Two things are quickly approaching for your prayers and participation:
(1) This Sunday, May 10, is Mother’s Day. Don’t forget Mom! Also, we observe Compassion Sunday on Mother’s Day, as we emphasize the work of Compassion International (CI) and child sponsorship. CI is an evangelical, child-develop-ment ministry dedicated to helping needy children around the world. CI partners with local churches and church-related organizations in foreign countries to implement programs for these children in their communities. These programs promote the holistic development of children by providing for their spiritual, physical, economic and social needs. Look for bulletin inserts, an informational table in our main lobby, and brief personal testimonies in Sunday School classes. Hear and investigate how you might get involved in this Christ-honoring ministry.
(2) Mission: Chattanooga. Over the past several years our pattern has been that most of our Wednesday church activities take a break in the summer. Remember: the Sabbath principle is that we rest from one thing in order to give our ourselves more fully to another.
With the suspension of most Wednesday evening activities, our church has more opportunities during the summer months for ministering in our community. Mission: Chattanooga is our effort to facilitate service and outreach opportunities for anyone and everyone, especially during the summer. Home missions, if you will.
These scheduled opportunities are by no means exhaustive. Other service and outreach ministries by our church and people have been and will continue to take place. This is just a means for organizing our efforts a little more. Hopefully, participation in some of these areas will not just be seasonal. Familiarity with some of these ministries may lead to greater involvement in all seasons.
We’ll again work with local ministries and agencies (AAA Women’s Services, National Memorial for the Unborn, Volunteers in Medicine, Widow’s Harvest, Hope for the Inner City, Community Kitchen, etc.). These are folk we know and have supported, actively and financially. Some other planned activities are: cooking & craft classes at the church for the making of items to share with others; an off-campus kids’ Bible club ; a Missions Kidz class for our youngest; a missions-support group for letter writing, clerical work and working with our stamp ministry; visitation teams going out to visit in local nursing facilities; a singing troupe on selected Wednesdays; and home repair & maintenance teams. We’ll engage in short-term mission team support for groups who may come to Chattanooga this summer.
These Mission:Chattanooga opportunities will be scheduled mostly on Wednesday evenings beginning May 27 from approximately 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. We’ll also have some Saturday opportunities. Some may only be able to participate in shorter time increments and some not every week. That’s fine. Come when you can, for as long as you can and as often as you can. Childcare for small children will be available at the church. But children are encouraged to engage in these services with parents. Participation by all is heartily welcomed. Please, help us to fill and satisfy the ministry activities to which we as a church commit ourselves.
Again, most regularly scheduled Wednesday evening activities here at the church take a summer sabbatical. But please note that some groups will continue to meet regularly on Wednesday evenings (Prayer Group and Choir [through portions of the summer]).
Choose areas of service that you and yours would like to be a part of this summer, and join us as we minister here and beyond our church campus in the Lord’s name.
Pastor Mullinax