One Desire Fast is HMCC’s annual fast so we can start off the year hearing from God, both individually and as a church. This year’s theme is Saturate.
Romans 10:13-15 ESV – For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
In July 2015, a team of 20 people consisting of 2 families and 10 single adults arrived in Hong Kong from HMCC of Ann Arbor to start HMCC here. They were ordinary men and women whose lives have been transformed by the Gospel and were responding to God’s call for missions through church planting. Since then, our church has continued to live out missions in different ways, such as Missions Month, short-term missions projects, missional initiatives, etc. The heart behind these is to inspire us to think beyond just our community and Hong Kong, but to nearby cities and regions, as well.
Missions through church planting is one of the core values in our church. We believe in sending people to start churches and disciple people who can continue to live out the same vision. As we look at the Bible, Jesus commanded his disciples to plant churches. In Acts 1:8, Jesus sent his disciples to plant the first church in Jerusalem. Apostle Paul was an avid church planter – after being commissioned by the Church of Antioch, he started his journey of planting churches over the course of 13 years.
Paul explains in Romans 10:13-15 the reason why we are called to go on missions and plant churches is that if there is no one who will share the Gospel and to reach out to those that are lost, then they cannot believe in Jesus since they do not know who Jesus is. And if they do not believe in Jesus, then they cannot be saved from their sins. The logic is as simple as that. There are still many people who do not worship Jesus or have any knowledge of Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Imagine if the original church plant team members never responded to God’s call for missions through church planting – where would we be? What if they never discipled anyone so the same vision and mission of the church can continue? You may not be aware of how you’ve been impacted by missions through church planting, but you are actually the direct recipient of God’s grace and investments from people who have responded to God’s call or discipled people who disciple you!
Planting churches and going on missions may seem like a distant idea to you but it’s actually more relatable than you might have thought. Being church planters might not be God’s call for everyone but there are always opportunities for you to be the church, to plant the love of Jesus and to live missionally even in your campus, workplace, family, and any other settings.
Continue to use the remaining few days of the One Desire Fast to reflect on how you have been impacted by missions through church planting. Think again of how you got connected to the church community or how you first heard about the Gospel through people. As you reflect, take some time to praise God and connect it to the Saturate vision – how will you then be the church to people wherever your mission field is?
Reflection and Application
- Take one of the scenarios from the last paragraph of the devotional – reflect on it and connect it as your own Gospel story. Share it with someone this week.
- What are practical ways you can be the church to where God has placed you (campus, work, ministry, family, friends, etc)?
Praises and Prayers Topics – Covenant and Building Blocks
Praises:
- We praise God for the opened doors that Covenant ministry has had to reach out to friends and new families. We also give thanks to God fostering the sense of community among both returning and new kids within Building Blocks.
Prayer Topics:
- Covenant ministry: Pray for deeper growth in the Biblical community and for ways to love and serve our city.
- Building Blocks: Pray for opportunities to reach out to more kids and families.
Click here for full devotional link and for PDF version