If you life in or around St. Louis, you know that recently East St. Louis has garnered much attention due to violence taking place in this city. At one time ESL was one of the wealthiest cities in the country, one of the great places to live. Now it is a city with broken systems, desperate poverty, corruption, and violence. Yet, in this very hard city sits a lighthouse for the Gospel, a city on a hill, the Christian Activities Center (CAC). This is a center supported by the North American Mission Board with the Director of the center being a NAMB missionary, which we as a church support through our mission partnership giving with Southern Baptists. In fact, back in the day several of us did mission and ministry at the CAC, working with their kids, donating funds for their computer lab, and even helping to build their gym.
So, I was excited this morning to check the St. Louis Post Dispatch website and find this awesome article on the CAC and its ministry in ESL. In the midst of the violence, they are making a difference as Gospel people living out the implications of the death and resurrection of Jesus. To me it is always awesome when the secular media looks at people living on mission and living the Gospel and takes notice. Pray for the Director Chet Cantrell and for others serving at the CAC as they seek to love their city.
This also reminds us of the power of partnership. In a very real way, this center is there because churches like ours are faithful in our giving to missions and partnerships. Each Sunday, when people give to Genesis, we immediately pull 10% of this money and give it to mission causes and organizations, including the SBC Cooperative Program, Acts 29, Shining Light Ministry Center in Charleston, House of Hope in Haiti, and David Meyers in Ecuador.