Party to celebrate missions at Lynwood Baptist Church

Lynwood Baptist Church will have an international flair this weekend as it celebrates mission work around the globe and at home.

The "Lynwood on Mission" event is the culmination of a 20-month program that began in December 2002 when the church unveiled its vision for mission outreach.

Since then the church has sent its members on mission trips to Miami; Jefferson City, Tenn., for work with Appalachian Outreach; Malawi, Africa; and Brazil. The church also supports local mission efforts through its volunteers for Meals on Wheels, care packages to school teachers of special needs students and Sports Crusaders summer camps for children.

But a major component of the church's mission vision was to bring missionaries to Cape Girardeau for a weekend so that members could hear more about their work.

"We wanted to help our people give a face to missions," said Mark Strickland, who serves as the church's missions director.

The church has several partnerships with missionaries in the United States and abroad, and has helped start a church in Miami, said the Rev. Dr. Derek Staples, pastor.

The church will continue to seek new partnerships as it plans for mission work in the future, he said. "I like those type of partnerships where there is relationship," Staples said. "Then you can really see the tangible fruits of your labor."

The church partners with a congregation in Miami and has sent teams of college students there on mission and has sent teams to Malawi, Africa, where former church members are serving.

And hearing about multiple mission efforts from both full-time missionaries and volunteers shows that "you don't have to be super-human" to get involved, Strickland said.

Fifty missionaries will be visiting the church this weekend, including a drama troupe from Hannibal-La Grange College and a popular Hispanic Christian music group.

But just hearing from missionaries isn't enough; the church is planning an outreach event with the Iglesia Comunidad Bautista de Cape Girardeau congregation on Saturday afternoon.

The "Para ti" Hispanic block party is a free event from 3 to 8 p.m. at Arena Park and features food, games for children and a concert with the Cuban trio Blest. Missionary Claudio Valencia of Operation Go! in Mexico will speak during the party.

On Sunday, the church will hold only one Sunday school hour, in which missionaries will visit every classroom, and one worship service. The 10:30 a.m. service will feature a sermon from Tim McClard, a former youth and music minister at Lynwood who has been serving for 10 years as an international missionary. A picnic is planned after the service and a concert with Blest will be at 1:30 p.m.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126