A Moment for Mission
“Right away the news about him spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.” —Mark 1:28, CEB
As Global Ministries missionaries, the Rev. Andrew Soon Lee and Janice Sehyung Lee lead a multifaceted ministry throughout the country of Cambodia.
Andrew shares about a ministry collaboration with a local nonprofit that operates a school for socially marginalized children, “The street children ministry…is changing the community a lot. We are now providing Christian values classes with the permission of the school, so we are teaching them and sharing the love of God based on the Bible.…The school is growing, and we are so glad.”
Methodist missionaries in Cambodia teach children about the love and character of Jesus through popular materials like YouTube videos. That love and Christlike character is also woven through every one of their holistic ministries—from providing clean water to empowering women for promising careers.
Support for missionaries can be contributed through The Advance, an accountable, designated giving arm of The United Methodist Church for voluntary, designated, second-mile giving.
Adapted from “In Cambodia, Holistic Mission Thrives”
Children’s Message
Mark 1:21-28
Jesus spent time caring for people in his community and showing them how much God loved them. I want to share with you a story about a couple who is serving in Cambodia as missionaries, who are also showing God’s love in powerful ways.
Just like Jesus taught with authority in the synagogue, Andrew and Janice Lee are teaching children in Cambodia about the love and character of Jesus. They even created digital materials, like YouTube videos and cartoons, to help children learn about God’s love. Isn’t that cool?
Their ministry is like a big, loving hug that cares for the needs of the whole person, just as Jesus cared for the man who was in spiritual pain.
How can we share the good news about Jesus and serve like these missionaries, showing God’s love through our kindness?
Prayer
We read in the book of Acts that the Holy Spirit set apart Saul and Barnabas for the work of mission, and the church at Antioch, after fasting and praying, laid hands on them and sent them out. The early church eagerly sent its members to other peoples, to assist those who were already of the household of faith and those who did not yet believe in Christ.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace. So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your name. Amen.
Copyright: “The Order for Commissioning as Missionaries I” Copyright © 1992 UMPH. Opening Prayer (“Lord, you stretched out your arms”) from The Book of Common Prayer (The Episcopal Church, 1979), p. 101. Public Domain.
Offertory Prayer: Discipleship Ministries
God of justice, mercy, and compassion; we bring our tithes and offerings to your altar and pray they will be used to make your amazing love known to all. Then, most often we leave and return to our weekday lives, expecting someone else to make that happen. Remind us that your prophets, your leaders, your missionaries, were called and raised up from “among the people.” Help us open our lives and our minds to the possibility that we might be the ones you would call and send. We pray this in the name of Christ, our teacher and our redeemer. Amen. (Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Mark 1:21-28)
Newsletter Nugget
“Right away the news about him spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.” —Mark 1:28, CEB
Nana Fatuma Katembo is serving as an agricultural technician missionary in the West Angola Annual Conference. She shares a story from her ministry:
“The women in Bomjesus taught me that when people of God come together and seek God’s help, the impact can be big and positive. These women received some grant money and instead of buying food and seeds, I advised them to buy land to start producing. A community in which each family produced enough for itself is now producing together enough for their whole community. We provide for malnourished children and some of the elderly residents. Despite their denominational differences, they pray together.” Read more.
Global Ministries missionaries are a tangible connection between The United Methodist Church and mission. Support for missionaries can be contributed through The Advance, an accountable, designated-giving arm of The United Methodist Church for voluntary, designated, second-mile giving.