At home and abroad

How short-term missions is making a difference at Fordwich BIC
by Lisa Brown

Wayne Topping, pastor of Fordwich (ON) BIC Church, says it has been his hope and prayer for some time now that more of his church people would become involved in short-term missions. His prayer has been answered.

“It's a delight seeing it happen,” Wayne reports. “I believe that our lives will be enriched through the experience and we will see the needs of the world with a new set of eyes. I pray that it will be as God sees it.”

Promoting missions trips is something Wayne sees as important; every other week, the church inserts a BIC Missions Update flyer into the bulletin and updates a display board.

A few years ago, Wayne shared his dream of having at least two people go yearly on short-term mission trips from his congregation and he’s very pleased with the response. Having been on several short-term mission trips himself, Wayne knows the importance of sharing the experience with others, so trip participants are encouraged to share their story and pictures during the Sunday morning service.

“We hear news from missionaries verbally as often as we can,” says Wayne. “Whenever BIC missionaries come home and are in the area, we have them come to Fordwich.”

Wayne believes that going on a missions trip is a great way to avoid becoming too inwardly focused. He acknowledges that “we always need to see ourselves in the context of the bigger picture of what God is doing throughout the world.”

He says it’s also exciting to see those that go displaying a servant-spirit within the life of the congregation upon their return—no doubt a result of their mission experience.
Wayne believes that short-term mission trips create a keener awareness for some of the BIC missionaries serving throughout the world. “Their needs, their ministry and their challenges are focused on,” he states. In addition to serving, some in Wayne’s congregation have “adopted” missionary families by supporting them through prayer, correspondence, and personal giving.

“What’s most important,” says Wayne, “is recognizing that we can serve God anywhere—at home and abroad.”