Meet Melissa Sherfey, this week's ISBC WOW! Not ony does Melissa work in the office at our Glenwood campus but she is also the Outreach Coordinator for our newly restructured Women's Ministry Leadership team! Read below for her testimony in her own words......
Have you ever thought much about what and who contribute to our opinions and what we
hold in high regard? Life experiences attribute to much of our thinking whether good, bad or indifferent. My love for missions is a result of my life experiences growing up in Sunbeams, Girl’s in Action and Acteens. There I learned about missionaries work around the world, but more importantly God at work around the world. Yes, I have been in church all my life, since conception. God placed me in a family and around people that loved Him deeply and had a strong desire to see others come to a personal relationship with Him. I accepted Christ as my Saviour as a result of the seeds these people sowed in my life. I was actually with my Acteens leader when I came face to face with the reality that I was not a Christian and needed to ask Christ into my heart. What preceded was a vision and desire to serve Him wherever He would lead me. (Confession: I ramble some and not immediately obedient. i.e. slow to respond). At this point in time He has led us to serve at and through Indian Springs Baptist Church.
I was a member of ISBC through part of the 1980’s and until August 1991 when Wayne
and I got married and I moved my membership to where he was a member. We have been fortunate to serve in various missions settings in the states and internationally on short term mission opportunities. It was through tears that I submitted to go on my first international mission trip… sad to say, I didn’t want to go. Through serving Christ in missions and teaching about missions the Lord has shown me that I am His ambassador wherever I am and to see people as a soul in need of a Saviour. There is a bigger picture. My opinions and thinking has changed through the years because He has changed my heart as a result of my life experiences. Each has molded my opinions and as my relationship with Christ grows I understand more and more how urgent it is that we get the message to the peoples of the world.
This year as I serve as Outreach Leader, my desire is for all of us to look outward, see others as someone in need of a Savior as we minister to individuals physical and spiritual needs. My hope
is that each of us (me especially) will put aside wrong opinions and learn the truth as we grow closer to the Lord by living the life He has for us. Also that we (especially me) will give less
importance to activities that have no eternal significance. We all fall short of his Holiness but
shouldn’t it be our goal. Let’s allow the Lord to shape our attitudes and opinions into what He desires as we serve Him together. One way He can do that is by allowing yourself to be available to participate in mission opportunities. Watch this blog, emails and the bulletin for opportunities.
I have a few ideas of some things we can be involved with however, if you have ideas or suggestions as to mission opportunities you would like to see the women of ISBC be involved with, please share them with me. Perhaps we can work on it together. You can email me at sherfeym@comcast.net. I trust the Lord to provide opportunities for the ladies of ISBC. I know He will guide us to minister to the unchurched; we just have to be available and ready when He
calls not rambling around. Pray we will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and obedient.
Tom Elliff, President of the International Mission Board, SBC asked trustees to pray in seven specific ways for he and his wife. Let’s pray the same for each other…..that we will have a constant awareness that “we are ambassadors for Christ;” that we will “live before God with pure hearts;” that we will experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit; that we will display the gifts and graces of the Spirit; that “never would we unwittingly place in the hands of the adversary something that he might use to mock our Savior;” that God will protect our family physically, morally and spiritually; and that God will “keep us faithful to the vision.”
Pressing On!
Melissa Sherfey
Phil. 3
