Missions

Jill Marbach

Central's mission of "moving people toward Christ" includes the vision of helping to move all 2.5 billion lost people around the world toward life with him. Fulfilling this enormous task at Central is led by our Missions Team, working in partnership with you and our amazing missionaries and mission agencies in Baltimore and around the world who share God's heart for the nations. As the Missions Team, we focus on three main areas: Education and Mobilization, Missionary Care and Support, and Strategic Sending and Partnership Development.

It all begins with EDUCATION and MOBILIZATION... Having Central supported missionaries from Thailand and Kenya was a highlight of this year's Missions Celebration. It was truly a blessing to have them, joining us in our small groups, sharing in Sunday School classes, and teaching us from the pulpit. Their hearts for the Lord and vision for serving and reaching out to the peoples of the world are inspiring!

Twelve of Central's members attended a regional ACMC (Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment) Missions Conference held in Baltimore this year. We attended a variety of seminars and workshops and came away with a sense of how God might want to continue (or begin!) to use us in different ways to help influence a lost world for Christ.

You may remember an exciting worship service this past summer when 43 students and young adults were commissioned for short-term ministry in Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, and the United States! You made history by sending a group of college students to South Africa as part of the largest team of African-Americans to go overseas as missionaries in the history of our country. You also sent novice Karen to Kazakhstan for a few months and now she is planning to move to Kazakhstan for a year in 2003-2004!

Once people are on the field, we help with MISSIONARY CARE and SUPPORT. This involves much more than just writing a check and praying "God bless them!" This year, we had three Communities of Care helping to prepare God's people for missionary service. In the coming year we will have three or four new ones beginning!

Our 65 missionary families and agencies have faced a number of personal and professional difficulties this year. Two have lost parents; two have lost daughters. Others are dealing with ailing parents and the stress of being geographically so far away. Some have dealt with severe team disagreements and conflicts. Some have faced political unrest and religious persecution. It has been a year for us to sorrow with those who are sorrowing. Yet God is still at work, drawing people to himself, so we've had many reasons to rejoice together as well.

STRATEGIC SENDING and PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT may seem the most obvious part of the Missions' ministry. This year we sent new missionary Josie from EPIC to the Philippines. We sent Jill Marbach to Thailand in July to strengthen our partner relationship there. And we hosted Raul Fino from our Sister Church in Brazil during the summer. We hope these short term exchanges will serve to strengthen our commitment, present and future, to Central's partnerships.