Monday, July 18, 2011

Ministry in Jamaica...

It was just before 8:30 this morning. 

Children begin trekking up dirt paths, crooked roads and step hills toward the site of this weeks Bible Camp in the small township of Greenvale (Jamaica). 


For some, this was their first time stepping foot on the property of where this church gathers. The church meets on a small plot of property under a tent.
 



This morning we began just that, with ages ranging from three to seventy-three, we began exploring the story of Scripture and the life we can find in Christ.

This week we are teaching from the story of Daniel. Daniel was a young man who lived who experienced many of the challenges we face in the day in which we life. The culture around him was trying to shape how he saw himself, understood God and related to others. Yet, with God’s strength, he was able to withstand these influences with resole. There were spiritual practices that assisted in posturing Daniel to remain not only strong, but positioned to be an influencing voice in all of Babylon. This is God’s desire for us as well - to be able to stand against the forces of popular culture, experience deep intimacy with God and engage practices that enable us to be sensitive to God’s promptings and His mission in the world. This is our message this week.


 
Today, as we began to develop new friendships and trust, we explored how the forces of Babylon attempted to “mold” Daniel like Play-Doh. Many of Daniel’s contemporaries fell prey to the shaping powers, yet Daniel remained strong against the peer-pressures surrounding him. 

Each person was given some Play-Doh to experience the process of something being shaped. There’s an image of what one wants to create. The powers of Babylon had an image of what they would shape the Hebrew children into.  
 


All that’s required is a little rolling, molding, shaping and reworking and in minutes the children had all sorts of objects and shapes. The same was true in Babylon, as well as in the world in which we live…


 Over the next four-days, we will build on this foundation...





  




 POINTS OF PRAYER:


  • That God would continue to grant us strength and creativing in ministering and presenting the message of Scripture.

  • For trust to be developed between our team and our new friends, as well as for hearts to become more-and-more open to the truth of the Gospel.

  • For the Spirit of God to continue to draw folks (of all ages) from the community around.

  • That lives will forever be transformed by the powerful love and grace of Christ.

1 comment:

a.rogers said...

Sounds awesome! Def. keeping you and the team in prayer.