June 2009

05.27.2009

ne Parson’s Opinion


It was a privilege, and it was stirring, to be in attendance at the Commissioning Service of our International Mission Board on May 20 at Riverside Baptist Church. Over 100 missionaries were commissioned. Imagine the thousands of people who will be in the Kingdom through their efforts!

I was reminded of the privilege that I have to be a Southern Baptist. God has blessed, graced and used Southern Baptists in the furthering of His Kingdom through missions.

We have a mission support system which other denominations simply do not have. That is why we are able to place over 5,000 foreign missionaries and over 5,000 home missionaries on the field and take care of them. Several of our home missionaries serve right here in Colorado.

Local missions operate primarily through our cooperation with the Mile High Baptist Association. At our Executive Board meeting a few weeks back, we were told of several ethnic works. There is a new Brazilian church start here in Denver with 30 people attending. A new Hispanic work in Wheatridge has begun and is running about 60 in attendance, with a high attendance of 104. Our Vietnamese church started out several years back with 17 attending and now runs 200. We also heard about Pastor Singh, who is starting an Asian Indian church in the Thornton area.

Through ARBC’s giving to the Cooperative Program and our giving to the Mile High Association (ARBC is the largest contributor to the Mile High Association, and Bob Humphreys is chairman of the Administrative Team of MHBA), we get the privilege of obeying Jesus’ command to share the gospel locally,statewide, nationally and internationally.

In addition to supporting missions, some of our members involve themselves in hands-on mission work. We have a group going to northeast Nevada to work with four churches from June 12—20. We are organizing to help Heritage of Praise in Fountain, Colorado, on August 15. There are five of our members going to Hungary in September. Barbara Crocker works with the Russian church each week. Elaine Phillips is director of Champa House, which is associated with the Denver Rescue Mission.

I commend all of you for your work in the Kingdom, whether it is going or giving. Let me finish with a note of encouragement. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” If you don’t believe Jesus, just ask one of the folks involved with hands-on mission work, and they will tell you the same. You are blessed when you serve!

How about it? Do you want to be blessed? Then ask the Lord to show you which mission project you ought to be involved in. You still have time to sign up to go to Nevada (see Craig Howell). If you can’t go, you can pray daily for a particular project.

I said I was finished above, but I lied! One more thought: Jesus said, “When everyone has heard the gospel, then shall the end come.” Let’s support missions in order to hasten the return of Jesus.

See you on the Lord’s Day,
Jim

Posted by arbc at 07:26 AM