Back-to-school day has arrived! It marks a fresh start for all the kids, teachers, and parents. It’s a new year and a new opportunity to start over – making new friends, working towards better grades, or trying to learn a new hobby. Everyone feels hopeful and optimistic about the months to come. Most of us welcome an opportunity to make a fresh start.
Jesus was the author of Fresh Starts. In Mark 5 a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years touched Jesus’ cloak, having faith that He could heal her. “Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” (Mark 5:29) When Jesus discovered what the woman had done, he responded with compassion saying, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:34). Jesus gave her a fresh start. He not only freed her from the ongoing bleeding but also from the accompanying exclusion that occurred because she was deemed “unclean” according to Jewish law. Jesus made her clean, and that gave her a fresh start. A fresh start means a new life and new opportunities to honor God with our lives. We all need fresh starts.
Here at Compass Ministries we also believe in fresh starts. A fresh start is like going back to school for missionaries. Both for us and for those we serve. This time of year marks the beginning of fresh starts as we take on new ventures: new interns, new volunteers, and new residents in our Women’s Ruth House. This is a time of beginnings! If you want to get involved in Compass Ministries, now is the time. If you want to be a general volunteer, please contact vivian@compass-ministries.org. If you want to be a part of the Care Team as a Coach or Counselor please contact amanda@compass-ministries.org. We provide training for our Coaches and ongoing support for both Coaches and Counselors.
We also hope to be a place where missionaries and their families can make a fresh start. We offer hope and support for those who are serving cross-culturally but may be feeling discouraged, ashamed, and hopeless. We are a safe place where these Christian workers can be honest about their struggles, and their failures. We keep their problems confidential and help them discover ways that they can grow personally and in their faith. We can also connect them to resources to help them on this new journey.
Already in 2024, Compass Ministries has served 107 missionary families with Counseling and Coaching support. We are on track to bypass last year’s numbers by far. We are enthused by the opportunity to support those who are taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We are renewing our commitment to the well-being of missionaries and their families. Compass Ministries seeks to strengthen global workers and their families by offering a variety of services including counseling and coaching, community groups, online groups, and community social events. We also work alongside other organizations to host camps and retreats for young people.
If you are a missionary who needs help making a fresh start, contact Compass Ministries. If you are someone who loves missionaries and you want to make a fresh start as a volunteer, contact Compass Ministries. Jesus also says to us “Go in peace and be freed…” Enjoy the fresh start that Jesus offers.
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