Mission in Baltimore

This past week at Baltimore was both frustrating and good. It was frustrating dealing with the spiritual opposition and resistance in the lives of our young people. But overall, it turned out good for the youth (and leaders) who went. They are now excited and understand the need for church planting and are ready to get involved in serving the community. I’m really excited, and excited for them!

I had a revelation this past week being involved in the community service projects. I have often spken and taught on how love is action. I also taught on how Christ instructs is to live a life of love, and how he said, “obedience to God is to walk in love.” “He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).” “We are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. We were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God predestined before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 2:8-10).
That passage right there says it all. God wants us to live lives of service, both to the believing and unbelieving world. But of the unbelievers, Paul says, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the time” Col 4:5 (HCSB). So with the unbelieving communities in which we inhabit, we must live lives of service, opening them to the gospel and engaging them in love.
With the LORD's SOON return, we've all got to be busy engaging and serving our communities. I think that's where many of us as churches have dropped the ball. We focus on doing programs and courses and looking inward at the church and the health of the body, while losing focus on the community right around us. Being part of this church plant for the Gallery church in Baltimore (www.gallerychurchbaltimore.com) was refreshing and opened my eyes to this.


Another thing that was really cool, and that the youth thought was really cool, was that we got interviewed and had an article wrote up about us in yesterday's Baltimore Sun paper. If you'd like to check it out, see http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.ci.youth04jul04,0,5831783.story. They even quoted moua!