The last two weeks at church, we’ve been blessed by having messages from visiting speakers on missions.

The first week it was Urie Sharp. He spoke about the church in China, persecution and some of the wonderful things that are happening over there through the work of various missions. Because it is a closed country, I won’t go into detail here on a public blog. His detailed stories and descriptions were at times heart warming, at times heart wrenching. His message caused all of us, I hope, to have more of a heart for the church in China and the vast needs of Christians there. The only question that remains what am I going to do, what action will it bring on my part? Prayer is a start for sure. Maybe more, who knows?

This past week we were blessed by the visit of John and Laura Smucker who are on furlough from serving in Minsk Mazowiecki, Poland. The mission they are working under is Anabaptist International Ministries. John spoke during our morning service about being called by God. During the afternoon time, they gave a slideshow, sang some hymns as a family and showed some of the “artifacts” from that distant land. One of the most prominent blocks to the spread of the gospel, as John shared, is the entrenchment of the Roman Catholic Church and all its associated rites and rituals in peoples lives. It is part of the culture, gives people their “identity” as it were, and the cost of leaving is high. Let’s remember to pray for the church there in Poland and the families there as they are a light for the Lord in their corner of the globe.

Posted on August 20th, 2006 by Josh Champagne
Filed under: New Hope Mennonite Church