All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:18-20
The Great Commission for 2025
Jesus issued His Great Commission two thousand years ago, but today, we live in a world defined by rapid technological advancements, shifting cultural landscapes, and evolving geopolitics. In light of these changes, what does it mean to meaningfully participate in the Great Commission in 2025?
To help us answer this question, we have invited seasoned missionaries Norm & Ruth Ann Leduc to Springton Lake Church on Sunday, March 16th, to share their insights on this crucial topic. Because this is such a broad topic, they will be teaching a churchwide Sunday School class at 9 a.m. in the sanctuary and then Norm will be our guest preacher at the 10:15 a.m. Worship Service, bringing a message from Colossians 1:15-23.
We invite everyone -- from middle schoolers to adults -- to attend this special 9 a.m. class. We have asked the Leducs to share with us what they believe the church in America, and especially ours in Delaware County, needs to hear regarding The Great Commission based on their 25+ years of leading and serving missions efforts throughout the world. All other adult and youth classes will not meet on Missions Sunday so that everyone can attend this vital class. All children’s Sunday School classes will meet as usual.
Ponder these questions in preparation for Missions Sunday…
Our attention, not our time, is our greatest commodity. In a world filled with distractions, what are you paying attention to?
When is a scary story less scary? When you know how it ends. How is this relevant to the unfolding story of missions?
Is The Great Commission still "great"?
Springton Lake Church is a regular supporter of Norm & Ruth Ann. They will be in our area March 14-19 and during that time they will be available to visit church groups. If your group is interested in hosting them, contact Dana Swieson (dana@swieson.com).
Missionary Prayer Booklet: Be sure to take home an updated copy listing all of the missionaries and organizations supported by SLPC, including how you can pray for them throughout the year.
Bless our Missionaries: Our church supports missionary families serving all over the world. Our Missions Team will be sending each missionary family a monetary gift from our church family. To contribute to the gift, make checks payable to Springton Lake Presbyterian Church and put "Missionaries Gift" on the memo line. Gifts can be mailed to the church office or put in the Sunday offering anytime during the month of March. Please bless them generously!
Notes to Missionaries: During Coffee Cafe on March 9 (one week before Missions Sunday), there will be an opportunity to write notes to our missionaries that will be included with our missionary gifts. Come to the table in Fellowship Hall during Coffee Café on March 9th and write a brief greeting to a missionary or two!
About Norm & Ruth Ann Leduc
Norm grew up in a nominal French-Canadian Catholic home and became a believer through a Billy Graham film when he was 13. God used a World Religions class in northern Ontario to give him a burden for the Muslim world. After growing up in western Pennsylvania, Ruth Ann sensed God calling her to ministry in France through her college French studies and several short-term experiences.
Norm started out in Morocco but shortly after was asked to move to France where they met and were married. They served 20+ years with Arab World Ministries, based in France, England, Canada and at the US office. You don’t need to know them very long to realize that Norm’s giftings are more administrative, and Ruth Ann is more relational and pastoral.
After 12 years in the US, serving in the US offices of Arab World Ministries in Upper Darby and then with Pioneers in Orlando, Norm and Ruth Ann “relaunched” overseas as Empty-Nesters in 2019 and have been based in Aix-en-Provence, France. For visa-related reasons, they’re spending this year in the US, based near Chattanooga, TN, and continuing with the majority of their roles while also connecting with ministry partners.
Norm serves as Director of Operations for Pioneers Media, while also serving the Middle East region, coordinating the Leadership Development training. Ruth Ann uses her pastoral skills to provide Member Care for 270 Pioneers workers across Europe. They are heavily engaged in their local French church.
Although they only spent three years at SLPC from 2007-2010, they shared that “we’ve been so humbled by and grateful for our strong partnership. We’re so thankful to be co-laborers with you in what God is doing through media technology in the Arab World, church-planting ministries across Europe, and encouraging the French church.”