Growing Up In Church-Maybe My Longest Post Yet!

I actually have had this title saved in my blog post drafts for a few weeks now. The idea to write about it came to me at a time I couldn't sit down and formulate what exactly I wanted to share so I just started the post and left it until I could decide.

Today, I decided.

Ordination, 2016

If you didn't know, I am a 4th generation Assemblies of God credential minister. My dad's Grandfather was an ordained minister in the St. Louis, MO area and he planted churches. His Grandma had a "Christian Workers" certificate, the equivalent of today's Certified Minister so that she could help my Great-Grandfather with hospital visitations. My Grandpa, my Dad's dad, was also an ordained minister until the early 80's when he transferred to another denomination but before that, he too planted and led churches in St. Louis, MO. My Dad also had an aunt who was Licensed. TWO women in my family who held credentials with the AG!! My Dad was a Licensed minister until the early 80's when he stepped back from vocational ministry, never did he step back from serving in any capacity the church needed. A few years ago he was able to have his credentials reinstated and finished his ordination. I have a brother who is Licensed, and in 2016, I was ordained. Just so he's not left out, my youngest brother isn't a credential holder but has taken some of the classes and serves his church in worship and other areas.

Yeah, we grew up going to church and we're thankful, unbelievably thankful, for it.

So tonight I want to share one of my favorite parts of being AG.

Ask my parents…growing up I always had a tender heart towards missions. And Donny would tell you today that hasn’t changed…well, it may have become stronger.

I enjoy having the opportunity to meet missionaries, hear their stories and get to know their heart for what they do. I also love being a part of the Assemblies of God. I don’t believe we have the corner on this whole church/fellowship/denomination/religion thing but I think we do quite a few things very well, and what we do best is missions.

Allow me to share some facts and information from our fellowship's websites.

From the AG website: MISSION & CORE VALUES

OUR MISSION

The Assemblies of God is committed to fulfilling a four-fold mission. Its primary reason for being is:

Evangelize the lost. Worship God. Disciple believers. Show compassion.

ASSEMBLIES OF GOD CORE VALUES

We are committed to the following core values:

Passionately proclaim, at home and abroad, by word and deed Jesus as Savior, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Soon Coming King. Strategically invest in the next generation. Vigorously plant new churches and revitalize existing ones. Skillfully resource our Fellowship. Fervently pray for God’s favor and help as we serve Him with pure hearts and noble purpose.

Four Pillars From the Beginning

The foundation of any structure dictates its longevity. From its inception the Assemblies of God has based its purpose on the Great Commission. Excerpts from General Council minutes and early mission endeavors confirm our adherence to what we now call our Four Pillars.

Reaching

1914 — At the second General Council held at Stone Church in Chicago, Illinois, the November 23 Council minutes read, “We commit ourselves and the Movement to Him for the greatest evangelism that the world has ever seen.” 1915 — On Oct. 9, “Resolved, that this Council exert all its powers to promote the evangelization of heathen lands according to New Testament methods.”

Training

1919 — At the General Council in Chicago, Illinois, the Council adopted policy for “the establishment of schools for the education of duly accredited native workers.”

Planting

1921 — At the General Council in St Louis, Missouri, the Council officially proclaimed its foreign missions goal was “to seek to establish self-supporting, self-propagating, and self-governing native churches.”

Touching

1911 — Lillian Trasher opened an orphanage in Assiout, Egypt. 1913 — James and Esther Harvey went to India as independent missionaries. Later, they joined the Assemblies of God and returned to India on their official AG appointment date of Oct. 8, 1917. “Could we preach the love of Christ to these and turn them away naked and hungry to die along the roadside? We could not.” They built a home for widows, young women who had been cast out, and children. 1916 — L.M. and Ava Anglin opened a group home in Northern Asia. By 1927, they had cared for 722 children, women, and other nationals. In 2006, AGWM celebrated their 90th anniversary. 1981 — The General Council Bylaws state, “The showing of compassion for suffering people in a manner representing the love of Jesus Christ.”

Alice Horne, AGWM administration, Springfield, Missouri (http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200803/200803_054_FourPillars.cfm)

Who we are as a fellowship is a group of people who see that the heartbeat of God is for the lost and we will follow the example set by Jesus in Matthew 28:19 to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. To teach these new disciples to obey all the commands Jesus has given us. And we can be sure of this: Jesus is with us always, even to the end of the age.

Romans 10 shows us how people come to know Christ and how we reach them.

9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[a] 12 Jew and Gentile[b] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[c]

14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”[d]

These last 2 verses are the crux of it all. Whether we’re talking about distant lands or right next door, how can they know if they aren’t told?

We believe this so strongly that we teach it from the earliest of ages all the way to adults. It’s more than just knowing the need, however. We all get to play a part in making it happen. Every single one of us from kids to adults has a role to play in reaching the lost both here and there.

BGMC

“Sometime in 1949, someone in the National Sunday School Department said something sensational. In essence, they said, "If children are to grow up to be adults concerned about missions, then they must be taught about missions in their formative years." And so the basis for a new children's missions education program—BGMC—was established. The National Sunday School Department realized "that the not too distant future of our missionary work depends upon the vision of our children of this generation.” (https://bgmc.ag.org/About/About-BGMC/History-of-BGMC)

BGMC launched in October of 1949.

What is BGMC

"BGMC is the AG missions program for kids that instills a heart of compassion to reach the lost through praying, giving, and going. All funds raised through BGMC go to meet critical needs around the world such as feeding programs, water wells, Bible schools, curriculum, and whatever else a missionary needs in their part of the world."

Did you know? Among the Assemblies of God Missionaries, most were initially called to be missionaries while they were children!

Where Do BGMC Offerings Come From?

Young children giving in Buddy Barrels—the original Buddy Barrels were wooden because supplies for missionaries were sent in wooden crates. Today, they are plastic :) Older children making faith promises Parents and other adults receiving special offerings

What Does BGMC Money Buy?

Our missionaries can use BGMC funds for any ministry supplies that relate to evangelism and discipleship.

Tracts, Bibles, and literature Sound systems, computers, and copy machines And a whole lot more!

Why Give Offerings To BGMC? BGMC goes to where the need is the greatest, where the timing is the most urgent, and where people's lives can be changed forever.

When you give to BGMC, you are helping our entire ministry team all at once!

When I was a kid, every month on BGMC Sunday we would bring our money in or our Buddy Barrels. I remember looking forward to this day because back then, we had BGMC All-Star Missionary Cards! The cards were like baseball cards only they pictured missionaries on the front and on the back were the “stats” like where they serve, info about their family, how to pray for them…I wish I still had mine!

Speed the Light

Speed the Light is our youth missions program and the concept is simple: we give so others can speed the light of the gospel to a world in darkness. This is accomplished by providing the "essential transportation and creative communication" equipment for missionary evangelism. Through modern transportation, radio, television, print, audio, and digital equipment, our missionaries can help make Jesus known.

Speed the Light is the student-initiated, volunteer, charitable program that provides much-needed equipment to missionaries across the nation and in over 180 countries around the world. It began in 1944 after Ralph Harris, then head of the National Youth Ministries department, prayed for a way to give Assemblies of God students the opportunity to help missionaries in their work.

Nearly 75 years later, Speed the Light is one of the most effective youth missions ministries in existence. Since its beginning, over $300 million has been raised for missionary equipment around the world. And, Speed the Light is still helping to disciple students to live a life of generosity as they become personally responsible for the mission of God by helping our missionaries make Jesus known throughout the world. 

Speed the Light operates with one guiding principle: all assistance must go to purchase equipment directly related to evangelism ("evangelism" is defined as propagating the gospel and instructing converts). Speed the Light equipment has not been nor is presently given for promotion, solicitation, or normal administrative functions.

If our missionaries are going to get to those who do not yet know Jesus, it will be because of Speed the Light. Every missionary in the Assemblies of God will at some point fly, drive, or float to their destination in transportation that has been provided to them by our churches and students through Speed the Light. Airplanes, cars, vans, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks, buses, boats, horses, camels, donkeys, wheelbarrows, etc...if it has wheels or hooves and can carry a missionary to a country, city, town, village, or under a cardboard box where someone is waiting to hear about Jesus, Speed the Light has provided it.

Simply put, we give so our missionaries can travel faster, preach clearer, and be heard louder in order for all to know Jesus.

A year ago, a dear friend, my "big brother," Eric, became National STL director. However, while he was still a youth pastor here in IL, he came up with this idea to have teens save their quarters in tubes. Any of my IL peeps still have theirs and use it? I do! It's in my office collecting my quarters ;) I know the students at my church are in a friendly, Guys vs Gals, competition right now and they have 6 foot tubes set up in the youth room.

Speed the Light project for 19.

In 2019, along with supporting our amazing missionaries from Illinois around the world, ISM will be partnering with F.R.E.E. International through Speed the Light to purchase mobile command units that will be used to end modern day slavery in the United States.

**Ladies and Gents, this is my jam!**

The average age of girls being trafficked in the U.S. is 12-14 years old. Please stop right now and think about that. Right now in the United States of America, these girls are being exploited and abused in unthinkable ways. This is unacceptable and we are going to do something about it.

As our District Youth Director says, "If we love Jesus, we hate trafficking... but it has to go beyond emotion. Let's mobilize and do our part to break chains and mend hearts."

This video is from the F.R.E.E. International Facebook page. This is what it's all about!

But we don't forget about the Adults

There is no one left out of the missions effort in the AG. Adults, you play a vital role as well.

In the church we have a big responsibility to not only contribute above and beyond our tithe to our monthly missions offering that enables churches to support missionaries, but we also get to help our young people understand the value and importance of supporting missions well. Let’s face it, most of our kids don’t have the income to give but when you support their efforts in fundraising, hiring them to do odd jobs around your house, to cut your grass, shovel snow, pull weeds, or maybe even buy a candy bar, attend the car wash or spaghetti dinner or whatever it may be, you are showing that you believe in them and missions.

At our church, we also do this through our partnership with our school district's Pre-K and Kindergarten center. Every time we make a donation of supplies, food for a meal, time in serving, we are showing them that we care. We are being the hands and feet of Jesus. We are positioning ourselves to be used by the Holy Spirit to speak the right words, offer a smile on a hard day, and pat on the back that they are seen and appreciated.

It is because of the generosity of the adults in our churches that missionaries all over the world, including here in the US, have the ability to go and do what God has called them to. Your giving has helped in compassion ministries such as Convoy of Hope as they show people here in the US and all around the world the love and compassion of the heart of our Father by serving and meeting physical needs. Our church takes the "Judea, Samaria and ends of the earth" quite literally and that is why we also support local agencies and ministries doing great things right in our own city.

Family, what we sacrificially give to missions has a ripple effect across the globe and throughout generations.

It's a pretty amazing way to do things, in my opinion. To teach kids that the heartbeat of God is for the lost and how we live that out because we have Jesus in our hearts is huge and crucial to evangelization of our world. Then those kids become teens who give and they become generous adults. You know, another way to be involved in missions in the AG is to serve. Whether it is through short-term missions trips, going as an associate to missionaries on the field, or maybe even God is asking you to go, every single part of the Body of Christ has a role to play and when we are all doing our part, the tapestry becomes even more beautiful.

So, to The Church I challenge us to really dig deep and give till it hurts. I am a firm believer that God will take care of a church who takes care of His missionaries. Just as we can't afford not to tithe, we can't afford not to support missions.

To our missionaries. First of all, if you're reading this, I am honored! Second, we love you and we have your back with many, many prayers and as much as God enables us, with our money. You are important to us and to the Kingdom. Thank you for serving in the capacity you've been called and for allowing us to partner with you.

What a joy and privilege it is to be a part of what I believe to the be one of the most amazing groups ministry leaders the world has ever known. Perfect? No. But I am here for it.