Greetings from your Moderator! As the month of August has just begun, I want to remind you of the monthly emphasis as approved by our General Synod in June.
August – Jesus in Home Missions: Outreach North America – “I have many in this city who are my people.” – Acts 18:10
Rev. James Ritchey’s article in the latest ARP Magazine, focusing on our August emphasis, would be a great guide for spending quality time this month on what it means to do home missions wherever you are.
As I requested last month, I again humbly ask every ARP minister, elder, church member, Presbytery, and Session to take time this month at home, in meetings, and in worship to consider how you and your church might put more emphasis on home mission work. Things I ask you to do:
- Think and pray more seriously about planting a church
- Think and pray honestly about your church’s health and vitality
- Think and pray through how to talk about Jesus to your neighbor
- Think of and pray for every child in your midst from age 1 to 22: Is there a future pastor, church planter, missionary, elder, deacon, women’s leader, or Bible teacher among them? See the verses below!
- This particular monthly emphasis, as well as the mission of Outreach North America, could be both a look outward and a look inward.
There are two entities to contact if you or your Session are ready to consider church planting or church revitalization: ONA and your Presbytery. And the two go hand in hand, not one or the other. As ONA Executive Director, Morrie Lawing always says, ONA does not plant, start, or shut down churches; Presbyteries do! But, even so, ONA would be a good place to start. Send an inquiry their way this month!
Lastly, when we talk about church planting, we must be reminded of Matthew 9:37-38: Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” These verses describe our current situation exactly. Please pray earnestly as instructed, but especially on August 7, which is a denomination-wide “Day of Prayer and Fasting for our Lord to act favorably to the prayers of the saints for reformation and revival throughout our land and throughout the ARP”. Here is a printable prayer guide sent out by ONA: https://outreachnorthamerica.
If you are a pastor, clerk of Session, church administrator, or stated clerk of a Presbytery, would you please forward this message to the widest distribution possible under your purview?
May the Lord grant you to continue growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In His Service and His Grace,
Beard McAulay
Moderator
ARP General Synod
