by Rev. Casey Southerland
PMU Field Director, Cincinnati, OH
the Missions Banner, April 2022: Online edition
Do you recall the passage in Scripture where the apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthian church to give cheerfully to help the saints in need (2 Corinthians 9)? It struck me recently that Paul seeks to motivate the Corinthians by a fact that is true for us today as well. He said, “For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God” (2 Corinthians 9:12).
What a wonderful thing it is to be able to transform our money into praise to God! This can be said of all of our mission works, but I would like to ask you to consider how it works in our church plants.
PMU administers funds from our churches through the Church Planting Fund. Currently this single fund is used to help support three church planters who are gathering sheep into the Lord’s flock and caring for their souls. Revs. Liu, Waeber and Yong are reaching out with the gospel into their communities and caring for the flock that God has gathered. As God saves and nurtures their souls through these shepherds, the saints gather and give praise to the Lord. Week by week praise ascends from these saints gathered together in church plants.
Recently I was contacted by a young man whose family lives more than 90 minutes from the nearest reformed church. His desire is for a BP church to be planted near his town so he can raise his family in a covenant community among the people of God. Now, several steps would need to take place before that can happen but one step that we can take now is to have a healthy church planting fund so that our current and next church plants can start and abound through many thanksgivings to God.
Currently, our church planting fund could use your help. Our church planting efforts (and expenses) are outpacing the giving to our church planting fund. Our planters are not in imminent danger of losing support, but if we are to continue their support and take on the next opportunity, the fund must see an increase in giving. Please consider whether you can help by a single gift or regular support. May thanksgivings to God continue and abound.
(pictured above: Rev. Waeber leading a Wednesday night Bible Study in the Lockland community.)
