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Missions
Think Globally as well as Locally
"Missions" . . . The word has many different connotations for different people. Some people think of the finances that it takes to fund missions; for others, images of strange and distant lands with "primitive" tribes come to mind. At First Baptist Westfield, we strive to never lose sight of the fact that our outreach is important to God.
"Missions" . . . is the heart of God and it is the heart of First Baptist Westfield. We believe that we are called to "go into all the world" with the good news that God loves us and wants a personal relationship with us (Mark 15:15). For us, "all the world" means places like a homeless shelter or a crisis call center or the local foodbank right here in Union County. Sometimes it means providing meals for homebound persons or a Christmas gift through the Salvation Army.
It also means going to places like Kenya, Mexico, Brazil and points in between to construct domestic abuse shelters, run Vacation Bible Schools, render medical aid, and provide food relief. It means supporting missions and evangelism through the American Baptist Churches, World Vision, and Church World Service. Our desire and prayer is that First Baptist would be a connection for you and your family to experience God's heart for the people of the earth. Our hope is that each member of First Baptist will develop a "global and local perspective" of what God is doing in the earth.
In addition to sending almost 10% of our pledged income to American Baptist Churches USA to underwrite national and regional mission, First Baptist conducts four special offerings each calendar year: World Mission Offering in support of American Baptist Missionaries around the globe (October), support of our youth as they participate in World Vision's 30-Hour Famine to fight world hunger (February), America for Christ in support of American Baptist National Ministries (June), and Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday Offerings that are distributed among several local ministries.
If you have interest in missions at First Baptist, come join us! And take part in the privilege of serving others and partnering together to see the love of God shared in practical and relevant ways.
Mission Partnership Covenants In June of 2007 the Mission Committee of First Baptist Church of Westfield, with their Council's consideration and congregational approval, entered into a Partnership Covenant with Deborah House and IM Missionaries Ray and Adalia Schellinger, and with JAMI and IM Missionaries Ann and Bruce Borquist.
The concept is to commit financial support, encourage mission field experiences and provide regular information and updates about the ministries. The benefit of the covenants is to increase our mission experience through collaborating, exhorting, equipping, sending, and receiving in ways that increase the impact of one another's ministries and the entire body of Christ.
First Baptist Church of Westfield has provided $5000.00 per year for each mission partner and has sent members for hands-on experience working at Deborah House in Tijuana, Mexico, and tutoring JAMI missionaries in Brazil.
To learn more about our covenant missionaries, please visit http://www.internationalministries.org/missionaries/94 for Ray and Adalia Schellinger and
http://www.internationalministries.org/missionaries/51 for Bruce and Ann Borquist. Or read the latest Borquist Newsletter
