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Student Life - January 2024

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I wanted to take the time for this article to explain to you all my heart for ministry. In my last article I explained a bit of my walk and testimony leading up until now but did not dive too much into why I seek to serve in ministry. And with that being said, I would like to direct you to the end of a verse in Nehemiah. In chapter 8 verse 10, it says: "And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength". 

For most of my life, I overlooked this verse and never gave it that much attention. This was the case until I had breakfast with my family pastor from the church I attended in
college. While at a Waffle House in New Albany, I was explaining the joy I get when serving in ministry, especially during my time at Crossings Camp. I told my pastor about the amazing times where I would have long Gospel conversations with students, staffers, church leaders, and many more. These conversations gave so much life to me and I was constantly reminded at times that this is where I needed to be, and I was right where God wanted me to be. To be growing in faithful community and growing more like Christ with each interaction. Additionally, I explained to my family pastor that there were a few times where during worship at camp, just listening to the congregation of a thousand students, leaders, staffers, adults, and faithful band members worshipping our Father gave me an incredible sense of joy, happiness, and peace. It is honestly hard to explain this intense feeling into words. But it was during these worship services and intense feelings that I would jokingly call "little glimpses of Heaven". I use this analogy because, honestly, it truly feels like the gap of space between this worship service and Heaven is paper thin. And that little gaps begin to form in this paper to show us the glory of the Father and of His Kingdom. And, when I'm in these worship services and my spirit is moved this far, I am so content with life and thankful for the Gospel. It's at this time that I truly desire nothing else in life and could not imagine spending my eternity doing anything else. To try and explain this further, if this already overwhelming experience and stirring of the Spirit inside of me is available in this sinful world and limited by the fact that we are not yet able to see our Savior face to face, then could
you IMAGINE what eternity with our Savior would be like? Sign. Me. UP.

After explaining all of this to my family pastor, he just smiled as if he agreed with me and reminded me of Nehemiah 8:10. He explained to me that it’s during these conversations, worship services, or intentional time with the Father that give Him such joy! And when I had heard this, it absolutely clicked. During all of my time as a Christian and also serving in ministry, the one thing that always gave me tremendous life was the joy of the Lord! And let me tell you, now that I have experienced that joy, I'm chasing it. I hope you can hear my heart through the words on the screen here - It is not my intention nor my desire to serve in any ministry to put myself on a pedestal or for any personal gain; I serve in ministry because I believe the Lord has called me to it and because I want to serve Him with everything I have. If He called me tomorrow to become a farmer in the middle of nowhere and would never have human interaction with anyone again, as long as He remains with me as He already has promised, then I would be alright. His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

So, to bring it around full circle as I close, my heart for ministry is the joy of the Lord. The strength and joy I receive from His joy is absolutely life-giving. And it reminds me of how thankful I am for the Gospel and my eternal relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit. And now I seek to share this heart for ministry with the church and with our student ministry. I seek to grow in relationships with our students and lead them well in this ministry, but always desire to point them to Christ and to seek an eternal relationship with Him. 

Posted by Alan Scott with

Women On Mission - January 2024

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International Mission Board...at a Glance...by Meghan Crawford Roy
                                                     

- The mission of the International Mission Board (IMB) is to serve Southern Baptists in carrying out the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.
- Since 1845, IMB has sent around 25,000 Southern Baptist missionaries to share the gospel in 185 countries.
- IMB was originally called the Foreign Mission Board. The name was changed in order to be more inclusive of all people. The term foreign insinuated that missionaries were natural but the people they were reaching were different or foreign. The word international implies that the gospel is accessible to every person in the world.
 - IMB’s first missions field was China, where IMB appointed the first missionaries to serve in September 1845. Then, in 1873, IMB sent Lottie Moon to China. Her work would go on to impact international missions for more than a century and counting, which is why the annual international missions offering is named in her honor.
- Through the annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, in 2022, IMB supported more than 3,400 missionaries who reached 67 new people groups and places, held 102,417 baptism, preached the gospel to 728,589 people, planted 21,231 churches, and saw 178,177 people turn to Christ.
- IMB has identified seven primary affinity groups (large groupings of related peoples that share similar origins, languages, and culture) to act as a lens through which to view lostness. These are American Peoples, Asian Pacific Rim Peoples, Central Asian Peoples, European Peoples, Northern African and Middle Eastern People, South Asian Peoples, and Sub-Saharan African Peoples.
- IMB also identifies an eighth affinity group - Deaf Peoples. Among the Deaf Peoples around the world who were reached in 2022, 2,261 heard the gospel for the first time, 122 became new believers in Christ, 97 were baptized, and 60 received leadership training. Additionally, 14 new Deaf churches were planted.
- There are 3,072 unengaged, unreached people groups in the world. IMB defines an unreached people group as one where there is no Indigenous community of believing Christians able to engage the people group with church planting. It identifies an unengaged people group as one where there is no church planting strategy, consistent with evangelical faith and practice, under way.
- The IMB Pray app provides updates with specific prayer requests from missionaries. IMB Pray lets you know how you can best pray for unreached people and places.
- The IMB Advance the Kingdom app enables churches to get their members involved with missions and find all the latest data about unreached places.

Women on Mission will not meet in January.

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