Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule
Pray, Give,
Perhaps one of the most overwhelming tasks of the believer is his or her involvement in missions. Our Lord commanded, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 NAS). Mission impossible, right? We may ask, “How do we as Zacharites even come close to fulfilling this Great Commission?” This sense of frustration leads us to dismiss our responsibility and acquiesce to the professional missionaries. And yet, we miss the satisfaction and joy of being obedient to Christ’s instructions.
In an attempt to encourage us in this area, I want to offer some tangible ways in which we can be a part of missions:
1. PRAY. I know some of you are thinking that I have already violated my promise to provide “tangible” ways. After all, prayer isn’t really a concrete way of doing missions, is it? My friends, I believe it absolutely is. James declared, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (5:16b NAS). In other words, prayer works. It makes a difference when we pray for the lost in our community and around the world. There is significance in praying for our missionaries to be empowered to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. So, pray! (Specifically, mark your calendars for September 14-21 as we emphasize prayer for our state missions.)
2. GIVE. Our missionaries and their ministries cannot fulfill their roles effectively unless they have the resources they need. That is where some of us come in. We may not be able to go physically to these other places, but we can give financial support. We do that through our tithes and offerings. (You may not know it, but each week we send approximately 16% of our receipts to missionary works outside of the Zachary area.) We also give through special offerings that are designated to support missionaries in a specific area. For example, the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering which we will collect in September is a way in which we continue our missions work in Louisiana. Every dollar we receive goes toward ongoing missions in the state. Our goal this year is $20,000. Through your giving, you can touch the lives of those proclaiming the gospel and those receiving it. So, give!
3. GO. Finally, you need to find opportunities to go. It may be a GROW visit you make on Monday night (and by the way, more of you are dedicating yourself to this ministry), or it may be through a personal visit you make through the Sunday School ministry. You may even choose to participate with our construction mission team. (NOTE: We are planning a return trip to Blue Mountain College October 5-10). Whatever opportunity arises, commit yourself to go. Leave your comfort zone, and reach out to those around you. It can and has made a difference, so go!
PRAY, GIVE, AND GO!
Just a Couple Reminders . . .
**Don’t forget that we elect our new deacons in September. It is vitally important that you pray for God’s leadership in whom you should choose and that you participate in the process. Please be a part of what God is continuing to do in our church by selecting the leadership God has set apart for us.
**Make sure you sign up for our new pictorial directory. Our new directory will help us build a greater sense of fellowship as we identify one another and pray for each other.
