"I will make you fish for people"
“Follow me and I will make you fish for people” Mark 1:17 NRSV
Ministry Update
I have been working with my spiritual director on a set of reflections walking through the church calendar. It has been a joy, as well as a humbling experience. Sometimes I can be more focused on what is right in front of me and miss the larger picture of what God is doing. This series of reflections had me think about when Jesus first called his disciples to follow Him in the gospel of Mark. They are fishing, doing what they had been trained to do and what had been passed down to them. Then, all of a sudden, Jesus appears and calls them to follow Him. He asked them to leave all they knew. Then he reframed their life purpose by saying “I will make you fish for people.” At that moment, Jesus shifted their focus and told them that in His kingdom and in this world, people matter.
This brings me back to why I do what I do. It’s because I believe this very thing that people matter, not only to me but also to God. Our goal in life should be to show God’s love to the world. This was what Jesus was doing here — calling people to join what he was starting. He was pulling them out of what they were doing, where they were committing their lives, and giving them a bigger vision for the world.
We must never be afraid to hear and respond to the call of Jesus in our lives. I never thought that I would be distributing close to 9 million pounds of food this year. This blows my mind, but even more extraordinary is the community we are creating while doing all this. We value every worker, partner, vendor, donor, and volunteer we engage with. It has been a real honor to be a part of what God is doing.
Personal Update
It has been too long since I updated all of you- my life has been full. I am grateful for the grace God has given me in my life and my work. Amrah, the girls, and I were able to see her family in California this summer. It was a great time away for rest and to connect with family. The picture above was taken during our time away. We came back and jumped right back into life. Abrielle started pre-school, ballet, and soccer. Seraphina is growing and developing her own personality. And Amrah is still working for Salus University, teaching and overseeing its intern program. Through all the craziness of this year, our family is doing amazing.
I spend most of my time now with Small Things (the non-profit food distribution organization that I started), but I still have a large commitment to the Church. I serve on the leadership team for the Liberti Network. In this role, I experience the joy of visiting church elder teams and seeing the Liberti pastors in a pastoral cohort and leadership meetings. I even had the opportunity to participate in a baptism at Resurrection Church (the newly merged church formed by Liberti Center City and City Church West Philly). So even in all the non-profit work, I continue to serve the Church in a major way and know the Lord will use me more in the future.
While I have built a successful non-profit with the support of so many of you, I still need to raise missionary support to take care of my family. We are in need of about 7 to 8 people to commit to monthly support. Having dedicated monthly support is incredibly helpful for our family to be able to budget wisely and with confidence. The truth is that my life has moved very quickly this past year — to the point that I have neglected my personal fundraising. So I am asking you to prayerfully consider supporting my family in our work and ministry.
I am so truly so grateful for all the ways you have supported me and continue to support me in my ministry.
Sincerely,
Rev. Vito Baldini
Executive Director Small Things
Director of Mercy & Justice Liberti Network
The following are prayer requests, ways to serve, and Small Things’ mid-year update:
Prayer requests
Pray for our daughters, especially Abrielle who has started pre-school.
Pray for more monthly support as I need 7 to 8 families to commit to helping us.
Pray for all the service opportunities we will oversee this holiday season and the impact we will have in the community.
Ways to serve Thanksgiving
Weekly Service Opportunities
Mid-year report for Small Things
