Mission Moment to 8.19.26

Annette Ellard
Field Personnel in Louisville, Kentucky 

“Now, may the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

Throughout nearly 20 years of ministry among the Karen and other refugees from Burma, a few key scriptures have guided, shaped and defined our ministry. But it was Romans 15:13 that came as a surprise and a blessing. 

I was having trouble connecting to the Wi-Fi at Crescent Hill Baptist Church, which provided the space for Hope Academy, a small school we operated from 2011 through 2013 to help struggling Karen refugees from Burma finish high school. When someone set a new password for Hope Academy to use to connect, they chose Romans 15:13. 

One day, when we had lost the connection and I had to reenter the password, it occurred to me that it might be a scripture passage, so I looked it up. Somehow, it seemed as though I was seeing the passage for the first time. I shared it with the class, and we memorized it. It was thoughtful that someone had incorporated the theme of our school into the password, but it was more than that. We would claim it as a blessing. 

It was late autumn, and my students had been producing art for a series of Christmas cards to be sold as a fundraiser for the school. We had been considering what kind of Christmas greeting to include and this scripture would be perfect, both for capturing the spirit of the season and the spirit of the school. We would share the blessing we had received with others.

Over the years, this Blessing of Hope has stuck with me and the passage has come to me again and again. But it was on a sunny summer day, standing at the graveside of a small Karen child, that God sent it to me as a benediction. A benediction is often thought of as a blessing at the end of worship; but rather than marking the end of something, benedictions signal a transition. Benedictions are literally “good words” that serve to ground us in the promises of God and remind us of our purpose before we step out into an often chaotic and oh so unpredictable world. 

The little girl had been hit by a car while playing hide-and-seek with her cousins. Her parents, both Buddhist, shared how the five-year-old loved to sing God songs. Because she loved God, they said, they wanted her to have a Christian funeral and burial, but they didn’t know what to do. Could we make it for them, please. 

It was the first funeral I had been so involved in, and after the funeral and graveside service, my energy was spent. Finally, when the burial was complete, the family and other mourners stood motionless by the grave. I, too, felt paralyzed by the weight of the moment. How could these parents— how could any of us—move on? 

Then, suddenly inspired, I lifted my hands into the air and declared, 

Blessing of Hope
“Now, may the God of Hope 
fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, 
so that you may overflow with Hope 
by the power of the Holy Spirit.” 
Amen.

First Explorers After-School Recap 8.19.26

This week at First Explorers we welcomed back students as the first week of school began on Wednesday. We went over rules and expectations to make sure we would have a great, fun, and safe year at After-School. We played games, ran around outside at the playground and got to meet new kids as the start of the new school year began. Here are some photos of a game we played where the kids were divided into four groups and competed to see which one could make the tallest tower out of playing cards! 

Thank You to Gary Frye!

We’d like to express a huge “thank you” from the First Explorers After-School program to Gary Frye for making sure our church buses are safe and in good working order! The staff and students appreciate you, Gary!!

Giving the Jesus Way

United Christian Ministries is in need of spaghetti.

To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive. 

Thank you!

Giving the Jesus Way

United Christian Ministries is in need of spaghetti.

To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive. 

Thank you!

Mission Moment 8.12.26

Allie Osborne 
Minister of Missions and Children’s Discipleship, Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA

I was raised on a farm in the middle-of-nowhere Virginia where the grass was always green, the trees were so old and big they could provide shade for the whole yard and the stars were bright enough that we rarely needed the porchlight. Now I live in a city where bird chirps have been replaced by car horns, the artificial noise of the fountain in my courtyard drowns out the sound of any breeze and I haven’t seen the stars in months. This is a blessing for the Holy Spirit to find us inside of our concrete buildings and parking lot traffic. For us to remember Christ’s call to see each other and know each other, and for God’s creation to find its way to us even when the beauty of nature feels so far. 



A Blessing for People Who Never Get to See the Stars
God of…all of THIS,
I ask for your blessing
Bless this space
Bless these people
Bless this moment in my day

When solitude is found surrounded by strangers
In the coffee shop
On a walk through the park
In a crowded movie theater

Bless the thousands of faces that I lay eyes on every day
Bless their families, their jobs
Bless their morning routine, their conflict with friends
Remind them to drink water today 

Bless the cars as they drive by
As I wonder about each driver and their story
Where are they going and who is waiting for them to get there?

Bless the smells of this city
Or better yet, bless my poor nose

Bless the rain that washes the sidewalks clean
Bless the breeze that cools us down
Bless that one tree that spits sap on my car in the church parking lot

In moments when I feel so far from you, God…
I wish I could look at the stars and see you there

I wish the rain soaked into the ground 
Instead of running into the sewer
I wish I could walk outside and be completely alone with you

Thank you for this city and all its lights
For the confidence it takes to be yourself in a crowd

Bless the overwhelming moments
And the moments of relief
Bless the intentionality of community here

When there are so many places to be, Lord
Bless each moment I spend with you
And all these people here with me
Amen.

Pray...Give...Go.

Giving the Jesus Way

United Christian Ministries is in need of spaghetti.

To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive. 

Thank you!

Mission Moment 8.5.26

Mary VanRheenen
Field Associate in The Netherlands

“From the same mouth comes a blessing and a curse. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.”
– James 3:10

Words have power, power to lift and power to destroy. As James notes, with our tongues we bless the Lord and Father, and also curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. He adds, brothers and sisters, that this ought not to be so.

A 40-something woman in our Dutch church implicitly realized that. When she walked out of her marriage, she could have defended her choice by bad-mouthing her ex-husband. However, she told me that she was not going to discuss her reasons for leaving or try to justify her choice because that would involve revealing negative things about her ex. He was still in the church, and she did not want to publicize not-so-nice things about his flaws. She refused to curse him.

Earlier, another woman came back to our Dutch church after her husband left her for another woman. She did not mind telling me all about his soap-opera-like craziness. She broadcast far and wide what kind of character he was. Then, after at least a year of therapy and prayer, she made a point of discussing the topic with me again. She confessed that she had smeared his name everywhere that she could find an audience. She realized that it was not healthy or appropriate for her to defame him. 

To be clear, neither of these women wanted to cover up or deny their hurt. Neither wanted to sweep away their ex-partners’ personal responsibility for any actions those partners had done or faults those partners had not tempered. Each woman did realize the power of words to harm as well as bless. May Jesus guide us as we use this power. 

“I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven...” Jesus to his followers, recorded in Matthew 5:44-45 

Blessing
May we continually be blessed by Your offer
to forgive us our transgressions;
May that healing forgiveness wash through our hearts 
so that we can also forgive those who transgress against us.
Bless them. As You deliver us from the temptation to curse,
bless them, too.
Amen.

Pray. Give. Go.

First Explorers Summer Camp Recap 8.5.26

For our last week of summer camp, it was a bittersweet time. On Monday, we played at Webster Park. On Tuesday, we played at Bryson Park. On Wednesday, we traveled to the Pine Rec area and played. On Thursday, we went to the pool for several hours. And finally on Friday, we went to East Laporte that morning and swam and played for several hours. Overall, it was another great week and great summer camp this year. The staff was great and so were the kids this summer! We appreciate everyone who made this year’s summer camp run as smoothly as it did! 

Giving the Jesus Way

United Christian Ministries is in need of spaghetti.

To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive. 

Thank you!

Mission Moment 7.29.26

Brittany Ramirez 
Field Personnel in Baguio, Philippines 

Our family moved to Baguio City, Philippines, in the summer of 2024 to work alongside the overseas Chinese population. We quickly realized that there are only two seasons in the Philippines: wet season and dry season. We had arrived at the beginning of the wet season. This meant we were immediately introduced to constant rain, typhoons and power outages. I must admit, it was not easy to notice the gifts of the wet season. 

As I write this, we have been in our new ministry location for almost a year, and while I can’t say I am looking forward to the quick return of that rainy season, I am thankful for how God has guided our family to recognize holy moments of growth and opportunities for ministry in this past year. Starting in a new ministry context with new culture, language and seasons to adapt to can feel like slow work. After having served in mainland China for many years and our plans and calling there ending abruptly, it is hard to start over. I had already done the language learning, I had already invested in learning about the culture and context I served, I already spent years investing in relationships and seeing the blossoming of ministry. 

But to start over requires a trust of this current season I am in. A hope that God can unfold our gifts once again with the gentle power of a blossom opening petal by petal. Sometimes the growth isn’t as fast as I would like. Sometimes I cannot see the end of the rainy season. 

May I turn my eyes in hope toward the promise of the flowers in bloom at the Panagbenga flower festival during the dry season. May I trust that in the slow work of building relationships with Chinese students, and teaching English at the seminary, and learning the local language; through all the seasons of transition, and growth, and newness, God is faithful to God’s calling in our lives. May we walk in each season, with eyes open to the holy moments of the ever-working Spirit of God in our midst. 

Seasons
By Sharlande Sledge in Prayers and Litanies for the Christian Season
Everlasting God, 
When summer days are long, 
We move from early daylight to late sunsets, 
Noticing the gifts of the season; 
Fresh vegetables ready to be picked in the cool of the morning, 
Trees offering a pool of shade on a hot afternoon, 
Glittering light of fireflies at night.
All these gifts refresh us, God, 
And remind us that your love for us knows no special season.
Guide our eyes to holy moments
We might otherwise miss. 
Unfold our gifts with gentle power 
Of a blossom opening petal by petal.
Turn our eyes in hope toward you, 
Our God of all creation, 
All nurturing love, 
And all new life.
Through the seasons of our souls, 
We join with all nature in manifold witness
To your great faithfulness, mercy and love. 

Pray. Give. Go.