We have much to learn, pt. 1
It was 45 days ago I returned from Malawi after spending a total of 17 days away from home. Though this was not my first trip to Africa, the lessons learned were many, including:
I do not plan to be away from home this long ever again while our kids are so young.
That said, my wife is pretty much amazing for the way she handled everything while we were away. Oh, and today is our 8th wedding anniversary!
University students are fantastic travelers and short-term-missionaries. Need to sleep on the floor? 36 hours of travel? Not sure where the next meal comes from? Need to stay up late, get up early? This team was out-of-this-world-AMAZING! Flexibility is the name of the game on these trips, and this group was nothing short of phenomenal.
The church may be limping along in the states, but she is growing rapidly south of the Equator. There are not enough pastors to meet the demands of these growing congregations.
Yes, even churches in Africa are struggling to navigate new worship styles/formats. The more “progressive” churches offer services in English, which is the language of the younger generation. Still others have “praise choirs” in lieu of singing traditional hymns. Concerns mount over whether or not churches are reaching youth and young adults, something the Pentecostals seem to be doing well. This leads others to wonder, “should we become more Pentecostal?”
The difference lies in that congregations south of the equator are dealing with these challenges while strengthening their faith and “growing in numbers” (Acts 16:5).
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