This post, by Elaine Poproski, is a reflection on “On Mission: Mish Adventure Camp” sermon as part of the “On Mission” sermon series.
As I listened to Abigail share about her experience volunteering at Mish Adventure Camp on Sunday, I was struck (not for the first time) by the reality that our faith is a lifelong journey of growth. It’s about growing in our understanding of ourselves as deeply loved sons and daughters of the Creator and Father we call God. It’s about growing in our understanding of ourselves as integral members of God’s kingdom with a mission to manifest that kingdom wherever we find ourselves. It’s about growing in our understanding and development of those gifts and skills given us by God for the purpose of serving and loving others.
Abigail’s choice to spend two weeks this summer living, working, and serving kids more than 1,800 km north of our church also reminded me of how integral service is to being a Christian. We talk about ministry as if it’s some kind of specialized calling for some (but not all) Christians, ignoring that the definition of ministry is simply service. Service is the essence of the Christian life. It’s what Jesus modeled perfectly and completely and it’s intended to be the Christian’s fundamental orientation to others.
It wasn’t just Abigail who reminded me of the centrality of service to our Christian lives, this Sunday. At another point in our worship service, we surrounded Madeline to pray for her in anticipation of her return to China with International China Concern (ICC) later this week. ICC cares for abandoned children with disabilities and provides support to families of children with disabilities in two different communities in China. I have long been in awe of Madeline’s whole-hearted and sacrificial commitment to serve these children through this organization.
Sometimes, when we hear from or pray for people like Abigail on her summer adventure or Madeline in her long-term, overseas ministry, it’s easy to forget that we’re all called to ministry. It’s easy to forget that being a Christian is about living a life of service day-to-day; being a Christian is about manifesting God’s kingdom wherever we are, even if we’re in the most mundane workplaces or classrooms or neighbourhoods imaginable. I wonder what it would be like for all of us to share about our jobs, classes, and life as if we truly believed that what we do day-to-day is as much about ministry and mission as is what Abigail did at Mish Adventure Camp or what Madeline does with ICC.