Mission & Mercy Ministry Update - 2024, Issue 5
Table of Contents
Prayer Focus: The Unreached People of Mexico
Mercy Highlight: Sewing and Crafts Ministry Open House - May 18
Spotlight: Made-to-Multiply Training
Opportunity: U!Kids: Missions, Sharing the Gospel to the Nations
Upcoming UBC Mission Trips: Planning for 2024
Prayer Focus
The Unreached People of Mexico
The month of May our prayer focus will be with 3 UPG’s in Mexico. UBC prayerfully and financially supports the Cabildo family who are missionaries in Mexico.
World-o-meter estimates the total population at 129.2 million (April 2024). According to the 2020 Mexican government census, approximately 78 percent of the population identifies as Roman Catholic (compared with 83 percent in 2010); 10 percent as Protestant or Christian evangelical; and 1.5 percent as other religious groups: Judaism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of Jesus Christ), and Islam. More than 2.5 percent of the population report practicing a religion not otherwise specified. Some indigenous persons adhere to syncretic religions drawing from indigenous beliefs.
Mexico has 3 UPG according to Joshua project. The Huichol (ethnic religion) is the largest with approximately 60,000 people. They live primarily in western Mexico in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. They have 120 deities, one of which is Tayau, the "father sun" god. He can bring danger and misfortune if they don't obey him. The Huichol believe that when a person dies, his soul embarks on a five-year journey through the underworld. After the journey, the soul returns to earth and is captured by a shaman in the form of a rock crystal. The crystal is placed in the family shrine to be anointed with blood and offered food as if it were a living being. The Roman Catholic church has made inroads into Huichol belief systems, but they typically allow for non-biblical beliefs to remain. There are efforts to take Jesus Christ to them to help free them from fear and unclean spirits that torment them.
The next largest URP are the Jewish Spanish people, estimated at 40,000. Most of them live in Mexico City. They came to Mexico in 1942 after Spain made a decree that they convert to Catholicism or face expulsion or death. After World War II and the Holocaust, Mexico welcomed Jewish immigrants. Most Mexican Jews are Orthodox (adhere to Torah and Talmud as interpreted in an authoritative rabbinic law code that applies the principles and regulations to modern living).
The last of the 3 UPG are Japanese, with an estimated 5,500 residing in Mexico City. The traditions of Shintoism (animist), Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism have all contributed to Japanese religious principles: ancestor worship; a belief in religious continuity of the family; a close tie between the nation and religion.
Let us intentionally pray for Mexico this month. Below are suggested prayers.
Prayers
LORD open the eyes of the Huichol and Japanese Mexican people to see Your deeds and mighty works O LORD; may they come to worship You as the One TRUE GOD and sing praises to Your Holy Name. (Psalm 66:4-6)
LORD may all the UPGs in Mexico come to praise you, God. Let all of them praise You. Oh LORD let them be glad and sing for joy; may they know you judge with equity and govern the nations on earth. Let the all the UPG in Mexico praise you. (Psalm 67:3-5)
Father GOD, we pray that the 3 UPGs in Mexico would come to believe the blood of Christ cleanses them from all their sins. May they see their need for Your free gift of salvation and eternal life. We also pray LORD that the lies of the enemy will no longer deceive them, so they desire You and confess you as their LORD and Savior. (1 John 1:7-9)
LORD, we ask that the Jewish Spanish people come to walk in the light that only You provide LORD Jesus. May they come to know Jesus as the light of the world, no longer walking in the darkness, but having the light of life. (Isaiah 2:5; John 8:12)
Mercy Highlight
Sewing and Craft Ministry Open House - May 18
Our newest Mercy Ministry is holding an Open House on Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM, in the multi-purpose room (MPR) at Main.
The purpose / goal for this event is to begin making baby blankets that will be provided to Hope Rising Pregnancy Center in Xenia.
For those coming, if you are willing to bring 1 to 1.25 yards of cotton or flannel material that will be used in making the blankets. For those that may want to come but do not sew, please come anyway, there are other jobs or efforts that you may help with. Get to know other crafters within the UBC community. Please, do not bring any sewing machines. The projects will be taken home to be completed, and then returned back to UBC for delivery to Hope Rising.
Spotlight
Made to Multiply Training
Following up from the UBC “MULTIPLY” series in January 2024, the Missions and Mercy ministry have been offering Made to Multiply training here at UBC the first Saturday of every month. The goal of the training is to help encourage and equip UBC members, attenders, or others to actively share the gospel by focusing on WHY we should share the gospel and providing simple and reproducible tools on WHAT we share (our testimony and the gospel).
Jessica Lingaas was one of the first UBC members who attended the class. Even though she grew up in the church, Jessica wanted to attend the class because she felt that it would be helpful in gaining more knowledge and context of the gospel itself and provide her a way to start the conversation with those the Lord puts in her path. She found the training helpful, especially thinking through and practicing the 15-second testimony and the 3-circles resource. One of the biggest encouragements to Jessica was seeing how simple sharing the gospel was, when oftentimes we make it more complicated than it really is. She also felt the training gave her the skills and courage to become more competent and comfortable in sharing the gospel. When asked why others should consider attending a Made to Multiply session she said the training and visuals along with the built in practice gives the skills and courage to become more competent in fulfilling the Great Commission.
If you would like to attend, there are 2 more sessions available:
Saturday, May 4 and you may register here.
Saturday, June 1 and you may register here.
Bring a friend, we look forward to seeing you there.
Opportunity
U!Kids: Missions, Sharing the Gospel to the Nations
It is a joy as a Church to be able to all be involved with missions and the task of the Great Commission that Christ gave us. This past fall U!Kids started to find creative ways to continue to engage the younger members of UBC in learning about missions. In the different services especially for K-3rd, there has been time in the morning for kids to learn about missions. Kids have had the opportunity to take time on Sundays to learn about different countries and about families and individuals who are serving and sharing the gospel there. Along with this, kids are encouraged in learning about these places and participate in praying that the gospel would reach these nations and that those families serving there would be supported by Christ.
Throughout this year, several missionaries that UBC supports had the opportunity to visit and speak with the kids ministry, sharing with them about where they serve and what they do. It is so amazing to see our young kids starting to grow a heart for missions and learning about what it means as a church to pray for nations that do not yet know the gospel and to support those who are serving there. We are thankful and joyful in how God has continued to encourage our church in participating in missions.
Do you have a special heart for kids, the nations, and sharing the Gospel with everyone? Then please reach out to Bobbie Schell, Julie Bixel, or Jim Corbin to see how you can help teach and guide our young kids generationally to obey the great commission.
Monthly Mission Quotes:
"I am not sure that the ideal missionary team ought not to consist of one who argues and one who (in the fullest sense of the word) preaches. Put up your arguer first to undermine their intellectual prejudices; then let the evangelist proper launch his appeal. I have seen this done with great success.”
— C.S. Lewis on Evangelism (From 'God in the Dock')
Upcoming Mission Trips
Planning for 2024
UBC has multiple mission trips available through 2024. There are local trips (prayer walking around the UBC neighborhoods), national (STUMIN is heading to Logan, Utah; Builders for Christ in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and other opportunities coming soon), and global. Some of the available trips are listed below. A full listing of trips may be found here. You may also reach out to Jim Corbin (jim.corbin@ubcbeavercreek.com) to get more details on any of the trips. If you do not see a trip to a place that is on your heart, please reach out. We would love the opportunity to hear and to help you find a trip.
Location/Date
May 8-19
Bangladesh
Teach English, help with basic computer skills, or working with children in pre-schools.
Contact: Jim CorbinMay 13-Aug 10
Builders For Christ
Come help the build in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (The Haven Church). There are 3 trips this summer: May, July, and August.
Contact: Dave GneiserJun 13-27
Uganda
Come help serve South Sudanese refugees as we share the gospel and start discipleship groups. More information may be found here.
Contact: Jim CorbinJun 16-23
STUMIN (Utah)
Come help a church plant in Logan, UT
Contact: Rob Slouffman
Aug 2-11
Argentina
Work with Pastor Fabian Santillan and his church as they share the gospel and plant another church.
Contact: Jim CorbinContact to learn more:
Jim Corbin
jim.corbin@ubcbeavercreek.com
To read past Mission Updates or to get more information about UBC on Mission, visit
https://www.ubcbeavercreek.com/mission-and-mercy-ministries.