Serving as Senders by Chris Blazer (HR Development Director)

February and March are the months that many Churches give particular focus to Global Missions. Though this may only be a weekly focus for individuals and churches, this is the air we breathe here in the Global Resource Center. Paul says in Romans 10:14-15 ¹⁴How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

It is not uncommon to get the question “so what do you do”—mostly from donors and potential donors. The answer for our team really comes from this passage. We are called and equipped to wash the beautiful feet of those who bring good news. Though not always done to the degree we would like, it certainly represents the desire of our heart. We will all be reading a book together by Neal Pirolo called Serving as Senders—how to care for your missionaries while they are preparing to go, while they are on the field and when they return to the US. We always feel like our tiny office located on Valleydale Road in Birmingham, Alabama has a revolving door—either people coming, going or passing through.  Since December we have deployed Brian and Abbey Harper to Brazil, Bobby and Katie Hamlett & Bob and Courtney McGreggor to Thailand. In addition, we also deployed Brian & Jennifer Phillips to Australia.  Janet Pursell has recently arrived in our office from Texas and is making a significant contribution at an operational level with our office. David Breed and Phillip Avery are currently raising support to join the Global Resource Center and we are in the process of deploying Melanie Rogers and Lee Cunningham to Brazil and Laura Watkins to Thailand in the early summer (God willing). Finally, we are also shepherding and coaching Anselmo and Michelle Repolles so they can return to Brazil this summer after a prolonged season of support raising and personal development.

When you cut a CO staff person we bleed Luke 9:36-38. I wish we were sending more and caring for more because the harvest is certainly plentiful but the workers are few. Just as that is true on the field it is also true in our GRC office. As we seek to grow deeper in our existing services and care for our staff we are seeking to develop new services and add others to our team so that we can sustain the doubling of our ministry efforts and staff over the next ten years. As we pray for you, please pray that God would send envisioned, motivated and talented individuals who will Serve as Senders with us.