Dearly beloved in Christ,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

God Almighty planted Ahmadi Mar Thoma Parish as a church in Kuwait. We are called by God to stand as a witnessing community for the Glory of God and for the expansion of the Kingdom of God. What is a Church? What is our mission and mission as a church? Church is the Body of Christ. ‘Ekklesia’ the root word for Church means an assembly of called out ones. According to the Biblical understanding: Church is not a building or denomination. But it is the gathering of the people of God. The body of Christ is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) until Christ’s return. The Church consists of all those who have personal relationship with Christ. The normal gathering of a church means the imperfect people who know that they always need a Savior, working together to build relationships, helping those in need, and to glorify God by striving to be like Christ and share His love with others. Church needs certain qualities to bear fruits of glory in this world;

1. 1. Church needs a mission: Today the mission of the church is to re-read the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. We, as a part of this Church, are supposed to follow the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Our mission is to continue the ministry of Jesus. During His earthly ministry, Jesus was able to touch the lives of people around him. In the Gospel according to St. Luke 18th Chapter, Jesus proclaims his mission through reading from the book of Isaiah known as the ‘Nazareth Manifesto’. It says “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Again the mission of the Church is given in Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8. Our mission is to be the witness of Christ Jesus. Today our mission is to touch the lives who are need of love and care.
   2. Church needs vision: Vision is not just a dream but it is something which is apparently seen otherwise than by ordinary sight. A church cannot grow without vision. Without the heavenly vision the existence of a church is meaningless. Vision gives the motivation and the momentum for the Church. With proper vision the believers can be headed in the right direction for God’s glory and purpose. We cannot draft the vision of our Church as per our will. We always need heavenly guidance to frame our vision in this world. Vision of the church is the realization of God’s hand. We need an opened vision to see the divine plan of God upon this earth and we need an insight to offer ourselves for the Glory of God to establish his plans in this world.
   3. Church needs to be the light: We are living in the midst of darkness and ungodliness. The whole world is searching for a light which gives peace and comfort, a light which gives fullness of life and a light which wipes out all tears. Prophet Isaiah says in Chapter 60, “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end”. If God is our Sun we need to shine for the glory of God. David says in Psalms 34 that “Those who look to him are radiant”. Our God Almighty is the guiding star in this darkened world. God enlightened us and we need to show this light to this world. As a worshipping community let us stand as one light to remove the darkness of this world. Let this world shine with our presence. Heavenly mission and vision is very much essential for the existence of the Church in this world.

God is our light. Let us remove the darkness from our minds and also from where we are planted. God is always with us. Prophet Isaiah says “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you”. May this world see the heavenly light through our shining. Let us together shine for the glory of God. May God bless you all to shine for His glory.

With Prayerful Regards
(sd/-)
Rev. Sam Thomas