Mission Possible

MISSION POSSIBLE

TITUS 1:3

VILLAGE MISSIONS SUNDAY

You are all aware by now that today is Village Mission Sunday. Some maybe asking, well what does that mean. Once a year the missions asks that we focus on the important role of missions, not just overseas mission but the mission field that is right here at home in our own backyards.

Even though today is Village Mission we will be still looking at the book of Titus. However we are going to skip verse 2 and take a look at verse 3. We will however come back to verse 2 next week. Please turn with me to our passage today, that Titus chapter 1:3. That would be found on page 1032 of your pew Bibles.

"but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;"

Here Paul points out the importance of preaching. He states that God has manifested His word through preaching. Which he committed to Paul according to the commands of Jesus Christ. God not only uses the Bible to bring froth his word, but the preaching of the Bible as well. It seems as though God knew that we as his children would not read His word as we should so God establishes preaching. Preaching the Word of God is ordained by God, it is used by God, and it is something that each one of us, as we see needs to play a part in.

Every true preacher of the Word of God can say along with Paul that preaching the Word of God "was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Saviour". As we look over this verse I want to cover three areas, Village Missions, the importance of Preaching the Word of God, and Missions in general.

I want to begin by telling how I got involved with the VM. I have been with VM for about 6 years now, 5 of the years have been here in Milford Center. I am thankful to God for placing me in VM they have been very good to my family and me.

The first time I heard about VM was at Montville Union Baptist Church. We had been going to church about an ½ hour away when someone invited us to MUBC to come and here the new Pastor, a fellow by the name of Jim Cook. We agreed to go. The Sunday in which we visited happened to be VM Sunday. Jim preached of the need there is for qualified leadership in rural America and Canada. I was very moved by the sermon although at the time I had no thoughts of becoming a pastor.

We continued to attend that church after that Sunday. I was taking courses for my degree in Biblical studies at that time, and as I grew to know Jim, Jim got it in his mind that I would make a good pastor. So he began to look into ways to get Darleen and I into the missions. Along with Bob Liesy, whom a lot of you have meant they came up with what is called the ACT program. Which basically is on the job training for pastors. To make a long story short Darleen and I were the first ones to go through the ACT program and be accepted into the missions.

Jim left Montville to go pastor a church in Vermont, leaving me to pastor at Montville. Because it was my home church it was rather difficult. After a year pastoring at Montville God sent us here.

I am legally a employee of VM, while a private contractor to MCCBC. Most of my pay come through the Missions. Many of you may not know how our relationship with the Missions works. The church has agreed to give 10% of their offering to the missions. In return the missions provide the church with leadership, and a base pay of 1400 a month. The church is also responsible to provide the pastor with housing and pay for his utilities.

The hope is is that as the church grows it pays more towards the base of $1400, and the missions pays less. Thus freeing up money for other missions to go to other churches. Our church which begin it’s relationship with VM by receiving $250 from outside sources, now pays all of my insurance, and $400 a month toward my salary. We can praise God that we have come a long way.

Our goal is to become self-supporting. If you have any other question regarding our relationship with VM I will be happy to answer them for you after the service.

VM was founded by a man by the name of Walter Duff in 1948. Rev. Duff saw that to many church were closing due to the lack of leadership. Rev. Duff was CEO for many years. He retired in 1991, and had since gone home to be with the Lord.