CAPA Corner: Go Into All the World

    The headlines of national news outlets last week featured the story of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin cited the need to protect ethnic Russians living in Crimea from the ouster of their duly elected President, Victor Yanukovych, as the reason for the invasion. Yanukovych was under pressure from the pro-democracy reform-minded population of  Ukraine. The crisis continues to escalate.
    We are inundated daily with news from foreign lands that is not good. North Korea, Syria, Iraq and, of course, Afghanistan are the most common news makers but these are but a few of the countries of the world where there is civil unrest or outright military conflict. I recently looked at a world map depicting ongoing armed conflicts and was surprised to see that every continent was represented except two, Australia and Antarctica. 
    What is even more alarming for Christians is the fact that most of the conflicts are occurring in what misiologists (those who study of the mission of the church as it relates to world missions) call the 10-40 window. The 10-40 window is a term which represents land masses that are situated between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude. The countries that fall between these boundaries and those close to it, also represent the least evangelized and the most poverty stricken people of the world.  As you perhaps already know there are many missionary organizations targeting these areas to introduce or reintroduce the gospel to the people living in these regions.
    As you contemplate these things it is easy to come to the conclusion that the church needs to pray earnestly for those who are carrying on the mission of the church in these and other lands. Secondly, we may also consider being an active participant in the mission of the church by giving our finances to support those missionaries or by signing up for a short term mission trip. Who the church is and what the mission of the church is will comes alive as we do these things. 
Blessings to you,
Pastor Bill Parsons
Central Worship Center