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Team that visited Peru in January of 2006. See more photos
here.
Baptism, Peru, 2005 |
Pender's missions
include support for
Africa
University, located in Mutare, Zimbabwe.
For more information about Africa University,
click
here.
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About Pender Missions
Pender UMC has recently adopted the
mission statement of “Making Disciples For Jesus Christ.” More
than just our denomination’s emphasis, this is a mandate from Jesus
Christ, as pointed out in the Great Commission found at the end of
Matthew’s Gospel.
As part of this effort, we are currently
involved with mission work supporting 140 missionaries in 29 countries around the world. Annual
mission trips include the sending of short-term teams to Peru, Poland, Paraguay,
and Slovakia. Additional trips are continually being evaluated and planned,
including Africa, among others.
Pender is equally focused on local
missions. Through supporting local organizations and events, Pender is reminded
to care for our neighbors, as much as those who are far away. Through these
opportunities, we are able to assist persons at special occasions and throughout
the entire year.
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A Pender Short-Term Mission Team at
Work In Peru |
| A unique part of missions
at Pender comes through what is known as our “Faith Promise”
initiative. Giving to Faith Promise is not just another church pledge. A Faith Promise is simply a
covenant between God and the individual. "I promise to trust God to
give me "extra money" that I can direct to missionary causes. In a
sense, I am simply making myself a channel through which God can send
money to missions. I dare to let God use my faith and my life to bless
others on the mission field."
The church only helps get the funds to the mission field. There is no
attempt to collect the money. There are no phone calls or statements
mailed out. This is a promise to God; not the church.
As a result, Faith Promises do not tie into the church budget.
This is entirely "extra" giving. "This is not an attempt to give
more of my present income. It is an agreement to handle God’s money to
support missions. As God makes extra money available to me, I will
make it available for missions. I become God’s partner in financing
His work."
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A Faith Promise is a means of growing
in faith. “When I see how God works in this venture of faith, I learn to
trust Him even more in ALL areas of my life."
Through the Faith Promise budget,
Pender seeks to provide financial support for missionaries and organizations
whose primary purpose is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Again, funding
for our Faith Promise budget comes through a
Faith Promise offering (separate from
Pender’s general expenses). Examples of the types of mission work supported include:
preaching, broadcasting, evangelizing, medical services, relief service, Bible
distribution, and teaching. The Missions Committee seeks out special emphasis
ministries which are cross-cultural, national and international, and which
maintain high standards of financial accountability. The selection of supported
ministries is as broad as possible, representing major mission, geographical,
and cultural areas.
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One of the benefits of the program is the personal
interaction between missionaries and the Pender church family, through
visits, correspondence, and short term mission’s trips. Throughout the
year we invite missionaries to share their work first hand with us at
Pender.
The committee is responsible for selecting and
publishing the Missionary of the Week in the church bulletin,
along with providing a monthly mission’s minute report to the
congregation from the pulpit. Anyone at Pender may join the Missions
Committee, which meets monthly to share information on our
missionaries, plan activities, and corresponds and prays for the
missionaries.
Each Spring, a Mission’s
Conference is the highlight of our mission’s celebration. All are
invited to come and hear how God’s work is being accomplished from
multiple locations as our missionaries relay the ways they are
involved with sharing the Good News around the world. Special guests
join together as the community is invited to come together and
experience local and global MISSIONS! |
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