It matters how we’re asked to be a part of something. There’s a difference between asking someone, “Hey, do you want to go into a packed Nicaraguan jail and share the Gospel?” versus asking, “Hey, did you hear about the informational meeting about the mission trip to Central America?” There’s a difference between asking someone, “Will you put your schedule on hold unexpectedly today, pick up some Braum’s, and sit in a median to eat breakfast with a homeless man?” versus asking, “Have you noticed the homeless people on the drive to church every Sunday?”
The Day Is At Hand: CRBC Missions Season
CRBC’s Missions Season begins the Sunday directly after Easter and ends the Sunday right before our big Pentecost Sunday 60th Anniversary celebration– isn’t that fitting? While we see God’s heart for the nations from the beginning (i.e. God’s call on Abraham in Genesis 12), the Great Commission and the missionary travels of the disciples and Paul ignited what we still know as “missions'' today. The reality is that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection spurred believers to act, share, love, and move back then and still spurs us to this day.
When We're Still Waiting For It To have Been Worth It
I’m new to this whole missionary gig and so far it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. My back hurts from the plywood bed. My stomach grumbles as it adjusts to the new foods, water, and routine. My hair is oily from the less than clean water I “wash” it in every other day. My living room wallpaper is such an onslaught of patterns, my head hurts when I walk in there. I spend too much time on Instagram missing my friends because it’s too rainy this week to go make new friends with my caveman version of the local language. I barely want to pick up my Bible because my mind feels so overwhelmed with learning a new language that it could explode even from reading a familiar language. And I’m lonely.
Celebrate Missions
Every Tuesday, our Whiz Kids and their tutors fill the Cube with energy and more hugs than you can count (and most recently, a lot of 4th grade drama). Every Friday, our Celebrate Recovery meets for dinner and 12-step groups, passing out chips to celebrate markers of sobriety and life change. Our partners around the city are faithfully serving, loving and sharing the gospel in a variety of spaces including education, recovery, vulnerable families, outdoor ministry and food insecurity. Our deacons and bereavement team serve our church every single day in meaningful ways that impact every single person in our church, whether they know it or not. Our groups are accessing the Care Portal and meeting the needs of families in our community. We have had adoptions finalized, babies come into loving foster homes and biological families strengthened. Around the world, we have partners living out their calling to move overseas, plant gospel-centered churches, train pastors, provide clean drinking water, bring kids out of street life into a life of purpose and provide quality education. This is just the beginning of all there is to celebrate in the life of our church.
Mission Partner: Andrea Tompkins of CRU
Andrea serves on the Executive Team of the High School ministry of CRU (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), along with her husband of almost 18 years, Tyrone. They have two amazing kids, Isabelle (or Izzy, cutest nickname ever!) who is 8 and LT who is 2.
Find out her advice on connecting with teenagers and what her calling to ministry looked like, as well as her story with infertility, race and ministry...and of course, what books are on her nightstand!
Mission Partner: Sarah
Sarah recently moved to Southeast Asia as a church planter with her husband of nearly 16 years, Sam, and their 3 amazing children (ages 13, 11 and 4). She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and hosts the Red Button Podcast which focuses on sharing real life stories with a Mental Health Practitioner. They also welcomed a new member of the family into their home a few weeks ago...an adorable and fluffy puppy! I have changed their names and won’t be showing any pictures of their faces to protect their ministry, but I think you’ll love getting to know “Sarah” through her voice and perspective.
Mission Partner: Morgan Shillow and St. Paul's Community School
Morgan Shillow is the Head of School at St.Paul’s Community School (SPCS), a new school and CRBC Mission Partner that provides an accessible, affordable and classical Christian education on the south side of OKC. She can actually see the school from her house, where she lives with her husband of 7 years, Chauncey, and their two boys, Joshua (4) and Malachi (1).