Renewing Our Intentionality
By John Brunton --
We are in TROUBLE! Now that I have your attention…
We aren’t really in trouble, but I have been concerned about the Global Partnership (GP) Emphasis that is scheduled for the three Sundays of March 31, April 7 and April 14. For those who are new or newer to our faith community, let me explain a little about the GP Emphasis that we hold each year. At Greater Portland Bible Church, we have two budgets: our general budget that covers the staff and operating costs of our church and a Global Partnership budget that covers the support and care for our Global Partners. We have fourteen families, individuals and/or ministries that we support from the GP budget. Each year we are graciously given three Sundays in which we invite keynote speakers, Skype with some of our Global Partners during the main gatherings, and ask our faith community to make prayer and financial pledges towards the new fiscal year budget, which begins July 1.
So, why am I concerned you might ask? It would be easy to fall into a pattern of thinking that the GP Emphasis is just another thing that we do as a faith community. The result of that kind of thinking could easily lead to complacency and a decline in our collective financial and prayer support of our Global Partners. If I am honest, I need to guard against this kind of thinking, because, after all, every year that I have been involved with the GP Emphasis our faith community has generously responded to the call. It would be easy to slip into the incorrect thinking that all we, as the Global Partnership Team, must do is put on the right program and say the right things and the needed support will automatically be provided.
The GP Emphasis is NOT about a program. Supporting missions has been and continues to be in the very DNA of our church and is an integral part of our identity. We are dependent upon the movement of the Spirit as we join Jesus in being “on mission” both locally and globally.
Let me take this opportunity, on behalf of our GP Team and our Global Partners, to thank you for responding to the biblical mandate “to go and make disciples of all the nations.” Let us collectively renew our resolve to be even more intentional this year in sharing the Gospel message of hope and healing to both our local community and to the nations around the globe.