Every opportunity I get, I solicit the advice of missionaries on how to best do deputation. Every and I mean EVERY missionary has told me to try to get all of our supporting churches within 300 miles or so of home. So far we are not exactly heeding to that advice.
Based in Rochester, New York, we have a supporting church as far south as Miami, Florida and now as far north as Ottawa, Canada too!
Yesterday Erika and I had the opportunity to present our ministry to Carleton Baptist Church. Although outside the 300 mile range, we were truly blessed by this church.
Carleton is such a sweet church with a church-planting pastor who loves people. Staying in his home gave us many chances to converse. I learned he survived cancer even though he refused chemotherapy. I learned he has planted five churches and about the struggles that go along with that. What an experience to sit down over coffee and hear the stories of his life experiences.
I am sure reporting to churches all over will eventually have its challenges. Ottawa and Miami are 1,650 miles apart. It will have its benefits though! Getting to reacquaint ourselves with the wonderful believers we have met here and there will be a joy!
1 comment:
Praise the Lord, while there is some wisdom and practicality to the advice given, what blessings you'd already have missed out on. If practicality for you supercedes God's intentions for those churches as it pertains to their call in the great commission to Italy it would not be wise. I heard a missionary friend of mine preach a great message some time ago on not limiting God...you. It is clear that God intended for those churches to be a part of Italy missions - praise the Lord!
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