Are You Loving Your Neighbors As Yourself?
By Vashti Jones
August 2009
We’ve all experienced rough times during the last year with the economy downturn, or we know someone who has or is experiencing it right now. There are others yet to feel the effects of our changing times.
You may be asking, “What can I do? How can I help?” As more and more people experience economic difficulties, our churches will be given more and more opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives. We will need to be aware of what resources are at our disposal as well as make sure our leaders are well trained for the ministries we are asking them to do. Are we ready?
Just as our parents (grandparents and great grandparents) helped each other through the Great Depression some 60-70 years ago, we need to help our neighbors, too.
What better way to live out the theme for WMU, “Called to Love”, than to love our neighbors through this “New Normal” lifestyle? (Yesterday’s normal is now gone and we have a new normal).
As the new church year starts, we are in the second year of the WMU theme “Called to Love” based on Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV). The Emphasis book is appropriately named, “Called to Love—Stories of Compassion, Faith, and God’s Amazing Grace” by Kaye Miller, National WMU President. Kaye shares love through her eyes as an MK (Missionary Kid) growing up in Thailand. Through her stories, we can see how God has worked in the past and is still working in our world today.
The second resource that is a must is the WMU Yearbook. Listed as a “vision and planning tool,” what better way to get started looking for ways your church can be “on mission” than to catch the vision of “Called to Love” our neighbors.
These are truly changing times. However, preparation always starts with prayer asking God to give you direction for the New Year. Start now getting the materials you need, praying and spending time customizing it to where your church is “on mission.”
With the limited resources many of our churches have right now, it is even more important to be good stewards when spending our church budgets. Not only are there new ideas in the yearbook, information about curriculum plans for the coming year, there is also a catalog in the back that lists wonderful resources that are available.
To order the Yearbook and Emphasis book, just call WMU at 800-968-7301 or go online at http://www.wmustore.com.
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