A Note from John Roach
If you’ve been around the Missions’ office area lately, you no doubt witnessed a flurry of activity—it’s mission trip season! In just three weeks, we are sending over 100 people on mission to Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Boston, Seattle, Hawaii, and Fort Worth to spread the truth of Jesus.
For some of those traveling, this will be their first mission trip, and they are in for a life-changing experience. Everyone on these trips will have an opportunity to work with a local church. This is vital because the church has been the organization tasked with taking the Gospel where the Gospel is not. This is missions! Disciples make disciples who plant churches that plant churches. Partnering with local churches provides opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a lost and hurting world. This also draws us into a more intimate fellowship with Christ while building up and edifying the body of Christ!
Jesus, through his disciples, models what can happen when a group of believers works together for the sake of the Kingdom. The same thing happens right here in East Texas when we all come together as a church family. When the recent ice storm hit Tyler, GABC responded with chainsaws to help our neighbors remove downed trees, made room for the East Texas Food Bank to use our parking lot as an emergency food distribution site, and ministered to more than 100 people who sought relief and comfort from the storm in our Connections Café. When a fire destroyed a storage room at Gateway to Hope, our church collected a massive number of items to help them replenish what was lost. When Bethesda Health Clinic needed help for their Saturday clinic, one of our Connect Groups overwhelmed them with volunteer commitments, allowing Bethesda to add an extra day of service for the group. Our Missions team also had the joy of fellowshipping with over 100 students and staff at Tyler Junior College’s Baptist Student Ministry, where we served a meal and shared the gospel. We also have some Connect Groups jumping in to serve at TJC as well! God is moving in and through our church in amazing ways!
I am so proud to be part of a team and church family that puts boots on the ground to love our neighbors well, both here and abroad. Our church planters are experiencing incredible growth, and many of our upcoming trips will be working alongside these pastors to help strengthen and further the work of the local church. In just a few days, I will have the honor of leading a missionary conference in Guatemala alongside GraceWorks and minister to those on the frontlines of missions. Just a few weeks after that, our new Español Campus Pastor Fernando Mangieri will lead a pastor conference in Oaxaca, Mexico. I told you there was a lot going on!
There are so many great things happening in GABC Missions, which means there is no shortage of opportunities to serve locally, nationally, and internationally! I encourage you to check out our trip lineup and service opportunities at www.gabc.org/missions and find a place to serve.
Thank you for being faithful to use your time, talents, and treasure to engage the lost in East Texas, across the country, and around the world. Thank you for taking Mark 16:15 seriously, where Jesus says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
John