This past summer was simply unique. This summer I, Josh Krieger—sinner, saint, all around fun-loving guy—had the privilege of devoting my time and energy to working for the growing mission church Abiding Grace in Covington, GA. My friend, Benjamin Paul Gentz, and I looked forward to hot weather, evangelism, and southern accents—we weren’t disappointed. We worked through a program funded by Kingdom Workers. Member Ministry Assistance, MMA, is a program designed for anyone willing to spend a summer working part-time for a church and part-time someplace else.

We left from Michigan on Memorial Day weekend. We drove almost straight through, stopping only to rock out at a Flogging Molly concert on the way. We arrived in Covington at Reverend Jonathan Scharf’s house on Homeplace Drive. We began with brief training and went out on visits the next day. We worked at a daycare during the day and went on these visits in the evening. Occasionally we went by ourselves, but more often we had volunteers from the congregation to show us around.

It is an amazing experience, watching the Holy Spirit work in adults and children alike. Ben and I went on follow-up visits, led VBS, and canvassed for Abiding Grace. We saw members and prospects come back to church after long absences. We saw hearts affected by the Word. We saw a congregation come together for the sake of their mission. Sometimes, the Lord works in not so mysterious ways. Ben and I were strengthened and encouraged even as we tried to give encouragement and support to this young congregation.

It's incredible to me how something seeming to be selfless could yield so much reward. The people we got to know, the experiences we had, and the message we shared all make for memories that can be overwhelming if thought about all at once. Ben and I even experienced such thrills as viewing the largest monolithic statue in the world, going whitewater rafting, and riding in a stretch Hummer.

I’ve come to love the mission church mentality. Go out and tell the message: A command that we all as Christians have, but which some are content to ignore. May we never lose this zeal for spreading the Gospel. I look forward to going back and helping to spread the message of the gospel.

I would encourage all who are planning on going into any form of ministry to devote time to outreach. Regardless of a busy summer schedule, we can all help out; if not at a mission church six hundred miles away, at least at our own local congregations. Concerning this summer, Reverend Scharf stated, “The best outcome from this program was the way the congregation came together for the sake of spreading the message.” Jesus himself wants us to do this as well, as he says in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

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