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Our church will be sending a team of fifteen to Toronto, Canada, from July 2-10. This is our second year of visiting this enormous multicultural city as we will be working with our partner church, A Better City Church, led by Alex and Indhira Fleming. In the past year we have provided resources to this church plant by sending teams to work alongside their mission, giving materials which they have used to disciple their people, writing cards with gifts for encouragement to Alex and Indhira, and offering a baby shower for the Fleming’s in celebration of their son Asher’s birth. In like manner, in the past year A Better City Church has provided our own church with encouragement through Alex’s preaching, constant prayers on our behalf, ideas for ways in which we can minister to our own community, and the care of one of our own (Taylor Smith) as he ministers in Toronto this summer. In this coming year we will be striving for even greater ways in which our churches can partner together for the sake of the gospel. Since our churches are no less than 1,020 miles in distance between each other, uniquely different in cultural styles, and even divided by challenges in communication (the majority of A Better city church is of Hispanic descent), why should we go to such lengths to partner together for ministry? As has been mentioned before, why go somewhere else to do God’s work when there is so much need within our own community?
I will remind you again of why our partnership with this young and exciting congregation is not only spiritually healthy but also eternally rewarding for Moundville Baptist Church:
1. History proves the value of such partnerships. The first century Jerusalem Church (Acts 2:42-47) provides a helpful model for the current local church. Yet, within 70 years of its inception, this church would cease to exist. However, the first century Antioch Church (Acts 13:1-3) would go on to influence the known world with the gospel by partnering to support new churches. No local church will remain forever. But we can influence generations to come by starting new works.
2. Jesus exemplifies this very model. John 3:16 expresses God’s character quite well—“For God so loved the world that He gave…” God sent His Son. Jesus sends His followers. It is in God’s habit to send! Jesus crossed a greater chasm, exhibited a greater sacrifice, and endured great discomfort than any other missionary endeavor in history! Can his Church reflect any different model?!
3. This practice puts feet to the mission of the Church. Matthew 28:19-20 proclaims Jesus’ mission for His Church—we are to go and share the gospel! While this certainly includes reaching our own community, it does not remove our responsibility from reaching any other. The more engaged we become in reaching the world for Christ, the more engaged we become in reaching our community for Christ.
4. Cross-cultural partnerships benefit the ministry of the local church. 2 Corinthians 8-9 chronicles just one example of local churches in various communities spurning one another on for the glory of God and the growth of each congregation.
If this kind of ministry is difficult, why should we even try? One missionary answers this.
A missionary in Africa was once asked if he really liked what he was doing. His response was shocking. "Do I like this work?" he said. "No. My wife and I do not like dirt. We have reasonable refined sensibilities. We do not like crawling into vile huts through goat refuse...But is a man to do nothing for Christ he does not like? God pity him, if not. Liking or disliking has nothing to do with it. We have orders to 'Go,' and we go. Love constrains us."
Jason