Christ the King

MISSIONS is not a program at Christ the King. It is Christ the King! Everything we dream about, every penny we spend, every hour volunteers give, every breath we take as a church should be about the MISSION that God has given his people (the Biblical definitioin of “the church”). What is that mission? What is our mandate from God? Put simply it is “to go out and love the world into being Jesus followers.”  

Matthew 28:19 (NIV)      Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
GO
John 13:34 (NIV)   "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 1 John 3:18 (NIV)    Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
LOVE
So to describe missions would really mean describing everything we do in worship, children and youth ministry, small groups, recovery and all that takes place on this campus. To see how we are loving and where we are going click one of the links below.

Local Mission Expressions                                             

Global Mission Expressions

Jesus himself said “go into all nations…”  Now our own area is part of the “all nations” he is more specific in the first chapter of the book of Acts where we read his final words to this planet before being taken into heaven

    But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

    [9] After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 1Acts 1:8-9 (NIV) 

 Jesus made it clear to his followers the work he had in mind for his people was both local (Jerusalem) regional (Judea & Samaria) and global (the ends of the earth).

In an effort to be faithful to that call we have always supported the global mission efforts of our church body by sending at least a tithe (10%) of all offerings to the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod to be used in the United States and around the World. In the past few decades many congregations have chosen to take a more “hands on” approach to both regional and global mission endeavors by “designating” mission funds for certain projects or people groups and more recently by actually becoming involved with communities of believers around the world. 

In partnership with LCMS World Missions and St. Timothy Lutheran Church (249 & FM1960) we have committed ourselves to a pair of congregations in the country of Kenya. Both congegations are in the city of Nakuru (4^th largest city in Kenya) and both congregations are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya, and they share a single pastor (Rev. Samuel Langat). This however is about the only similarities. The Pagani congregation is a large, by Kenyan standards church with it’s own property and solidly constructed buildings. The congregation has a variety of ministries to the people in the area including outreach to children orphaned by aids, outreach to “street children” as well as a thriving worship and youth ministry.

We are also working with the other congregation served by Pastor Samuel which is the body of believers in Kaptembwa. This small congregation worships in a structure made of mud walls, and framed with the branches of the local trees that grow in the valley that runs behind the church structure. This congregation reminds me of Christ the King in the early 90’s.  Just discovering their potential and holding on to the promise that God is faithful and that He is going to do great things with and through them. As you can see by the photograph they have already had to expand their building once to make room for new believers and visitors.

Our mission in Kenya focuses on a twice a year clinic that offers eye care and free glasses for those who need them. Volunteers pay about 1500 dollars to cover their travel expenses as well as to help with the cost of glasses, medicine, and other cost associated with the clinic. An average clinic runs 5 days and will normally treat three to five thousand clients. As these people wait to be examined by a doctor or to be treated by our clinic team they also are presented with a presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Appropriate follow up by pastors and evangelist with the local congregation is made. We hope that just like Jesus we provide healing and comfort as well as offering life eternal through God’s Son.

As we continue to grow in this partnership journey with the Lutheran believers of Nakuru, Kenya we will surely discover other ways to be faithful to God’s call to love men and women into being Jesus followers.