by Rev. Casey Southerland
PMU Field Director in Cincinnati, OH
the Missions Banner, (March 2024:  Online Edition)

The book of James is a favorite of mine.  It was the first book of the Bible I studied in any real depth in my teen years.  Perhaps the most quotable verse is from James 1:2, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials”, but another verse stood out to me as a teen and still rings in my ears today.  It is James 4:17, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  This verse warns us not to miss opportunities to do the good deeds we know we ought to do, and, on the other hand, it is a call to action wherever appropriate and possible.  Matthew Henry, in his commentary, offers a helpful application, “Let us therefore take care that conscience be rightly informed, and then that it be faithfully and constantly obeyed”.  In the context of James 4, we are also called to acknowledge that “if the Lord wills” we will go and do the things we’ve planned.  So, acknowledging that our plans are in God’s hands, He calls us to faithfully and constantly pursue those good deeds that are fitting for us.

Can you imagine the good we could accomplish for God’s glory if every Christian faithfully and constantly did the good they had opportunity to do?  No doubt we are all guilty of failing to do good at every opportunity, but the purpose here is not to lay a guilt-trip on you.  I hope you’ll see this as a call to renewed vigor in serving our Savior’s kingdom with every opportunity laid before us and leave the closing of doors to His good providence.

So, naturally, what follows are some good deeds for you to consider.  We know that many young people in our churches are seeking the Lord’s guidance and calling in their lives.  And many older saints have found that taking opportunities to serve the Lord’s Kingdom can be a great help in discovering ways they are gifted to serve the Lord.  So, keeping the considerations above in mind, I want to let you know about some opportunities that PMU plans to offer regularly in the coming years, if the Lord wills.

First, there is the Summer Internship at SOLA Appalachian Christian Retreat – serving Appalachian Trail hikers with the Doumas in Unionville, NY.  The summer of 2023 was the inaugural year of the internship at SOLA, and it was a great blessing to the ministry and the Doumas.  Last year’s intern was able to help with a variety of tasks related to hosting hikers at Pastor Doug and Priscilla’s home.  Mr. Jim P. Blizzard from Lakeland, FL will be serving as the intern this summer.  Perhaps the Lord would lead you to serve with SOLA in 2025.

Secondly, the Lord might use you to serve at the Soli Deo Gloria English Camp in Brazil, with the Leamans.  The summer of 2023 was also a first with Team Timothy coming from the US to help with the English Camp at the Soli Deo Gloria Project.  And now, in 2024, Pastor Leaman will be hosting a team to help this summer.  The PMU office is providing administrative and logistical assistance, but the leadership will be in the hands of Pastor Leaman and a Team Leader from the U.S.  This year, Elder Kim Conner, from Reedy River BPC in South Carolina, will be helping Pastor Leaman by heading up the U.S. side of the team.  If the Lord wills, you could be part of this team next summer.

The third regular opportunity for you to prayerfully anticipate is Team Timothy.  Team Timothy is PMU’s short-term mission arm that serves in a variety of ways as well as places.  Team Timothy does everything from manual labor to children’s ministry, music ministry, witnessing in the park and a variety of other “good deeds” that support mission works around the world.  These trips are a great way to serve the Lord, stretch your faith, and come alongside missionaries in the U.S. and in cultures around the world.

To make sure you know about these and other opportunities, sign up at Team Timothy – Presbyterian Missionary Union (pmumissions.org) to receive emails regarding future Team Timothy trips, and you can also follow us on Facebook for updates about other upcoming opportunities to serve with PMU and our missionaries.