Getting the Missions Message

I didn’t even get to preach last Sunday, but I think they got the message.

Eight of the nine people from our church who went on the Missions Spectacular trip to East St. Louis on Saturday told their stories to the church Sunday morning. And I didn’t mind in the least.

The project was initiated by the Illinois Baptist State Association as a One-Day missions event with opportunities to go to Rockford, Springfield or the Metro East area. In all, over 550 people participated from churches throughout Illinois at one of the three locations.

At the Metro East sites mission projects included church building repairs, food pantry repair work, landscaping, park clean-up, farming, clothes pantry sorting, campus prayer-walking, and taking 100 kids from the Christian Activity Center to the zoo. Our group was assigned, and joined by families from two other churches, to spend the day doing Kids Club activities and Sports Camps at the New Yu Youth Movement in East St. Louis.

The New Yu consists of a core group of several teenagers led by a husband-wife youth ministry team. Three years ago this couple was serving as youth pastors in a church when the adults decided to disband. Rather than abandon the students, however, the Thomas’ carried on their ministry to their students in what is now called the New Yu Youth Movement.

Their website describes their purpose: “We exist to inspire and motivate students to seek Christ, pursue a relationship with Him, accept His unconditional love, connect with other students, and tell someone about Him. We will impact this generation for Christ!”

They meet for worship and fellowship in a dilapidated building in a neighborhood surrounded by vacant lots and modest (at best) homes in need of major repair. The house across the street was occupied, but the grass was grown above waist high. Several unsavory business establishments operate nearby. The Southwestern Illinois Correctional Facility is only blocks away. Do I need to mention that the neighborhood is African-American?

It was into this foreign environment that we ministered the love of Christ for the 70 kids who came to see what was going on. The children ranged in age from just a few months old to late teens. Some of their parents also hung around for a while. We set up gazebo tents and brought games and activities, prepared crafts, grilled hot dogs and served chips, cookies and drinks, did face-painting and told Bible stories.

Our mission was to be witnesses for Christ to the world. Indeed, that is the mission of every follower of Jesus in every generation and in every location. Jesus commissions His disciples plainly with these words: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt. 28:18). And He tells them: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

It felt like we were going to the ends of the earth when we arrived in the heart of East St. Louis. But what a blessing to serve in the kingdom of Christ and obey His command! What a joy and inspiration to serve, if just for a day, alongside this couple who is indeed impacting a generation for Christ! What a delight to express the love of Jesus to these children and their parents and to share the gospel message of salvation with many of them!

I hope we were a blessing to them, but I know we were blessed in abundance.

The Bible says: “For ‘everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Rom. 10:13-15).

I hope the kids of East St. Louis soak in the good news we brought, and call upon the name of the Lord for salvation – just as is my hope and prayer for Ridgway. I’m so thankful for the ones who sacrificed time, money and apprehensions to go in the name of Christ, and for their willingness to tell others about it. That’s a message that’ll preach!