Community and Connections
- Bekah Querfeld
- 25 minutes ago
- 5 min read
In the Thanksgiving season, we contemplate our blessings and thank God for His generosity to us. This month, God's blessing of community has stood out in particular.
IMC Community:
The International Ministry Center (IMC) staff have been one of the biggest blessings of working with BCM. There are many organizations that refer to themselves as a family, but BCM is one of the first communities I've been part of that I have felt that to be the truth. If I had to sum up life in the office, I would say that we are a team that works hard, prays hard, and plays hard.
We are a community that prays hard. Every Thursday morning, the IMC staff and some of our other leaders gather together to pray over our global teammates. We pray for the organization's ten global goals for the year, we pray for the needs a specific continent, region, or ministry, and finally we pray for the personal needs of our global team. On top of these Thursday prayer meetings, we also have Project 155. This comes from John 15:5, where Jesus says "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." At 1:55pm each day (you'll hear a chorus of phone alarms go off around the office), we pause together to pray with someone else who is nearby, to remind us of our reliance on the Lord. (You can read about or join our Project 155 initiative here.) These regular prayer times don't include the intentional times of prayer in our community and times of prayer in the midst of logistical meetings. We are a team that firmly believes that God works through prayer and it is integrated into how the organization functions on the day-to-day.
We are a community that prays hard, but we are also one that plays hard! Our whole team works hard in our
various ministries and responsibilities, but we also play well together. We are a team that enjoys each other and makes time to spend together in community. For example, a friend of mine organized a blind donut-tasting one day to decide once and for all what local donut shop makes the best donuts. We have started doing "Soup Day" potlucks where we all bring soups, breads, salads, desserts, and whatever else, and we sit down together for lunch as a community. We check in with one another over personal prayer requests brought up in meetings, and celebrate God's goodness with one another along the way. It is an office full of laughter and joy along with being a place full of strategic conversations and hard work.
A Visit from a Ugandan Brother:
Last week, Brother Stephen, one of our missionaries in Uganda came to visit the IMC. Brother Stephen is a gifted musician who teaches at a University in Kampala, but he also serves with BCM in children's ministry in Uganda. Stephen was in America visiting family here. and President Rick Rhoads and I were able to connect with him over tea here at the office. After he hosted us in his home in Uganda, it was lovely to host him along with the Sangers (an American couple who have served alongside Stephen in Uganda doing pastoral training). It was a beautiful reminder of how the family of God spans continents and that those connections are eternal ones.
New Teammate!
Praise God, I officially have a teammate in the Global Education Department!
In the spring, I connected with a European teammate who was in the midst of a ministry transition. She had been serving with our children's ministry training ministry, but felt God calling her to move to a different ministry. She is a gifted communicator, a gifted linguist (I'm fairly certain she speaks 5-7 languages), and a gifted trainer. I invited her to pray about joining the Global Education Department in this next season of ministry for her. Last week, she accepted the offer and will be working with me in this ministry.
This is such an incredible answer to prayer! I am still looking for additional teammates, so please keep praying with me that God will bring the right people to the ministry. However, God has proven His faithfulness in bringing along this particular teammate. I apologize that my descriptions are vague, however there is a limit to what I can say until things are a bit further underway. For now, know that God has begun to answer this prayer for teammates, and the first teammate He has brought is a true gift and will be a blessing to me personally, as well as the kingdom in this ministry.
Prayers and Praises:
Grant Application:
We are still waiting to hear back from the trust regarding the grant application we sent in. However, the board meets sometime in November, so Lord willing, we should hear back soon.
Pray that God will give us favor with the board of the trust, and also peace with whatever outcome they decide.
GracePoint Women's Retreat
Praise God that the retreat went really well! The ladies at the retreat were very encouraging and God blessed the small group conversations they had together after the sessions.
Community
Praise God for the family of God and the community of faith that spans the globe!
Praise God for the gift of a new teammate in the Global Education Department.
Pray that God will provide wisdom and a smooth transition for my new teammate, as there are some logistics that she is working through to be able to join my team well.
Pray that God will continue to bring the right teammates to join the Global Education Department in God's timing.
Partnership Development (Support-Raising):
Praise God that I am up to 27% funding! God has been faithfully bringing partners to be who are committed to pray and provide as I'm on this journey
Pray that God will continue to make His will clear throughout this process.
Pray that God will lead me to those He has planned for me to partner with.
Current Support: 27% |
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