The First Baptist Church of Redlands
T A PE S T R Y
Oct 2020
Wo v e n To g e t h e r I n L o v e : C o l o s s i a n s 2 : 2
WITNESSES
A Message from Pastor Shawn
(Acts 1:8 CEB) “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Issue No. 10
This summer we moved through the book of Acts watching the witnesses to the Kingdom of God as they moved from their small world to the ends of the earth. As we look at the modern missions movement, over the last 250 years, we see a time when people in the west believed that there was no need to go share the gospel. If God wanted “them” to know about Jesus, God would let “them” know. And then there were folks like William Carey and Ann and Adoniram Judson who heard the call of God to go to what was truly the ends of the earth for them to witness to the Kingdom of God. Over the generations, since then we have seen thousands of people from all over the world go to other places around the world to share the Good News of Jesus. We have also seen an evolution of approach and partnership. We have grown in our understanding of “Good News” to include education, healthcare, leadership development, the fight end human trafficking, economic development and justice, earth-care, ministry to survivors of trauma and violence, support and advocacy for immigrants and so much more. Each October we have a “global focus” as we check in with what God is doing around the world. It is at this time that we receive the “World Mission Offering” which supports the work of our missionaries, global servants, and international partnerships. This October we are aware that the Coronavirus pandemic that has impacted every day of our lives for the past 6 months is, indeed, global. Some of our global servants, like Melanie Baggao and Glen and Rita Chapman, continue serving in their national setting. Others, like Sarah Nash and Lauran Bethell, have been forced to work from “home” in the U.S. using technology to connect with their partners in other parts of the world. No matter where they are, the work continues. And just as we are learning new ways to be involved in effective ministry that will go beyond this season, I suspect we are seeing another evolution taking place in how we witness to the Kingdom of God around the world. As we, once again, look beyond our borders, and our daily lives, to see what God is doing in other places around the world, may we be inspired and amazed at God’s power and creativity. May we feel a greater sense of family as we see people who are filled with the same Holy Spirit as we are. And may we grow in our own witness to the Kingdom of God where we live, seeing our neighborhood and community with fresh eyes. Grace and peace in Jesus, Pastor Shawn