A Moment for Mission
"Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart." —2 Corinthians 4:1, NRSV
Today's General Board of Global Ministries inherited a rich legacy from predecessor mission agencies of The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church. The Missionary Society of The Methodist Episcopal Church, begun in 1820 and headquartered in New York City, was among the earliest of those agencies and focused on mission both within and outside the United States.
When the issue of slavery divided The Methodist Episcopal Church in the 1840s, the newly formed Methodist Episcopal Church, South, formed its own mission agency with offices in Nashville, Tennessee. Mission outreach flourished in both "northern" and "southern" churches. Also, in both, women in the late 19th century began to form their own freestanding societies for home and foreign missions and to send women missionaries, who were responsible for starting numerous educational, medical and child care institutions.
The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries is celebrating 200 years of mission—from everywhere, to everywhere! Your congregation's support of the World Service Fund is essential to Global Ministries, which The Book of Discipline describes as "a missional instrument of The United Methodist Church, its annual conferences, missionary conferences, and local congregations in the context of a global setting."
Thanks to the World Service Fund, United Methodists, through Global Ministries and other denominational agencies, can look forward to many more years of being "the church in mission … a sign of God's presence in the world."
Offertory Prayer
Loving God, we are engaged in your ministry around the world. Often, the work is not easy. Strengthen us, your servants, so that we do not lose heart. In your name, we pray. Amen.
From Discipleship Ministries: Transfiguration Sunday — Transforming God, we come to your altar this morning, knowing that in our giving and in our living we have often put "just enough" into living our faith so as not to impact our lifestyle or cause too much discomfort. We have been reluctant to let go of our affinity for the things of this world; and in our attachments, we have often missed the opportunity for the transformed lives you desire for us. May our offering this morning be an invitation to living a life radically transformed by your power, love, and grace. We pray this in the mighty love of Jesus. Amen. (Luke 9:28-43)
Newsletter Nugget
In Matthew 28:19-20 (NRSV), Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
For 200 years, the General Board of Global Ministries has been the mission and humanitarian- assistance agency for The United Methodist Church. Today it facilitates mission in more than 130 countries, leading the church's work in global health.
Missionaries are essential to Global Ministries work. Serving in more than 60 countries around the world, they come from many places and backgrounds, witnessing and working in dramatically different locales and cultures. They engage in a range of activities and professions by serving as pastors, educators, congregational and leadership developers, agriculturalists, health coordinators, doctors and much more.
When your congregation supports the World Service Fund, you help Global Ministries to fulfill Christ's Great Commission. Thank you!
— Adapted from Global Ministries webpage