Think of Siamese twins joined at the heart – and at the feet and at the
hands and at the head. Calvary Baptist
Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., and “missions” even connect solidly
at the checkbook.
Think of Siamese twins joined at the heart – and at the feet and at the
hands and at the head. Calvary Baptist
Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., and “missions” even connect solidly
at the checkbook.
Each year, up to 500 members of the church participate in mission
trips that reach across town, across the state and across the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. The church pays half the expense for each team member – an average
outlay of $1,000 per person. However, since a heavy majority of Calvary’s
Sunday School teachers have been on the trips, the payoff is that the missions
mandate threaded throughout Scripture gets plenty of attention in their classes.
Pastor Mark Corts readily and steadily preaches on the mandate
as well. Missions pastor Francis Smith coordinates and “inspirates”
the opportunities and responses. Each returning team is given a prominent platform
to report on its trip.
“I believe and preach that a church should be ‘a
whole body for the whole world,’ ” Corts explains. “I learned
long ago that another key is to expose your people to the field. Let them experience
what missionaries do, how they do it and where.”
Not surprisingly, Lottie Moon is a very popular figure at Calvary.
Moon was an early Southern Baptist missionary who won a lasting place in missions
history by sacrificially giving her life for the people of China – and
tirelessly calling on Southern Baptists to send more missionaries overseas.
More than 100 years later, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
named for her helps support more than 4,900 Southern Baptist missionaries around
the world.
Each year, Smith carries a “Lottie Moon stick” (the
same height as the 4-foot-10-inch missionary) with him everywhere – from
the time the Christmas offering begins until the church’s goal is met.
Last year, he did not get too weary of it. The original goal of $200,000 was
surpassed the first Sunday of December. The final figure was $397,539 –
and 16 cents.
Clearly, “missions” is not just another program.
Rather, it permeates, intertwines and enriches practically everything done in,
for and by Calvary Baptist Church.
It is no accident. Early on, Corts grasped the need to make
missions a key component of ministry. In the last 18 months, 600-plus people
have traveled from his church to 14 countries and five states (and across town)
in mission efforts. “We go across the aisle, across the street, across
the town, across the nations or across continents because that is where Jesus
would go,” Smith says. “Through us, that is where Jesus goes.”
One striking attribute of Calvary mission teams is the sound
missiology they follow. They strive to empower the overseas Christians they
serve and not to create dependence on their own church to sustain work.
Meanwhile, the infusion of missions throughout Calvary is showing
up in many and varied places. Two prime examples:
• Last December, Smith opened a letter and found
an unsigned note: “My insurance company divested, and I got a check for
$75,000. Here it is; God has given me the gift of giving.” Smith notes
the person did not tithe or give in a way that qualified for a tax deduction.
“She gave all of it to Lottie Moon. … I don’t have any idea who
it came from, so it’s kind of fun to look at … people at church and wonder.”
• At the conclusion of the annual presentation of
the Lottie Moon story to older preschoolers, one boy asked Smith a question.
“I understand Lottie Moon died,” he said solemnly. “What I want
to know is who is going to take her p|ace?”
Calvary members are trying to provide some of the answer.
(Written by Craig Bird of the International Mission Board)