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Ministry VS Mission and Disaster Relief

ReFocus: Larry Thomas
Tuesday, September 27, 2005

"Our ministry is to serve the needs of believers; our mission is to serve the needs of those who are not presently Christians."

This statement by John Fischer clearly identifies one of the perplexities Christians deal with. Can you really serve the needs of someone you don't know? Of course you can and today we are faced with overwhelming challenges to put aside our emotions, judgments, and own desires to minister to the needs of thousands of displaced disaster victims.

Even though we do not know these people, each one of us in our own way, can meet someone's need. Perhaps as never before in the history of the United States, have so many been so overwhelmingly reduced to "scratching and searching" for basic human needs such as food, water and shelter.

Southern Baptists have and continue to minister out of our understanding of mission to those less fortunate from the abundance supplied from God alone. Today Southern Baptists have over 235 field kitchen units and many more specialized teams deployed in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists (KNCSB) deployed two field kitchen units and at least one chainsaw team with many more volunteers preparing to go and relieve those on the frontlines of support.

The need to minister in the hurricane ravaged area will be with us for some time. This will not be an exercise that we can withdraw from within 7 to 10 days. I believe that volunteers will be needed throughout the fall. And as the initial work begins to move from direct relief to development and reconstruction, Heart of Kansas and KNCSB churches will present themselves in partnership with local churches and associations in the devastated areas to rebuild and reclaim church facilities, homes and ministries. What a great time for us to serve the needs of so many as extensions of the heart and with hands of Jesus.

If you have desired or considered assisting in the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts, please call the Heart of Kansas association office at 316-943-3446 and join us as we work together with other Southern Baptists to minister out of our sense of mission.