Reaching the unreached is a beautiful idea, but it’s a lot easier said than done. Even so, Auburn Grace Community Church in Northern California feels called to try—both in their own backyard and across the globe. 

That’s why Brooke Bye came on staff as their Missions Facilitator about six years ago. As she prayed, God began giving her a vision for instilling the congregation with a passion for outreach. As she followed God’s lead, an initiative was born, which they call “IMPACT Neighbors & Nations.” Through this initiative, the church will identify two local neighbors and two nations who they’ll minister to for the next two years. God is making it clear that this initiative needs to be more than just offering impersonal financial support—the church will also send members who can engage with their own hands! 

The church was excited to start but was quickly reminded that God’s timing is often different than ours. Several missional opportunities came along, but it became evident they weren’t the ones God wanted them to commit to. 

Instead of getting discouraged, the Auburn Grace family became all the more prayerful as they waited on the Lord. Brooke says, “It can be uncomfortable to wait, but God has consistently showed up.” As the church continued waiting, Brooke noticed that God was stirring up a deeper passion in their hearts for reaching the unreached.  

Now they are finally getting to walk out the original vision. God is using Auburn Grace to do ministry at local urban centers in Los Angeles as well as weekly dinner “Park Days” in Auburn to minister to the children and families of their area. On top of that, He’s called several families from the congregation to long-term missions overseas. As time goes on, more and more people in their church are participating in God’s call to missions.   

“Keep asking, ‘Where is God leading and where can we partner with Him?’” Brooke says to other churches wanting to start a missions initiative. “Be prayerful and don’t rush out in front of God.” Sometimes it’s better to say “No” to certain opportunities so you can say a better, more intentional “Yes” when you need to. “Be ok with the timing, and let God’s heart be the driving force behind your efforts,” she adds. “Let Him lead. He consistently shows up.”  

And that’s exactly what He’s done for Auburn Grace.  

If you’re interested in learning more about Auburn’s IMPACT program or have an interest in talking with their leadership team, check out the IMPACT webpage.