College students on summer mission; Alaskan church serves community in landslide rescue; Texas starts 50th year of teaching Sunday School together

Good News for Today

Telling other people about hope and salvation in Jesus is one the primary things He told His disciples to do. This summer, over 350 short-term missionaries served for six to eight weeks in 26 cities and neighborhoods that need a greater Gospel presence. Together, the students reported having just shy of 4,500 Gospel conversations.

The students served through GenSend hosted by the North American Mission Board.

GenSend Summer affords college students an opportunity to explore the call to the mission field, and the program is designed to encourage participants to consider whether God might be calling them to the field. Overall, more than 35 percent of participants expressed a certain degree of likelihood that they would move back to their place of service after college.

The initiative’s director, Jon Chasteen, says their hopes is to raise up new church planters and church leaders through the experience.

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It was around 4 p.m. on Sunday when Alan McElroy, pastor of White Cliff Church in Ketchikan, Alaska, had sat down with a cup of coffee at home. Then the power went out.

“I looked at the street and the power pole in front is just bent over and then whipped back like a fishing rod,” he said.

McElroy stepped outside to see what was happening and learned there had a been a mudslide.

A deadly mudslide had occurred in the town of 8,000 that “critically damaged” four homes and led to the evacuation of approximately 60 other homes, the city of Ketchikan announced on Aug. 26.

The slide killed 42-year-old Ketchikan native Sean Griffin, a husband and father who worked on the city’s public works team. Griffin had been scheduled to be off that day, but heavy rains required additional help in clearing stormwater drains. Three people were injured and hospitalized after the landslide, said public information officer Kacie Paxton.

The church played host and hub for rescue efforts as first responders and local volunteers began searching for people.

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Pat and Charles White teach a kindergarten Sunday School class at First Church in Tyler, Texas. Sounds challenging but what’s the big deal? This school year marks the 50th year the couple has taught the class. They say it’s their love for the children and for them to know God’s love that keeps them going strong.

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