Curt Miller

Missions Pastor

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

I am comforted by the truth that God remains in complete control of every single element of existence, even when the world seems to be spinning out of control—or, perhaps more accurately, even when the world comes to a screeching halt because of a global pandemic.

Six months ago, I would have written a very different annual report piece, but COVID-19 has changed all that.

Looking Back

Over the past twelve months, our church has engaged with and supported local and global outreach. While we currently practice social distancing for the sake of the world’s health, the Lord continues to practice social engagement through the proclamation of the gospel and the service of his people, whether it is online or in person.

We consistently receive snapshots of God’s fulfilled purposes in our inboxes each week. Let me encourage you to subscribe to individual email updates from our local ministry partners, evangelists and global missionaries. These ministry vignettes will become a source of ongoing encouragement. Also, find the “missionary updates” link in the Friday Church Family News each week. One click and you can read how God is at work around the world.

Local Partners - Evangelists

Through the Evangelism Committee, we support five evangelist units:

• Nate and Laura Amodio, InterVarsity

• Daniel and Faith Bair, Englewood Family Outreach

• Kalli Hill, Cru

• Tom Johnston, Skyword Ministries

• Manny and Barbara Mill, Koinonia House National Ministries

Local Partners - Organizations

Through the Culture Impact Committee, we support three partner organizations:

• Caring Network

• Naomi’s House

• Outreach Community Ministries

Cross-Culturally Focused Local Partner Organizations

Through the Board of Missions, we support six partner organizations:

• Missionary Furlough Homes

• Outreach Community Ministries

• Re:New Project

• Repeat Boutique

• South Asian Friendship Center

• World Relief

Global Partners - Missionaries

For a list of the 100+ mid-term and career missionary units, as well as our partner seminaries, please see the global outreach page on our website. For more information, please email missions@college-church.org.

Ministry workers, especially global missionaries, experience a great deal of transition. Yet, there are great joys and sorrows in helping our missionary family through these transitions. This year members of our missionary family experienced joys such as new births and new marriages. Others experienced heartaches and pain such as losing parents or suffering from cancer.

To help with the transitions our missionaries face and to support them with encouragement as they serve, we are forming new teams for missionary care. If you are interested in learning more about this or other missions volunteer opportunities, please email missions@college-church.org.

Last year, four staff members engaged in international ministry. Two others were appointed as career missionaries. Seven units began serving for one-to two-year terms. Unfortunately, we had to make the tough decision to cancel all STAMP trips as of March 19, 2020.

Global Projects

Through your giving, we were able to have an impace on many lives through the following ministry projects:

• Counseling in Thailand

• Dental work in the Dominican Republic

• Christian education in Colombia

• Church planting in Bolivia

• Evangelistic outreach in the U.S., Mexico, Kenya and Spain including International student ministry, ocean-based ministry that “uses adventures at sea to transform lives”,soccer outreach, and music ministry for evangelistic events

• Discipleship training in South Africa and Spain

• Music ministry in Madagascar

• Bible translation for the Yom people of Benin

• Resources on persecution for Nigerian Christians

• Hosting the spring Perspectives class at College Church

• Global security and crisis management

• Global orphan care ministry

MISSIONS & COMMUNITY OUTREACH BY THE NUMBERS

GLOBAL

• 95 career missionary units around the world (3 new)

• 15 mid-term missionary units (5 new)

• 60 different countries represented between career and midterm workers

• $68,013.23 given to Missionary Christmas and Thanksgiving Eve Offerings

• 25 Missionary Units attended the 2019 Festival (44 adults, 13 children)

LOCAL

• 109 from College Church join Chicago March for Life 2020 (8,000+ people total)

• 5 Evangelism Partners Supported

• 9 Local Organizations Supported in Missions & Community Outreach

Looking Forward

Though the future is uncertain, missions and community outreach will continue. We will continue to support faithful evangelists, missionaries and organizational partners serving locally and globally.

But we need your prayers. Please ask the Lord to grant wisdom as we determine next steps in outreach over the next few months and years. Our hope is to find strategic ways to engage virtually with those who need to know the love and message of Jesus Christ. We want to help others discover Jesus, to grow in their faith and make an impact in this world.

For now, the midweek prayer meeting has moved online. Join us each Wednesday at 7 p.m. as we hear from a ministry partner and spend time in prayer. Prayer for the Persecuted Church has also moved online, meeting Fridays at noon. This gathering provides a great opportunity to support our suffering brothers and sisters around the world. You can contact the church office for more information about these or other virtual gatherings.

Thankfulness

Despite the ongoing chaos, I am thankful. I am thankful for the foresight of the Board of Missions to prevent sending our people into harm’s way. I am thankful for technology that allows us to meet virtually. I am thankful for new ministry opportunities that have come to the forefront.

And, I am thankful that some things never change. Jesus is risen. He is king. He is worthy. He lives. And, we are his people.