Our values exercised in Missions

I was asked last year to speak in Colorado at a mission’s conference for Christian World Outreach. While there I had the opportunity to visit with the team leaders who were with the Geremia family in Haiti. It brought me tremendous joy to hear those leaders say that they have never had a team who was so willing to serve in whatever capacity they could. The Geremia family’s attitude and servanthood is a reflection of their values as it pertains to not only missions, but life. The Geremia family lived the love of Christ as they walked with the Haitian people.

What do we mean by our values exercised in missions? Let's take a closer look.

Connection to God is central to our approach to missions. Our strategy is to do all that we can to point unbelievers to the cross and Jesus Christ. Christ is the starting point for being seen as a child of God and the beginning of a relationship with the Creator. While our goal in each project is to point people to Christ, the critical follow up and discipleship will happen with the ministry overseas, and so it is crucial to get seekers and new believers connected there in the national ministry.

As a team member, you are responsible for handling people with care. This begins with your team and continues with all those who you will be coming into contact with overseas. This is a huge part of discipleship. On your team and among the national Christian leaders are future mission leaders, church leaders or impressionable new Christians. It is your responsibility to be a good steward with the relationships that God has given you at this time.

As a team, we will always push the envelope. We desire to be culturally relevant in the states, as well as on foreign soil. We have a big God and a big faith. We will constantly endeavor to try new ideas, tackle big challenges, and think outside the box as it relates to our global partnerships.

We realize there are no perfect people. We will constantly treat people with love and grace by accepting all people everywhere, as they are. We will do this with each global partnership by endeavoring not to leave people where they are, by expressing the grace-filled nature of Christ, encouraging within the context of friendships and empowering people everywhere on their spiritual journey.

We will always go the extra mile! As a team, we will do more than what is required, asked, or even expected. We will demonstrate this by volunteering when we see a need and taking ownership of a task and doing it well. We will love the unlovable, forgive the unforgivable, reach out to the Unreachable, pray without ceasing and never give up.

We will constantly expect the unexpected. We serve a very creative God, and as we are given opportunity to see His work globally, we will strive to reflect His creative nature in our work as well. This will begin with our personal devotional and prayer times as we first seek to be amazed in intimacy with God. You and your team will probably be out of your comfort zone, and this is a prime environment for trusting the Lord and allowing His Holy Spirit to work in your life as well as to show Him to be authentic and powerful to this generation.

Karen Pasquariello