Submitted by: Raymond Brown

The Mission’s report for 2019-2020 follows along the strategies developed during the summer of 2019. Our efforts focused on three areas:

1. Building Our Passion for God’s World (John 3:16, Acts 1:8)

Last year, Ryan Desmarais joined the mission team of Ray and Brenda Brown and Lucy Strawbridge. Each team member has been assigned 1-2 missionaries to pray for. The team’s focus has been on increasing the congregation’s involvement in missions. This will be accomplished in part, by providing monthly missionary updates (“Mission Nuggets”), awareness of service opportunities (for example, serving meals at the Southern New Hampshire Rescue Mission) and finding new ways for other ministries at Bedford Road to provide ancillary mission support.

2. Partnering Alongside our Missionaries (Acts 13:2-3)

Last summer, a mission’s policy was created to better define the roles and expectations of Bedford Road’s mission team, missionaries and their supporting agencies. The mission policy was approved by the congregation at the semi-annual business meeting held November 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the activities of our local and international missionaries. Most notably, social distancing protocols have cause those serving internationally to communicate remotely to their congregations and workers. Those serving in our local ministries have prohibited from interacting with those they serve to reduce the spread of the virus. In spite of these temporary barriers, prayer remains the key means of spreading the gospel.

The proposed mission budget for 2020-2021 reflects a 6.8% increase from last year and is summarized below:

1. An 11% increase to these international ministries:

• • • Jason & Mandy Post, World Venture, Ireland, Church Planters
    • Greg & Asa Swenson, World Venture, Japan, Church Planters
    • Birch & Connie Champeon, Unfolding Word, Maine, USA, Bible Translators
    • Level funding from last year remains in place for Ralph & Sandra Thompson (World Venture, Massachusetts, USA) as they work with World Venture to better define their new ministry’s stateside and international objectives.

2. The cessation of support for Nathan & Marllory Arce (BIMI, Venezuela, Church Planters) was based on an assessment that their congregation and ministry had expanded to the point where our support could be reallocated. This decision was made at our semi-annual meeting.
3. A recommendation will be placed before the congregation to support Michael Knight for $1,000 annually (SIM, Namibia, Youth Worker Training at Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary).
4. A 33% increase to our Local Outreach at Southern New Hampshire Rescue Mission (Eric Wittenberg) in anticipation of doubling our commitment there from one to two meals per month.
5. Doubling our funding of Angel Tree/Prison ministry due to increased need – Sandy Missula, Betty Barry.
6. A 12.5% increase in support to the Community Chaplin Services to help offset a large support shortfall– Bill Paige.
7. No change to Operation Christmas Child funding.

You can find all these changes listed in the budget on the financial summary tab.

3. Realizing Our Own Roles in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20, Psalm 96:1-3).

Our objective is to stimulate ways where we can each play a part in the Great Commission through prayer and service in our own communities.