What Did You Do on Your Summer Vacation?

The further I get from my elementary school days, the more my long-term memory seems to bring memorable moments to mind. It seems like every one of my grade school teachers had the “What did you do on your summer vacation?” exercise in their lesson plans. A recent television commercial portrayed the same exercise. One child after another held up a roughly drawn felt-marker picture to go with their report. Then a child turned on his PowerPoint presentation with full-color photographs.

I imagine PC(USA) children reporting that they flew around the world in five days and stopped in the Philippines, Guatemala, Malawi, Pakistan, and Peru! After that they tell about their week at church camp, where they made new friends and met a camp counselor from another country. My image concludes with the students and teacher alike perched on the edge of their chairs in total amazement.

This is not too far from the possible after vacation Bible schools looked at the wonderful world of mission using God Calls Us: Around the World in 5 Days. If your children missed the trip, they could see this wonderful world of mission by using the material during after-school programs.

Mission is fun! Sharing the love of Jesus Christ, and the joy of knowing others from around the corner and around the world makes mission more than fun.

As adults, we need to remind ourselves that mission is more. Those who have read this column before should not be surprised when I call your attention to the Directory for Worship. Its final chapter is “Worship and the Ministry of the Church in the World.” Chapter VII begins, “The church participates in God’s mission to the world through its ministry and worship” (W-7.1001). The next paragraph begins, “God calls the church in worship to join the mission of Jesus Christ in service to the world” (W-7.1002).

I suggest another question for adults as they gather this fall: “As a part of the mission of Jesus Christ in the service to the world, where has God sent you?”

A few will be able to report with pictures the visits made or visitors received from international partnerships. Others will share stories of their participation in mission work trips. All of us can be there through regular offerings and a special challenge like “The Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts & Hands, A Campaign to Renew the Church for Mission.” Or, like the children, we can travel around the world and around the corner by our prayers and study using aids like the Witness Season Web site or the Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study.

Contact information:
Phone (888) 728-7228, x5201
FAX (502) 569-5990
E-mail: ideas@pcusa.org