July Newsletter

“Entrepreneurial”

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Setting up the Altar, part of acolyte training, Belize,
Central America. Photo by Fr. Shaw Mudge.

I was born and raised in an entrepreneurial atmosphere. In fact, my father was called “the epitome of the American Entrepreneur” at a meeting of entrepreneurs. I worked in entrepreneurial businesses before entering the ministry. Being entrepreneurial is part of who I am.

Our missionary lifestyle, whether in Belize or Tanzania, is an entrepreneurial form of God’s incarnational love. In our Online Anglican Theological College program (OATC), we pass along wisdom from God: how to use spiritual gifts and how to apply natural abilities that other people may know that Jesus is the Son of God and, by believing, they may have eternal life (Ephesians 4:11-16).

What constitutes entrepreneurial ministry? A willingness to be like Abraham, doing something new that no one else has done before. A steadfastness like the prophets, who hung in there with God even when the challenges were great. Leadership qualities that Paul mentions in his letters. Joy as expressed in Psalm 150. The movement of the Holy Spirit that created New Testament Church was entrepreneurial, and so is the cutting edge of the Church, today.

OATC participants are entrepreneurial visionaries like Paul. We are encouragers like Barnabas. We are educators in apostolic and missionary ministry like Priscilla and Aquila. We help people grow churches and to reach out to people in the community with the Gospel like Peter. We take reasonable risks when sharing the love of Christ, wisely, like Philip. We are part of the incarnation of what Christ Jesus is doing in the world, like Apollos, Erastus, Phoebe, Timothy, Titus, Tryphena, and Tryphosa.

OATC is helping train disciples to spread the Gospel and build up the Church. Our participants are leaders in their parishes.

Our ministry is not for the faint of heart. It is part of the cutting edge. It is entrepreneurial.

Ways to support us.
Your prayers and financial partnering with us help make our ministry happen.
Please make checks out to: "SAMS", and put "Mudge" in the memo space. The mailing address is: SAMS, P. O. Box 399, Ambridge, PA 15003-0399.

God bless you,
Shaw+, and on behalf of Julie+
The Rev. Dr. Shaw Mudge
The Rev. Julia Mudge
Missionaries of SAMS and Albany.