December-Branches-Blank_Production-Master

Southwood Global Missions
by Ron Clegg
There is more to missions than
sending money for the support
of missionaries on the field —
so much more. At least, that is the
way we think about missions here
at Southwood. Like many churches,
we provide financial resources for
missionaries so that they can advance
the Gospel in other cultures and
among other nations. However, we
understand that our role in fulfilling
the Great Commission is much larger.
I just came back from an 11-day trip
where my wife, Gayle, and I had the
privilege of visiting with three of our
mission partners in Western Europe.
We got first-hand experience in their
particular ministry contexts as well
as the opportunity to shepherd these
precious servants. That time and
investment was very encouraging
to us and to them. Just to pray with
them, in their own homes on the field,
is incredibly valuable. This kind of
support is crucial to keeping our
global partners spiritually healthy
and fruitful. We want to do more of
this in the future.
France; Cusco, Peru; Budapest,
Hungary; Erbil, Iraq, and other places
around the globe. We pray that our
global partners will be fruitful in their
ministry in some very difficult places.
Our hope is that we will better engage
our church family in this work of
prayer for Kingdom advancement.
Finally, we will have some of our
mission partners here at Southwood
this coming January. Our Express
Grace Conference will take place
January 25 & 26 and will have a
primary focus on global missions.
There you will hear from Dr. Lloyd Kim,
Coordinator for Mission to the World.
You will have the opportunity to rub
elbows with missionaries who are
actively engaged in global missions
work. You will be informed of what
God is doing in various places around
the globe. You will also be challenged
in regard to your own participation in
the harvest. We hope to see you there.
Grace
express
Conference 2020
Come learn more about how
Southwood is engaging in
God’s global mission and how
you can be a part of that.
Southwood
Presbyterian Church
January 25 & 26, 2020
We have opportunities on the
horizon for our church members
to join in on short-term trips
to different places where our
missionaries serve. These
opportunities are valuable on
several levels. They get us out
of our small world and allow us
to experience the work of God
and the worship of His people in
very different contexts, different
languages, and in different cultural
expressions. They also help us develop
a global view of our own calling and
a missional lifestyle. We would like for
these trips to be a regular part of our
yearly rhythm as a church.
As a church we are called to pray for
the advancement of God’s Kingdom.
We do this every time we pray the
Lord’s Prayer. We pray “Your Kingdom
come, Your will be done on earth as
it is in Heaven.” On our trip to Dublin,
we saw a variation of this prayer on
a church wall, “In Dublin, as it is in
Heaven.” We do the work of missions
when we pray this prayer for Lyon,
Dr. Lloyd Kim, MTW
As you can see, there is so much
more to doing missions at a church
than merely sending money. Yes, we
give to the work. We pray for the
Kingdom to come. We also go into
the battle for the hearts of men and
women. Here at Southwood, we hope
that in the coming years we will do
so much more. Towards that end,
we want you to consider prayerfully
how you might join in this great work.
Southwood has a global missions
team (Global PartnerS) that we would
like to expand. If you have experience
with cross-cultural missions and/or a
passion for missions, I would love to
talk to you to see if our GPS team is a
good fit for the exercise of
your gifts. A
Contact
shannon.clark@southwood.org
for more information on
upcoming trips.
BRANCHES 7 DECEMBER 2019