All Things to All People
“… I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” – Apostle Paul
Our church joined many other local churches in Queens to lament and mourn over all that’s happening in our city and our nation. We stood outside of Queens Borough Hall and cried out to God for justice, peace, and reconciliation in our land. Right after, we wiped our tears, put away our posters, and then went on to deliver pizza to two of our local police precincts.
Since the coronavirus pandemic broke out, we have been serving meals at our local hospital and local police precincts each week. On this Saturday, we asked the commanding officer if we could pray for them. They were more than eager for us to pray. We huddled together, lifted up our voices to God and prayed for our NYPD officers and their families.
The gospel of Jesus Christ not only moves us to mourn and grieve over injustice; it also moves us to pray and act towards justice. In a recent newsletter the Advance Initiative stated, “The gospel has the greatest power for peace. It can break the heart of the racist and give courage to the cowardly and complicit. It moves us to come alongside the oppressed for Christ came alongside us.”
The Church of King Jesus Christ is not called to take sides in political partisanship. Our total allegiance is to our only King and Savior and to his eternal kingdom. We are called to be a prophetic voice in this present crisis. Indeed, we are called to be truth-tellers to both sides of the camp.
As a local church we want our prayers to drive us toward acts of mercy. We are investing in community development to lift the cause of the immigrants and minorities in our local neighborhood by helping people find employment.
Through our relationship with our local police precinct, we were made aware of a young police officer who just had their first baby last month. Due to some complications, their precious baby had to undergo a heart surgery. We came alongside and helped them raise funds to cover their expenses.
We become all things to all people with one compelling ambition – that they would hear the gospel and experience the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
– A Global Gates Missionary in Queens, New York
