we understand that Jesus is telling us to take His message to:
- JERUSALEM: our community
- JUDEA: our county
- SAMARIA: cross-cultural experiences within the US
- WORLD: cross-cultural experiences outside the US
I want to encourage every follower of Christ at BCA to commit to missions by jumping in with both feet. Experience missions by praying, giving regularly to support missionaries, and going on a STORM (Short-Term OutReach Missions) trip.
At Bethany, we have strategies to support both local missions and global missions. During Experience Missions ’17 this spring, we emphasized global missions and the global outreaches we support through our 80 missionaries and missionary projects around the world. In 2016, our BCA family championed global missions in a BIG way by giving over $400,000! Working hand-in-hand with our missionary network, BCA is making a difference in countless ways around the world, including our continued commitment to our Communities of Hope in Swaziland, our new Global Church Partnership projects in Indonesia and Cuba, and Medical Missions.
Your gifts, prayers, and engagement contributes much to the work of God around the world. As we head into the summer months, take time to think about the global role we play together. Consider where God is asking you to pray, give, and/or go. It is my prayer that you will experience missions in a new, deep and personal way this year, and that you will strengthen your own commitment as an ambassador of Christ.
God bless you!
Pastor Rob