GO Team, GO!
Hello Faith Family,
I am so grateful for you. The dedication of our volunteers inspires and energizes me. One of those volunteers is Paul Cairns, our fearless leader of the GO Team here at Faith. You may have heard rumblings about the GO Team and my instincts tell me you may not know exactly what we do. Since we are GO focused in our messages this month, I thought it wise to interview Paul since he has been serving in GO, specifically on the GO Team, for nearly a decade.
Question: Who are you and what is the GO Team?
Answer: My name is Paul Cairns and I grew up in Willmar, Minnesota and an integral part of my upbringing was my involvement at First Covenant church in Willmar. My junior year of high school I was an exchange student in Australia which really opened my eyes to the world. I went off to college in Morris, Minnesota which is where I met my lovely wife, Terri. We both went to graduate school at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and I graduated in 1997. We moved to Eagan and joined Faith Covenant in 1998 and we have two kids – Brianna and Sam. The GO (Global Outreach) Team is the missions team at Faith Covenant that meets about ten times per year and has five to nine members. The Go Team is responsible for making decisions about the missionaries that Faith Covenant supports, including allocating the missions budget to 20+ missionaries and mission organizations.
Question: How did God call you to serve on the GO Team?
Answer: In November 2010, Pastor Rob Jacobson called me at work one day and asked me if I would be interested in attending a GO Team meeting. Rob and I had been in a small group for several years and I think he thought my spiritual gifts and work experience would be a good fit to serve on the GO Team. I said yes to the call and nearly nine years later I am still serving on the GO Team and trying to use my spiritual gifts to build the Kingdom.
Question: How do you see God working in and through your ministry on the GO Team?
Answer: Every month the GO Team receives letters and reports from the many missionaries Faith supports and we hear how God is touching the lives of literally thousands of people around the world through Faith Covenant supported missionaries. The stories are truly inspirational!
Question: How can we at Faith support the GO Team?
Answer: Please pray for wisdom as the GO Team makes decisions. Pray for the many missionaries as highlighted in the worship folder each month. Donate to our missionaries directly. Donate to the mission offerings that occur four times a year. Adopt one of our missionaries in your small group, write letters of encouragement to the missionaries, follow the missionaries on Facebook or their blog posts, and/or volunteer to lead or participate in a mission trip! If you would like to get in touch with us so you can engage directly in our ministry, please email goteam@faithcovenant.org.
Paul, thank you so much for sharing your passion for global missions with us at Faith! Your heart for those around the world reminds me of what Jesus teaches in the gospel of Matthew:
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”-Matthew 25:40
In Christ,
Tone Waters
Director of GO & Communications