Over the next four weeks we will be focusing on our mission values here at Timothy.  We have brought this down to two words - "Neighborhood" and "Nations."  These two words set Timothy’s ministry out in a unique way from other congregations.  We are a neighborhood church.  65% of our worshipping congregation live within 2 miles of Timothy and 50% within about 10 blocks. The ministries we do, and do well, are very neighborhood oriented.  From Word of Life to Lindenwood Area Senior Ministry, our Food Pantry and our upcoming Christmas Market are all about serving our neighborhood.  But not only do we care about this neighborhood - our ministry is to encourage you to be caring for your own neighborhood - that you are equipped and built up to bring the Love of Christ  and his transforming power to your neighborhood.

And Nations - we are a church that will always keep front and center that the people of God are from all nations and that we are missionaries to all nations and people from all nations are bringing the Gospel to us.  This is really brought strongly into our ethos from our missionary Pastor Rall and his strong welcome of all peoples and inclusion of all nations into a vital part of ministry here and a voice.  We will continue in this and find new ways to live out this truth - from raising up missionaries here, supporting the work of missionaries abroad, and welcoming the nations as God brings them to St. Louis.

So over the next 4 weeks we will look at some of the ways this is lived out here and the foundations for this to gird all that we do.  Today we will reflect on this grounding as God’s Word - that which gives life - and wisdom and wholeness to find life in God - to give life to all that we set out to do.

Then we will think about how God has planted us where we are - in our neighborhoods, brought nations to us, that it is in this place that God calls us to be in his work, living out his Word, as strangers here, all of us, as God’s people are aliens in a foreign land.

Then we will think of how God has put us into families - families of all kinds - mom, dad, kids, or grandma and grandkids, aunts and uncles, step dads, foster moms, sisters, friends, singleness, childless - all of these families that God has given to us.

And lastly, we will spend time reflecting on the Nations, how the Gospel calls us to live in a world that is fractured by nations, races, so many things that are dividing walls to separate us - But that the gospel is that which breaks those things down and is making us one people - not the same people - but a united people - one family - his children.  And this only comes as we listen to him - live for him, love like him - so that we might lead others to listen to him.