Sunday August 1

Grace Community Church, Chico CA

Guest Speaker David Pardini - Missionary to Hong Kong 30 years

Acts 1:6-8 Obeying the Last Words of Jesus Hong Kong Style

-The Great Commission of Jesus is still being fulfilled.

-Most evangelism now is reaching the cities, all over the world people are moving to the cities.

-A man's life does not consist of the things he possesses but in knowing God.

" You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth"Acts 1:8b

Association of Baptists for World Evangelism

-84 countries

-Start Churches

-Establish mission sending movements

1982 - 2010

-32 churches now self supporting and sending missionaries out

-8 million people in Hong Kong 400,000 bible believing Christians, about 5%

-The Story of Hope, www.goodsoil.com. A publication of 20 Old Testament and 20 New

Testament stories aimed at teaching the bible to those who have never heard it before.

-Training God's servants to shepherd God's flock.

-Beijing

-Shanghai

-Hangzhou

-Guanzhou

-Harmony Baptist Church

-50 to 60 people each week

-5 to 6 different ethnic groups

-Missions is no longer the sole effort of North America

-South Korea 12,000 workers sent out

-China now sending out mission workers

David used the story of the 5 loaves and 3 fish that Jesus used to feed the 5,000. This floored me because God has revealed this message to me on several occasions when I was feeling overwhelmed by the task of raising funds. The fact that Jesus used something they already had to solve the problem means that He can use what we already bring to make much of Him!

I love Grace Community Church. Whenever I visit Chico i love to go with my mom. They truly are a community church, loving the people around them and showing God's heart for the lost. Their involvement in Love Chico, an initiative to bring local churches together to serve the needs of the city is an awesome effort to show God's love and community to that area. It is indeed the very picture of the Church I'm sure Jesus meant us to be. Visit www.lovechico.org for information.