Thanks-Giving — Your Generosity At Work Locally

Thanksgiving is a wonderful season in which to focus on our gratefulness. The Psalmist wrote, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, his love endures forever.” ~ Psalm 107:1 AMEN!

As Sharon and I give thanks and count our blessings, your partnership in the Gospel, praying for and helping us live out our calling as local missionaries and good neighbors is so appreciated!

So what exactly do you all do? Can you be a missionary without traveling to some far away place? We occasionally get this question and are always glad to share what the work of a local missionary looks like.

Take for instance this past week, it was a full and rich one for sure, and would be representative of a typical week in the life of a Community Pastor, Neighborhood Advocate or Local Missionary — take your pick of the business card! 🙂

This is the “Top Ten List”, ways we joined God in His work for which we give thanks!

Worshiping and preaching at Rock City Fellowship in Midlothian, TX was lots of fun on Sunday! As part of seeing God’s Kingdom expand via missional church planting and missional communities I serve on the advisory team for RCF and for my friend Jason May who is the church planter. We too coach missional communities in Lewisville, McKinney, Oak Cliff, DeSoto, and Valley Ranch.

Providing companionship and spiritual nourishment via our ministry Loving Legacy, on Wednesday it was my turn to lead our weekly church service for the residents and staff at the Arbor House House Memory Care Center in our neighborhood.

Building relationships and caring for the least, the lost, and the lonely of our community, on Saturday and Sunday we hosted two missionary groups from Valley Ranch Baptist and Vista Ridge United Methodist at The Budget Suites of America in Lewisville, the largest in the state! We prayed, fed, smiled, loved on, and overall encouraged these economic refugees of our community.

Mentoring kids is a HUGE investment of our time weekly and on Wednesdays we have a dozen men who mentor at Creekside Elementary for our Boys2Men initiative with 4th & 5th grade boys. Additionally on Friday morning I was with our Grateful Dads helping high schoolers get their day started with a smile and a piece of candy at the Lewisville High School campus(s).

Helping kids imagine is our mantra for our Loving Reading initiative at Rockbrook Elementary School on Mondays and Wednesdays where I am blessed to coach 25 high school mentors who come from Lewisville High School and read to 1st and 2nd graders for 40 minutes.

Equipping and training community leaders is part of my role as the the Chairperson for Leadership Lewisville, a leadership mentoring program of the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce. On Tuesday we were together for our once a month all day training. Our topic was non-profits/charities/civic clubs and we learned how to give back to the community and volunteered at our partner CCA.

Training men and women to live as missionaries where their already doing life is the mission of Forge Dallas which I help lead. This week we spent time putting the final touches on our upcoming 2018 Missionary Residency for a dozen local missionaries from communities all over the metroplex.

Connecting with those not in anyone’s church is the goal of Loving Celebrations our ministry to couples seeking premarital counseling and wedding officiant services. One of the most fun things I do, and also spiritually fruitful! I officiated at three weddings over the weekend with one couple sharing with me their desire and steps to begin following Jesus!

Ministering to those who grieve is the community pastoral role we provide via our initiative Loving Memories where we say, “every life tells a story”. Local funeral homes call on us to work with families with no church involvement and this week I began working with a family for a funeral at DFW National Cemetery this next week.

AND FINALLY…

Celebrating all God is doing is the idea behind our monthly Good Neighbor Award which this month’s recipients were Jerry & Wendy Marshall. Believing and practicing the prophet Jeremiah’s words, “seek the good of the city”, and coupling that with the model given by Jesus to be “good neighbors” we are blessed to be part of seeing “God’s kingdom come and His will being done” in our community as we believe it is in heaven!

AND so in this season of THANKS, may you be blessed and “Taste and see how good the Lord is! The one who takes refuge in him is truly happy!” ~ Psalm 34:8

Happy Thanksgiving,

Jim & Sharon Mustain

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