Missions Ministry
As Christ was preparing to leave earth and ascend into heaven he went about preparing his disciples for a life, here on earth, without his physical presence. In part, that preparation instructed them on where he was going, that he would return one day, that he would send them another comforter to be with them in his absence and what their duties & responsibilities would be until he returned again.
One of the main tenets of those instructions was set down in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This instruction is as fresh, and real, and important to us today in the 21st century as it was on the day Christ uttered it to his followers that day on the Mount of Olives. Therefore, it is as much our “marching orders” today as it was theirs back then. In addition, they were (we are) instructed to heal the sick (Matt 10:8), help the oppressed, and to announce the Lord’s return (Luke 4:18-19).
Here at Friendly Avenue we take this instruction seriously, and for many years have had a very robust Missions Ministry that has carried us from our backyard to the far corners of the globe. Our purpose is to take the good news that is Christ Jesus to as many as we are able to reach. So we go! We go to tell the good news story, to comfort the hopeless, to heal the sick, to encourage those who are about to give up, to teach, to be a friend to those who have no friends; and, most importantly, to demonstrate the LOVE of Christ. In 1974 Ivan Stewart wrote a little book entitled “Go Ye, Means Go Me” that had a profound impact on the Church in its day. In fact, the words and concepts of that book still ring true today. It seems clear to me that the command in Matthew 28, and the fact that it was meant for “me” and every other Christian is very significant. So in our own way, and to the best of our ability, we go.
If you have the desire, we would love to have you join with us in our Missions Ministry as we carry the good news of Christ to the world.
