Paul tells us in Philippians 2:4 "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others," and in Mark 10:45 Jesus said, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."  What greater way to honor the teaching of Christ and reflect God's glory than to offer our services to others through Christian mission work!

Billings First United Methodist Church is actively engaged in many forms of mission work.  BFUMC sponsors mission trips around the United States several times each year and encourages the participation of young and old alike.  These projects utilize the many skills and talents that God has given us.  What's that?  You don't think you have a talent worth offering?  Then come learn while helping out.  Mission work is an excellent opportunity to learn new skills while working alongside someone else.  A helper is just as valuable as a skilled tradesperson, and a skilled tradesperson is just as valuable as a trip organizer.  No one is insignificant in God's eye, and no one is insignificant on a Christian mission trip.

We do not focus our mission trips immediately after a national crisis due to the specialized skills and equipment required for disaster recovery and cleanup. Instead, our mission work is geared toward the building or restoration of homes. We provide assistance installing windows, insulation, drywall, painting, roofing, exterior work, cabinet and door installation, flooring and tiling, plus other basic construction tasks.

The adult and youth week long mission trips over the past 6 years have taken us to many places, and we have been to some places more than once.  Our trips have included:

• Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota
• Miami, Oklahoma
• Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Long Beach, Mississippi
• Gulfport, Mississippi
• Galveston, Texas
• Jamestown, North Dakota
• Seattle, Washington

BFUMC supports a number of world-wide missions through membership donations. These missions include the LUMINA organization in Lancaster, PA, a local pastor in East Angola, and a nurse administrator in Kenya.  In addition, we support other United Methodist missionary work, such as UMCOR (United Methodist Committee On Relief) through special offerings and our work with the Yellowstone Conference of the United Methodist Church. Please contact us if you would be interested in providing financial support to our mission work.

John Piper writes "the gospel is not a 'Help Wanted' sign, it is a 'Help Available' sign"(Piper, Desiring God, 146).  The Son Of Man came to offer each of us help through salvation.  Should we do anything less than reflect God's love by offering to help others through our Christian mission work.  Isn't it a wonderful feeling when we are tired and weary from helping someone in need?

For additional information on how you can serve Christ through BFUMC's Christian mission work please contact us.