Designated Ministry: Field Ministry—February 15, 2009

To view entire suggested worship service for this day, click here.
Click here for a PowerPoint presentation to support the story.

For stories about what’s happening in Apostle Bunda Chibwe’s Africa and Haiti Mission Field, read the February Herald “Sharing in the Field” section.

A. Disciples’ Generous Response Story: World

Ndot Ikot Eda, Nigeria—Good as New!

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, Good as New!, takes us to Ndot Ikot Eda, Nigeria, in the Nigeria Mission Center. The next time you turn on a faucet and experience the wonder of clean, refreshing water piped into your home, think about the Saints in Ndot Ikot Eda. The residents of this village are cassava farmers and oil palm harvesters who spend most of the week working hard in the bushes, while lacking many necessities of life. Despite their contribution to Nigeria’s food basket, they lacked good treated drinking water, having to go to streams and ponds to bath, wash, and fetch polluted drinking water for consumption. As a result, almost yearly there was a cholera and other type of waterborne disease outbreak in the village. As the Ndot Ikot Eda Saints continued to spend their tiny income to treat these diseases, they realized their lives would improve by having a better water supply. With help from World Ministries Mission Tithes, they designed a plan to drill a borehole to provide clean water.

Sale of the water to the local community, who are grateful for this tangible expression of the work of the church, will cover continuing maintenance and fuel pump costs. The water supply will also allow the people to plant a vegetable garden on the church land. This example of the Community of Christ in action has been a blessing to the people of Ndot Ikot Eda. Members are renewed in spirit as they are empowered to make a difference in their community. They tell people they are good as new now. Without the burdens of ill health and resulting medical expenses, it means everyone will be better able to support Community of Christ ministries, both physically and financially. Thank you for responding faithfully by sharing so very generously.—Joseph Charlie, field specialist, Nigeria 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 Psalm 30:4 – 5 (NRSV) we read: Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Sharing our Mission Tithes equally between local and world ministries as a financial resource of life grows in the lives of others. Let us share in the prayer of blessing for our offering.