Good morning Advent Family,
It’s funny how often we imagine “going” as something far away. We picture airplanes, passports, unfamiliar languages—some distant place where real ministry happens. But Jesus had a different starting point. In Acts 1:8, He said:“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem…” Before Judea. Before Samaria. Before the ends of the earth—Jerusalem.
For the disciples, Jerusalem wasn’t exotic but familiar: familiar streets, familiar faces, familiar routines. It was also messy, complicated, and in many ways resistant. Jerusalem was the place where Jesus had just been rejected and crucified; and yet, that’s exactly where He told them to begin.
There’s something about that we can’t ignore.
For us, “Jerusalem” looks a lot like Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach…the places we drive through every day without thinking twice. If we’re honest, this might actually be the hardest place to go because it’s easy to overlook what’s familiar. It’s easy to assume, “Someone else will reach them.” It’s easy to keep faith private where people already know us. There’s a vulnerability in being a witness where your life is already visible.
Jesus starts here on purpose. Your Jerusalem isn’t an accident—it’s an assignment. The people in your daily rhythm aren’t random. The barista who knows your order, the neighbor you wave to but never really talk to, the friend who’s quietly struggling—this is your front line. This is where “go” becomes real.
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to turn your life upside down to obey. You just have to become intentional within it. It’s less about changing your location and more about changing your awareness. The mission of God isn’t waiting somewhere else—it’s already woven into your everyday life.
So before you think about “someday” going somewhere far, ask yourself:
Am I willing to go right here?
Because if we miss Jerusalem, we’ll always be waiting for a calling that’s already been given, and the same Spirit who empowers you for the ends of the earth is just as present right where you are.
Loving Jesus and Loving You,
Kimberly Jewell
Family Ministry Director