As the Body of Christ, the Church, Christians are the Hands and Feet of Christ. We are called to serve God by serving others. In the wake of disasters, such as the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we are called to pray and act. Prayer is not the least we can do. Prayer is the first and most powerful thing we can do. At the same time we are to act in whatever way we are directed by the Holy Spirit. And we must be diligent in our prayers and our actions knowing and understanding that disasters are never a short term event.
We must be careful not to limit God or the Church, the Body of Christ. While we as Christians may have a short attention span God does not. Certainly we should be aware of the national and/or global events, but we should not neglect nor ignore what’s going on in our community. We can and should respond to both. Though Christ all things are possible.
In the midst of the storms swirling all around us God continues to use the Care Mission as His Hands and Feet in our community. In 2023 we served a record number of individuals, 28,469, within 8,189 households. Through September of this year compared to September of last year we have increased the number of individuals served 20%. And it should be no surprise to anyone that our cost of operations, especially the cost of food, has increased dramatically. Unfortunately, thus far our monetary support has not increased causing a short-fall in funding. None of this, of course, has caught God off guard. We fully expect God will use His people to meet our needs. God is always faithful.
The Care Mission presents a Candy Land Christmas, Friday, December 6th, 4:00 – 9:00 PM,
Joe Stock Park. Please visit our vendors before and after the City of LaFayette Annual Christmas Parade. This is a family friendly event. Proceeds benefit the Care Mission Food Pantry. For more information visit our Face Book Page, vendors call 423-602-1046.
God is using the ministry of the Care Mission to impact thousands of individuals for His Kingdom. Now more than ever help is needed. Please prayerfully consider allowing God to use you for His glory by joining us in serving Him by serving others. Whether as an individual, family, church group, or work place, there are a number of ways you can make a difference even if you don’t have the time or ability to physically serve at the mission. Reach out to us via the contact information listed above and we can figure out what works best for you.
I got ahead of God. In our last newsletter I reported that we, Deon and Kendra, plan to step down from the leadership role as directors of the Care Mission in July 2025. That is still our target date. However it became clear I had gotten ahead of God in announcing the individuals who would be taking our place. Please be in prayer for us as we wait on the Lord to bring those He has appointed to lead this ministry into its next 20 years.
Please keep in your prayers; our Board, those we serve, those who support the work God is doing, our local, state, and national leaders, and for our health, wisdom and discernment.
Food for thought;
Many are anxious about the upcoming election. Clearly there is much at stake. For those who have become dependent on our government, for those who have placed their faith in a political party, it is understandable that this would be a time of great distress.
For those whose faith is in Christ alone there is an obligation to vote for leaders who most closely a line with Biblical world views. We have no illusion that any individual will be perfect since none but Christ is perfect. Nor do we believe our nation will be saved by anyone within any political party.
America does not have a political problem. America has a sin problem. We are no longer a God fearing nation. While the American Church shoulders much of the blame for our nation turning from its Judeo-Christian foundation, the root cause is deeper.
Mankind is by nature sinful. We love sin from birth. From the first confrontation with evil in the Garden of Eden the Serpent has been set against the seed of the woman and the seed of the woman against the Serpent.
In America today the seed of the woman is under attack as it’s never been before. The Serpent tells us that to destroy the seed of the woman is a woman’s right, its woman’s healthcare. The Serpent sells the acceptance of “same sex marriage” (in which no natural offspring can be created) lest we be condemned as promoters of hate. The Serpent has successfully persuaded many Americans to believe that the great gift of parenthood is less valuable or less fulfilling than secular achievement, especially for women. And the Serpent has convinced many that a man can become a woman and a woman can become a man. Even worse he has convinced parents to do likewise to their children forever robbing them of their seed.
Until and unless we accept Christ as our personal Savior we cannot be born again. And until we are born again we cannot be freed from our sin nature and crush the head of the Serpent nor can we see his lies. And until Christians in America can establish Godly leadership to our nation we cannot become a Godly nation once more.
To desire that Godly men and women lead our nation is not a political view. It is a moral view. It is a Biblical view. As Christians in today’s America we must not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead we must stand firmly on the Truth of His Gospel.
Be Blessed,
Deon and Kendra