Dear church family and friends—
Welcome to the missions site for Westside Baptist. We believe our mandate as believers is to "bring the hope of Christ to all people." Our prayer is that everyone in our church will be engaged in missions in some way. Whether it be going, praying, giving or serving, there is much to be done. The Great Commission tells us in Acts 1:8, "And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria and to the ends of the Earth." Our Jerusalem is right here in Gainesville. Westside is involved in local ministries such as the Women's Resource Center and Gainesville Community Ministries. We have a partnership with Harvest Ministries in east Gainesville which is a church plant from Westside.
Our Judea is the state of Florida. We are strategic across Florida with our involvment with the Florida Baptist College and the Shining LIght Church in Miami.. Our Samaria is North America which includes a partnership with the Canadian Baptist Seminary. We do go to places that seem like the ends of the earth. From remote villages in Africa to hard to reach mountain communities high in the Andes, all are places that need the hope only Christ can give. Westside sends out every year teams to more than a dozen countries around the world. We meet the physical needs of the people through medical and dental clinics which becomes a platform to meet their true needs--that being Christ in their lives. Other teams may use construction projects or children's ministry while yet other teams may be planting churches. No matter what the activities are for the team while in the field, our foremost goal is to spread the Gospel and train others to do the same. In doing this, we act in the faith that He will bless the seeds of nurturing that we endeavor to plant. In sending his son, God served as the ultimate example of sacrificial giving in order to share His message with others.
There are many ways for you to be a part of mission work through Westside. Right here in Gainesville, church members and local volunteers work each week to support our new church-planting efforts on the eastside of town, with Harvest Ministries. As you learn more about what outreach and missions is, you may find yourself interested in joining a domestic outreach team to visit communities including Miami, Florida where we are helping to start a new church. Or, if overseas travel and adventure appeals more to you, we are involved in short-term projects in countries including Brazil, Russia, Africa and Peru. If you have any interest in being obedient to God's command, we can help you find just the right 'spot' to serve.
How, then, can they call on the name they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written,
"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:14-15)
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Also, continuing to strengthen our outreach work and to begin new partnerships, are among our top goals for our church family in 2008-2009. As we envision how we and our network of partners and friends can magnify God's work, we invite you to join us. Missions outreach can put you close to the heart of God. It's also an exciting and significant way to share yourself with others whom you otherwise might never meet or befriend. I invite you to explore how you can awaken yourself to God's presence in your life, by considering going on a outreach trip, giving to make missions possible, or by praying to make our global goals a reality. It is a joy to Pastor a people with such a heart for missions. With your involvement, we can become stronger yet!
Your Partner in Missions,
Pastor Gary Crawford
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