MISSION STATEMENT

This is a mission statement but I pray this is also a message, or maybe even a challenge for anyone who reads or hears these words God has put on my (Joel’s) heart.

I always thought that there was a certain requirement or certain lapse of time required as a Christian before I would be considered as a usable part of ministry or the mission field. You can’t just go can you?

A little over a year ago I acted on a calling into ministry and began online classes in the usual pastoral doctrine.  As I studied and prayed with Jes we decided to ask ourselves what kind of church is God calling us to lead?

To us the answer seemed simple.  The one Jesus describes in God’s Word, but what does the Word  of God say that is? As we studied and prayed this question opened a new chapter in our lives that slowly led to the calling we believe God has intended for us. Something we may have missed from the very beginning.  What is our calling? How do I hear it?

So many of us think it’s some kind of personal divine intervention with God.  Some kind of miraculous sign that blows the doors off.  Or maybe we have to be some sort of spiritual elder to truly hear from God, and sometimes that’s the case and it’s amazing, but is that always the case?  Am I called?  Has God chosen me for a specific job working for His kingdom?

I was in the military quite a few years ago, I never did anything heroic or that amazing.  For the most part I just served my time. I was a heavy equipment operator who worked mostly on airfield runways and roads. Of course most of my time was spent fixing broken dozers and other equipment that only seemed to run in two hour intervals. But somehow every time I turned a wrench or pushed up a pile of dirt (as small as my part was) it had purpose. What I was doing wasn’t about me, but in some way it was for the better of humanity.  I now realize that feeling was more of a selfish pride at that point in my life but isn’t that the feeling we should have as Christians as we accomplish the goals laid out for us in God’s Word. When I prepared to leave the service my leadership told me I would hate having a civilian job and I would struggle.  I remember one of my NCO’s saying to me; wait until the big problem of the month is the cups ran out in the dispenser at the new job and see how valuable you feel. Do you want to know something, they were right.  But why? 

This is where the truth is revealed. I was so ready to be free from my duty and just go to work, make good money, come home at the same time every day I was only concerned about my own welfare. But as that went on I started to feel something missing. Suddenly turning that wrench or pilling that dirt only meant hours on the time card.  And for what?  To pay MY bills and fill MY selfish needy desires. Everything I did was to advance my kingdom {no greater purpose than ME}.

I think it’s a feeling many of us have dealt with before. Even after I got saved I still felt this repetitive self-sustaining life was dragging us down. What is missing?

As we studied and prayed we decided to read the gospels as if it was a letter from Jesus to us taking EVERYTHING literally, and when we finished asked ourselves what did Jesus tell us to do? After we did this we realized Jesus was giving us specific instructions in the Word that we had read over time and time again. We had been aligning Gods word to meet our lifestyles leaving out the areas that we were lacking and just capitalizing on our few strong points rather than adjusting our lifestyles to meet all the requirements of God’s Word. 

I’m not saying we found the answer for everyone individually, not at all. But by doing this we believe the Holy Spirit laid heavy on our hearts the things that we are capable of doing to further Gods Kingdom, and then most importantly acting on them. By doing this we have discovered this sense of purpose we’ve been missing. This purpose isn’t necessarily to a specific place, people, or need. But we believe it’s helping whoever, going wherever, or doing whatever can be used for Gods glory.  

I’d like to point out that this was not an overnight change, this was a process of us seeking God and Him working on our hearts.  And lots of prayer!

CHALLENGE

We truly believe that we are ALL called for Gods purpose and that we ARE called.  And it’s not necessarily divine intervention or a miraculous sign, but your calling can be found in the Word.  We would challenge everyone to start with reading the gospels, the actual words of Jesus, as if he was speaking directly to you.  Pray continually, and take it literally.  Then ask yourself what did Jesus tell ME to do?  The Holy Spirit might reveal something that could change your life forever, keeping in mind it could be something different for everyone.  

OUR MISSION

That being said we believe we have found a need for the gifts God has given us at the Belize Mission Conference and Retreat Center We will be going down there in March to see it in person and make sure this is where God wants us to be.  

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and prepare for this next step in our walk with the Lord.