Why Missions in Europe

Stefan Gustavsson is a Swedish pastor who spoke at the Tokyo 2010 Global Missions Consultation conference on the condition of the Church in Europe. A transcript of his message can be found here. It is a powerful message demonstrating the intense need for an ill forgotten continent in the missions community.

To hear about the results of the conference, a friend of mine created the following video of a couple who attended the conference and shared their reflections of Gustavsson’s address.

Tokyo 2010 Story

 

With all the hype about missions in the 10/40 window, and pressure towards reaching the “unreached” and the “least reached”, in second and third world countries, I have wondered where Europe fits in. Sadly it is not popular to talk about missions in “1st world countries” and even more difficult to garner support because Europe is so largely viewed as Christianized. This view needs to change. Europe is in desperate need.

Life Goes On

 

It’s hard to believe it was just a year ago that I was in Ireland, getting near unto the end of my internship there. It’s hard to believe both in the sense it was only a year ago and yet in other ways it feels like much longer than a year. But something else of great significance in my life is about to happen, one that also causes some reflecting. Here is a hint; I am about to finish my third decade on this planet. To some that is not a big deal, to those of younger generations I am turning into an “old fogey".” To me, the number would not mean much if I was not prone to enter into comparisons, but that is just what I am doing, wrong as it may be. Then again, maybe it is not inherently wrong, if we use the comparisons for good purposes. I look at where I am in life, what I have accomplished, what goals I have achieved and what goals I have not achieved, and compare them to others who are also of the same age. I realize that we all take different paths in life and there are many factors that determine what happens to us, some our own choosing and some outside our control, but the comparisons still help us take stock of where we are and where we are going.

Do I have disappointments? Sure. Do I feel like I have missed out on a lot of life? Absolutely. Right now I feel as though my life is meaninglessly flying by me like the little white dash lines on the highway. When I consider the one life I should be comparing mine to, it is hard to feel like I have accomplished anything at all. But this man’s accomplishments far outweigh any accomplishments any of us could ever achieve. After all, his greatest accomplishment quite literally changed the course of world history and the relationship between God and man. But let’s be honest, this man had a one-up on us – he is also God. So what can I measure up to?

I could look to the question of what I have done to affect my little corner of world history. But then I am reminded of what a high school classmate of mine remarked when we were talking about death. The one thing that bothered her most about death is that “life just goes on.” Eventually anything we do will be forgotten. Eventually we will be forgotten. Sure a handful of people will have their names go down in history for significant events, but most of us will eventually be forgotten, even by family descendants (do you know anything about your family going back even just four or five generations?).

So maybe that is not the standard by which I should be judging the value of my life. Maybe instead I should look to more eternally significant matters, like, has my life caused other people’s lives to change in terms of their eternal condition. Have I planted seeds of the gospel or better yet, seen fruit? I wish I had answers to that question. But as I consider the factors involved, I realize that anything of eternal value that I accomplish in life is not really a result of what I do, but how God uses what I do.

So that leaves me with only one thing to consider as I take stock of my life. Will I hear, when I approach the throne, the words “well done good and faithful son”? If what little I have done in life gains the approval of my Lord, then I have nothing to regret or despair over.

Live for Him. Nothing else really matters.

Mental Anguish

In the biography of pioneer missionary James Gribble titled Undaunted Hope, he is recorded having written a letter to a young missionary candidate the following words:

It is just as you steadily and steadfastly hold fast to Him and do not waver, that you will be fully approved by Him who has enrolled you, for, as Abraham of old, every missionary and Christian worker finds a great testing. This was the case of our Lord also, for just as soon as He was baptized and announced to the world, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. So, doubtless, if you have really been called of the Lord, your time is coming—either while yet in America or after you reach the mission field. But God is faithful, and we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with His adversary.1

I have found it fascinating how so many of the “greats” in Christian ministry have always been sent through times of great testing and significant waiting. Just as Gribble pointed out, even our Lord was sent through just such a time before entering ministry – and to think he did not enter into ministry till he was about 30 years old and his ministry only lasted for roughly 3 years – the greatest missionary of all history! God’s ways are truly mysterious, but looking back we can clearly see the effectiveness of their ministries far outlast their earthly pursuits, abilities, and even time allotted.

Which as you might imagine, brings me to think of my situation. I first began the trek towards ministry when I was just 13. Here I am, 29, a seminary graduate with a deep desire toward missions, and I am driving semi-trucks. One might say (including me) what a waste of training and time. But thanks to the wisdom and exposition of words like Gribble’s above, encouragement comes.

Sure I may not be enduring significant physical suffering (though sometimes the heat in the truck can be unbearable), in many ways I do feel a sense of a mental suffering. But it is my conviction that the many disappointments endured in these last 16 years does have benefit. Exactly what I do not know. What I do know is the mission work I am looking toward will be difficult. Fruit is not quickly seen, if ever seen at all. I do not want to candy coat what I am dealing with. It is difficult, and the word “anguish” is very fitting.

But more than that, I see another lesson God is working on with me. One that began especially while in Ireland. While not an extrovert, I do need people around, as one friend once insightfully described me a “closet extrovert.” But in my need for the fellowship of others, do I find fellowship with God just as sweet and important? Am I truly depending on God to fill my cup or am I always looking to others? This is not an easy lesson, but a valuable one I hope to learn in the deepest of ways. Christ is sufficient.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 Gribble, M.D., Florence Newberry. Undaunted Hope: The Life of James Gribble. Winona Lake, IN, BMH: 1984.

The Road Ahead

It is official; I am now a graduate of Grace Theological Seminary with a Master’s of Divinity. The road has been long and difficult but very good as well. Completion of the internship and thus my training at Grace marks the end of one major period in my life and the beginning of another. But what is to come for my future?

For the immediate future I will be seeking a job to pay off school loans. It would be preferable to find something ministry related but given the time it takes and the economic situation, I am open to just about anything.

The future that is a little further down the road is ministry driven. I do plan to enter into cross-cultural ministry, but where and what that will look like I am uncertain. Some, including those in Killarney, would like to see me return to Ireland, and I am not ruling that out as a possibility. But given the immediate needs of paying off this loan, those decisions are not yet ready to be made.

So prayer requests for the time being would be as follows:

1. Pray that I can find a job and affordable housing so that I can pay off the loans in a relatively short time.

2. Pray that I will be able to keep my focus on ministry while working these next couple years. One way would to be able to find ways to get involved in a local church.

Again, thank you for all your support throughout the trip to Ireland. It is because of you all that the trip was able to be so successful.

I am home!

I just wanted to take a minute to put up a quick post to let everyone know I made it home safe. The day started at about 9am Irish time and we pulled into my parent's driveway at 1am local (6am Irish time). So it did make for a long day and I am tired but I am here.

Tomorrow it sounds like I will be getting involved a bit with some ministry stuff through the Christian Motorcyclists Association. My parents are members and they have a meeting I have been invited to go along with provided I can wake up in the morning.

So I will write more later about future plans and prayer requests regarding future ministry endeavors, but for now I need to get some rest.

Thank you for your prayers and support through all this trip. It has been a blessing and a truly growing experience.

Flying Again!!!

If you didn’t know, I love flying. It is truly one of my greatest passions. But today’s flights are a bit of a sweet sorrow for me. It means my time in Ireland has come to a close and I am on my way home. It is good that I am going home, but I will miss the friends I have made here in Ireland as well. It also means I am finished with Seminary. This alone has been a long but blessed experience. Hopefully I will be able to chat with many of you when I arrive to tell you personally about the many good things gained from this trip.

But the reason I am writing this post is to help you track my flights if you are so interested. I am flying out of Cork at 11:50am local time (6:50am Eastern) on Aer Lingus flight 712 and arriving in London at 1:05 pm local (8:05am Eastern). Flight tracking can be achieved here.

The second flight will be departing London at 4:30pm local time (11:30am Eastern) on American Air flight 91 and arriving in Chicago at 7:40pm local (8:40pm Eastern). Flight tracking for this flight can again be achieved here.

It will make for a long day, but I am looking forward to being home.

Thank you so much for all your prayers.

 

 

*because these posts are automatically uploaded to facebook but does not include the hyperlinks, I am posting the full links below:

EIN 712: http://www.helloflight.com/Flight/EIN712.Cfm

AAL 91: http://www.helloflight.com/Flight/AAL91.Cfm

Final Week

Its the final countdown. What an amazing trip it has been! This week looks to be very busy but good.

Today I preached for the last time in Killarney. I spoke on the idea of always remembering God, whether in the valley or on the mountain. How often we forget God and become so focused on ourselves? It is a real danger and the emphasis in Scripture on “Remember” has become so vital for my Christian walk, I thought it would be good to share that with the people here.

Tomorrow we are going to a funeral in Cork. I learned today that a believer in Christ has gone home and so tomorrow we are going down to Cork to celebrate this lady’s home-going.

Tuesday will be a day of final enjoyment for me. I plan to hike a long trail through the Black Valley (weather permitting). I am sure I will be exhausted at the end of the day but it is an area I have not yet seen and hope to before I travel home. It will make for a good time to reflect on the trip and think about what God has for me in the coming months.

Wednesday the church will be caroling at a few different retirement / nursing homes in the area. Then in the evening the church is having its annual Christmas party. Should be a great day of ministry and encouragement for all.

Thursday is a day of packing, cleaning, and filling out financial reports for the mission. Sounds exciting??

Friday I hitchhike my way onto a couple planes that are hopefully bound for home. Then, if my parents are gracious, kind, loving, wonderful, incredible people, they will be at the airport waiting for me. :)

Winding Down

Eleven days. It really is hard to believe that this trip is coming to a close. On Friday, the 18th, I will be flying back home, marking not just the end of this trip, but also of my seminary education. Before thinking about what is to come after I return to the States, I do have some things to think about here.

School projects are winding down. I have already turned in one of two significant assignments. This second one is proving difficult to finish, but plans are in the works to help me accomplish just that. I quite possibly will be able to finish typing it up on Thursday. Once that is done and emailed, my educational experience will be entirely out of my hands, for everything I will have had to do to become a seminary graduate will be accomplished. Wow.

But there are still things to do here. This Sunday I will be preaching again at Grace Fellowship in Killarney, and next Wednesday (16th) the church will be caroling at a couple different homes for elderly and disabled. There is also the possibility of a church Christmas party, but I have not heard for certain if it will happen before I leave.

One interesting aspect of these last few weeks is the meeting place we are using for church. The Cultural Center is being used by the city as Santa’s Grotto (I’m still waiting to understand what they mean by “grotto”). So as a result we have been forced out. Our alternative meeting place? My flat. This past Sunday I had it set up with the most number of chairs we could fit – 15 – and every last one was filled. It was a packed house. I have no idea what we will do if we ever have more than 15 people come. Standing room only???

It has been a good trip. And its not over.

Back in Killarney

Good news! The flooding has not affected the bus service, so I was able to return to Killarney on Tuesday and thus led the Wednesday night Bible study for the church here.

The visit to Douglas was incredible. Many varied experiences will go down in memory for me, and I learned a great deal about both life in Ireland and ministry.

But as one might imagine, there is still a long way to go. Sunday I am preaching at the church in Killarney, and I am again leading next Wednesday's bible study. I also have a great deal of work to complete for my studies for Grace. So for this final stretch of time here in Ireland will be seen with many busy days.

God is good though, and on this (American) Thanksgiving day, I have so much to be thankful for. This trip has been a wonderful experience filled with all sorts of emotions. I can only wonder what God will have in store for me after the trip is over.

Again, thank you for your continued prayers. I covet them every day.

Flexibility 101

News Headline: Flooding in Ireland!

I am in the middle of a trip to visiting Douglas, a suburb of Cork, and while here, the region received unusually heavy rains and as a result - flooding. This means for us all sorts of things. One, will I be able to return to Killarney as scheduled because the Cork bus station was flooded. Two, church has been modified.

Let me ask you something: In America, if there is flooding and as a result the church building is without water, what would you do? Well, this is our problem. There are health code issues that are preventing the Douglass church from meeting in its normal location, so we had to come up with a plan "B." What is plan B? We made one up!

We are splitting into separate homes for the Sunday, and in each house there will be some songs sang, someone will lead a devotion or Bible study, and maybe even break bread together. What this means is we need people available to prepare bible study lessons. Up until this afternoon, everyone was expecting just one person to have a sermon ready. Now, three others need to have something prepared... and guess who was asked to share at one of the house meetings?... yours truly.

Why this decision? I found the reasons to be fascinating and convicting. What is church? We often think of church as the place we meet for worship. A building, a congregation singing and worshiping together on Sunday mornings. If we have to miss a week, oh well. But not here. There is no option for "oh well." The church here is committed to demonstrating that church is more than a building. It is more than a large group gathering on Sunday mornings. Church is a dynamic organism not tied down to any one place or method. It is a group of people, committed to Christ and to each other. And we will meet together, one way or another. Kinda gets you thinking doesn't it?

Traveling

In just two days I will be one month away from returning to the USA. Wow. Hard to believe the trip is winding down. And yet, in many ways, it is only gearing up. The next few weeks are packed with ministry opportunities meaning the days will fly by that much faster and the work I need to do for school will be that much more difficult to finish.

But first an update on what has been happening. This past Sunday I was given the opportunity to lead worship. Leading consists of selecting songs and talking about the songs using a short devotional and a passage of scripture. Turns out it was not as easy to prepare for as I thought it would be. But I do believe my goal in focusing our minds on the Cross was accomplished, Praise God!


Today I then got to spend a number of hours traveling to the town of Kenmare to visit some properties some friends are considering buying. The couple I was with are friends of the Scheleens whom I got to meet previously, and the day turned out to be a wonderful time of discussing culture and faith.

On Wednesday I will be traveling to Douglas, a suburb of Cork, where I will be spending a week observing various ministries taking place in that area. It should be an exciting and refreshing time since the ministry there is more developed than what is happening here in Killarney. After I return from the trip on Monday, I will be hitting the ground running with needing to prepare some bible lessons and a couple sermons before packing up to return home. The days will be getting busier.

In the mean time, I have a couple papers I am working on for Grace. My goal is to finish one of them tomorrow (Tuesday). Pray that I am able to accomplish that goal as I am a professional procrastinator :)

Aside from that, my time here has been good. Very stretching as I have been forced to evaluate my future ministry endeavors. I am not yet prepared to say what they will be, for many decisions must be made first, but I do have a lot running through my head. Thank you for your prayers.

Also, more pictures have been posted at my flicker account located here.

Ah the weather!!!

Actual weather report for today:

"showers turning to rain"

One thing they forgot to mention: hail!!!

Days of Encouragement

This past weekend I was able to make a trip to the town of Tralee. If you look at a map, it is about 40 minute drive north of Killarney. I thought I would take a minute to share some of the many great things that happened over the weekend.

There is a man, Frank, who is a part of the church in Tralee and works at a shoe shop in Killarney. I was arranged to meet with him Saturday evening when he closed up his shop at 6pm and ride with him up to Shaun and Tania Abrahams who are the missionaries in Tralee. Even the ride up to Tralee proved wonderful as he and I were able to talk about many of the difficulties with reaching the Irish people with the Gospel.


Shaun & Tania Abrahams

After arriving I had dinner with the Abrahams family and spent some time chatting with them. The next morning was Sunday worship. They meet in a small school, and we have to arrive early to set up chairs among other things. Attendance there is significantly larger than Killarney, but they have had a focused ministry there for a longer period as well. Aside from my preaching, they also had 5 people join the membership of this still smaller than most American church congregations. The excitement of the church was overwhelming.

Even after the service, more great things were to come. I got to have lunch with Shaun and Frank while the girls participated in a “boot sale.” The boot sale is much like a garage sale but smaller as people are gathered in a car park (parking lot) and sell things in their boots (trunks of the cars). The money raised is going towards a building fund which Shaun, Frank and I were on assignment regarding. After lunch we went to look at a field which they are considering purchasing to build a church on. The site is ideal for the church, situated just on the outside of town where there can be ample parking and room for growth. We took time to pray over the land that God would provide it and the funds needed.

Then for the evening I had dinner with the Abrahams and another family from the church, having a fantastic meal and conversation. On Monday morning Shaun, Tania and I went to another couple’s house for a prayer meeting. The four of them meet every Monday and so they freely invited me to join them. From there Shaun and Tania brought me back to Killarney feeling very refreshed.

The things happening in Tralee are exciting. God is working and that work is becoming more and more evident. What an encouragement to see.

Burning holes into the night.

It is hard to believe I am nearing the half-way point of this trip. Already much has been done for my culture study, but there is a great deal yet to accomplish. I have had a couple opportunities to preach and lead bible studies and there are many more to come. The schedule is looking to only get busier as the weeks move along.

If one thing is true about the culture, it is very dark. One member of the church here mentioned it seems as though this country is overshadowed by a dark cloud that it has become Satan’s stronghold. Harsh words for a country with a strong “Christian” heritage. The Catholic Church is a very important part of the culture here, but rather than teach the Gospel, it seems the Church is leading people away from it. Ireland is also known for being a land very familiar with struggle, poverty, and suffering but in the last 20 years that has changed drastically and an economic boom known as the Celtic Tiger arrived. The result of this was the country became more westernized and with that – secularized. The Tiger has left, and it remains to be seen how the country will respond to its leaving, but the dark cloud remains.


However, throughout the country, small candles a glimmer of light of the Gospel are beginning to penetrate this dark cloud. The small group of just 10 believers here in Killarney is one such example. The people here love God, and they love to pray and share their faith, so it seems it is just a matter of time before God answers and causes the church to see growth. Needless to say though, they do covet all our prayers. So please pray with us that His Church would grow in Ireland.


Prayer Needs:

Pray for Joe (name changed for privacy), he visited the church recently after having not been there for 10 years, and we know he does not know Christ. He may even become a primary contact for my culture studies as he mentioned that he and I should go hiking.

Culture adjustment – Ireland may speak English, but do not let that fool you. I have sat through many conversations scratching my head trying to understand not just the accent, but also the meaning of the words used.

hehe

Mull Weather

By a summer visitor

 

It rained and rained and rained and rained

    The average was well maintained

And when our fields were simply bogs

    It started raining cats and dogs

After a drought of half an hour

    There came a most refreshing shower

And the queerest thing of all

    A gentle rain began to fall

 

The next day was fairly dry

    Save for a deluge from the sky

It wetted people to the skin

    But after that the rain set in

We wondered what's the next we'd get

    As sure as fate we got more wet

But soon we'll have a change again

    And we shall have

                                                         a drop of rain

author unknown

New Pictures

I've uploaded new pictures to my Flicker account. To view them go here.

With the many images that flood in from the Republic of Ireland, one might think this country is deeply committed to the Christian faith. Some say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in this case a thousand words are inadequate. Ireland has a strong history of devotion to the Roman Catholic Church, even when it was illegal, but today even that devotion is only superficial. As one man at Grace Fellowship Church here in Killarney commented, it is like a dark cloud, thicker and blacker than any rain cloud that has ever covered this island. This island has become the playground of Satan.

I am reminded every night of this playground as I look out the window of my flat (apartment). Youth and adults alike flood the streets; scantily dressed and barely able to walk as they soak up the drunken culture of the land. These people can be very religious, but only for tradition’s sake. They do not know God, they know tradition.

But hope does come through churches such as Grace Fellowship. This tiny group of believers gets together every Sunday and Wednesday singing their hearts praise to God. They continually pray and thank God for the salvation which they have received, then pray it for their brothers, sisters, parents, even spouses. A wife whose husband detests the day she was baptized. A daughter whose mother has cancer and does not know Christ. A man, raised in a staunchly Catholic home, disappointing his extended family by taking his own family out of the Catholic Church to be “evangelical.”

Such is the ministry in the Republic of Ireland. Many towns here do not even have an evangelical church. Killarney is blessed with a small one, and it is this ministry that I have come to know and love, and am thus thankful for your prayers and support in sending me here. This is become just as much your ministry as it is mine. Pray for this church.

Prayer Needs:

Pray for Brian, he visited the church recently after having not been there for 10 years, and we believe he does not know Christ. He may even become a primary contact for my culture studies as he mentioned that he and I should go hiking.

Culture adjustment – Ireland may speak English, but do not let that fool you. I have sat through many conversations scratching my head trying to understand not just the accent, but also what their words meant.

Had to post this

Instructions from my "Cooker"; it is an oven with a stove top on it.

cure the elements
This generates fumes, so if you suffer from breathing problems, get someone else to do it (even if you don't suffer from anything, it's not a bad idea to get someone else to do the dirty jobs).

Also thought you might enjoy the directions for baking a pizza I am making now:

1. Pre-heat your oven to the perfect temperature as indicated
2. Carefully remove the packaging and spread out the topping.
3. For the perfect crispness, don't use a baking tray - just slide your pizza on to the middle shelf of your oven.
4. Bake for indicated time (you could use this time to prepare a mixed salad).
5. When your pizza is golden brown and piping hot, place it on to a wire rack to cool slightly - then share the delicious tast of Goodfella's Delicia Pizza.
*For best results cook from frozen. These are guidelines only.

Yes, I am still alive!!!

It has been a while. I arrived in Ireland on the 12th and things have been moving almost non-stop ever since. Only about an hour ago did I get internet established so I could begin making updates here (let alone contacting family to let them know I am ok).

From Saturday through Thursday I was able to receive a general tour of Killarney as well as what is called the Dingle peninsula. The reason for this touristy action was we were also entertaining another visitor, Rachael, who is on a discovery tour with CrossWorld. She is a Canadian considering coming to Ireland as a full time missionary so while she was staying with us we spend a significant portion of time learning about the region’s culture, geography and history. For me the tours were only a snippet introduction to what I will be doing with my culture studies, blanketing many areas of study. For pictures of my tours I am uploading a select few here.

I am now settled into my flat (apartment), but am still working on transportation (a bicycle – yes even when it rains). The bike needs new tires and a new pedal which we bought today and will hopefully change out tomorrow.

Sunday and Wednesday did consist of meeting members of Grace Evangelical Fellowship. The church consists of approximately 10 members who clearly love God. Worship was rudimentary compared to what we are used to in the States but irregardless, their worship is still truly worshipful and thus honoring to God. It is not about how “produced” our worship is that makes it good, it is about whether we truly believe and praise God with the songs we sing and the words we speak.

Things to pray for:
1.) Getting adjusted to the cultural setting. Handling money (euros) and remembering to look in the right direction when crossing the streets can be stressful. Imagine not knowing how to count your change when in a long line!

2.) Making contacts. The existing church has no one in my age bracket. It is my prayer that I will meet some young adults whom I can befriend. If they come to Christ as a result – bonus praise to God!

3.) Settling in. There is still much to do in regards to getting situated and beginning the culture study. Larry and I hope to sit down on Monday to hash out those details.

4.) Personal spiritual formation. I went for a walk last night after being dropped off and it hit me just how alone I am here. Up until last night Rachael was around who is a little younger than I and she made the initial transition a bit easier, but now in many ways I am on my own in a foreign land. Somehow I truly believe my communion with God will grow significantly over the next few months.

Cultural Fun Facts:
1.) light switches: up is off and down is on
2.) yes they drive on the opposite side of the road
3.) Showers: you don’t just turn on the hot water, you also have to turn on the water heater (and there are no switches in the bathroom, they are outside the bathroom)
4.) Language: yes they speak English, but meanings of many words are different and there are other words we use they do not and words they use that we do not.

arrived!!!

I am now officially in Ireland. It is exciting but the jet lag is taking over. I will be back when I'm more alert and have a better internet connection so I can post pictures.