An Invitation to Africa Three years ago, St. John’s began praying a bold prayer: Lord, show us a vision for reaching farther. Jesus’ words of both call and promise inspired our prayer: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). They helped us shape our vision to be persistent in sending one another as missionaries to our communities nearby and even to the ends of the earth as Diane Bulkeley is doing right now in China. Last week, we were blessed to welcome, Dr. Norb Oesch from the Pastoral Leadership Institute International (PLII). His message was stirring. He challenged us to throw down every identity, value and purpose that is poisoning God’s true work in us. He spoke our language of “vocation” and God’s “missionary sendings.” And he shared with us the work God is doing here and to the very the ends of the earth. At the same time, God was stirring up a huge invitation to us behind the scenes. Dr. Scott Rischie, executive director of PLII was praying that St. John’s would be reaching farther. He called me from PLII’s world headquarters in China and later wrote a bold invitation. In part it reads… “I am writing to ask you and your congregation to be involved with PLII with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia (ELCL). I would like to ask you and your wife to prayerfully consider being the volunteer team leaders for the PLII Liberia… that you would assist me in coordinating, planning and teaching in the ELCL… It is also the desire of the ELCL’s Bishop that members of St. John’s would be involved additionally in the country… even beyond that of PLII and seeing what other doors God may open for mission and ministry.” Wow! Our bold prayer has grown beyond anything we imagined three years ago. It is not, however, a far-fetched vision. For years, God has been raising up our congregation for such a time as this. He has been shaping Sandi and me through years of raising up pastors and wives in ministries beyond St. John’s. He was rescuing refugees from a war-torn nation to return and raise up disciples of Jesus. After the fighting ceased in Liberia, these refugees formed the ELCL in 2009. Today, the ELCL has 137 congregations, 12 Lutheran schools and over 6,000 baptized believers. The ELCL was accepted as a partner church of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod on July 22, 2013. Following that action, the ELCL and our synod appealed to PLII to raise up leaders in this young movement. And by nothing short of the grace and providence of God, PLII has appealed to St. John’s to sponsor the movement. On Tuesday, I gave a report to our church council of this invitation. Such a call to follow Christ cannot be taken lightly. There’s a real commitment for all of us to make. Some of that will be with our time and special offerings, but the greatest will be for our hearts to unite around a ministry likely to impact millions in the future of Africa. We prayed, “Lord, show us a vision for reaching farther,” and the Holy Spirit, as promised, has been moving behind the scenes in a very powerful way. There is much more to share and unpack together. I welcome the chance to do that in formal and informal conversations throughout this ministry. Talk with Sandi and me. Ask all the questions you can think of. Above all pray. Pray for us to be united, to have discernment and to “fan into flame the gift of God, which is in [us].... For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7). Pastor Geis
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 14:00:00 +0000
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