The shifting of the academic calendar in most colleges and universities has presented us with the unique opportunity of a longer summer--and therefore, more chances to be involved in the mission field. In this view, we would like to invite students and professionals to pray and take the privilege to be deployed in a mission field, near or far.
For this year, Go Forth Missions (GFM) will be concentrating on several key missions activities (Vacation Bible School or VBS, and the children's ministry at Bahay Aruga, a halfway home for pediatric cancer patients), and one local destination (La Union, which, in itself, offers significant challenges). Missions work from last year such as Thailand and Cambodia are temporarily on hold pending an evaluation of their vision and direction; previous missions such as Batangas and Palawan are similarly undergoing a second look.
The evaluation is part of Go Forth's efforts to establish discipleship-based missions instead of the more convenient shotgun approach, where churches usually go to places beyond their usual range, conduct evangelism, pack up, and go. In line with the Church's vision, GFM aims to be involved in missions work both across the street and across the sea with the goal of creating "self-sustaining" disciples dependent on Christ alone while communing with other believers.
Sounds exciting, right? As we will show later, this approach is also a bit more challenging, as it encourages the Church to get down and dirty instead of conveniently preaching the Gospel from afar. However, this is the way Jesus Himself set us captives free, by leaving the comforts of the Father's presence and humbling Himself to live with us, dying for our sins, and rising up again in victory. Similarly, as we preach the Gospel and make disciples, may people find their freedom in Jesus and be equipped as well to share the Good News and be one with the Church wherever they may be.
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