2 PC Mission Matters e-Newsletter: Volume 1, Issue 1, March, 2010

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 Mission Matters - Wed., Mar, 10,  2010 - Volume 1, Issue 1

Jesus sent us to be his hands, feet and voice for a world in need of  hope. The church is called by God to be witnesses of what God has done in Jesus Christ, and what God will do when Jesus comes again. At 2PC, our mission is to share the heart of Christ in the heart of the community. As a church, we are called to help serve the needs of both the local community and the world. 

Welcome to the 2010 Mission Matters e-Newsletter 

We will be publishing the 4th Wednesday of the month with the purpose of including  our congregation in the news and information that impact both our local and global mission ventures and activities. 

Because our mission work is now under the leadership of two different teams which work in tandem but are better able to focus on the two areas of our missional work at 2 PC, we'll also report on the work of the two teams under separate headings in this e-Newsletter.  We believe we can better serve you, our congregation, as well as our mission partners in the two-team format as 2 PC continues to follow our vision to serve God as a missional church both in the heart of our community and in our state, country, and world.  Additionally we support the work of our youth and children as they SUPPORT missions locally, nationally, and globally. 

   Global Mission Partners of the Month:  Chiapas, Mexico & WEC, Africa

DeAnn Worth, 2 PC Member . . .  January, 2010, Mission Trip to Chiapas, Mexico  

"It is so difficult to communicate in just a few words the feelings and emotions that go along with a mission service trip!  I have recently returned from serving on a medical mission to Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico.  I asked God to help me show the Tzeltal people how much they are loved by God through my actions and my words.  It was an incredible week working with old and new friends including four nurses and a physician along with several non-medical people who stepped up to serve as the occulist and pharmacy personnel for the group.  The pharmacy was overseen by a native nurse from Chiapas who is hired by the Ocosingo Clinic, "Los Manos de Cristo",  the hands of Christ."   

DeAnn continues  . . . Two weeks out of the year seems like so little time, but we do, indeed, touch many lives.  Those who came on the first day spread the word to their friends and neighbors, and we had more patients each day.  When the clinic is completed and fully functioning, there will be a need for help in the clinic; there will, however, still be a need for medical care in remote villages because there are those who were carried to us in trucks and on pallets.  It does remind me of Jesus' time when those who could not come on their own were brought to His feet. 

Romans 10:14 reminds us: 'How then shall they call on him in who they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?"  I know we were there to help in some small way to share the story of Jesus!'"

New Mission Team Forming Now for  May Trip to Chiapas, Mexico

If you are touched or intrigued by DeAnn's mission experience, please, prayerfully consider being part of the mission team that travels to Chiapas from May 29-June 5, 2010.  We will work alongside members of the Tzeltal Presbytery to serve the people of the region.  The Tzeltal people are descendants of the noble Mayans who once ruled southern Mexico but now face discrimination and poverty; the average monthly family income is $245. 

Among the tasks planned are (1) working to complete the Los Manos de Christos Clinic that serves the indigenous people of Chiapas, (2) conducting a Vacation Bible School event in the afternoons, and (3) offering an outreach event for adults in partnership with the Santana brothers of the Restoration Christian Church. We will stay at the Alpha and Omega Bible School and work with Pablo and Jan Feliciano Cruz.  The cost of the trip is approximately $1200, but do not let the cost deter you as we will be doing some fund-raising, and scholarships are available.

Dr. Don Crittenden will be presenting an update on Chiapas and the mission trip for the JOY program at the church at 11:00 AM on Friday, March 12.  If you know of anyone who would be interested in this trip, please, pass this information on to them.  For more information or if you are unable to attend the program, contact Laurie Sprague at 275.8546 or Don Crittenden at 828.6297.

Jason & Lisa Carter, Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ International (WEC), Africa  

Known and loved by many at 2 PC, Jason and Lisa Carter will be home on furlough from their ministry in Equatorial Guinea, Africa, and visiting us March 14-17.  Jason served as our 2 PC Youth Pastor and Lisa worked in evangelism, especially with our young adult singles and couples. Jason is a professor of New Testament, Theology, and Missions at a grass-roots seminary,  the Instituto Biblico Casa de Palabra, training indigenous pastors to serve in the growing church movement in EG.  A vital part of their ministry is "The Good Samaritan" which reaches out to people affected by HIV/AIDS.  Lisa is deeply involved with children's and women's ministries in the local Fang churches as well as in the interior villages. Serving a mission internship with the Carters for the summer or a semester would be an incredible opportunity--ask them about it!

They will meet with  high school students on Sunday, March 14 and will be at Powerhouse on Wednesday, March 17.  Parents and all interested adults are welcome to hear them share about their ministry around 6 PM on Wednesday. On Monday March 15, Jason and Lisa will be having dinner at 6pm with any college students and young adults that can make it to Medici in Uptown Normal. 

Tuesday night, March 16, a Missions Ministry Dinner will be held at at 6 PM at 2PC to afford  all mission team members and  anyone else the opportunity to be blessed by hearing the stories of what it means to "make disciples of Jesus Christ, even to the ends of the earth"  and to meet and encourage the Carters in their work.  An offering will be taken to support the completion of the Bible School in Bata.  RSVP to Laurie Sprague by Sunday, March 14, or email her at lwds2232@yahoo.com.

For more information see the WEC International  website:   http://www.wec-int.org/cms/fields/equatorial-guinea/wec-equatorial-guinea.html

   Local Missions

The local missions committee is under the leadership of Elder Lyn Hruska and met for the first time in February. This committee looks forward to highlighting local mission opportunities for 2PC.

   Links to People & Partners

2 PC Website:   http://secondpres.info

2 PC Mission & Outreach Website:  http://secondpres.info/serve/mission-outreach

    Questions & Comments for Mission Matters, Vol 1, Issue 1 ?

Please contact Dr. Don Crittenden, Director of Missions and Adult Christian Education, via e-mail or by calling 309.828.6297. You can also contact Laurel Wintersteen, assistant to Dr. Crittenden, as well. 

Striving to be more and more like Jesus, 2PC is called to serve others. 2PC seeks to be the hands and feet of Jesus in Bloomington-Normal, and throughout the world.