Greetings Glen Mar,

This coming week, more than 70 people from Glen Mar will head to Carolina Rebuilding Ministries (CRM) for our annual summer mission trip. This Sunday, we will commission them during our 9:30 am worship service. It is one of the many reminders of how grateful I am to be part of a church that takes our call to serve the world seriously.

As I think about our team preparing to head south, I can’t help but think about this Sunday’s scripture from Acts 13:1-4. There, the church in Antioch gathers in prayer and worship before sending Paul and Barnabas out on mission. It is a simple but powerful reminder that the Christian life has always involved both calling and sending.

Of course, this wasn’t the first time God’s people were sent. Jesus sent the Twelve. He sent the Seventy-Two. He commissioned his disciples again after the resurrection. Even before that, throughout the Old Testament, God called people like Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah to step out in faith and follow where God was leading.

This is a pattern that is hard to miss: God calls, sends, and people respond.

The same is true today.

While our team is large, most of us won’t be traveling to North Carolina this week. We also may not be headed to Baltimore or serving on a mission trip with Steps of Hope anytime soon. But every one of us is being sent somewhere. Your mission field may be your workplace, your neighborhood, your family, your school, or somewhere else entirely. Following Jesus means learning to trust God enough to go where God leads.

So, this week, I invite you to consider a few questions:

• Where might God be calling you to step out in faith?
• How might you listen more carefully for God’s voice?
• Who are the people helping you discern God’s direction and encouraging you along the way?

While you’re reflecting on those questions, please keep our CRM team in your prayers. Pray for safe travels, meaningful relationships, and opportunities to share Christ’s love through both word and action. Pray for the people we will serve, and pray that God will use this week to change us as much as it blesses them.

And yes, if you’ve heard stories from previous trips, you can also pray that we avoid any unexpected encounters with turkeys this year. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, ask D.C. when we get back.

Have a blessed week!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Chris