During the month of September, we had a special emphasis month and focus on global missions at Anchor Baptist Church. Each of the four weekends we had a different missionary family as our guest. I had asked them to come and teach SS and preach both services on Sunday. In addition, we provided two meals for them and their lodging.
There was a lot of preparation that preceded the families arrival. Not only did we have a lot of praying to do, but we had to schedule the motel rooms, arrange the meals, etc... The motel rooms proved to be difficult since there were two separate East Carolina University football games during the month. One of those Sundays ended up being parent weekend. Go figure! As a result, we were not able to find accommodations in Greenville and had to look elsewhere. But as always, God provided and allowed us to work out a room on those two Sunday in another city that not only facilitated the traveling schedule of our missionaries, but also had a great discount like we normally have.
One of the things I did before the missionaries arrived was to create a missions booklet that included information on each missionary family we were having in as well as information about the countries they were going to. Also in the booklet were four different Wednesday night Bible study lessons that I conducted on missions, plus some neat missions quotes, pictures, and missions verses. I gave them out to each of our church members before the conference along with a faith promise missions commitment card. As the missionary families arrived, I gave them one as well. This was used to take sermon notes for the month, to pray over the countries of the missionary families the Wednesday night before they arrived on Sunday, and to increase our overall desire and burden for the world.
The first Sunday we had the Matt Gordon family going to French- speaking Canada. They are sent out of Shining Light Baptist Church in Monroe, NC. Pastor Tim Cruise is their pastor. He did a tremendous job and preached on Twelve Baskets Full, Three Funerals, and The Value of One. Bro Matt grew up on the mission field in France with his parents and already speaks the French language well. He will be working with his dad planting churches. You may obtain more information at:
http://www.slbc.net/missions/sentmen.html
The second Sunday we had the Jason Lowe family going to the Bahamas. Jason has a unique testimony from the standpoint that he was born and grew up in the Bahamas. The Bahamas has recently pretty much closed the door to missionaries and if the figures are correct only three independent Baptist missionaries are currently working there, with no ability for any average missionary to get in to the country to start new churches. However, Jason has the ability since he has dual citizenship to get in though and this open door is evident to any one hearing his leading from the Lord. He preached the following messages: The Responsibility of the Church, Launching Out and Letting Down, and Are You Willing to Help?
You may read more about this family at:
http://www.caribbean4christ.com/1.html
The third Sunday of the month we had the largest family with us: the Ted Snyder family. They are out of a church in New York and are called to go to the country of New Zealand. They arrived a day early and then were with us for a few extra days also before traveling to their next meeting. As a result we had a good time out soul-winning on Saturday morning and with all the extra hands really were able to get the "Word" out. The family sang for us and in addition Bro. Snyder preached on Prayer and Missions, Desire, and God’s Forgiveness
You may visit his website for further info:
http://www.tedsnyder.org/
And finally on the last weekend we has as our guest the Adam Wood family from Choice Hills Baptist Church in Greenville, SC. Bro Wood is leaving shortly for the field of Cambodia. Mrs. Wood played the piano for us during the services and sang two tremendous specials while Bro. Adam preached on What Does A Missionary Do?, Jesus Christ: the Light of the World, and We are the Light of the World. It was good to hear his burden and where he will be going through his missions presentation.
My wife and I love missions and missionaries. I always say that they are my heroes. Any church that is not missions hearted instead of just missions minded is really missing the boat. Unfortunately that great mission (or great commission) begins in our "Jerusalem". Most churches that support missionaries don't and won't ever do a thing to walk across the street to tell their neighbor about Christ. Yet they will send someone to do it around the world. What a shame. I am glad that our church continues to spread the good news of the gospel at home as well as around the world. Also, I am glad that this month saw an increase in missions giving in our church members so we can do more this next year concerning the missionaries we will support!
