Sharing Faith

 The title ‘Sharing Faith’ comes from this bible verse:

“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”

–Philemon 6

This verse suggests that we don’t have a full understanding of Christ until we reach out and share our faith with others. To open up, and see how your faith connects with the faith of others, is what God desires of us. He made us to be in communion with one another.

God doesn’t want you to stay in your comfort zone. He wants you to leave the familiar and enter the unknown. This involves taking risks, trusting His plan, and relinquishing more control than you are comfortable doing. When we thrust ourselves into the situation God sends us to, and rely solely on Him for support, we become true instruments for God’s word.

Sharing faith is one way God asks us to grow and develop. He wants you to pass on insights to others, and listen to the insights others have to offer you. Such sharing leads to growth and enlightenment that enables you to experience Christ more richly.

Mission -What is it?

A lot of ways to answer this, but I think of mission as sharing your unique expression of Christ with others, and allowing others to share their unique expression of Christ with you.

This involves giving and receiving. You are engaging in a process.

And you let the process change you.

Any of the following can be an opportunity for mission work:

-Run into a friend, and sincerely ask how he/she is doing

-Confide about a past experience to someone in a similar situation

-Open up about your faith, or doubts, thereby becoming vulnerable

-Listen to the sincere advice of a friend, and act on that advice

-anytime!

This does not necessitate leaving your hometown or country –it can happen in the midst of your daily routine- but it does require you taking a step outside your comfort zone and connecting with other people.

I hope to remember that mission is not reaching down, but reaching out. It is realizing you will be affected by helping others, and that you may ultimately take more out than what you put in.

That is what I think of as mission, and what excites me about mission work through the Young Adult Service Corps.

Welcome!!!

Hello everyone, and thank you for reading this!! Let me give you some info:

Who are you?

My name is Cameron S, and I have the privilege of joining the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC). This is a blog that will chronicle my 1-year journey.

What is YASC?

The Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) is part of the Episcopal Church. It sends Episcopalians abroad to engage in the worldwide Anglican Communion. The assignment and work responsibilities vary person-to-person.

Where are YOU going?

Glad you asked!!!

If things go as planned, I will be in Grahamstown, South Africa.  I will live in a local monastery and assist with their school program for Kindergarten-4^th grade students.  This school’s purpose is to meet the educational needs of local children –needs that have been unmet by the community.

When do you leave?

Fall 2012; Precise date tbd.

How did you get involved?

The idea of going overseas has been in my mind for about a year. A friend/mentor informed me of the YASC program back in December, and I seized the opportunity.  After attending a ‘Discernment Weekend’ in Florida, I officially committed to the year of service, and received word of my assignment 1 month later!

Can I get involved?

YES!!

There are two key ways you can partake in this mission: Prayer, and financial support. Offering your time to pray for this journey, and offering your financial gifts to support it, make you an invaluable part of this ministry. You may not be physically going, but you are still able to join in the excitement.

If this interests you, than you are invited to join me in this ministry!

To contribute with a check, click here.

To contribute with a credit card, click here. -monthly contributions or one-time donations

(Both forms print fine, even if they appear unformatted on your computer)


What else can you tell me?
A lot!!! Expect hear my personal thoughts on 'mission', the specific responsibilities expected of me while overseas, and the ways you are relevant this experience. And that's just tomorrow's post :)