Missionary Support

By Makenzie Magnus

One of the things I love about our church is how it provides missionary care and support. If I put together a list of all the ways that our church has been involved in overseas missions, you would get carpal tunnel from scrolling down the page, and I don’t want that to happen. For now, I will share one of my favorite ways we invest in missions, and that is how we love and support our church family abroad.  

Prayer

Our church PRAYS! It is a complete blessing to know that our church covers our missionaries in prayer. We actually open the newsletter, read what’s going on and pray. When we go on trips, it’s felt and experienced not only by the team going, but also by the work that is done while we’re there and the impact it makes for ongoing ministry. This kind of work occurs when people are dependent upon God and bring whatever they have to the table. This kind of prayer has called families to serve across the world, opened doors for whole communities to hear the gospel, inspired and trained pastors of every tongue, created friends who become family despite different backgrounds and healed the most broken parts in us. It is through prayer that we can connect right now to what God is doing in Cambodia, Ethiopia or Guatemala. 

Committed Relationship

You have probably noticed that there are many long-standing mission partnerships at Council Road, which is a huge strength for us. We are in it for the long haul! Our relationships with our mission partners are a blessing, and I love seeing our church invest this way. It is out of these relationships that the best care happens. When we know our partners on a deeper level, we can love them better. But this doesn’t always happen. People can become easily disconnected even in our own backyards, so when you throw an ocean or two in the mix, relationships take a lot more intentionality. Many of our groups do this well by emailing, using video messaging apps like Marco Polo and Skype and through social media. 

Give and Take

When we commit to a partnership, we believe that is exactly the nature of the relationship. We come not only as givers, but also as receivers. There are many times we gift finances, hospitality and volunteer efforts. This can be helpful, but when we see ourselves only as the givers, we limit the partnership, devalue others and what they offer. We can also quickly become blind to all that we have to learn. There are so many times our church has been blessed because of our church family around the world loving us well. Through their wisdom, encouragement and friendship, God strengthens, challenges and connects us. We need each other! 

Thank you, Council Road, for being a loving, praying and committed church family! 

Author Bio
Makenzie graduated from Wheaton College where she majored in Christian Ministry, Urban Studies and Photography and somehow managed to apply all of her degrees to work in the real world! She has a passion for community development after years working in urban ministry in Chicago, non-profits in Austin and serving on staff at CRBC the past seven years. She loves being able to equip and serve the church as the Minister of Missions which includes cultivating both local and global partnerships. Despite loving the adventures that come with the territory of serving as the missions minister, she is quite the homebody. She is an avid Harry Potter fan, loves Oklahoma City and being with her friends, family and adorable weenie dog, May.