Our church vision is "every one on mission". Over the past few years, I've been afforded the opportunity to provide support through the Counseling Center, a ministry of the Church, to many of those serving Cross Culturally in various parts of the world. This year, the Church recognized the importance of connecting personally with some of those I've seen, supported and some of those that the Church has supported. The Global Member Care Network Conference in October of this year was going to be just one such opportunity, to combine learning, connecting, with visiting, encouraging those we had already served.
However, as is often the case, our plans don't always work out as we think. Another engagement came up that preempted the conference and yet I had already made commitments to see some individuals in / around Nairobi, so rather than not follow through with my commitment, I rescheduled my going to Nairobi.
Since I've been back, I've been asked "How did it go ?" As is often the case, I don't know how it went or how God will use our time spent this past weekend. I just know that I felt a strong sense of honoring what I had set out to do and hoped I was faithful in doing so. I was told that my being there was encouraging, supportive, helpful, even exciting to some of those I met with and I'm thankful to have been able to be there. I'm also looking forward to continuing to serve and follow up with supporting those with whom I shared this time.
Probably the biggest takeaway for me was not something new, but further confirmation of what I believe and what 1 Corinthians 12:12 - 13 says, that "There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn't matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts."
I find that sometimes we don't have the same sense of value or appreciation for those that support "frontline" workers as we do those directly involved in Church Planting, Pastor / Discipleship Training, etc, "frontline" work. But, just as Paul continues in this passage;
"God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be."
"If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy."
"Every one on mission", doesn't mean everyone has the same job or part to play in God's plan, but everyone does have a part and each of those parts are important to the overall Mission. My hands, feet, ears, eyes, arms, legs, were all very important to me this weekend in Nairobi. I find God's call to be an "ear" is very helpful in supporting those who carry and spread the Word to those they have been called to serve.
"The eye can't say to the hand, "I don't need you!" "The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the one's we can't do without."
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