Mission Moment 11.4.26

Jana Lee
Former Field Personnel in Larnaca, Cyprus

The words to “I Then Shall Live” by the Gaither Vocal Band mean so much to me. I often find myself both singing them and praying them throughout the day. Every line is beautiful, but the final lyric especially stays with me: “May You feed a hungry world through me.”

These words have become a daily prayer and reminder of my purpose. In moments when I feel overwhelmed or uncertain, they re-center my heart and encourage me to simply be willing and available for God to work through me. I’m deeply challenged and comforted by the idea that ven small acts of faithfulness can be used to nourish a hungry world, both physically and spiritually.

Prayer
I then shall live as one who’s been forgiven.
I’ll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my Father;
I am His child, and I am not afraid.
So greatly pardoned, I’ll forgive my brother;
The law of love I gladly will obey.

I then shall live as one who’s learned compassion.
I’ve been so loved that I’ll risk loving too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges;
I’ll dare to see another’s point of view.
And when relationships demand commitment,
Then I’ll be there to care and follow through.
Your Kingdom come around and through and in me;
Your power and glory, let them shine through me.
Your Hallowed Name, O may I bear with honor,
And may Your living Kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.
Amen, Amen, Amen

– (“I Then Shall Live” by the Gaither Vocal Band)

First Explorers After-School Recap 10.28.26

This week at First Explorers After School, we had a fall-tastic week! On Monday, we played more of our fun Halloween musical chairs game. On Tuesday, Mrs. Cheryl came and talked to us about pumpkins. She even made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for us! And she even brought in a giant gourd that Mr. Steve grew in the garden this year. We got to dress the gourd up and give him a name! We learned a lot about pumpkins and also played some fun games! On Wednesday, we had RAs, GAs, and Mission Friends. On Thursday, we revealed the winner of our mummified apples and discovered that salt without the gauze preserved our apple slices the best! And on Friday, we made a spider and a pumpkin craft. Once again, it was another great, fun-filled week at First Explorers After School! 

Mission Moment 10.28.26

Lorna Fowler
2026 CBF Summer Intern at Ardmore Baptist
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

I’ll never be more loved than I am right now.
Wasn’t holding You up
So, there’s nothing I can do to let You down.
It doesn’t take a trophy to make You proud;

I’ll never be more loved than I am right now.
Going through a storm, but I won’t go down.
I hear Your voice
Carried in the rhythm of the wind to call me out.
You would cross an ocean so I wouldn’t drown.
You’ve never been closer than You are right now.
(Let’s sing it loud, y’all!)

You are Jireh, You are enough.
Jireh, You are enough.
And I will be content in every circumstance,
You are Jireh, You are enough.

Forever enough,
Always enough;
More than enough,
Forever enough.
Always enough,
More than enough.
—(Excerpt from “Jireh” by Maverick City Music)

At the end of each day, I like to journal to reflect and pray about the day I have had as well as for what is to come. Looking back on my entries, I find myself returning to a common theme: peace and worth. It is so easy to get caught up in the “noise” of everyday life and to place our individual worth on the outcome of each day. But in reality, our worth is so much greater.

In the difficult times, I find myself turning to music. One line in particular that I carry with me each and every day is: “I’m already loved, more than I could imagine, and that is enough.” The first time I heard the song “Jireh” by Maverick City Music, I was a junior in high school. Now, as a junior in college, I look back and see the moments in which this prayer has given me the strength and peace I needed in that moment, from college applications, the chaos of senior year, moving away from home, choosing a future career path and the daily expectations and comparisons that come with being a college student. This prayer helps me to ground myself and see that no matter the outcome, we are loved, chosen and worth so much more than we can even begin to fathom.

Prayer
Lord,
Give me peace and calm the noise surrounding me.
Help me remember that my worth is so much greater than the outcome of this day.
Remind me that I am already loved,
more than I can imagine. Amen.

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!

First Explorers After-School Recap 10.21.26

This was a fun but short week at First Explorers After School because the kids were still on fall break on Monday and Tuesday. So we begin our week of fun on Wednesday where we had RAs, GAs, and Mission Friends. On Thursday, we began a science experiment similar to the one we did a few weeks back with the candy corn. The main difference between that experiment and this week’s experiment was instead of dissolving our food, we were preserving it! So we took apple slices and divided them into small plastic cups. Each cup had a different ingredient sprinkled on the apple slice in an attempt to preserve the fruit long enough to see our results for next Thursday. One apple slice had salt, another sugar, the other baking soda, and finally one had vinegar. In addition, we repeated the same ingredients on the apple slices but with gauze covered around it to see if that would make a difference. But before that we had to start with a plain apple slice with nothing on it to see what would happen if we just left the fruit out completely exposed to the room. I’ll update on our findings in next week’s Church Chimes’ report!

And finally on Friday, we had the kids create a spider craft using markers and googly eyes on a paper plate. Mr. Andrew also worked at the Scott’s Creek Fall Festival on Friday night handing out candy and flyers for our First Explorers After School and Summer Camp and invited the kids and parents to attend our program and church. There are still quite a few flyers for our after school and summer camp programs left. If you would like to take some to hand out to anyone, please speak with Mr. Andrew this week. Also, if you’re working the Sylva main street Treat Street on Halloween night and would like to pass out flyers, please let Mr. Andrew know and he can give those to you. Overall, it was a fun week despite only having three days of After School! 

Mission Moment 10.21.26

Rick Sample
Field Personnel in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA

I’ve always loved hymns. I like to say that I’ve been going to Baptist churches since nine months before I was born. My earliest church memories were singing the hymns. In the church where my father was pastor when I was a preschooler, on Sunday nights, they had the congregation request the hymns that would be sung. As a four-year-old I always requested (every Sunday night) “O How I Love Jesus.” Thankfully, that song leader was always patient with me and led that hymn. I begged to be allowed to sing in the choir one Sunday morning. I remember drowning in an adult choir robe and tripping on its hem as I walked proudly into the choir loft.

By the age of 12, as a precocious tween, I had memorized most of the hymn numbers in the Baptist Hymnal, 1956 edition. I used to entertain my friends with this very specific and very valuable knowledge. “Go ahead, test me.” #41 To God Be the Glory. #95 Glory to His Name. #143 I Will Sing of My Redeemer. #196 I Must Needs Go Home by the Way of the Cross. #300 Let the Lower Lights Be Burning. #482 When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder. The Christmas carols were #63-81. And, of course, #188 Amazing Grace. I could go on.

When I lived in Alabama, I always loved going with my grandmother to a good old gospel singing at her rural church. I sang in my high school choir and then in the Baptist Student Union (BSU) choir at Samford University. I’ve sung in church choirs in Michigan, Alabama, Texas, North Carolina and California. I always love the hymn arrangements in those choirs and we baritones usually had expressive vocal lines. I’ve always felt that the traditional hymns have such good theology and are very inspirational in the sense that they inspire one to greater faith. Sometimes when I pray, I pray through the lyrics from my first favorite hymn.

Prayer
There is a name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
it sounds like music in mine ear,
the sweetest name on earth.

Refrain:
O how I love Jesus,
O how I love Jesus,
O how I love Jesus,
because he first loved me!

It tells me of a Savior’s love,
who died to set me free;
it tells me of his precious blood,
the sinner’s perfect plea. [Refrain]

It tells of one whose loving heart
can feel my deepest woe;
who in each sorrow bears a part,
that none can bear below. [Refrain]

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 10.14.26

Connie Beemer
Chaplain at EverTrue Brooking Park | St. Louis, Missouri

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”– Proverbs 22:6

The teen was brought into St. Louis Children’s Hospital, fighting and clawing at the staff, physically pushing against the care that she desperately needed. My chaplain friend was trying to provide prayer or something soothing to help the staff be able to get an IV in, but nothing was working. Suddenly, she remembered the children’s Sunday school song that she had learned and started singing “Jesus Loves Me” to the teen. Immediately, the teen stopped fighting, calmed and sang along with her. For the next two hours, we all took turns singing the song with her to calm her, until she was able to go to sleep.

I wasn’t surprised that the song “Jesus Loves Me” had such a powerful effect. It is one of the most requested spiritual songs in our hospital, and one that is etched onto the hearts of children and adults alike. Most remember it from their earliest days of being in church, or as the song sung over them by their mothers. During difficult moments where family is gathered for the last moments with their child, or for prayers before difficult procedures, the families sing “Jesus Loves Me” together with the chaplains. Its words touch hearts and minds, giving peace, like no other songs that are requested.

Now, as I work with seniors at the other end of the age spectrum in facilities as their chaplain, they also love to hear “Jesus Loves Me” in our services and remember the loving faith being passed on through the words by their own families so many years ago. Although “Jesus Loves Me” is not in our prayer books or liturgical traditions, the power of its simple prose remains within the lives of those professing Christ who seek His peace in their day.

Prayer
Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible tells me so.

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!

First Explorers After-School Recap 10.14.26

It was a short but fun week here at First Explorers After School. Friday was the first day of their fall break, so there was no school that day. Our theme of the month is “Making Good Choices.” Each day we talk about what that means and have the kids give us examples of what it means to make good choices. On Monday, the 4-H agent came and talked with us about native insects of WNC. On Tuesday, the kids played a spooky version of musical chairs as we played fun Halloween music and games that afternoon. On Wednesday, we had RAs, GAs, and Mission Friends. On Thursday, Generation Kids came and talked with us about making good choices and played games with us. Once again, it was a great week at First Explorers After School!