Re-entry and Reflection, Part 2

Tuesday, May 1

"How can we get involved in helping Africa?"

That is a common question upon my return and seeing people around town. I first give a glazed-over look because the needs are so great. My mind cannot wrap itself around all that could be done and how much doing all we can appears at best to be a drop in the ocean of need.

There are all kinds of levels of need: the immediate human need to survive (food, water, shelter, medicine), the developing need for sustainable life (schools, infrastructure, agriculture, economic), the great need for growing the church deeply in the Word (spiritual formation, counseling, theological education of pastors and lay leaders), and the long-range goal that belongs to Uganda Christian University's Vice Chancellor, Steven Knoll - to raise up godly leaders for all aspects of African life (business, politics, law, education, social work, communications, medicine), which sounds a lot like NWC's Vocare program.

So, where to start?

One aim of my clergy renewal program (click here to see the program explained) is to rekindle a passion for mission, ministry, and vision for our shared journey as pastor and congregation. One activity outlined in the program is to connect with the world church to discern how to have ongoing relationships that are partnerships in the gospel. To that end, let me suggest both individual and church-wide efforts that could be undertaken. No, we cannot change all of Africa, but we can make an eternal difference in one part, one village, one ministry. If every church in North America adopted one ministry to partner with, the few drops become a life-giving spring to Africa's great need and opportunity.

INDIVIDUAL:

1. Informed Prayer: Make Africa part of your regular, personal prayer life. Try fasting to identify with hunger. Use a prayer guide, like www.24-7prayer.com.
2. Buy a bracelet: Some Trinity members are making Africa AIDS bracelets to sell. All proceeds will go directly to help people living with AIDS in Africa. It's a small way to get involved, and everyone can participate.
3. Support a Compassion Child: Some people in our church already do, and I saw one group of CI children in Seeta, Uganda. From first-hand knowledge, it appears to be a very worthwhile effort. For about $1 a day your gift feeds, clothes, and educates a child. (www.compassion.com)
4. Adopt a Child: Perhaps the Lord would put on your heart the desire to work with a Christian orphanage to bring a child orphaned by AIDS or war into your life for the long haul.
5. Go on a short-term mission trip: Wow! That'll rock your world. I'd love to take a group back.
6. Buy a windmill: For $750 your family can buy a windmill for sustainable agriculture in Ethiopia with RCA missionary Caleb Swart!

CHURCH-WIDE:
1. Buy a lot of windmills!
2. Adopt a ministry to become deeply involved in: perhaps as we walk through our own building program, we could be used to help others build and maintain ongoing ministry. For example, $100,000 would go a long, long way in completing Titus' Field of Dreams. This would build a counseling center for people dealing with AIDS, depression, and other spiritual needs. It would also be enough to get the right building and equipment to launch more radio programs in minority languages to northern Uganda and southern Sudan (coming to life after decades of war and the Lords Resistance Army that has ravaged the land and people). We could also adopt a school and build one. As I mentioned in Titu's field of dreams blog entry, much money is pouring into Africa for AIDS medicine. What the church is longing to provide is the spiritual needs of people dealing with AIDS, this is something UN money and the Gates Foundation and others are not providing. The counseling center and ministries like it are trying to fill that gap.
3. Bring a team to Uganda for 2 or 3 weeks, partnering with the local churches in ministry and mission. We could do development work in a rural area, provide professional training for lay counselors, do children's ministry in the rural parishes, do workshops at the university (maybe our strong NW connections could build partnering relationships with UCU, which is part of the CCCU).

The opportunities are virtually limitless. The need is great. And, no, we can't do everything, but let's do one thing and make an impact.