You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.  For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.  Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. — 3 John 6-7

The apostle John rejoiced that his good friend Gaius, whom he loved dearly, was making it a practice in his home and in his church to receive traveling missionaries, care for their needs, and then send them out well provisioned for their work in missions.  Without trying to sound over-dramatic, I want to rejoice in all of you who took up the challenge to provide for our missionaries through LifePoint in 2027.

Our annual Faith Promise this year is not the largest in the history of our church, but I suspect it will be after a few more pledges trickle in.  Even if it does not eclipse the number from last year, it is still an incredibly generous amount that will allow us to continue to move forward with missions next year without any adjustments to our vision.  As of October 19, our total pledge is $650,259, about $13,000 shy of last year’s mark.  As I said, I think we will surpass that number as a few additional cards make their way to us, but we should rightly thank God for a generous faith promise amid unstable times in both our country and our economy.

Many have given this year, and many others who could not give financially pledged to pray regularly for our missionaries and our missions work through LifePoint.  As a result of this commitment, we will continue to send out short-term mission teams in 2027.  We will continue to engage in gospel ministry in places like Ukraine, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Middle East, Indonesia, El Salvador, Panama, Cameroon, Poland, Romania, England, college campuses here in Indiana, Germany, Kentucky, Brown County, Spain, and downtown Indianapolis, and closed countries under Muslim leadership, to name a few.  We will continue to be a part of Christ’s Great Commission, and we will rejoice as we hear about and experience new conversions to faith in Jesus Christ. We will assist with new church plants, and we will take up the cause of the widow, the orphan, and the unborn.  This is why we do missions, and by God’s grace, we do it well at LifePoint.

Please pray for our Missions Team as they meet in a few weeks to put together a budget for 2027 and submit it to the elders for approval.  Pray that we will be both wise and generous, and that the work God has given us will be done faithfully—that the Lord would take our dollars and our prayers and use them to advance the kingdom in an increasingly rebellious world where the darkness is falling, and the window for ministry is narrowing.  There is much work yet to be done, and by the grace of God we will do it to the very best of our ability.

Thank you, LifePoint family, for your love for the gospel, your desire to be faithful, your generosity, and your compassion for the lost.  In the words of the apostle John, “It is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers and sisters.”

Grace and peace,

Pastor Jym

‍