God of Wisdom, as we hear your Word in Scripture today, fill us with understanding. Inspire and strengthen us to respond as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Gospel Reading: Luke 9:1-6
For over 75 years the Presbyterian Church in Canada has designated the last Sunday in April as Mission Awareness Sunday. This day is meant to mark the work of the Church in reaching out to others through both missionary work and community service. In Living Faith, which is the book of the statements of belief of the Presbyterian Church, such missions are defined in two ways, “Mission is evangelism, the offer of salvation to all people” (Living Faith 9.1.2.), and “Mission is service, a call to help people in need and to permeate all of life with the compassion of God” (Living Faith 9.1.3).
Simply put, mission is sharing the good news of Christ’s love and forgiveness through our words and our actions. Mission is how we look at the gospel. The church is born out of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in word and in deed – it is attitude. And mission is indeed attitude, the attitude each and every one of us takes with us into our service for Christ. It is ordinary, everyday people who go about the task of being Christian in that most extraordinary way of ‘following the way of Jesus Christ.’
Mission is men and women, young and old — Christians, like you and me— sharing our story, and telling of the faith that brings meaning and purpose to our lives. Mission is the whole people of God sharing the amazing story of “God with us”. Mission is the church in action, reaching out in obedience to Jesus Christ, proclaiming for one and all to hear, “I present to you this Jesus”.
For many years, on this Sunday, the worship service was led by members of the AMS—the Atlantic Missionary Society. At that time, there were two groups connected with the church here in Thorburn: the Esther Mission Circle and the Coalburn AMS. Some of their members are still with us in worship today, while others will remember with fond appreciation the times when these groups led the service.
And while, through the changing of the times, we no longer have an AMS group here at the church, the mission of the church has not changed. The heart of our calling remains the same, we are still called to bear witness to Christ’s love, to care for our neighbours near and far, and to serve God faithfully with the gifts we have been given. The spirit of mission that once was found in the AMS continues to live on in the life of the church, whenever God’s people reach out in compassion, generosity, and hope.
And in fact, it hasn’t changed since the founding of the church. When Jesus spoke to his disciples just before his ascension to be with his Father, he said: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). Those words offer a clear pattern for the mission of the Church. Mission does not begin somewhere far away; it begins right where we are. It then widens outward, step by step, until it reaches places and people we may never see, but whom God loves just the same. So, this morning, I invite us to look at the mission of the Church in three widening circles: our local community, our surrounding area, and our nation, Canada. In doing so, we remember that mission is not something we occasionally do; it is who we are as the people of God.
Mission in Our Local Community
Our first calling is close to home. For the disciples, that place was Jerusalem. For us, it is our own neighbourhoods, workplaces, schools, and care homes. At the beginning of his ministry, just after having been tempted by the devil in the wilderness, Jesus began his ministry in the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. He read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, saying, “‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’” (Isaiah 61:1-2) And that’s what Jesus did, he healed people he could touch, spoke with people he could name, and fed the hungry.
Our mission in the local community continues in much the same way. It is lived out through simple acts of compassion that may never draw attention—through a visit, a shared meal, a listening ear, or a quiet prayer offered in a moment of need. And if you think about it, our weekly worship services and Sunday school are also part of this local mission. Each week, we open our doors as a welcoming place where people can belong, grow, and hear the Word of God. We strive to be a community marked not by judgment, but by grace, not by fear, but by hope.
We don’t serve our community because it is easy, or because people always respond with gratitude. We serve because Christ is already there—present in those who are lonely, struggling, grieving, or searching for meaning. Mission begins when we open our eyes to see our neighbours as God sees them. It is evident when we welcome newcomers, care for the lonely, support families, and creating a place where people feel known and valued. When we strengthen the life of our congregation, we are not being inward‑focused; we are preparing ourselves to be sent outward. A healthy church becomes a launching point for mission.
Mission in the Wider Local Area
And then we have our mission in the local area, where we are called to look beyond our own congregation and immediate surroundings. This is where our faith moves outward, meeting the needs of the broader community around us. It may take shape through acts of service, hospitality, and partnership with others, as we seek to be a caring and faithful presence. In reaching out beyond our own walls, we bear witness to a God who is concerned not only with us, but with all his people, and who calls the church to be a sign of hope, compassion, and grace in the wider community.
Some of this support takes very practical forms—through volunteering at our church camp, Camp Geddie, helping with food banks, visiting hospitals, leading worship in care homes, and many other quiet acts of service. Through our weekly offerings and memorial gifts, we also provide financial support to a number of local charities. This kind of mission stretches us. It reminds us that the Church is larger than our own walls, and that God is often already at work in places where we are first called to listen rather than to speak. Mission in the local community is not about doing everything ourselves, it is about joining what God is already doing and offering our gifts where they matter most.
Mission Across Canada
The third circle widens still further—to the nation we call home. Canada is vast, diverse, and deeply complex. It includes both great beauty and deep brokenness, generosity and injustice, hope and pain. The Church’s mission in Canada calls us to bear witness to Christ in ways that are faithful and humble. It means caring about issues that affect people we may never meet or situations we may never encounter: the realities of rural isolation, the pressures faced by families, seniors, and young people alike.
The Presbyterian Church in Canada carries out national and international missions through ministries supported by both Presbyterians Sharing and Presbyterian World Service & Development. Presbyterians Sharing is the main mission and ministry fund for missions within Canada. It’s how Presbyterians across the country pool their gifts so the Church can do God’s work well beyond what any one congregation could do on its own. It supports both local and national ministries, funding congregational support, leadership development, youth and children’s ministry, and new worshipping communities. It also assists theological education and leadership training – supporting ministers, elders, and lay leaders.
What’s important to remember is that Presbyterians Sharing is not a separate charity from the Church—it is the Church acting together in mission. When a congregation gives to Presbyterians Sharing, it’s saying: “We believe God’s mission is bigger than our own walls, and we want to be part of it.”
PWS&D is the international development and humanitarian ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. It focuses on responding to global need by working alongside trusted partners in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. Through PWS&D, the Church supports: emergency relief; responding to natural disasters, conflict, and humanitarian crises, food security and sustainable agriculture; helping communities grow and access healthy food, and also health and education initiatives, especially for children and women.
It’s important to note that PWS&D does not work alone. It partners with local organizations, believing that lasting change happens when communities are empowered rather than directed from outside. Presbyterian World Service & Development is how our Church reaches beyond Canada to respond, in Christ’s name, to human suffering and injustice around the world.
These ministries remind us that mission is not only local; it is a shared national calling. When we give, pray, and participate, we join a larger story of God’s work across Canada. Mission expands when we ask: how can we support the wider church so that Christ’s love reaches every corner of our country? We do not engage in this mission as those who have all the answers. We do so as learners, guided by the Spirit, trusting that God is at work even when progress feels slow or uncertain.
As we reflect on Mission Awareness Sunday, we are reminded that mission is not a program of the Church, nor is it something reserved for a few specially gifted people. Mission is at the very heart of who we are as followers of Jesus Christ. It is the natural response of a people who have encountered God’s grace and cannot help but share it—through word and through deed.
We have seen this morning that mission unfolds in widening circles. It begins close to home, in our local community, as we care for neighbours, welcome the stranger, strengthen the life of our congregation, and offer compassion in ordinary, faithful ways. It reaches outward into the wider local area, where we serve alongside others, support ministries and charities, and learn to listen for where God is already at work. And it stretches still further, across our nation and around the world, as we participate together in the mission of the Presbyterian Church in Canada through Presbyterians Sharing and Presbyterian World Service & Development.
In all of this, the call of Christ remains the same as it was for the first disciples: “You will be my witnesses.” We witness not only with our voices, but with our lives—through generosity, service, prayer, and hope. The spirit of mission that once was supported by the AMS continues whenever God’s people step forward in faith, trusting that what we offer, however small it may seem, can be used by God for great good.
So, as we leave this place today, may we remember that mission does not end with worship—it begins anew as we go out into the world God loves. May we go as Christ’s people, attentive to the needs around us, open to the leading of the Spirit, and confident that God is at work through us, near and far, now and always.
Let us Pray:
Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of your Church and for calling us to share in your mission. Thank you for the ways you have been faithful to your people through the years, and for the many quiet acts of service and generosity offered in your name.
Send us out now as your witnesses. Open our eyes to see our neighbours as you see them, our ears to hear the cries of those in need, and our hearts to respond with compassion, courage, and hope. Help us to serve faithfully in our local community, to reach beyond our own walls with humility and care, and to join gladly in the wider mission of your Church across Canada and around the world.
We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, who calls us, sends us, and walks with us always. Amen