A lot happened around Mission Adelante this past week, but the most noteworthy highlight occurred on Saturday. Hoards of volunteers, from professionals to kids, with tools ranging from mops to a 125-foot lift machine, converged on Mission Adelante's property for a work day. There were so many volunteers doing so many projects that I couldn't even count them. My best guess is 200 +. Needless to say the impact was nothing less than a breath-taking aesthetic transformation of our property.
This workday was neither thought up nor led by Mission Adelante staff. Instead it was an inspired experiment of three suburban churches that have recently begun to discuss the disappointing divisions and territorialism they see among American churches today. As the three pastors of these churches began talking and praying with one another, an idea was born. One thing led to another and the Lord led them to develop a three-part series called, "What if the Church...believed together, prayed together, served together?". To drive the message home, each part of the teaching was acted upon in a tangible way. First came the "pastor swap" as they talked about "what if the church believed together?", then a joint worship and prayer service at Shawnee Mission Park, and finally a serve day in which all three churches mustered all the physical resources and volunteers they could to serve at several urban sites in the city. The response was overwhelming, and the name of Jesus was lifted high above the name of any one church or organization.
For Mission Adelante, the physical impact to our property was quite significant. But, beyond that, there were several layers of impact that aren't seen by the casual observer. The immigrant members of our small congregation continue to be awed by love and generosity shown by American Christians toward them. It is something that they don't expect and certainly don't feel entitled to receive. Secondly, the servant-hearted example set by these churches motivates and casts vision to our developing community regarding what it looks like to use out gifts and talents for the kingdom of God. And thirdly, our rag-tag church feels the blessing of knowing that we are not in this alone. We are part of a bigger movement of God in our city, something that is so important for us as we struggle to become established and vibrant.
So, thank you to those who served, to those who prayed, and to those who planned. And thank you to all who have ever served, planned, and prayed for Mission Adelante. We feel the blessings of our partnership with you!
This workday was neither thought up nor led by Mission Adelante staff. Instead it was an inspired experiment of three suburban churches that have recently begun to discuss the disappointing divisions and territorialism they see among American churches today. As the three pastors of these churches began talking and praying with one another, an idea was born. One thing led to another and the Lord led them to develop a three-part series called, "What if the Church...believed together, prayed together, served together?". To drive the message home, each part of the teaching was acted upon in a tangible way. First came the "pastor swap" as they talked about "what if the church believed together?", then a joint worship and prayer service at Shawnee Mission Park, and finally a serve day in which all three churches mustered all the physical resources and volunteers they could to serve at several urban sites in the city. The response was overwhelming, and the name of Jesus was lifted high above the name of any one church or organization.
For Mission Adelante, the physical impact to our property was quite significant. But, beyond that, there were several layers of impact that aren't seen by the casual observer. The immigrant members of our small congregation continue to be awed by love and generosity shown by American Christians toward them. It is something that they don't expect and certainly don't feel entitled to receive. Secondly, the servant-hearted example set by these churches motivates and casts vision to our developing community regarding what it looks like to use out gifts and talents for the kingdom of God. And thirdly, our rag-tag church feels the blessing of knowing that we are not in this alone. We are part of a bigger movement of God in our city, something that is so important for us as we struggle to become established and vibrant.
So, thank you to those who served, to those who prayed, and to those who planned. And thank you to all who have ever served, planned, and prayed for Mission Adelante. We feel the blessings of our partnership with you!
In other news:
- The launch of our summer trimester last Thursday was was another huge success. ESL Level 1 is being held in the building for the first time, which allowed us to admit the largest group of students we've ever had! Furthermore, 45 kids came to Kids Adelante!
- A family for whom we've asked for prayer in recent weeks returned to our Sunday Worship Celebration after a six-week absence. Their volatile lives are a continuous struggle for them, but we rejoiced to see them again!
Prayer needs:
- Three pre-teen Latina girls have joined Megan's summer Bible-study on the topic of purity, while Megan is continuing to recruit more. Please pray for more girls to be interested in the study and receptive to the counter-cultural message.
- Pray for Molly's effort to learn Spanish to be successful this summer.
- Sofie Strohmeier, our third summer intern, will move to the neighborhood this Sunday, June 15. Ask the Lord to allow her a smooth integration into the intern team.
- Pray for God's blessing as Jarrett forms a team of volunteers for the Leaders In Training and tutoring program slated to begin this fall. This will be an opportunity for intensively relational mentorship for a select group of kids.
- A group of at least five volunteers from Warrensburg, MO are coming this Thursday through Saturday to hold an English Camp. Please pray that it runs smoothly and that our English students take advantage of the opportunity.
Current needs:
- Gas-powered weed eater
- Gas grills
Important upcoming dates:
- June 28: Kids Adelante soccer clinic outreach