Designated Ministry: Field Ministers/Ministry—August 17, 2008

Suggested worship service for this day.
PowerPoint presentation to support the story.

For stories about what’s happening in Apostle Susan Skoor’s Pacific Mission Field,
read the August Herald “Sharing in the Field” section.

Pacific Island Mission Centre—Have a Just Heart

Each Sunday we are invited to “share equally” with Mission Tithes for local and world ministries. These stories are provided to keep us in touch with how your contributions to Mission Tithes are spreading the peace of Jesus Christ.

This story, Have a Just Heart, takes us to the Pacific Island Mission Centre.  Ralph Aona relates: An outstanding example of the way World Ministries Mission Tithes empowers ministry is the life and death of Peter Joe, a dedicated seventy from Fiji.  He served as a full–time minister faithfully for years. Two weeks before he died, Peter was both the pastor of a growing Fiji congregation, and a church planter traveling three hours into the island’s mountainous interior to share the gospel with village folks. Because of the baptisms in both places, the church in Fiji continues to grow. 

Peter spent the last year of his life training new leadership in the congregation and taking others with him when he went to minister in the village. He was a minister with a just heart. Peter talked about passing on the pastorship when it was time for him to “move on.”  He arranged an ordination service to ordain two elders (including the next pastor) and a priest. His son walked him to a seat at the ordination service, and his daughter held his head upright to see. When we administered to him before his death four days later, he told us he felt comforted. Your contributions to World Ministries Mission Tithes made possible Peter Joe’s full–time ministry and witness in the lives of Fijians in both city and village. Thank you for responding faithfully by sharing so very generously.
—Ralph K. Aona, president, Pacific Island Mission Centre

B. Disciples’ Generous Response Story: Local

What is happening to you or in your congregation as a result of giving to local ministries through Mission Tithes? Share those experiences as part of your congregation’s Disciples’ Generous Response.

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C. Blessing on Our Offering

From Doctrine and Covenants 34:1a we read: Listen to the voice of the Lord you God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday and forever.

Sharing our Mission Tithes equally between local and world ministries changes our lives and those who receive the blessings from it. Let us share in the prayer of blessing for our offering.