Back when we were launching the Hobart campuse we tried to take an open and direct approach to why we were launching multiple campuses. Here is one video that we produced to explain, “Why Multi-site?”. If you would like to watch more and read more on the vision of multi-site you can go here.
When Jared first asked me to share my experience on our missions trip to Liberia, Africa I said yes instantly. I thought I could tell you of the lives that were changed through the water team installing clean water filtration systems. Or how we could visibly see God at work through the leadership seminar, and through the smiles of the kids faces at VBS and the orphanage who just wanted to be loved. I could tell you about the strong friendships God helped form over such a short period of time. I could tell you all about things we saw that stretched our hearts daily and would make you cry. I am going to tell you about one life that was changed, Mine. I fell in love with Gods people in Liberia. For people who have nothing in the way of material things, they have a true joy and hope in Christ I have not seen here. We thought we were going to show them Gods love. Turns out, in my case at least, it was the other way around! God is kind of funny that way.
I would love to write to you about what my heart has been SCREAMING since we got home, but my heart came home speaking a different language that my mind hasn’t figured out yet. I was shown something that completely broke me on this trip. I was rocked to my core. I left Africa wondering why, but knowing He always has what is best for me in mind. Since we have been home, God is putting the pieces of my broken heart back together shaped more like Him. I will share that God also started fire in those broken pieces I was afraid would go out as we returned home. That fire has only grown stronger. That fire is for the great things God is doing in Liberia. Things I pray that Suncrest will want to own. I want to thank you for sending our team. I cannot wait to go back!
I am lucky. I have seen the Jesus Mission in action. To borrow a great line that sums up how I feel……….Now that I have seen, I am responsible!
Sold out to Christ,
Mike Robertson
There’s been a lot of talk in my house lately about how my husband and I can serve others here in northwest Indiana as intentionally as he and his missions team just served our brothers and sisters in Liberia, Africa. In what ways can we continue to bring “living water” to people that God loves locally, too? What needs are right in front of our eyes that we’re not seeing? And, what’s so important in our life that has kept us from looking outside of our own four walls? We realized that for a long time we’ve been putting an “important thing” label on things that are really just distractions.
So, here collide the worlds of Servolution and The Jesus Mission. Shockingly, it seems like God knew what he was doing when he gave each of us gifts and then gave us a command to go use them for his glory!
Mary Elizabeth Robertson
So, I get a text today from Jared. He asked me if I would be willing to write about our recent trip to Africa for the Jesus Mission blog. I immediately, without thinking, said yes. I thought to myself, “Sweet, God is so using me to be a voice.” But then reality set in. How do you write about something so impactful, so life-changing? How do you talk about something when you can’t find words to do the justice you’re looking for? “Simple”, God said, “You try”.
I’m not really sure exactly what I’m supposed to be putting in this blog. So, I’ll go with heart. I’ll go with all the things my mind screams when someone asks me, “So, how was your trip to Liberia?” In a word, it was amazing. It taught us. It tried us. It stripped us. It stretched us. And eventually, it broke us. But, the whole time we were there, so was God. He was in the eyes of every man and woman. He was in the smiles and hugs of all those kids. He was right there. He was there in the sweat and determination of the water team. He was there in the wisdom and guidance of the leadership team. He was there in the hearts and songs during VBS. He was there in the innovative mind behind a solar powered fridge. He was there. He was there when we had to deny kids water, and it broke us. He comforted us. Carried us. Sustained us. Redeemed us. He was there at the orphanage where we got to give amazing children all the love and hope we could. He was there when we got to hear nearly 500 kids recite John 3:16, king james version. And He was there on Sunday morning, when we two cultures from other sides of the earth came together and praised and worshipped God.
And He’s been here, with us, ever since. We were on the mountain with Him while we were in Liberia. Now we’re home. With a new mission ahead of us. We have had our eyes truly opened by Christ Himself. We saw the world how He does. And we saw His love. Our mission now is never forget. To tell as many people as we can. God is moving in Liberia. And its…..amazing.
Since over 200 of us have committed to fasting on a regular basis for The Jesus Mission I thought it would be appropriate to include another good resource on fasting. Here’s an excerpt and link to the article:
Fasting is ultimately an expression of humility and dependence on God. Fasting is more about replacing than it is about abstaining. It is about replacing the daily intakes of food, entertainment, and human contact with focused times of prayer, feeding on large amounts of the Word of God and spiritual listening. One of the great benefits of spiritual fasting is a heightened awareness of God’s presence and power in our lives. It is not that God has moved but that we have. Fasting has a great way of moving us towards a deeper spiritual dependency away from willful self-dependency.
http://garyrohrmayer.typepad.com/yourjourneyblog/2010/03/a-quick-study-on-spiritual-fasting.html
doug
To Suncrest we owe a great deal of gratitude!
YES, they are home! Our Africa team has been home now for a few days, and are so grateful for such a great experience! We would like to share with you some of the blessings that our team received this past year while planning each event to raise funds for our trip. I affectionately call them “God Moments.” They are little miracles of how God reveals himself for the sake of HIS people. We started out in the planning stages trying to figure out costs for this trip etc., then quickly realized, this was going to be a huge undertaking! But once again, God provided….thanks to YOU!
Our team was very blessed by all the monetary donations toward individuals on the trip, plus donations made for the water filtration system. A special thanks to the Children’s Ministry for purchasing one filtration system!. We were also thankful for everyone that donated many of the items needed to accomplish our projects. Boxes of hand sanitizer, toothbrushes, crayons, markers, paper, books, toys and a big thank you to the women who helped box these items. My personal favorite, were all the sandals from Father’s Day weekend. Watching people take off their sandals, throwing them into the big box and walking out of church barefoot! Thank you to the 25 people who came early one Monday morning to load our shipping container in 35 minutes!! Wow! To the Suncrest business owners for their donations of food and items to our Fun Run event in October and the Auction items for our Taste of Africa dinner in February. We had 75 participants in the Fun Run and 181 Suncrest family and friends at the dinner!! Thank you for coming out to support our team!
We could have easily focused on the negatives, beginning 10 days before we left the states. The Visa approvals, the London 2 day delay, our team arriving in Liberia with only 2 full days of ministry. But, I would rather hear the stories of lives that were changed in Liberia. Stories from our Suncrest team, along with stories from the people at Monrovia United Christian Church becoming Christ followers.
The Suncrest people care about people in their community and around the world. Suncrest has been supporting Danny Buegar and his family at the Monrovia United Christian Church for 14 years. In years past we never had the opportunity to see Danny’s ministry, until now. Suncrest is now an active part in the growth of the Monrovia United Christian Church.
Thank you for catching the vision of our mission.
-Denise
Our own movie poster advertising "The Waiting Room" series
I often get asked questions like these about the Hobart campus:
“Are you growing?”
“What’s your attendance?”
“How many people are new since you launched?”
These are good questions and at the heart of them is essentially, “Was it worth it?”
One of the measurements of success that is much harder to quantify but easily the best measurement to really focus on is stories of transformation. I’ve written about several of these stories on my personal blog last year and would love for you to read them here.
One recent story is of a couple coming to Suncrest-Hobart after receiving our mailing last year. Now get this, they recieved the mailing and did nothing with it for almost 6 months. But when the time was right, when they were looking for a church, they remembered us. So they came, were impacted by the message and hospitality and now want to take their next step of faith by being immersed!
What makes this an even better story is that they are now bringing their family!
If we ask the question, “What if we had not planted Hobart Campus?” The answer is that lives like these would not have been changed.
I think we take the same perspective when it comes to Highland, South Bend and Liberia, our Jesus Mission. What if we don’t plant campuses and help with the Liberian ministry? You know the answer.
doug
We continue to cast seeds in South Bend…and God has been growing us. We know that great risk is ahead for all us, but we really do have sense that through this great risk will come immeasurably great blessing. We have been relentlessly connecting with people, businesses, and churches and are excited about the conversations. Please continue to remember us as you converse with God through this Jesus Mission!
We are so excited about Sunday. We are loading up a charter bus and bringing family, friends, and friends of friends who are excited to hear more about the Suncrest story and the future path she’s on! Some of our current small group will be there, along with several people who have committed to a prayer ministry on our behalf. Because of my love and appreciation for my family at Suncrest I’m overwhelmed with anticipation for them to meet you!
See you Sunday. Love you church.
Andy Kaser
