The Mission Challenge

Greetings. Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ!

We bring you greetings from the students, faculty and administration of our mission partners in Lithuania, LCC International University and the Evangelical Reformed Church of Lithuania. As we transition now from active mission service to some new and as yet unknown stage in our journey of faith, we want to share a word or two with you about mission, what God is doing in the world today—and how we join many others as co-workers in God’s mission (I Corinthains 3:9).

First, let us express our profound sense of gratitude to the more than 25 Presbyterian churches, especially in the Carlisle and Donegal Presbyteries in central Pennsylvania, that have directly supported us over our 16 years of mission service at LCC International University in Klaipėada, Lithuania. It has been wisely said that gratitude is our attitude as mission workers. Our faith should be characterized by grateful response. The Heidelberg Catechism instructs us that we are to be grateful for our redemption—for what God through Jesus Christ has done for us. It has been said that being grateful makes space in our lives for God and for others around us. We have found this to be true beyond measure. We are grateful for the privilege of being sent as mission workers. We are grateful for the prayers, the encouragement, the mission trips to see us and the financial support of the churches of Carlisle Presbytery. And we are grateful for the welcome home we have received upon our return. You have given us a place to land upon our return. Thanks to you for being such a part of our ministry with students in the former Soviet Union. Our watchword in mission from Psalm 118 has been—and remains—“This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

This winter and spring, we have been visiting supporting congregations, presbyteries and individuals who have been faithful friends in our mission tasks at LCC. We viewed these travels as a kind of victory lap, a time to offer thanks. The highlight of our mission interpretation time in the U.S. was certainly the special worship service to celebrate mission and our time of service at Pine Street Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, Pa., our home church. We were pleased that so many friends who have come to Lithuania on mission trips were present that evening. The offering was taken in support of further work at LCC International. We chose Paul’s words from I Corinthians 3:6 as the text and the theme: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” We do what we can as faithful witnesses, but indeed it is the Lord who causes growth. Mission requires humility, moving beyond questionable motivations to give glory to God.

And we would be remiss in not offering a word of gratitude for being called and sent as a missionary couple. Becky and I were glad to be together, to offer mutual support and counsel. We are grateful for this very personal partnership in mission. We have learned that mission is incarnational, a high-touch business even in today’s digital age. A good marriage makes this possible.

Second, we want to leave you with a challenge. We hope and pray that the work of sending teachers to LCC continues as we depart. The Presbyterian Church (USA) has sent many teachers to Lithuania over the years and has supported them in their work. The partnership between LCC and the PC(USA) began more than 20 years ago, soon after the college was founded in 1991. We remember the high hopes for mission in the former Soviet space after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. LCC produces leaders committed to working for change as they return to their home countries once a part of the USSR. There are many stories of hope.

Here’s what Ana Potoroca, a recent LCC grad from Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe, wants donors to understand: “If I had to talk to a U.S. church member about LCC, I would say that in order to understand why students from Eastern Europe choose LCC, they have to understand where are these students coming from. The education system in the former USSR countries is rotten and everyone knows it. In Moldova, corruption is so bad that even our new prime minister has three fake diplomas, including the high school diploma. Everyone knows it, and nobody does anything about it . . . . (An LCC education) gives us the opportunities to become agents of change in our own countries upon return.” Ana now works in the sustainable development program of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Chisinau, the capital of her native Moldova.

World Mission in Louisville has again validated a successor mission co-worker position, and LCC has affirmed the need for teachers and desires to see the position filled. Of course, the contingency is money, mission giving to support the position, the crucial step called “prioritization.” The changing patterns in mission giving at the PC(USA) represent a significant challenge to continuing the current partnership through a mission co-worker position. According to a key contact at World Mission in Louisville, Philip Woods, Area Coordinator for the Middle East and Europe, “If people wish to continue support for LCC we would be keen to hear from them. If there is sufficient support (50% plus of full funding for a four-year term), a new appointment can be prioritized and the ‘supporter’ involved in the recruitment process.” Funding for mission workers has been a critical challenge for the past several years. In the words of 22 former PC(USA) General Assembly moderators in an open letter in 2015, this will require “fervent prayer and sacrificial giving.” Mission leaders have prayed for an “outpouring of generosity.” Mission to the world is a legacy, a responsibility—and a hope for the future—that our witness will continue. LCC is an important part of this mission legacy, one we don’t want to see ended with our departure. (See the article “Crunch time for World Mission: An ‘outpouring of generosity,’” Presbyterians Today, July/August 2015). Pray that this generous undertaking continue!

A billboard of a local charity at the baseball stadium advises, “Keep your donations local.” A common slogan these days, but this is certainly not what our theology of mission requires. We are to be global in our care and concern. We are called to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. Mission at LCC is an investment in the lives of young people, bright young people who long for authentic relationships with caring and committed adults who can be faithful witnesses to the hope we have in Christ. Our legacy is not in buildings or memorial stones. Our legacy is in changed lives. A young Ukrainian theologian, Michaelo Cherenkov, has said that while the church clearly needs professional Christians, pastors, church administrators, it also needs Christian professionals— Christians in more secular work who go out into the world to help in the task of the redemption of the world, workers who create new businesses, serve in government, advocate for justice through international aid agencies. Such is the work of mission at LCC. “The harvest is great but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of harvest to send out workers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38).

We are finishing this newsletter on Ascension Sunday. We can think of no better conclusion to our mission service than to be reminded of Jesus’ words of farewell to the apostles before he was lifted up to heaven: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Indeed, we are all called to be witnesses to the resurrection—to the ends of the earth.

Grace and peace to all of you in the name of our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Eric & Rebecca Hinderliter