Partnership: A Battle Plan

They've got us surrounded. We hear the sound of the armies advancing. They're getting into position. 20,000 Syrian foot soldiers stand at the ready. The people of Ammon are at the gate. And here we find David's men. In the midst of this dangerous situation.

"When Joab saw that the battle line was drawn against them before and behind, he chose some of Israel's best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai his brother, that he might set them in battle array against the people of Ammon. Then he said, 'If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight." -2 Samuel 10:9-12

You and I are engaged in war whether we live like it or not. These are challenging days. And what is so exciting is that if we are in God's business of ushering in the kingdom- we cannot fail. God will always forward His purposes, whether His people cooperate or not. What I love about this story in the Old Testament is its beautiful illustration of the partnership between the church and missions. You are on a mission. We are on a mission. If your battle is too hard for you- e-mail us. We will pray. We will help you. And if the battle us too hard for us- we will let you know so that you can pray. And you can help us. We are not at odds- we're a team. We are excited that we can partner together for the sake of the gospel.

One new way we hope to be a resource for our NJ churches and champions: A Missions Workshop- how to get your church excited about missions. We will have some food, some worship, a session on how to make a missions plan for your church, and a "round table" session discussing what churches need from missionaries and what missionaries need from churches. This workshop is open to missions committee chairs or members, pastors, youth pastors, or anyone who wants to get their church pumped about missions!

Mark your calendars for October 23 9am-12noon at Sicklerville United Methodist Church. More information is coming your way, but we wanted you to know that our partnership is not one-sided. We are here to serve you. And this workshop is just one way we hope to do that!