If you’ve ever been inside the gross anatomy lab at Drexel University, you can observe caffeine-fueled first year medical students peering inside a cadaver, studying the wonderful systems that God designed. Organizations are seldom as scintillating as the structures in the human body, but you’ll find that Global Outreach (GO) has some great efforts going to support and care for our global partners and connect them with the congregation. Let’s take a small peek at the parts that make up the body that is Global Outreach Commission:
Very much the face of Global Outreach, the members of Congregation Communication and Events dream up new ways to engage the congregation through the annual Global Outreach Conference and other events. They’re responsible for news about partners (have you seen the poster about Boon Chu in Reception Hall?), coordinating the Around the World in 80 Minutes luncheons, and any other special activities. Stay tuned for the possibility of breakfasts with global partners this summer!
Partner Care serves as the arms and heart to care for our global partners. The biggest task they have is to maintain Grace House, a suburban row-house for our partners who stay there while on home assignment. They monitor correspondence to address needs from our partners and either take care of those needs themselves or pass them along. Committee chair Tom Witmer and his merry band work to ensure that partners who are in town feel welcome. They also make connections through Bridgework, which links global partners to the small groups that pray for them. Does your small group keep up with a particular global partner?
Short-Term Trips serves as the feet and equips members to GO, whether for a 10-day stint (such as Colombia or Greece) or a few months. Short-termer BJ Linton left this week for Europe to help a global partner couple needing childcare during an intensive language course. You’ll find committee chair Alex Schwarz et al. coordinating the short-term team training on May 3. They also determine which partners could best use a short-term team and plan accordingly. Stumped on how to determine your calling to a short-term trip? They can help!
Finance could be called the lungs of this body because they help provide the life necessary to carry out all the work. They analyze needs and bring them to the larger commission for consideration. They’re also tasked with going over the budget with a fine-toothed comb. It’s not a glamorous task, but it’s a necessary one!
Russ Pfeifer and Bruce McDowell co-chair the commission, so they’re given the responsibility of being the central nervous system and using wisdom and discernment to guide the commission to use its resources most effectively for the Kingdom.
Pray for all these parts of the Body: that we may better serve our global partners, and through them, the global church.