We are missionaries

I read a couple of interesting sayings about missionaries. Each one of these is meant to be funny, of course.

• Captured missionary to cannibals: "At least you get a taste of religion."
• It’s difficult for missionaries to make a living working with cannibals, they keep eating up the prophet!

That probably reveals more about my sick sense of humor than about the message I am feeling led to share through this e-mail. First thing I want to say, please pray for our Youth Group as there 15 teens and youth leaders ministering in Seattle to the homeless this weekend. Pray for their protection and that God would give them opportunity to share the Good News. This is their fourth mission trip during Spring Break to the inner-city of Seattle.

We want to be missionary church. We are on a mission to reach people and to help them become growing disciples in Christ. Without this God-given purpose life could be rather discouraging, or at least empty. It isn’t very satisfying just to accumulate things in this life when life on earth is short in comparison to preparing for eternity. I remind you in this e-mail that you have a purpose from God as his follower, and that is to make ripples of kindness, ripples of serving, ripples of love, ripples of truth that will touch one life after another. Being a missionary is simply making ripples for God as we point people to Christ.

Easter was great as usual with at least 50% more people in attendance than normal. We had 6 specific professions of faith and we are beginning to follow up on those lives this week. May Easter be a catalyst for a growing effect of our church body on the lives of others. We are missionaries.