Augustana District Announces LCMC Mission Forum

Augustana District Announces LCMC Mission Forum

We invite all people who are passionate about missions to join this discussion group! It gives us an opportunity to network together in several areas related to our mission to serve Christ.

First, this discussion group will offer a gathering place where prayers can be requested and offered. While we each belong to our individual congregations, we are also all brothers and sisters in Christ, and we should share in one another’s burdens and blessings. God’s Word says in Timothy 2:1 (TNIV) “I urge then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone.”

Next, this discussion group will offer a gathering place that can be used as a clearing house for information and ideas related to mission work. Many congregations have individuals that have, over time, created a small organization that has become successful in addressing the physical and/or spiritual needs of our fellow man. Now, they are ready to share their experiences with others and allow others to join in their mission work in various ways. You can let many others learn about your organization and experiences by sharing your post with this discussion group. Jesus did not ask us, but commanded us to love our neighbors, and gave us the Great Commission as His last words here on earth. Jesus also said in John 14:12 (TNIV) “Truly I tell you, all who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.” During Jesus’ time the apostles were limited to sharing on an individual scale to one person or small groups. Today, we have been given the gift of the power of the internet. It allows us to network over long distances and communicate with others almost instantaneously anywhere in the world. By using this gift for the benefit of promoting God’s mission work, perhaps we can do “even greater things” than the apostles were able to do during the time of Christ.

In addition, this discussion group can be a gathering place for Christian fellowship with pleasant and informative conversation between God’s people who have a common interest in His mission work. Fellowship is an important part of keeping our Christian faith strong and alive. Acts 2:42 (TNIV) tells us the early Christian community “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” This discussion group can be a place to keep in touch with your brothers and sisters in Christ and be part of a conversation dealing with our mission to help our neighbor, both physically and spiritually.

Our mission field can be local, national, or international. If your congregation has experienced success with a local youth outing or neighborhood outreach program, maybe you can share that experience, so others can learn how to do something similar at their congregation. Have you just returned from a mission trip to another country with some larger organization? Maybe you can share that experience, good or bad, so others can learn what that experience was like. By just talking together we can stregthen our mission to do God’s work here on earth, which will be a benefit for all people.

We ask that you share this invitation to join the “LCMC Mission Forum” with the members of your congregation. Do you know of someone in your congregation who enjoys talking about their mission experiences? Please tell them about this discussion group, so they can share those experiences with others who would like to hear about it. If someone would be interested in joining this group, or has any questions, they can contact Mark Richardson or Jim Dix.

To receive an e-mail to join, with the internet link that will allow access to the group’s messages, just send a request to join to Jim Dix at jdix501@gmail.com.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Mark Richardson, Service Coordinator
Augustana District, LCMC

Rev. Paul Knudson, Board of World Missions Chair
Augustana District, LCMC

Mr. Jim Dix, Discussion Group Moderator
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hubertus, WI
Augustana District, LCMC

Log in to add a comment

Click Here For Content Archives