Hope is seeing young people answering the call to missions

Nothing gives me more hope for the future of the church of Jesus Christ than to see young people be involved in mission work. 

Becky Parsons is commissioned
by Global Ministries as a Church
and Community Worker in 2009.

Last week I had breakfast with Rebecca Parsons.  She is a Church and Community Worker with the General Board of Global Ministries.  She works in Roanoke, Va., where she is the director of four after-school programs for low-income children.  They feed the children a hot meal, help with homework, engage in a number of educational programs and also have fun. 

Rebecca coordinates more than 250 volunteers, writes grants, sends kids to summer camp, visits her supporting churches, arranges transportation and helps families in need.  She says that mission work sometimes means standing with a fire marshal and listening to a list of what is wrong with a building so you can make the place safe for kids.  It is also about creating a place where there is singing and clapping and messiness and the church being signs of God’s love in the community. 

Brittany Abdullah of Tindley
Temple UMC, is a mission intern at
Rock Bonfim Ministries Athens, GA

I also celebrate Brittany Abdullah, a young adult from Tindley Temple United Methodist Church. She works in Georgia as an intern with Rock Bonfim Ministries in Athens, GA.  This is a United Methodist ministry that sends its interns to Brazil, Cuba and Israel to minister to people there. 

They also work locally putting together mission trips and revivals.  Brittany says, “I see people’s lives being changed all the time; and after this internship I hope to be in full-time ministry in The United Methodist Church so I can continue to do what God has called me to do.”

       

Bishop Johnson with 
Chelsea Spyres

In the Peninsula-Delaware Conference we have Chelsea Spyres, now one of our newest Global Mission Fellows.  She will be working in the Philippines and also in Detroit with homeless people in the Noah Project. We look forward to the ministry she will be doing globally to share the good news, and we hope she will keep in touch with us about her ministry. 

The church is in good hands with these young people.   They are the church of now and of the future.  I hope you will support them and also encourage other young people to step out in faith and answer the call to mission work.

Bishop Peggy A. Johnson