Five community gardens projects in Kent and Muskegon counties received funding and training grants of $1250 this month to grow their projects and increase their benefit to local community members.

If summer mission trips are so life changing for the young people, what do those they are going to “serve” get out of it? Might we be using the community for our own transformation?

The following is excerpted from a newsletter by Tom Post. It's fun to see the connections between CRC churches and ministry overseas!

10. Getting Involved in Global MissionsThis post definitely has staying power! Written in 2009, it provides a comprehensive list of ways to get involved in missions, overseas and in North America. You'll also find links to helpful resources.

Detachment, even distrust, describes younger generations’ attitudes about institutions, and it becomes evident in the offering plate. Donors want to know ‘how my money is being spent.’ Has your missions committee given any thought to this issue? How do you decide which missionaries to support? 

With the start of a new school year, your mission committee might be looking for some new and interesting ways to promote missions within your congregation. In addition to the excellent missions education resources available from Resonate Global Mission, you may want to check out the following websites.

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend online and in the church in general; it’s the controversial issues that get all the attention. I know this isn’t new. I grew up in the 90s, and even though I was in grade school I remember hearing about our church potentially leaving the denomination over the women in office issue.

Through a survey of a random sampling of Christian Reformed pastors, the following were identified as the most important resources and services that CRC congregations most need in order to engage in international missions more effectively.

An excerpt from the Sea to Sea devotional about riding through Shiprock — a good reminder to all of us to shine in the darkness!

 “We help Christians and Muslims; what matters is the need, not the background of the person,” explained Pastor Jihad.

Owning the task does not mean that missionaries are abandoned — quite the opposite. When a missions team works with their missionaries to discover a common purpose, the partnership and commitment to the task deepen. To use a sports metaphor, the church shifts from merely cheering on the sidelines to being a part of the global team.