Joy Builders
A community that is learning to build joy together both here and around the world.
Purpose
Experience the joy of building authentic relational community here, but also reaching across the world to build joy in the lives of those whom we love and support in cross-cultural ministry.
Experience the joy of building authentic relational community here, but also reaching across the world to build joy in the lives of those whom we love and support in cross-cultural ministry.
Basic Rhythms
Monthly Meal Together:
One meal together each month, where we learn how to build joy and resilience in one another’s lives. During the meal we hear updates from one another and from those we care for around the world. We then pray our hearts out for them and for one another.
Partners in Life & Prayer
We form friendships in which we have multiple connections during any given week, checking in, sharing joys and pains, praying for each other and for our “Heart for the Nations” people. These will often be by phone, text, or can be in person.
Background
Vineyard Gilbert has had the tradition of bringing in a “Heart for the Nations” offering each Fall near Thanksgiving, which is distributed to the various missions and missionaries that the church has chosen to support. This has been a significant opportunity for a church the size we are. While we do faithfully send that financial support monthly, we haven’t matched the financial support with the kind of prayer and practical support we would like. There have been times when we have made visits to our workers in the past, and we have invited them to speak to us when here in town. But we can do more! We can be more closely connected to them, find out their joys and sorrows, pray for them with more insight and discernment, and provide for them a soft and friendly landing when they come back to Arizona. We can build into their joy!
