international missions weekend 2023
The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Psalm 98:2-3
How does God accomplish those extraordinary things? How does he make known his salvation? How does he reveal his righteousness? How does he cause all the ends of the earth to see his steadfast love and faithfulness? He does it through ordinary means. He takes weak and finite jars of clay like us, and uses our going, giving, and intercession to make his glory known where it is not known.
That’s why our church is passionate about global missions. Jesus is glorious. And God has purposed to make his glory known through men and women like us. As the prophet Isaiah declares, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns’” (Isaiah 52:7).
Next weekend is the 7th consecutive year we have set aside time to reinforce the priority of global missions at KingsWay. On Saturday, April 1 from 7:00-9:00pm, we will watch a video update from Dave Taylor, the Sovereign Grace Director of Global Missions, hear reports from our own missions committee on what the Spirit is doing in Bolivia, learn more about Namibian culture through a group activity, watch an interview with our missionary partners in Thailand, and pray in small groups for the advance of the gospel. Kids are encouraged to join us!
During our Sunday morning service on April 2, Josh Kruger Jr. will preach a sermon from Ephesians 3:8-13 on why the local church is God’s mission strategy, we will receive a special offering for our International Missions Fund (IMF), and share an international potluck lunch, among other missions-related elements.
Speaking of our IMF, we have an exciting change to announce! Starting next weekend, we are re-focusing the fund away from broad, percentage categories and toward specific gospel ministry projects. We believe it will make our giving more concrete and personal. It also draws a sharper distinction between our general fund, which we use to provide monthly support for our global partners, and our designated IMF, which supplements our general fund by helping us take ground in specific areas.
Our goal is to raise $40,000 through our IMF in 2023 to accomplish the following:
Resource a Christmas outreach to 1000 school children led by our missionary partners in Thailand, in addition to funding a book translation project ($5,000)
Move Josh & Lieze Kruger back to Namibia to plant a church in early 2024 ($15,000)
Bless Jorge Del Castillo with a retirement gift he can invest to support him and his wife in their old age as he continues to navigate partial blindness ($10,000). Jorge pastors alongside his son David in the Sovereign Grace Church in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Provide for the spiritual and material needs of the 60+ orphans in Casa De Esperanza ($10,000). We’re presently talking with the directors, Fidel & Charro, about providing the Gospel Project curriculum for them in Spanish as well as outfitting the entire orphanage with new clothing.
Please pray over the next week about how you could contribute to these specific ministry goals. It is a tremendous privilege to participate in the good work the Lord is doing through like-minded brothers and sisters around the world!
Matthew Williams