November is mission month. Celebrate what God is doing in the world and how God calls us to share the good news with others. Here are some tools to plan a Mission Sunday celebration. In the links to the right, you’ll find a sermon starter, children’s story ideas, worship songs, readings, and two bulletin inserts. We hope you’ll find them helpful.
Introduction
The Gospel text in the Revised Common Lectionary for Nov. 3 is Luke 19:1-10. It is a story of mission, showing Jesus on the move, making disciples as he goes (see Matthew 28:16-20). Earlier in Luke, Jesus described himself as "anointed" and "sent" by "the Spirit of the Lord" to "bring good news to the poor" (4:18-19). In Jericho, as he nears completion of his journey to Jerusalem (which began in 9:51), Jesus encounters Zacchaeus, a "chief tax collector" who was "rich." Will Zacchaeus answer the call to God’s mission from God’s Spirit-anointed Son?