Living on Mission
The following is a report from Jeremiah, one of our students who served with us on our mission trip to Seattle:
Ten days in Seattle allowed me the chance to see some of the amazing things God is doing through those who faithfully serve Him. The biggest impact for me was meeting those who are living out God’s mission for Christians: making disciples. They were changing people’s understanding of Christianity by showing God’s love to those who aren’t the easiest to love. They were serving their community by fulfilling its needs, showing the gospel to those around them.
I got to hear from a man at Bellevue College that found this as the best way to reconnect Christianity to the college. Bellevue College had gotten rid of all religious organizations and is slowly allowing them back in. This guy went to the administration and asked what the college needed so he could fill that need. They need community, so he provides that. He uses it as a way to show the good that Christ does and to tell the gospel to those he works with.
It was amazing to hear how God was using this man’s faithfulness to rebuild trust and bring the gospel to students. I also got to hear from a couple of churches about how God had directed and blessed their ministry to the city of Seattle. They were purposely small so they could connect with their local neighborhoods. They sought to plant more autonomous churches so they could continue to help in different areas rather than continue growing their one church. They were helping those in their neighborhoods, and it was changing the physical layout of the neighborhoods as negative influences were replaced with positive ones. In all of this, they attributed everything back to God working and not their own efforts.
It was encouraging to see these ministries being blessed, but there is still a clear need. There are so many people lost in Seattle who do not even understand the true joy that can come from God. There are many problems with greed and pride. There’s a lack of community that is not being filled. The worst part is a growing lack of motivation to change what is clearly wrong.
We were told that the homeless population has been growing, and people are beginning to lose interest in helping. The only thing that can solve this problem is the gospel being lived out by those who have been radically changed by it, and the only way people can be changed by the gospel is if someone goes and tells it to them.
The reason I was curious to go on this trip was to see what was in Seattle. I wanted to see what God was doing and if more laborers were needed for the harvest there. The answer I found was a clear yes. Every ministry we talked to said they needed more help. They all wanted more to be done, but that would only be possible with more disciples willing to go there to help... more people willing to sacrifice their current position to serve God just as almost all those we talked to did. Some areas would be almost impossible to reach without God working in the lives of people there, but God is at work right now in Seattle. It’s the perfect time for more to be done, for more to go.
It was incredible to see the work being done by God, to meet those living out their faith every minute. I don’t know if I am personally called to go back to Seattle, but I know this trip has caused me to re-examine how I have been living my life. I want to live out the gospel at my home as those we met do. I want to be a servant that by any possible means people may see and hear the gospel.