Sunday PM Test Service

Chip you but it also gives us an assignment throughout the week to take this message to our neighborhoods to our our campuses here in southeast Michigan to take with us on the road. And it also gives us a reason to be involved. In missions. We have not just a message to share. We have the message to share. And you've given us all different Pulpit. Some pulpits are, are like the one I'm standing at now that I do Exposition from others have pulpits that look like an airplane mechanic. Or a coffee roaster. Or a teacher. Or a doctor or nurse or Agriculture and these become our creative pulpits to get into the nation's. And share the gospel song. Lord, thank you for this message that we just saw him. It's everything to us in Jesus name, we pray. Amen. All right, pick your Bibles please. And open to Ephesians chapter 4, with me this evening, Ephesians chapter 4.

I think my clickers on. Maybe it's not. Let's see. There we go. No.

Aireco fantastic. Ephesians chapter 4. And follow along as I read verses 7 through 16. I'm reading from The New American Standard as normal, but I have with me, the most current edition of it, the 2020 Edition which is a slightly it slightly different than what's in the pews. But don't let the changes. Throw you let him help you interpret. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 7. What do each one of us Grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift there for. It says, when he Jesus ascended on high, you let captive the captives and he gave gifts to people Now, this expression he ascended, what does it mean? Except that he also had descended into the lower parts of the Earth? He who descended is himself. Also, he who ascended, far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all thinks. It was at me. Let me just suggest you that to simplify that. That's talking about. His Incarnation is coming to the lower parts of creation to Earth. And this also talks about his not only his resurrection, But ultimately his Ascension to where he sits in this moment at the father's right-hand, which isn't in some Faraway Galaxy. We can't see what telescope somehow he's with us season dwelling us. This realm is is is closer than you can imagine to us. As a matter of fact, I was reading my devotions this weekend, Sermon on the Mount. And when Jesus is teaching Matthew 6 about how to pray. He says, three times your father who sees and seek That's how close he is to you. So our Lord is ascended to the father's right hand, but he's here with us. At the same time and it blows our our finite Minds to process that but our our Lord who has defeated death and he's a son of his father's. Right? Hand is get busy in our midst. and that's where we pick up in verse 11 and he Jesus gave some as Apostles and some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers for what purpose It says, here for this purpose, verse 12 for the equipping of the Saints, for the work of Ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ. What's the endgame verse 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a mature, man to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. And as a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here. And there by waves, and carried about by every wind of Doctrine by the trickery of people by craftiness and deceitful scheming. No, we speak the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him. Who is the head that is Christ from whom the whole body being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies. According to the proper working of each individual part causes the growth of the Body, for the building up of itself, in love, in a mazing. Passage I, I call verses 1 through 6. NIV Fusions for the blueprint of the church. This is what is going on right now and Wyatt. What is Flowing out of what its goal is right now with each one of us and what's the end game of her 16? This is the blueprint of the work of the New Testament Church in our generation. We come here often to this text because he Fusions for his precious to us as a church family because our church mission Close out of this text out in the lobby. Here, we have our mission statement, which we want you to read every time you go buy it. It says that we as a church family exists to glorify God by making disciples in a community of Grace. And we spend a lot of time, dissecting that frequently. As a matter of fact, last year, I just taught through for the second time in seven years, what the four Direction disciple is, and I will revisit that every couple of years. If we say that's what a disciple is, how we understand it. Then we need to be familiar with it and own it. What I want to do this evening, especially with the visit a coming next Sunday all day long with Aaron and Susan. Shryock, as candidates for our missionary family in coming to you with the full approval and endorsement of of myself. But even more. So the missions committee was unanimous. We're excited for this visit. We want you to be ready for you. Want you to read the packet that we put together for you, and we want you two to be excited about this work to have some understanding as you come in. So you can hear his answers against the backdrop of what you've already started to understand about him. Maybe informing good questions. You could ask that would help the rest of the church get to know him and think through things. So that's important but I wanted to spend tonight since we're going to be in this room on this stage with him and his wife, and his daughters, one week from this hour, let's get ready for that. And it was important for me and my heart to bring to you our missions policy. This evening, this mission's policy is new within the last five years of 65 to 6 years. It's something that is operating in our midst, it's something that when we finished it, as a missions committee I did teach through the missions policy to to show you what the Deacon's it also been through after the missions policy. This is how we're doing missions here and we've kept that promise. But that was a long time ago that I reminded you of this policy and what the details are. I think it's exciting, I think it teaches easily but I want to bring it to you again this evening, why for a couple of reasons. First of all, just as we regularly review, the four Direction disciple, We need to regularly review the heart of our missions program, which has been a huge part of our church for over 80 years and this is the policy. That's that's directing us at this point in our Church's history. If it's in this grows out of our four Direction, disciple philosophy, Another reason I want to do this with you, this evening is because we have had by God's grace and to his glory, a very thick layer of new members. And, since we last went through this, a thick layer, I mean, I can just say in the last nine months, we've had a thick layer almost 20 new members. But if you go back to pre covid, that that's going to put a, hold a whole lot more on this that have never heard this before, and you need to be, you need to be familiar with this going into next week. A third reason, I want to go through this with you. This evening is an I just won't be ashamed of saying this or try. Try to Vale it anyway, it's God's calling your life. Going through How We Do missions here at Calvary, I have been praying, would be just another nudge in the lives of some of you, no matter what chapter in life, whether you're going into college, whether you're in college weather in midlife, or whether you're facing retirement, this is a an unabashedly bold call for you to consider missions. And as you're sending church, we would get excited about that. And we would get behind you. I want to show you how much we get behind you. Like going through this, a fourth reason. I want to do this. I've already mentioned, it's the shryock visit next week, but there's a, there's a fifth reason to as to why I want to go through this with you this evening and I just called the kingdom advance. We read in the gospels of the good news of the Kingdom. The King has, he says, the kingdom of God is at hand. What that means? We have a kingdom. As you have a king, you have subjects. You have enemies to that. King, you have around, you got thrown in and this is good news that Jesus gave us to preach. No, I believe that the kingdom ultimately will be for a thousand years on the davidic throne on Earth, I would be premillennial in that sense as our church historically has been. But the King right now is, is calling out to himself with people that he redeems and, and let me just say this that the advance of the Kingdom, so that more people get saved. Not only in our neighborhoods, but also the nation's, the advance of the kingdom, is either going to be handled in one of two ways. Number one, it's going to be really unorganized and objective. Advance on our part. As far as how we planned for it, or the other option is to be half Hazard and subjective. Oh God, just led me to do this. And I'm just going to see what comes together. It is. I read scripture. I see that if we're going to be involved in the advance of the Gospel, the advance of the Kingdom through our neighborhoods, out to the nation's, it's going to need to be organized. Its worthy of being organized, this Kingdom message we have and it's going to be objective. It's going to be. We're going to be informed how to do this from outside of ourselves, not being driven by hunches, subjective hunches, and haphazard approach has. So, I think the kingdom Advance is worthy of an organized approach. And I think that's what our lord said and he laid it out in an organized way, you're going to be my Witnesses. You're going to start in Jerusalem, then move out to Judea then. Samaria, then the uttermost parts of the earth that has that screams organization, and in an understanding of your trajectory, your goal. It's in the assignment. So I want to go through this with you this evening. Don't try to take know just kind of take this, then this will be online as well. But I want to talk to you about our missions program Heroes. Our church was established in the middle of the last century upon the foundation of world evangelism, the near and dear to our hearts. It was what was behind the bus to Ministry. All those years in the Christian School Ministry, the gospel is our heart beating And after all this is what is called, the Great Commission. It's Christ last command and it's our first concern as it's been said his last command is our first concern. Matthew 28 verses 18 through 20 make disciples Jesus came and spoke to his disciples saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on Earth go therefore and Make Disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all that. I commanded you and lo I Am With You Always. There's that concept that he's when he's like right here.

I Am With You Always even to the end of the age.

So, the heartbeat of the Great Commission is disciple-making, discipleship is not a separate category from evangelist. I hope. You understand that evangelism is the beginning of discipleship, you make disciples by giving them the good news, in the spirit of God, works in your heart, gives in faith and repentance and now your, your task is not over. It's just getting started. Now, you the goal of discipleship is christlikeness. It has a church family. We believe that Ephesians 4:13 provides the essentials that are true for any growing disciple. So I don't know how to disciple some and disciple them in this way. You take him to Ephesians 4:13 and and look at this for a second until we all that means for all of us. We had the same goal of growth as a disciple until we all attain to three things the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God and to a mature man the measure of the statue which belongs to the fullness of Christ see, what does that mean? It means this that a growing disciple hungers for first of all christ-centered doctor and that's the unity of the faith. Doctrine matters, the word matters. And as he goes into the word, he sees the glory of Christ in the ultimate glory of the father in Redemption, he hungers for Christ centered Doctrine. But then there's the next raise, the knowledge of the Son of God. What is that? A growing disciple demonstrates, our Christ word passion, they want to know. Jesus since he's right here, you want to know him, not just know about him, we want to passionately, enjoy him. And then it's a third thing that a disciple grows in its number. It's in that phrase to a mature man in verse 13 that means he radiates she radiates a christ-like Brilliance as a with the passing of time he or she becomes more like Jesus. So what is it going to stifle look like they hunger for Christ Center doctor and they demonstrate a christ-like passion and a radiator christ-like brilliance. And here's where we make. The step from that verse to our rubric. We have here is a church. The 4D, rubric you show me in Ephesians 4:13, disciple who's growing in Christ Center, Passion of Christ, like a christ-centered Doctrine christ-like, passion and a and a Christ word Brilliance, and I'll show you a disciple. I'll show you a guy, I'll show you a lady who's not going to sit still as its cycle. They're going to be on the move, and I think it is in four distinct directions. We call this 24 Direction disciple, if you see at the center of this graph is, or the such art is Ephesians 4:13. And we see that the first direction that a growing disciple moves is up towards God as a worshipper, our main text for that that we unpack when we go to the four Direction, disciple is what our Lord says. In John chapter 4, verse 23 and 24, when he's giving the good news to the Samaritan woman. He says, God is a spirit God seeking worshippers those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth, none of those tourists. And then we found out that we were studying that since God is a spirit, that means that God is everywhere and if God is everywhere, listen worship is all the time. 90 minutes.

it's a matter of obedience, in addition to exaltation, And so we we we we we believe that the first Direction a person, grows as a worshipper, it's the first great command love the Lord your God, with her whole heart mind, soul and strength. But like the first great command. As we are growing as a worshipper, it spills over into our other relationships. Just like the Second Great come in. So I can break a man, says, love your neighbor, as yourself. We believe that the second grade or the second disciple direction, as you groped towards God, as a worshipper, number one is number two, you grow towards all men in your life as a servant. whether that person is saved or unsaved, you enter their space, in a way to serve them and our main verse here is Matthew 22, verse 28, where Jesus says to his disciples, even the son of man didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many And we go to the end of Thessalonians. We go to the end of Galatians and we find that we are to be a servant of all men, especially of those who believe. But there's what you see, what that verse says, what Paul says they're we serve all men, but we noticed there's a distinction, we were serving the unsaved and to save and that distinction and US kind of gives birth to the third direction that a disciple grows in number one, they grow towards God as a worshipper number to, they grow towards all men as a servant, but then they realize the best way I can serve an unbeliever in my life. Is this direction. Number three and it's that of being a witness to them. And remain verse for that is Acts 1:8, the Great Commission that I have just quoted you from our Lord to his disciples before his Ascension, you'll be my Witnesses. No we say well what's left? There's only one direction left. One is towards God to is to all people. Three is to the Lost. What's for for is to anyone that God brings within your. The contents of context of a local church. Directions number for is to be at the cycler, either of people that you leave the Christ, or people that in God's Providence, they come into your life and need to be encouraged. They need to be discipled. That's your job, your growing disciple. and we even make the, the the statement when we study this has a church that if if I'm not discipling someone, if I'm not having at any point in Impact in someone else's life, to grow in their face by myself and not acting like a disciple because disciples disciple Their main text here is what we started this evening. It's Matthew 28 18, through 20, make two cycles and this chart here just just directs what we try to accomplish in our Men's Ministry. In our Ministries here at the church. We want to glorify God by making disciples who are growing as worshippers servants Witnesses and disciplers of others were doing that in the context of a community of Grace. We believe that and it drives everything. So that brings us to this topic of missions. Topic of missions with a focus on worldwide disciple-making, Calvary Baptist Church holds a six-point priority grid and we use this grid to evaluate potential Mission fields and potential missionary candidates. And in each of these priorities, the emphysema but the answers must be consistent with our four direction to cycle philosophy. That we have found in the six five or six years, that we've been operating under this policy that this has created a couple of things for us as a missions committee. It's created an amazing balance of our missionary family. We're not heavy in just one category we as a committee identified six categories that we want to become proficient with when it comes to missions as a church family. The first thing we did after we drew up these six priorities. As we put, we went through our existing missionary family at that time, and and put every one of them. In one of these six columns will bleed together. And you don't understand it. But it really showed us listen where we had maybe been loaded a little heavily in some categories in other categories. We had some work to do. We might have only had one or two missionary units under the script on some of the about the, the grid categories. You say, what are the six points of this priority grid? Let me just as if through these real quick to remind you. First of all, there is National Training. See what's National Train? We believe it's critical for gifted and trained Bible teachers to train, born-again maturing Nationals, molding them into Christian leaders, to evangelize their own countrymen, and plant indigenous, local churches. That's the endgame training Nationals. How is this done on the mission field? This might show up as As a teacher, in a Bible Institute, or in a seminary, or you going, and conducting Seminary type conferences to train Nationals who come seasons of special training. Yeah, you might have a radio Ministry that over the airwaves or or through the internet up provides significant training in Theology and church history and things that are important as we want to train leaders. And we get this from versus like 2nd Timothy 2:2, which says the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and trust these two Faithful Men Who will be able to teach others also. So this is a big priority, was one of the six. Another one is what we call Pioneer support. And again, I want to give you the wording of this. This description here from our mission policy, many disciple-making Ministries are already underway in the mission field around the world. One of the main goals of these Ministries, must be the development of Nationals who will evangelize and leave the churches, but it often takes a long season of time to get to the point of turning the work over to Nationals. You have to wait until their Mentor Titus 1:5, Ence, auxiliary support is needed for these missionaries while the work. But doors, there's got to be a scaffolding supporting these missionaries in their families while they do this work in these countries missionary.

Pilot's to transfer the missionaries to different to access different Villages, medical professionals that will actually bring the villages in. Or out from the out from the bush. If you will, if you're in, Indonesian saw what I saw, if you're, if you're a medical professional, they'll come to you. And you also provide medical care for these missionaries mechanics playing mechanics car mechanics. It's you know it's this is what the Bradys are doing right now in Portugal. There's a war going on there there is an indigenous F layer to that work already. But Mark and Charlene, are there supporting those who are doing this work of training and teaching and discipling is Pioneer support. And this is where I just want to lean heavily on you with your pastor. I don't know what you're laying is, what your skillset is, but there's something on the mission field. If God's moving you in that direction, that will take a hold of your interest in your training, and your skill-set and perhaps use it in a Pioneer support capacity on the mission field. You saw that with the Hamiltons. Didn't you with a pilot? Who knew how the disciple people as well. What is the third priority Grid in? This one's very important as we swing into next weekend. It's Bible translation in our policy says that the Bible gives us a glimpse at the future and heaven. We clearly see that people from all languages are present. They sing a new song saying where they are you to take the book and to break it seals for you were slain and purchased for God with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and Nation. And our policy says clearly. However, multitude of people groups languages and dialects today, do not possess the scriptures, the ministry of Bible translation, is greatly needed in the present. Scriptures pave the way for evangelism discipleship in the planting of local churches, got to have 25. Now you're going to hit, you're going to this missionary, you're going to meet next week. If you've already read his packet, you know where I'm going with this. This guy is at the pointy. End of the spear in this. I mean, Master's Seminary has been key in training men to do this kind of translating work. As has Detroit, Seminary of Ankeny Seminary, all the good cemeteries out there, the South when they've been doing it. But this guy was handpicked, when they started their Bible translating emphasis at the Seminary, he was handpicked by the leadership of the Masters Swimming and Grace Community Church, start that out and that wasn't enough for him. So he is actually on the field doing this kind of work. And you'll find it fascinating to hear him. Talk about this, very important number for what's another priority grid. We call it creative access. This isn't unique to us, but we like to talk about the 10/40 window. You've heard of that that's been in our vernacular for a long time and missions and conservative churches. Right now I'm just going to say what's the 10/40 window? Let me let a man named Louis, Bush describe it to you, the core of the unreached people of our world lives in a rectangular shaped window. It is a belt that extends from West, Africa, across Asia, between 10 degrees, north 240 degrees, north of the equator. While this is only one third of the Earth's total land area, listen to this, almost two-thirds of the people in the world live.

These people live in 64 countries. When the 55 most events on evangelos, countries are over laid upon the countries in the 10/40 window. Witte, will you mediately see a very close fit back. 97% of the three billion people who live in the 55 most on evangelos countries, live in the 10/40 window. This constitutes the core of the challenge of reaching the unreached. So we want people that that are willing to get creative to get to, some of these countries were normally you can't get in as a mission or you're not allowed in

And so you say what, what happens then? Well, We help them gain creative access. We want to make sure they're they're trained appropriately for the task of evangelism and culture and how to move safely and cleanly in that culture as a person of like what you have to do it behind a different Pulpit like a country that wouldn't let you in as a missionary. Will let you in as a medical professional or as an engineer or as orphanage leadership or as an English teacher, or an agricultural Specialist or an athletic specialist, even in aviation specialist and I could go on and on the label tentmakers is taken from Paul's example of holding down a secular job in order to reach the people throughout the Book of Acts starting with Acts chapter 18.

Number 5 church planting. You knew this had to be in our priority grid. This is simply planting churches where it is needed with the end goal being of these Nationals that we trained under number one, taking over the leadership of these churches that we planted in their countries, in their Villages, that's pretty straightforward. The number 6, this is interesting what I got to explain it. We don't know what else to call it but this domestic specialties See what are domestic? Specialties worldwide missions, not only means across the ocean, but also in our own country, Even in our own region, we desire to support focused, gospel related efforts that are Beyond listen are beyond the scope and the personnel and the resources of our own Calvary family. And we can all have a burden for a battered woman's shelter. Where a woman is being an antigen children are being exposed to domestic abuse. We're going to provide them biblical counseling, we can do that and we're going to work with the police. We can do that. But where do they live during this time? Until we see if reconciliation is going to happen? If possible this could take months, where will they? And who will provide it? We can have a big burden for that and I do but we can't we can't open it up here unless you're ready to resign your job and come and run. But why would we not partner with? Identify some safe house is like that in our community and help support them. And volunteer there either do what we don't know what else to call, but don't mestic Specialties other examples would be a rescue mission, but I was eating one day over at Lucas for lunch. Which happens like once a week. That's my office. Annex, right if you want good eggs and I forgot who I was eating with. But I noticed the guy at the table he was older than I was. And he was reading a book or a Bible or something, just caught my eyes. So when I went to check out, you know, he the guy I was with left and then I just went over and start talking this guy. So he told me your story, what are you reading? I'm familiar with that book and and it's a guy I would say is a philanthropist Very gracious man. Soft-spoken. And he immediately got to what he was burdened about as a Christian. I believe it was regenerate and he wants to see a rescue mission right here in Ypsilanti. And I'm like, man, I'd love that, too. That's that's one of things. I miss from Virginia Beach areas in Norfolk. Union, Mission is what it was called. They preach the Evan jellicle gospel. Very clearly, they have shelters for battered women. They have a Residency program for substance abuse. They have day camps that are church. People would work at in summer, volunteer, it just created a plethora of a volunteer opportunities for gospel Ministry and service. And staffed as a church to offer the community, why would we not line up with someone like that? These are equipping Ministries that train you perhaps in biblical counseling or personal evangelism. These can be Christian camps, Christian colleges seminaries orphanages it could be curriculum development, prison ministry, special needs Ministries crisis pregnancy, centers, Etc, These are our priority grits. And like I said, once we'd identified those, we broke our whole mission family down in and and populated this chart. And, and we found that we were thin on some and pretty heavy on others and it caused us as a church missions committee to get much more intentional. We weren't just going to respond to the medi phone calls, we get from missionaries wanting to raise support. We are now the ones pursuing When we wanted to, to get a crate of access thing, then we, then I start calling some people. We start calling some people that we know can give us some recommendations. We become the pursuers when it comes to Mission and that has been fun. So that's those are our priority grits. Now, you say what what, what are the What is the criteria for CBC missionary candidates and this is coming from our committee as well. Our policy with both our disciple-making emphasis in our world missions. Priority is firmly in place. We therefore must pass each potential missionary candidate through the evaluation checklist before we would pursue investigating them for support specifically. Any missionary rcbc family would consider for support must pass. What? We just went through. We have to be able to explain where they're going to fit in what we are burdened for in World missions as a church that priority grid. And and it's not hard because that grid is what sending us out to look for people that will fit that number to their needs to be to a pretty close extent. Doctrinal agreement They should be in agreement with a theology reflected in our doctrinal statement and close to the premillennial addition of the New Hampshire confession of Faith to say, what in the world is that we're getting ready to tell you all that, when we revise our doctor in the Constitution, hang on, in saying that they're nice. with us doctrinally, that's also communicating that they don't Embrace any doctrinal positions or practices which are inconsistent in a big way with what we, we hold dear here, they need to have had appropriate training for what they want to do on the field missionary. Candidates must be appropriately trained for their focus. Even when it comes to pastoring are appalled told Titus and Titus, 19, these people that want to be or that we want to be leaders, Pastor O L in it. That's just an example he or she must also have an appropriate level of education for their focus for those who will be teaching in the on the undergraduate or graduate level of masters degree or its equivalent. Required exceptions are, of course, will be considered by the committee. We also want to see that they are active members and have been disciple than a church like ours, but they have had. We also want to consider what informal training. They've had within their Church, prepare them for Missions. We want to look at unique aspects of their particular feel that they need to be schooled in as far as culture at 8 participated in any certificate programs like biblical counseling or personal evangelism and what's their prior Ministry experience. We take all of that into consideration. We just want a good intention to go out, is what we're saying with number 3. If your needs to be, sufficient training to assure that you'll hit the ground and an end, you still going to learn a lot on the ground, but you're going in with the level of training number for ministerial, ordination this of course applies to the, to the man who will serve as a pastor or church plan around the field, we would want him to be ordained out of his local church to do that. It's submitting himself to the rigors of a doctrinal philosophical and methodological examination by the church, that knows him. Best number 5 by need to be under a mission board. No Lone Ranger's and all CBC missionaries will serve under a board for accountability. And the support that they give to the church. The board itself is going to need to be scrutinized as far as their Doctrine and their philosophy of ministry, how they handle finances etcetera. One more. Are there needs to be personal Integrity of course that goes without saying but we want to say it the missionary must be a man or woman above reproach and all ethical Financial moral and ministerial matters. Any failures in their past will have been biblically dealt with so that's what we look for in a missionary that we pursue based on our strategy are our priorities No, let's say we find a candidate like that, bring that candidate to the church. And the church chooses to put them into the missionary family and we're excited. We vetted him as best as we could, we prayed with them and we continue to get to know them. Well, but if what, if there's a change in one of those Down the road. In such case, CBC reserves the right to re-evaluate. And if need be either suspend or sees missionary support upon the recommendation of missions committee pastors and deacons and the final congregation, or the final decision will be made by the congregation. I mean, you're in, but there's an accountability now to us. So, what's the candidate process? You need to know this going into next Sunday because we believe we found a family that fits all of that and a wonderful and gracious way. What's the process look like several steps? First of all, the info usually comes to pastors through the mail, or through phone calls, or the pastures are the ones that initiate helped initiate contacts. For example, I think we got five or six potential candidates for the current, Bible translators, and I just handed him to Andy and Erin to take the mission to the farm out to the missionary committee and they did the work they did the research. I'm I attend those meetings on ex-officio, Matt up member of the missions committee but I'm a non-voting member of the missions. Committee is doing a tremendous job, so we get information and then we go to step two. If we if we like what we see we might make a recommendation. And then there are some names that we don't pass on to the missions committee, especially stuff that comes in the mail and I might because of a, a doctrinal position. We don't share with them a significant one or or philosophical thing. What step 3 the missions committee will periodically meet is a body to evaluate candidate information. Received these evaluations are done according to the priorities and criteria set forth in our philosophy number for the missions committee agrees to the candidate. Requires a majority vote. They will contact a candidate to set up an interview usually that's in person or through Zoom. Upon a satisfactory interview. The missions committee May invite the candidate to present their work to the CBC family. Vehicles will be informed of this decision as well. That's where we stand right now or that invitation has gone out to the trioxide, it was a hundred percent way more than just a majority, see what happens. Then, next Sunday, that's what happens. The candidate presents his or her work at the CBC family, the missions, committee will be responsible for the housing and meals for the visit. They also provide the candidate with a copy of this packet. He's read through this packet and is very appreciative of the thought. A lot of, I guess a lot of churches don't do this. I'm hearing that an errand you, and I've heard this and talking with other missionaries in the committee or they had that the missionary has visited the committee and churches, don't have a plan. And there's been much appreciation stressed to the Calvary Baptist Church missions committee.

So he's coming, they're coming next week so then what are number six, the missions committee to the deacons what happens here. If the interview that's happening next Sunday, with you as a church, family in the missions, committee is meeting with the tracks as well. Next week, if the interview is satisfactory, the missions committee will make a recommendation to the deacons to support this candidate and that that now can't happen until after next Sunday. Evening service, you're going to have Sunday morning and Sunday night to evaluate the Triax, Aaron Triax going to preach the morning message and Exposition to see how careful he is with the text. And then the evening, he wants his whole family up here and they're going to share their their Ministry, just want you to get to know his daughters and his wife, and I know, be some Q&A time and just an explanation of what's involved in Bible translation. So give me a real exciting night. If that goes, well, the missions committee will make a recommendation to the deacons to support this. Other than missionary missions committee supports it. And then number seven deacons won't come to the congregation and make a recommendation to the congregation at it at a, at a called business meeting. I have to be a two-week advance notice to this, you know, from this tonight that there's potential of, of a of a upcoming business meeting after morning service and then it's up to the congregation. You make the final decision, is that all our work by that point, you'll vote. According to the CBC Constitution, which requires a majority vote at the V positive. I will communicate that to the box, so that's the process and you can see where are blue. Is, it's hovering over there. Number five, is we come into next week, we've gone above and beyond with policy requires are putting together an information packet for you, including his doctrinal statement. And you guys are taking it was someone's taking those, reading them cuz we had to restock it twice though. Couple more Observations here. Just so you know where we are.

little little side note here and I might come back to this in a moment as well whenever a CBC missionary changes feel Or a mission board after they're already one of our missionaries, if they change their field or their mission board, their new work must be in line with our priority. Cuz that's the contractual relationship. We entered with with them is that they said they were going to be doing this kind of work in this particular country and that's what we prayed about. So their new Mission board in a new Mission field. Must still fit the missions policy. They must submit such information to the pastors and missions committee for evaluation missions. Committee will make a recommendation to the deacons who in turn will keep the congregation informed as well. We were doing that currently with one of our missionaries there is a change in field. We've given him a two-year window to get acclimated to their new ministry and their new field. But they know in two years were going to come and ask for an accounting of how that's gone and is it still in line philosophically with the with what they intended it to be in what we were? We were led to believe, so as far as missionary retirement, this is a sensitive issue. I just want to be careful that we communicate this we have before to you, but as I said, it's been several years. CBC missionaries will be strongly encouraged from the time of this policy. This isn't mean, we're going back and doing this with all the previous missionaries, unless it's possible, but the ones that we take on our watch were communicating this to them. CPC Minish, missionaries will be strongly encouraged to participate in a systematic. Retirement Savings Program made available through their mission board.

Communicating with new missionaries. We've taken on now, on our watch that, the plan will not be for our church to continue to support them upon retirement and several decades. So we're being clear and communicating that and we're not the only church that's, that's doing that now, because there's been a long layer of missionaries who didn't make Provisions for retirement and, and it's just difficult to drop them when they retire and it come off the field because we love them for decades. And and and actually there's been one missionary that we thought we were going to drop their support and we found out it was some needs in the last month-and-a-half and Andy and Erin are like, let's just let's just tap the brakes here. They took a vote with the missions committee. I'll just this weekend to read discuss that in October. Just to be careful cuz I don't want to slam anyone to the ground. It's an older generation. We want to be careful but from here on out we're saying you need to show due diligence to provide for yourself in retirement.

Weather church is doing what we're doing or not most churches, drop missionaries just like that. When they retire, I just dropped some of continued support for maybe 30%, maybe 20%, Which is an awful that's better than than going. Not going down to zero. When you're the one receiving the funds but there's a lot of missionaries at didn't make Provisions for the retirement for decades, and then they find themselves for whatever reason back home and their stream of Revenue is gone. And it's just so we want to help those miss the future generation of missionaries are going out now. So when it in a couple decades, when they come home, they have made Provisions in the mission board. It's not just us to the mission boards are being much more diligent about this as well, what are missionary support goals. There's a couple words that I want to highlight on this. Okay? And then Sherry support goals. We have three categories, those that are sent from inside CBC, they're coming out there. One of us their members here they're being disciple here. And they have to have been a member for no less than 24 months. What's our support level goal or support? Level goal is at least $300 a month? No, please hear me.

Don't read that. Don't hear that. This could be $1,000 a month. If it's up to the congregation, it's up to you. But we don't want to go anything less than 300 for someone coming out of our midst. There's an argument and I think there's a lot of value to it of going heavy as heavy as we possibly can and break out in a sweat. For some of the guy called out of arm it where they're sending church and we'd like for them to spend most of their time here when they're back States. So our first priority in missions will be Those whom the Holy Spirit calls out from arm. It just like Antioch and Acts chapter 13. Then there's a category from outside, CBC. Okay. This is what's happening next Sunday. The shrikes are from John, MacArthur's Church, Grace Community Church, that's who they're sending church was. I don't think they still 10 there. I, I don't I don't recall that detail Aaron Aaron. Do you recall that, but that's her sending church so that, you know, Grace Community is going to come and have you with their support. But here's here's what we're facing next week cuz they're not from our church, we're not sending them out. Our recommendation is at least $150 a month. Please remember, how to read that? That's not. They will get $150 a month. Oh, that's the lowest start our missions committee conscience. Can go, we can go as high as we want as a congregation, okay? If you want to do $600 money gift to them, when we have money to give right now in our missions program. But we are eager to assist rcbc missionaries by reducing the number of churches, I need to visit for support if that's the case, then we want to take them. Take them on high know if we had to line up. Someone's going out for Miss at the same time as someone coming in seeking support from another church were going to go have your here obviously. And and so, please see that, this is a starting point, not the ending point, then there's a third category that's kind of unique. It's from missionary units called families or individuals and it's organizations weather for North domestic. We desire to join together with other churches to support important. Specialized Ministry organization like orphanage, it's like biblical Counseling Center has like cemeteries or Bible colleges or camps or whatever and our goal for that is at least $100 a month. We don't go with heavy there, as we do with individuals, that's just more of a toke, not a token support, but we're on board with you. We believe in you, and we want to get behind you kind of thing. But those organizations are not carrying the weight. At the level of an individual family unit, that needs to survive, financially overseas, or hear domestically. Those are starting goals. But please understand, those numbers can go much, much higher. We're almost finished here and then we'll will close a prayer. But let me just remind you that according to our policy, there are some contingencies regarding our support. The following are specific matters, that may impact the continued contractual support from rcbc family. The pastor's missions committee and deacons will evaluate each situation on an individual basis and make appropriate recommendations to you. The congregation, what are some of these issues as well as I've already mentioned. These first, two is a field change or board change, would that opens to book again? Are they still in line with us and still? Are we behind them and this board? And what's the nature of this board that kind of listed the third thing? It could be that they don't change the boards, but the board, they're under Has a Field logical shift. And what would we do? Then what we would have to re-evaluate that. Can we support that board that mission board if they take a doctrinal shift, we've had to look into something once at least since I've been here, and that's woke. Actually with a mission board and we had to do some homework on that. I mean, we missions committee is looking into this kind of thing with existing boards or if they go to a different board, we have to study that newborn another thing that opens the books up for renegotiation is retirement. And have they made Provisions for that. What's their plan in retirement? Like you try to tell me that dr.bob Cropsey is retired. Go ahead. Try to convince me. That he's retired. According on paper. He's retired. But east. like a bandit and he still doing surgeries over seats and and it is, I don't have to talk you into that, but there are others that going to retirement and Turn off the screen, okay? And I'm not saying it's bad, I mean, some people because of health or age, they have to, but we, we need to lean into that. Okay? Incapacitation