We ran a Month of Mission Focus for the Month of October.

It was very well-received and people enjoyed the diversity of contributions.

You can see the devotions below 

Download (PDF, 211KB)

Mission & Discipleship Committee

Secretary: Mrs Sheila Hunt

PO Box 70201

Bryanston 2021

South Africa

Telephone: (011) 706 5521

Fax: (011) 463 2984

E-mail: sheilahunt@tiscali.co.za

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

September 2015

Dear Ministers and Session Clerks

Following the proposal of the Mission and Discipleship Committee and, in the light of the success of the a similar prorgramme last year, the Executive Commission agreed that October 2015 would be a “Month of Mission.” This is an attempt to develop a healthy understanding of “Mission” in our congregations. The idea is that Preachers are invited to use the series of sermon outlines below that explore various facets of Mission.

Alongside the preaching series, there is a set of daily readings could be given to congregants so that they would be reading passages that relate to the church’s mission in their daily devotion. The hope is that a large part of the denomination will be moving in the same direction with a wonderful focus on Mission.

Please have a look at the material below and consider using it in the congregations you serve in the month of October.

Warm Regards,

George Marchinkowski
On Behalf of the Mission and Discipleship Committee.

Preaching Framework for October 2015.

In the book of Acts the Antioch Church plays an important role:Christ-followers were first called Christians there and they were the first sending church: They sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey and they would send Paul out twice more. Our preaching series explores various aspects of this vibrant congregation. (It is important to note that there are two Antiochs in Acts: Psidian Antioch and this one)

1. Sunday 4^th October: Antioch: The real deal. Act 11:19-26
   – The church was born because some men courageously crossed race and gender lines with the Gospel.
   – The power of God accompanied the “Good News” and people believed and turned
   – Barnabas comes from Jerusalem and finds evidence of the Grace of God (fingerprints of God on their lives)
   – Barnabas (a good man full of the Spirit and Faith) comes to encourage them. They emulate him.
   – He is humble enough to know that he needs help and gets Paul. They take time to be taught
   – Their Christian Community is so genuine that they are called Christians (little Christs)

2. Sunday 11^th October: Answering the Call: Act 13:1-3
   – The presence of Prophets and Teachers: Did they also have Apostles,Evangelists and Pastors cf Eph 4?
   – They were together in Worship and Fasting and Listening. When the Spirit spoke they heard.
   – Are people still hearing and responding to God’s call? Are we drowning out His voice?
   – Set apart. Paul and Barnabas were prepared and sent.
   – Why are so few going into ministry today? cf Mt.9:37-38. What can we do?

3. Sunday 18^th October: What the Mission field looks like. Act 16:6-40
   – Note this is Paul’s 2^nd Missionary Journey and Barnabas is not there (we’ll deal with this next week)
   – Learning to be obedient when God says “No” (The Holy Spirit prevented them)
   – Paul hears the call of the man from Macedonia
   – Three people reached in Philippi:
   – Lydia an upperclass business woman – by Paul going to where people were seeking God
   – The slave-girl – because Paul was angry about the evil spirit binding her life. He liberates her.
   – The middle-class jailer – reached because Paul behaved with integrity.
   – The power of God revealed in a whisper, a prompt, a courageous confrontations and a miracle
   What are the take home principles for us? Sharing the gospel is listening, it’sjustice and it’s integrity.

4. Sunday 25^th October: Threats to the faith, disagreements and resolution. Act 15:Selected
   (This can be combined with Reformation Sunday through the link of sound doctrine and truth)
   – Paul back in Antioch to report back and recharge – important.
   – False teaching makes its way into Antioch and Paul makes sure that there is clarity.
   – Stylistically the Church council in Jerusalem slows the exciting literary pace of Acts but the point is that clarity & truth is important
   – Peter and Paul’s testimonies complement each other and a gracious letter bringing clarity is written.
   – Truth and Unity is preserved.
   – Paul and Barnabas argue over John Mark which seems sad, but Paul is reconciled with Barnabas and Mark in the gospels. (The point is that conflicts arise, but grace triumphs.)

(P.T.O. for Daily Readings for October…)

Daily Readings: One for each day of October

A powerful Gospel:

1. (Thu) The powerful Gospel: (Romans 1:16-17)

2. (Fri) From death to life: (John 5:24-25)

3. (Sat) The powerful testimony of a transformed life: (Matthew 26:10-13)

4. (Sun) Antioch – Transformed: (Acts 11:22-26)

5. (Mon) The Gospel makes new people out of us: (2Corinthians 5:17-20)

6. (Tue) The riches of His grace leads to purposeful lives for us: (Ephesians 2:6-10)

7. (Wed) Changed Life: A blind man sees with more than his eyes: (John 9:27-32 or any part of this chapter)

8. (Thu) The Thessalonians were transformed by the Gospel: (1 Thessalonians 1:4-10)

9. (Fri) It’s about living a new life: (Romans 12:1-2)

10. (Sat) Signpost Lives: (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

Answering the Call – The Urgency of the Task:

11. (Sun) Answering the Call: (Acts 13:1-3)

12. (Mon) Prayer as a vital tool for mission: (Matthew 9:36-37)

13. (Tue) The Call of Isaiah: (Isaiah 6:1-8)

14. (Wed) Jeremiah’s Call: (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

15. (Thu) The right motive: (1Corinthians 9:16-18)

16. (Fri) How can they believe? (Romans 10:14-15)

17. (Sat) What is Paul’s race? It’s preaching the Gospel. (1Corinthians 9:24-27)

The Practicalities of Mission:

18. (Sun) What the Mission field looks like. (Acts 16:6-40)

19. (Mon) Service is an important part of this: (John 13:3-5,14-15)

20. (Tue) Simple but True: (Matthew 5:13-16)

21. (Wed) How we have influence: (1 Peter 3:15-16)

22. (Thu) Justice is a powerful gospel tool: (Acts 6:1-7)

23. (Fri) The Church, unlike Israel’s failure, should be an attractive signpost to God: (Isaiah 2:2-3)

24. (Sat) We need to be prompt-able: (Acts 8:26-29)

Overcoming the bumps and barriers:

25. (Sun) The clarity of the message is very important: (Acts 15:1-2 and the rest of the chapter)

26. (Mon) We need the boldness and power of the Holy Spirit: (2 Timothy 1:7-9)

27. (Tue) It remains a decision that everyone must make: (John 3:3-8)

28. (Wed) Joshua reminds us of the stakes: (Joshua 24:14-15)

29. (Thu) Think about the next generation: (Psalm 78:4-7)

30. (Fri) We need perseverance: (Philippians 3:12-14)

31. (Sat) We need power from on high: (Zechariah 4:6)