The world outreach ministry of First Assembly has three main components:
- World Missions: Coordinated by the Missions Committee with Bob Stock as the committee chairman, the focus is on financial, prayer, and short-term team support for missionaries and ministries around the world.
- Community Outreach: Coordinated by Bill Woodworth as the community outreach director, the focus is on congregational involvement in ministries reaching our local community.
- Timothy Group: A mentoring and equipping group for those called to pastoral or missions ministry.
What has been and is being accomplished is only by the grace of God poured out through His people who have made themselves available. First Assembly is blessed with a congregation of individuals who have responded to the Great Commission with the same passion as Isaiah saying “Here am I, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)
World Missions
First Assembly’s mission efforts are based on fulfilling the Great Commission of Christ,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20, ESV)
The mandate of missions also includes ministry to the totality of human need, “feed the hungry…clothe the naked…visit the sick and imprisoned.” (Matthew 25:31-46). The geographic scope of missions is, “Jerusalem…Judea and Samaria…and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), a viewpoint that is also part of the mission’s mandate, as is much prayer; i.e. “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38). Because so many of the world’s population live in regions that are either hostile to or unaware of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, our priorities will continue to emphasize those areas of the world, and future financial commitments will of necessity reflect that priority. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all people groups for a witness to all people, and then the end shall come.” (Matthew 24:14).
In light of that purpose, First Assembly supported 35 foreign missionaries, 11 home missionaries, and 18 ministries, both home and abroad during 2008. Five new missionaries and one ministry were added for support during 2008. One individual and one couple from our congregation left the U.S. during 2008 to begin their full-time missionary efforts – Sarah with English Language Institute (ELIC) to a sensitive country and Mitch and Sarah Hassell with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) to South Africa. In addition, five families from First Assembly have answered God’s call to become missionaries abroad and are currently itinerating for support, further fulfilling First Assembly’s commitment to “build up and send out Spirit-filled agents of local and global transformation”.
Short-term mission projects in 2008 were:
- Ecuador: Pastor Ashley Penley led a team of 26 youth & adults to assist missionaries Jack and Trudy Vegter with ministry to children.
- Guatemala: Pastor Ashley Penley led a team 17 youth and adults to assist missionaries Richard and Janet Conti with evangelistic outreaches, children’s ministries, work projects, and at a Teen Challenge facility.
- India: Pastor Chad Harvey ministered in pastoral training conferences with David Stewart, Jr.
- India: Pastor Chris Connell and Mike Cason preached in two evangelistic outreaches, in which approximately 1,000 individuals came into the Kingdom.
- Uganda: Dr. Mike Haglund with a team of surgeons, nurses, and other professionals from Duke performed needed surgeries and delivered desperately needed medical equipment
- North Africa: Noreen Guyer led a team of five women to encourage and pray with the missionaries.
- Haiti: Pastors Mark Jones and Chris Connell led a team of 10 to minister to orphans and children with Grace International (Bishop & Pastor Doris Jeune).
- Philadelphia: Pastor Mark Jones led a joint team of 12 from Raleigh First & Ship of Zion AG for inner city ministry with missionaries Rick and Patti Roberts.
- South Africa: Vicki Bredbenner led a team of 10 to assist Reaching a Generation pass out the Book of Hope and needed eyeglasses to children.
- Honduras: Amanda Breen served with Latin American Child Care to teach English to underprivileged children.
- Sierra Leone: Aminata Adam-Samura delivered and distributed dental & educational materials to over 2,000 underprivileged children with her ministry, Boundless Hope.
First Assembly was blessed by having the following missionaries, which we support in prayer and financially, speak at the church: Mark Hausfeld (Central Eurasia Area Director), David Stewart, Jr. (India), Randy and Elizabeth Garvey (Mexico), Bruce Page (Slovenia), Cecil and Tonya Eshelman (Russia), Jack and Trudy Vegter (Ecuador), Connie Barnes (LifeCare Pregnancy Center/Gateway Campus Ministries), and four missionaries/families who are serving in sensitive assignments. Dick Brogden and Pastor John Hershman (West End Assembly in Richmond, VA) were keynote speakers at the annual Missions Celebration. Flags from the countries in which the missionaries we support hang on the walls of the sanctuary. One missionary family made First Assembly home during their year of furlough and itineration.
Special financial support (approximately $40,000) over and above any monthly contributions was given on a one-time basis to the following projects/missionaries during the year: the Asia Pacific Theological Seminary to sponsor a pastor in attending the Myanmar Extension for a Master’s program; a congregation in Kranj, Slovenia to purchase a church building; a Sudanese congregation to purchase land in order to build a church building; a congregation in Cuba to replace a roof destroyed by a recent hurricane; Chi Alpha to sponsor 32 students from NC state, Meredith, and UNC–Chapel Hill in attending the World Missions Summit in Cincinnati; Port City Assembly, a church plant in Wilmington, NC; Hope Church, a church plant in Charlotte, NC; travel expenses for two of our missionaries, one to attend the funeral of a family member, the other for needed back surgery; missionaries Mark and Kathy Daniels, Kurt and Stephanie Plagenhoef, Joe Lenna, Jerry and Angi Martin, Steve and Kristi Hoffman, Jack and Trudy Vegter, Richard and Janet Conti, and Timothy Abraham. Seven pastors, including Chris and Jacqueline Jones of Ship of Zion Assembly of God were sent on short-term mission trips during the year.
The missions committee has adopted two unreached people groups for special prayer; i.e. the Baggara tribes of Sudan and the Azerbaijani of Russia. Both groups are predominantly Muslim with virtually no Christian witness.
The “Adopt a Missionary” program continues in which individuals, small groups, and classes have “adopted” missionary families. These individuals and groups help ensure that our missionaries have a more personal connection to the congregation through communicating with the missionary, sending them birthday and anniversary cards, two care packages a year, and praying for them on a continuing basis. Approximately 66% of our supported foreign missionaries are adopted.
The missions committee (Eleanor Bredbenner, Barry and Sabrina Deans, Noreen Guyer, Darla Harvey, Pastor Mark Jones, Jon and Cathy Miller, Bob and Cindy Stock, Franc Umana and Sarah Lein, and Richard and Mindy Wolf) looks to 2009 with anticipation and excitement. Special emphases will continue to be on (1) communicating information about our missionaries to the congregation, (2) developing a closer relationship with our supported missionaries, both financially and prayerfully, and (3) developing diverse short-term mission trips to further the interest and support of missions at First Assembly. First Assembly is having a profound impact on the world regarding the spread of the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Bob Stock serves as chairman of the Missions Committee.
