WESTGATE CHURCH WORLD MISSION

Westgate Church is a fellowship of believers who seek to glorify God through: worship, evangelizing our community and world, and making faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is the vision and goal of Westgate Church to aggressively carry out the command of Christ's Great Commission. Therefore, we view Missions as an essential ministry of our church and our individual members. We are committed to the mobilization of our own resources (prayer, monetary and human) for the objective of reaching all peoples of the world for Christ.

Westgate Church presently supports thirty-two missionaries and mission agencies, and approximately one-half of our missionaries originated from our church membership. Two-thirds of Westgate missionaries presently serve overseas and one-third in USA. The present annual missions budget is approximately 40% of the overall church budget, and our goal is to increase this continually so that ultimately the missions' budget equals the church budget.

Prayer is a major emphasis for our missionaries, who cannot "get along" without it. We are seeking to have each missionary/ministry adopted by a home fellowship, Bible study, or Missions Board member for prayer and encouragement. In addition, the Missions Board always begins each monthly board meeting with prayer for each of our missionaries and missions. A prayer sheet is updated monthly and placed in the Sunday bulletin for members to use at home and Westgate Church to use in its prayer meetings.

The late Dr. Harold John Ockenga of Park Street Church, Boston used to say that the church/missionary relationship was a mutually vital one - neither can exist for long without the other. This is our belief at Westgate Church. When a church has a missions outreach there is a double blessing: not only is the world being reached for Christ, but the sending church is being blessed as well. When the missionaries you support know that you are praying for them, they are going to pray for their church and God is going to answer the prayers of both. Both the church and the missionaries will have greater vitality and effectiveness. Colossians 4:2,3a says: "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ."

Westgate Church has an annual eight-day Missions Conference during October where guest speakers and missionaries participate in a variety of classes, services and meetings. A highlight is always the missions family banquet, where parents and children enjoy an international meal and a missions evening together.