The way airlines charge for extra weight these days, there is a fifty pound limit, so you have to pack wisely. That means all clothes, toiletries, snacks, mosquito netting, and bedding for the whole trip has to fit in that one suitcase. So far, she is five for five! When each student has arrived at the airport, their bags have all been less than fifty pounds.

It is amazing to me to watch these high schoolers boldly going to other continents to serve Jesus and tell others about what He has done for them. When I was their age, I was playing baseball, going to the beach, and working in the tobacco field all summer. Maybe the opportunities were there to go, but I don’t believe that I would ever have dreamed of leaving home to serve as a missionary. Frankly, I was scared that Jesus MIGHT call me to go and I really didn’t want to. These young people will all tell you they believe they were called to go!

God seems to be developing a culture of going here at Covenant these days. It is no longer enough to support missions; now the Holy Spirit is calling us to go out into the entire world.

We’ve had over 30 people go to the Dominican Republic this summer, and we’ve got another large group going in August. We sent people from Covenant to Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, and other parts of North America this year, plus there are hundreds of people now serving at what has become known as the Redemption Zone in West Greenville.

Personally, I am excited about this new “Culture of Go.” I believe we are becoming the kind of church Jesus can really be proud of as we mirror His commission in the Book of Acts:

Acts 1:8 (NLT) “But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

How about you? Will you be the next to GO?

I wonder, if you have been going recently, would you offer some encouragement to others who are thinking about it? Leave your comments below.

See you this weekend.
Branson

Did you miss one of the flights? Please stand by for rebooking instructions!

To recap: CovenantAIR took off at each of the three weekend services and landed in a 40-acre neighborhood in West Greenville. In so doing, we got a close-up look at our emerging ministry to our Greenville neighbors just 3.5 miles from our Main Campus. Walter Strathy, Director of Outreach, shared about the lives that have been changed as a result—both ours and the neighbors we have been meeting. Valerie’s testimony combined with video clips from inner city missionaries was also a powerful witness to what happens when we live out Jesus’ call to care (Matthew 25).

On Saturday night, more than 700 of you came out for a special event we called Family Fiesta including 1200 tacos, several piñatas, a Caribbean band and mission-focused crafts. What a great way to celebrate in the DR!

With this first story told, a video helped us imagine another flight to the Dominican Republic and to our South Campus in La Romana. We sang some worship songs, learned more about this great country and saw a montage of ministry pictures from past Covenant trips. What a joy it was for all of us to see and hear Mark Lykins share stories about his ministry’s progress in meeting the physical needs and taking the Gospel to a Dominican neighborhood as well as to a handful of Haitian batays. As expected, Mark powerfully challenged each of us to consider how we might “Go” into Christ’s world and make disciples.

Our regular worship times ended in the DR, and folks were invited to come back Sunday night for the “return flight” back to Greenville and Covenant’s 40-acre campus. It proved to be a great night of worship along with a word from Branson. He laid out a very clear, three-step challenge if we are to join God’s mission to our neighbors both near and far. Lots of folks were present Sunday night, but some were not and didn’t hear his timely message.

Obviously, it was a unique and purposeful weekend: to clarify for our church community why we exist and where we are going.

If you missed all or a portion of the weekend, you can still catch the flights on our special travel site, connect2covenant.com/air. If you flew with us on Saturday night or Sunday morning, but you missed Sunday evening, we’re sorry you’re still stuck in the DR. Your return flight is waiting for you, which includes the special flight plans Branson delivered for our own hub called Covenant Church. If you missed the whole weekend, plan to book a getaway soon, and spend some time traveling with us, discovering where God is summoning Covenant to “go” on His behalf.

Please take the time to catch these video flights on connect2covenant.com/air if you missed them live. In so doing, you will fully understand Covenant’s mission and vision. What an honor it is to serve a congregation that takes Jesus’ words seriously and seeks to follow them intentionally!

I hope you will join me in worship this weekend as Branson begins a new series titled, PREPARE: Getting Ready for Easter. And, together, let’s continue to learn what it means to be “All In.”

Only Through Grace,
Charlie