The church was made for a mission—to be a going church! Every week we get to see this in action throughout our community and the world. This year, we are excited about hearing what God is allowing us to be a part of through the missions program at Faith Baptist Church. During each weekend of October, we will having one of our missionaries to join us from the field where they are serving. Our plan is to bless and encourage them. It’s like a mission trip… only in reverse! Plan to join us for this exciting mission’s emphasis month.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2
THOMAS
Serving in a restricted access nation since 2014, this young family has three children. They work in this country as a visionary church planter, disciple maker, Christian school administrator, and facilitates a thriving music outreach ministry that has extended far beyond India into Pakistan, Indonesia, Kenya, and beyond!
Website: https://victorytorchmusic.com/
To Give, Click HERE
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9
Pookkattu Paul
Pookkattu Paul was born in India. Both he and his wife, Molly, gave up their dental practice to become missionaries and moved to South Africa. After serving over 25 years ministering to minors, hosting Bible studies, church groups, open air meetings, crises counseling, and starting multiple churches, his mission board asked him to transition to leading ministry efforts in Africa. This mission board started in 1893, and they have over 4,000 workers serving in more than 70 countries on six different continents.
Website: https://www.simusa.org/
To Give, Click HERE
Vernon Smith
Vernon and Mary Smith have been missionaries of Bible Baptist Fellowship International in Springfield, Missouri since 1988. They work very closely with locals in Tanzania planting churches, hosting retreats, facilitate a Bible college, minister in public schools, and they also have a Christian school as well as a children’s ministry orphanage. Tanzania is a country of over 130 tribal groups equaling over 30 million people.
Website: https://newhopeinitiative.org/
To Give, Click HERE
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16
HOPE CHILDREN'S HOME
Founded in 1968, Hope Children’s Home has rescued nearly 5,000 children between the ages of infant to 18 years of age. The type of children cared for are not juvenile delinquents, but rather children that, through no fault of their own, find themselves in a situation of needed rescue. Whether it’s their campus in Tampa, New Mexico, or Honduras, each child is equally important in God’s eyes and ours. Hope Children’s Home has been lovingly caring for children while instilling core Christian values for over 50 years.
Website: https://hopechildrenshome.org/
To Give, Click HERE
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23
GREG MANN
Greg and Wendy Mann launched Grace Ministries of Guyana in 1999. Their initial efforts were greatly blessed of God through hundreds coming to Christ, churches planted, and local church leaders trained. In 2009 the Mann’s moved to Florida, but Greg continued his ministry making over 3 dozen trips to Guyana to train pastors, conduct evangelistic crusades, and a host of other outreach efforts. In 2020, Greg and Wendy relocated back to Guyana to the people and the place their hearts call home!
Website: https://www.graceministriesgy.org/
To Give, Click HERE
WHAT IS MISSIONS?
When God put a plan together for getting the message of salvation to the entire world, He chose to work through local churches like ours! It is that simple. If a lost man in Tanzania is to hear the gospel, it will be because a church reaches beyond its local area and obeys the command of God to win our world.
The process begins with a person who will be sent by his local church (Acts 13)—someone who will leave his homeland to tell others of Christ. Then it takes a church family who will stand behind that person prayerfully and financially. It takes individuals within that church family who will say, “Though I cannot go, I will help you go, and I will pray for you as you do!” So one by one, God calls men to go, and He leads churches to pray and to give. That is God’s formula—and it works!
The Bible says in Romans 10:15, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” It also says in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” God’s instruction to us is to give cheerfully so that people can hear the gospel.
In Acts 13:1–3, the Holy Spirit separated Paul and Barnabas from the church at Antioch. In Acts 14:26–27, they returned to Antioch and reported to the local church body about their work. That is exactly what we will experience during the month of October.
The reason for a mission’s emphasis time is to purposely set time aside to follow God’s instruction! We want to know His heart and hear His voice. He is calling us to win our world, and the world is waiting for us to answer! May we truly be the church God intends us to be.