We are delighted this week to have the Sinclair family with us on home assignment from their ministry in Japan. Luke & Naomi are one of our overseas mission partners and it will be excellent to hear from them how they are going and how we can be praying for them.
I remember very clearly what my brother-in-law said when he was preparing to go to South Sudan to work in a missionary hospital. He said,
'Everyone plays their part in God's mission as we are the body of Christ together. This time it is our turn to 'Go' and it is your turn to 'Send'. At some point in the future you too might 'Go' and others brothers and sisters will be doing the 'Sending'. But whether we go or send, we are all engaged in God's mission together!'
When we think about the congregation plant in the Hutt Valley, I think the same helpful principles apply.
We're engaging in the mission of God to multiply and mature wholehearted followers of Jesus. For some of us it will mean going to be part of the launch team to make it happen on the ground. For some of us it will mean sendingthem off, remaining behind and continuing the mission God has for us in Wellington City. So whether we go or stay, we are all engaged in God's mission together so we will all have our part to play.
We see this sort of partnership all through the New Testament as Paul and his co-workers travel the known world sharing the good new of Jesus. Paul gives thanks for this mission partnership in his letter to the Philippians,
'I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.'
One of the things I think Paul is saying here is that our partnership in the gospel mission is a way that God works to mature and grow us as his people. I think that is the 'good work in you' that Paul is confident will be carried on to completion. There is the blessing of maturity to be had by partnering together!
So as we get nearer the day (10 November!) when we will farewell and commission some of our church whānau to plant this new congregation, now is the time for us to work out how we are going to play our part.
Are you going to go and be part of this body of Christ proclaiming Jesus in the Hutt Valley?
Are you going to stay and continue the mission work of our church in Wellington City?
And if you stay or if you go, how are you going to partner with others to see Christ proclaimed all across Wellington?
To help us plan for life after 10 November we would love it if you (Yes, you! We'd love to hear from everyone) could begin to let us know what your intentions are using the form on the link below. It would be great to be prayerfully considering how we might 'go further' over the next few months to see this new gospel partnership flourish and see more people come to know Jesus.
Grace and peace,
Andrew
eNews - 13th September 2024