On Having Two Wings

I returned home from Ethiopia on Saturday, grateful for traveling mercies for our whole team, and for the opportunities to join God in His work!

Last week the DML Ethiopia leader, Yoseph (pictured between board member Letta Jean Taylor and I), relayed the following story in his talk on generosity:

A 74-year-old man went to the doctor as he was having difficulty breathing.  The doctor checked his lungs and told the man that he would need to go on oxygen.  As the medical system was one where you have to prepay for services, the doctor told him it would cost 5,000 birr (about $42) for one hour of oxygen.  The man began to cry.  Concerned, the doctor asked whether the man didn't have the money to pay for the oxygen?  The man replied, "No, it's not that.  It's just that I am realizing the gift of having breathed for free for 74 years!"

What a beautiful response by this man!  We too need to be reminded that not one of us have paid for our hands, for our feet, our ears, our eyes.  This, Yoseph said, is the beginning of understanding generosity.  When we know the gifts that we have been given, and why we have these gifts (blessed to be a blessing), we understand that a healthy person both gives and receives.  

It is like flying with two wings - one is for giving and one is for receiving.  You can't fly properly with just one wing - you will go in circles and crash.  Every organ of our bodies understands this.  It's impossible for you to say that you will receive oxygen and refuse to give carbon dioxide.  It is impossible to eat and not have bowel movements.  These are natural cycles! We need to understand this for ourselves and also for those around us.  

God is the author of generosity.  And Yoseph reminded our team that this is not a subject that we teach - it is a life that we are to live.  If we are not generous in small things, it will be difficult to be generous in big things.  

In DML, we ask every church to teach three things: a healthy theology of work, wealth creation God's way, and wealth management God's way.  Last week, in Wolaita, Ethiopia, we met with 50 pastors and church leaders (see picture).  This is an area that has 1,500 EKHC local churches (Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church), with more than one million members!  The leaders who gathered are just a few of those implementing a workplace discipleship ministry in their church. I was blessed to hear testimony after testimony as to what happens when these three things are taught.  Personal income growing, church income growing, more missionaries being sent out, more people being reached for Christ.  The church is teaching wealth creation and at the same time, teaching stewardship and generosity, so that the increase is not just going to help one family but to be a blessing to more and more.  

It's amazing what happens when every person understands that they are part of the priesthood of believers!  

I am so thankful for the Kale Heywet Church and the work that they are doing throughout their 11,000 churches and twelve million members to increase Christian influence in all of society!  And one of the strong members of the DML team, Yonatan Simon (pictured next to me), is also the leader of the Youth Ministry, with a mere 6 million members (aged 18-35) and he is eager to get the message of entrepreneurship out to them.  The opportunity to teach work as worship is immense and we thank God for it!

DML Ethiopia Team (zonal leaders/trainers)

DML Global Summit 2024: A Journey of Fun, Fellowship, Worship, and Wisdom

We had an intense but amazing week together in Ethiopia.  We are so grateful for your prayers!  

We laughed a lot (see pictures!), cried together (not pictured), played together, and iron sharpened iron. 

I was asked how this summit was different than the one in Tanzania in 2022, and I think the key difference is two-fold:  

1. 
   The family/community of this group has grown even deeper over the last two years as we continue to pray together three times a week.  There is a depth in the relationships that is born out of that prayer time that allows for immediate closeness despite only seeing each other in person every two years.  
2. Ownership of this message, and calling in delivering it, is growing and deepening.  We can see how the Lord is working in a number of leaders who are willing to take this message beyond their borders and beyond their comfort zone.  The Holy Spirit is sending out laborers and we are thankful to be witnessing that work!  At this Summit, we commissioned our Ambassadors-at-large, our International Chaplain, and other key DML leaders.

The highlight of every summit is hearing the "country reports" where every partner shares what is working well and where there are challenges.  It is always amazing to hear the creativity of how people are disseminating this message to the Church and beyond, reaching business leaders, employees, governments, educators, orisons, health sectors, police, and more!  But we also looked at where we encounter barriers and discussed how to overcome them.  Some of the barriers are the prosperity gospel, the fear of wealth creation, the structure of an inward-focused church, church-program mentality (as opposed to a disciple-making mentality), and more.  

We had good diversity in this group, beyond 15 nationalities:  denominational leaders from many denominations, NGO leaders, pastors, businessmen/women, and educators, and generational diversity. We had DML board members present as well as partners from Asia for the first time.

Our recurring chant was, "How many are we?  One!" as we learned again what it means to move in one accord as the global church.  We reminded each other that we are not to "major on the minors" but stay true to the message God has given us.  

We reminded ourselves that "a persecuted church will survive, but a church with a compromised gospel will not." 

We spent a day touring Addis Ababa and learned about the wonderful and complex history of this beautiful city.  We then had a wonderful cultural dinner together, eating Ethiopian food, listening to Ethiopian singers and watching traditional dancing.

On Saturday, most of the team headed home, except for a few of us who went to Arba Minch to do some visiting of businesses and churches there.  I will move to Wolaita on Monday (while the balance of those here head home) to do a training of trainers for our course called, "Economics of Hope" with some of the many, many DML trainers that are across the country of Ethiopia.  

Speaking on behalf of the global DML team, we are so grateful for every person who supported this endeavor and made it possible.  We are grateful to you!

On Being Selfish: From Mission Field to Mission Force

This past week, I was privileged to speak at a missions conference in Tennessee, where I was reminded again of the incredible work that is being done in so many places of the world by ordinary people seeking to bring the love of Christ and the gift of grace to ordinary people in difficult circumstances.

While I struggled with some of the language around "mission" and "missionaries," I resonated with the speaker who said that representing Christ is "not a mission should you choose to accept it; rather, it is your identity."

Too often we still find that the language around missions includes the idea of a few people "going" to a place far away, yet all of us can be on mission every day of the week, as we meet people who might never step foot into a church and people that the pastor may never meet. 

I was reminded that while the USA is still the country that sends the highest number of missionaries globally, it is now also the country that RECEIVES the highest number of missionaries globally.  

In many places, the mission field has become the mission force.  The global south has more Christians than the global north.  The face of Christianity has moved from being a white Western male to being an African female (more women are Christian than men, and highest number of Christians are found in Africa).  

But I loved what one speaker said in talking about the US culture as it moves toward being post-Christian:  We must go to the nations so that they will come back to us when our Christianity has become "something-like-Christianity."

What a powerful statement.  

As the majority world moves from mission field to mission force, we find ourselves, in North America, moving from mission force to mission field.  

The quote below from A.W. Tozer reminds us that Christianity will always "reproduce itself after its kind." Who we are is what we will spread.  We must be careful in this.  He goes on to say, "The popular notion that the first obligation of the church is to spread the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth is false.  Her first obligation is to be spiritually worthy to spread it."  While one could say that we can never wait until we are worthy (but through the grace of God), the argument of living of striving to live lives of integrity and wholistic discipleship needs to be beyond our words to our actions.

In another book I was reading this week, Leading Well in Times of Disruption, the writer said, "People are unreached because God’s people are unsent.  The unreached are not unreachable…but sometimes the unsent are not sendable.  We lack character formation."

May God help us to send the 99% of Christians who work in the marketplace.  May God help us to be sendable.  May God help us to do discipleship that will lead to people of integrity - living on the outside what we proclaim on the inside.

From the book, Of God and Men, this quote from A. W. Tozer

The task of the church is twofold: to spread Christianity throughout the world and to make sure that the Christianity she spreads is the pure New Testament kind....

Christianity will always reproduce itself after its kind. A worldly-minded, unspiritual church, when she crosses the ocean to give her witness to peoples of other tongues and other cultures, is sure to bring forth on other shores a Christianity much like her own....

The popular notion that the first obligation of the church is to spread the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth is false. Her first obligation is to be spiritually worthy to spread it. Our Lord said "Go ye," but He also said, "Tarry ye," and the tarrying had to come before the going. Had the disciples gone forth as missionaries before the day of Pentecost it would have been an overwhelming spiritual disaster, for they could have done no more than make converts after their likeness, and this would have altered for the worse the whole history of the Western world and had consequences throughout the ages to come. (page 35-37).

Two wonders I confess: My worth and my unworthiness

This year, I had the opportunity to travel to a few countries that were new to me.  During those visits, I learned about the history of the country, as well as the history of Christianity.  In the sharing, I often heard about "colonial masters" who usually arrived at the same time as the missionaries.  The descriptions of both are rarely positive and some of the negative impacts continue to this day.  The idea that the work of those "unfurling Kingdom hope" is always positive is naive at best.  

However, in my last two trips, I've heard a lot of positive things about missionaries and what they have done.  This was especially true in South Korea, as they relayed the story of the history of Christianity through a beautiful drama during Lausanne.  It touched my heart to hear the story, and it helped to bring healing the term "missionary" for me.  I add that to my experience in Indonesia, as I heard the stories of the first missionaries who arrived in very difficult circumstances and sacrificed so much to share the gospel.  I get to work from the legacy of what they have done.  I am so thankful for that.

And all of that contributes to my understanding of this line from a song which I heard first at Lausanne:  

Two wonders I confess:  My worth and my unworthiness.

Indeed.  These words have captivated me and have kept me pondering over the last two weeks. Two wonders that are both true yet opposite.  How can this be?  What a mystery. What a wonder. 

My worth:  I am made in the image of the God of creation.  I am not an employee but a co-creator.  Jesus has paid the price for my sins and calls me friend.  All of that worth comes without me doing a single thing!  Understanding my worth doesn't come easy - I have to remind myself of this. I am invited to live it out, walking in obedience and faithfulness, seeking to grow in the fruits of the Spirit as I do so.

My unworthiness:  This is often much more apparent to me. I was born white in North America, living a life of great privilege that was built on the backs of many who suffered.  My ancestors did things to people that bring me shame to this day.  I am petty, self-absorbed, easily irritated, and impatient. 

How can this be?  Only God.  Only God can take someone so unworthy from an unworthy culture and unworthy ancestry to make a wonder that is able to join in the work of the most High God, with titles like "ambassador," "saint," and "priest."  

And for the missionaries who have gone before, who continue to go out, and who will go in the future, the same two wonders apply.

Only God.  

I am grateful.

The song, by the Gettys:

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=05jKxv8ApuI

My Worth is Not in What I Own

My worth is not in what I own

Not in the strength of flesh and bone

But in the costly wounds of love

At the cross

My worth is not in skill or name

In win or lose, in pride or shame

But in the blood of Christ that flowed

At the cross

I rejoice in my Redeemer

Greatest treasure, wellspring of my soul

I will trust in Him, no other

My soul is satisfied in Him alone

As summer flowers, we fade and die

Fame, youth, and beauty hurry by

But life eternal calls to us

At the cross

I will not boast in wealth or might

Or human wisdom's fleeting light

But I will boast in knowing Christ

At the cross

I rejoice in my Redeemer

Greatest treasure, wellspring of my soul

I will trust in Him, no other

My soul is satisfied in Him alone

Two wonders here that I confess

My worth and my unworthiness

My value fixed, my ransom paid

At the cross

I rejoice in my Redeemer

Greatest treasure, wellspring of my soul

I will trust in Him, no other

My soul is satisfied in Him alone

I rejoice in my Redeemer

Greatest treasure, wellspring of my soul

I will trust in Him, no other

My soul is satisfied in Him alone

"This is beyond revival. This will take a revolution."

"This is beyond revival.  This will take a revolution."

These were the closing words of one of the pastors in Trinidad, at the end of the workshop this past Saturday.  After two very good days together, with intense and deep discussions, he made this declaration with a bit of sadness, yet also an undercurrent of hope.  The pastors and leaders in attendance caught the vision for a paradigm shift of seeing the potential of equipping the 99%, of redefining the church as the people rather than the building, of seeking to fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission through fulfilling the Great Commitment.  They were excited, animated, and hopeful.

At the same time, they recognized the challenge of change.  We all know that change is not easy and that it is often slow-going.  And that is what the pastor was acknowledging.  We coach pastors and denominational leaders on four key challenges that a church may go through in accepting a workplace ministry:

1. The challenge of people recognizing that this is what it means to be a Christian.  It is difficult to accept that worship is for all parts of life, including work.  It is difficult to accept that every person is in the fulltime ministry of giving glory to God, while our specific placement is different.  
2. The challenge of the inward pull of the gathered church - this is very strong and difficult to change.  We have been focused on the building and it's programs for so long.  To understand the importance of the scattered church will take time.
3. The challenge to the role of leaders - We do away with terms like "clergy" and "laity", recognizing that there is no holiness hierarchy; that there is simply the "people of God" and the "priesthood of all believers."  We want to work toward being a nation OF priests, rather than a nation WITH priests.  This challenge cuts both ways and can be difficult to accept by the church leaders and the members.
4. The challenge of sustaining change.  When change starts to happen, it can be difficult to sustain it, until there is a natural and self-sustaining response to whole-life discipleship.  The process can be long and complex.  There may be spiritual resistance at the beginning but without intentionality, there may also be a drift back to what is traditional and familiar.

While this can feel like a bit of a downer, it's a piece of reality that we believe is important to impart to church leaders.  But we also give them some simple ways to start:

1. You don't need to begin a series on work.  You just need to recognize that many of your listeners do work.
2. You don't need to present a whole new vision to the church that will take years to be adopted.  You simply have to ask your members what God is doing in their workplace, and how they can join Him in that work.  
3. Continue pastoral visits, but add in questions about their workplace, and how the church can better equip them to be a disciple in those places.  Take a position of a learner about workplace challenges.
4. You don't have to spend a lot of time explaining to people what has changed in your perspective.  You could just invite people to come to a workshop to explore what would help them live more fruitfully for Christ.  
5. You can start now.  

How did DML arrive in Trinidad?  We are working with an organization called Network for Christians in Business (NCB) led by Ladi Franklin.  NCB is an affiliate of Partners Worldwide, and I met Ladi many years ago when I worked for them.  We have connected on and off throughout the years, but in March of this year, she felt God very strongly telling her to work through the church.  She started asking questions about how that could be done and was directed to DML.  It was a joy to reconnect with her, in a much deeper way than before.  In the group picture, she is sitting to the left of me.

On Sunday, Ladi and her husband Vincent took me on a beautiful tour around the island.  So much beauty and an amazing history.  As is the case with most places, it is a history full of challenge and joy.  

One of the most amazing parts of the day was a small boat tour through canals that lead to the ocean, featuring so many mangrove trees (which are truly amazing), as well as many birds.  The most amazing bird is the national bird, the scarlet ibis.  We were there in the early evening when they all come to one island for the night, shared with other birds.  The flamingoes were there first, then the egrets and herons...and all of them move to the interior of the island as the scarlet ibis arrive...in the dozens and then hundreds.  Here are a few pictures, although as always, you can't truly capture the experience in pictures!

Trinidad with a view toward Tobago

Vincent and Ladi Franklin, a dear brother and sister in the Lord!

The ridge of mountains in the distance is Venezuela!  Just 6.8 miles away!

Mangrove trees - such cool trees!  The roots grow down from the branches, acting like breathing tubes!

Flamingoes are the first to come to the island every evening...

...followed by egrets (in white), herons, and then the red dots are the scarlet ibis.

The beautiful scarlet ibis...the national bird of Trinidad.  So striking against the blue and green! 

Kingdom Hope Unfurled

A theme of this blog for the past several years is a Kingdom vision versus a church vision.  A Kingdom vision sees all the world flourishing as God originally intended, with every person being agents of reconciliation.  A church vision is often limited to the flourishing of the building and the people inside, and the work of the church is limited to volunteering for the programs of the church.  

Last week at Lausanne, we had an opportunity to glimpse a Kingdom vision, far beyond a church or denomination, with mechanical engineers, economic professors, pastors, and NGO leaders all sitting at the table to discuss what flourishing looks like for the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

The Gettys were one of the worship teams during the week, and there is one song that I just can't get out of my head.  The name of the song is, "Facing a Task Unfinished" (sung to the tune of "The Church's One Foundation") - the lyrics and the YouTube video are below.  It is a beautiful song, with inspirational words that "rebukes our slothful ease," but the words that capture me are these:

We go to all the world, with Kingdom Hope unfurled...

"Kingdom hope unfurled."  What beautiful imagery!  The Kingdom of God, the author of hope, joy, peace, and flourishing, raising or unfurling a flag throughout the world.  A flag planted in soil makes a claim of ownership.  It is a Kingdom that promises good not evil, that provides meaning and purpose in every day for every person, where "my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands...for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them" (Isaiah 65:22-23). How we long to see this flag unfurled.  

How we long to see hope in the eyes of our brothers and sisters, both at home and around the world! 

How we long to see the Kingdom of God on earth, as it is in heaven; not waiting for the Lord's return, when that will be a sure thing, but actively participating and working toward it in our own ways, in our own sphere of influence!

I have the joy and pleasure of seeing lightbulbs go on when people realize that work is not a curse; that work is a gift; that work is more than a paycheck, but a chance to contribute to the flourishing of others; that their work matters to God; that they were created on purpose and for a purpose, which can be lived out every day; and that work can be done as an act of worship. What a privilege to see new hope on the faces of those who hear this message and then the stories of impact as they begin to live it out.  

This past week, the DML Zambia team had a zoom call with us to share with great excitement what is happening in the churches and businesses who are hearing and living out this message.  Their goal was to share their excitement and to be an encouragement to us!  It is calls like that that gives me hope to believe that Christians can be agents of reconciliation in bringing about "kingdom hope unfurled."

This week, I travel to Trinidad and Tobago to share the message of "work as worship."  Another new country, another new culture, another new opportunity to work with like-minded brothers and sisters in participating in this message.  Please pray for this seed to find a home where it too can flourish.

And if you don't know this song, please click the link below.  But beware, it may also get stuck in your head!

Keith & Kristyn Getty - Facing A Task Unfinished (Lyric Video) (youtube.com) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOpt_bulJxY

Facing a Task Unfinished 

Facing a task unfinished, That drives us to our knees, A need that undiminished, Rebukes our slothful ease

We, who rejoice to know Thee, Renew before Thy throne, The solemn pledge we owe Thee, To go and make Thee known

Where other Lords beside Thee, Hold their unhindered sway, Where forces that defied Thee, Defy Thee still today

With none to heed their crying, For life and love and light, Unnumbered souls are dying, And pass into the night

Chorus: We go to all the world, With kingdom hope unfurled, No other name has power to save, But Jesus Christ The Lord

We bear the torch that flaming, Fell from the hands of those, Who gave their lives proclaiming, That Jesus died and rose

Ours is the same commission, The same glad message ours, Fired by the same ambition, To Thee we yield our powers

Chorus: We go to all the world, With kingdom hope unfurled, No other name has power to save, But Jesus Christ The Lord

O Father who sustained them, O Spirit who inspired, Saviour, whose love constrained them, To toil with zeal untired

From cowardice defend us, From lethargy awake!, Forth on Thine errands send us, To labour for Thy sake

Chorus: We go to all the world, With kingdom hope unfurled, No other name has power to save, But Jesus Christ The Lord

Chorus: We go to all the world, His kingdom hope unfurled, No other name has power to save, But Jesus Christ The Lord

The Beauty of the Global Church

Dear Friends,

I arrived home on Saturday night around midnight, exhausted and spent after a month on the road, from Uganda to Singapore to Indonesia to South Korea.  But despite a thirteen-hour time change and hours and hours of travel, there was a deep joy in my heart.  I experienced a phenomenal gift when I saw the global church at work in Lausanne.  It was beautiful and I will carry it in my heart for a long time.  To all those who supported and prayed for this trip, I am so grateful!

When I started the Lausanne journey a year ago, I had been discouraged by the global church and its shortcomings and failures.  But in this past year, I have met people from all around the world, from places that I've never heard of, each doing their part to make this world a better place, striving to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  Most people I have met are not doing phenomenal things but small things, unknown to many around them, and that has been so encouraging.  Every person trying in their own sphere of influence, based on their passion and interests, to make this world a better place.  

The week at Lausanne was a precious time as it was a glimpse of the global church with 5000 people from 202 countries.  All regions of the world were intentionally included in the speaker panels.  There was also great intentionality on the part of the planners for connection and discussions, and week-long table assignments facilitated that.  The men from my own group (see picture) became dear brothers to me during the week. Together we celebrated, lamented, agreed and disagreed about the work of the global church.  

I'm still processing the week, especially as I catch up on sleep and recover from jet lag, so more will come later.  But here are some takeaway quotes from some of the speakers:

“We must seek and show the whole world the beauty of the whole body of Christ!

 Not just one tiny part. To be honest, even on the most beautiful person, if you just see their big toe or their elbow, you might think they are quite ugly!

So let’s show the whole world, the whole body of Christ!”  

— Michael Oh

“Witnessing in the workplace is woven into the DNA of the early church.”

— Julia Garschagen, Lessons from Acts: Christian Witness in the Workplace

"Yet for all our diversity, there is only one kind of Christian who is able to carry forward the Great Commission. There is only one kind of preacher or proclaimer,
one kind of pastor or church planter, one kind of mission strategist or marketplace mobilizer who is able to do the true work of evangelism anywhere in this world: someone who embraces Christlike servanthood as a way of life."

— Philip Ryken, Lessons from Acts: Christlike Servanthood

“I believe that every missional community will pay a cost no matter what. The question is: will it be the cost of staying silent while false teachings divide us, or the cost of breaking the silence with true teaching that should unite us?”

— Anne Zaki, Lessons from Acts: The Missional Community as God's New Society

“My encouragement to senior leaders in the room is this — we need you.
It is impossible for this emerging generation to fulfill the call of God without experienced leaders who are willing to be a shade over our boldness and who will intercede for our healing.”

— Sam Cooper, Missional Engagement: God's Mission Through Intergenerational Disciples

“Persecution will never kill the church, but a compromised gospel will.”

— Patrick Fung, Lessons from Acts: Persecution and Mission

“The greatest manifestation of love is suffering.”

— Farshid Fathi, Missiological Engagement: God's Mission Amidst Challenge and Adversity

“In the eyes of great and mighty God, no matter how much you bring or little you bring to the table, it’s still five loaves and three fishes. It is not how much or what you bring to the table but in whose hand you place them.”

— Jiyoung Yoo, Collaborative Action Team

This week: Lausanne Congress #4

[Update on the time in Singapore and Indonesia will come next week.  This week I want to focus on what is happening with the Lausanne Congress.]

Today, in Seoul, South Korea, 5,000 people from around the world will gather to begin a week-long discussion as representatives of the global church, seeking to address how the church can engage in global opportunities and challenges.  An additional 5,000 people will be online.

But this is not an event that happens as a one-off conference.  The work and build-up to this started a year ago, and the expectation is that those who are engaged will continue to do this work of networking and collaboration for the foreseeable future.  The effort to pull this off has been significant and as one of the attendees, I have deep appreciation for the work that has gone into this through the efforts of more than 1000 volunteers.  

Just two weeks ago, Lausanne released the State of the Great Commission report, which can be downloaded here.  Be aware that this report is over 500 pages, so it isn't for the faint of heart!  But there was a lot of research that was done with more than 100 authors and there is a lot of great content.  

In this report, Lausanne has identified twenty-five "gaps" in fulfilling the Great Commission, which will be addressed during the week.  These 25 gaps come out of the following seven questions:

1. How can emerging population blocks be reached?
2. What is ministry in a digital age?
3. What does it mean to be human?
4. What is polycentric mission?
5. How can spirituality and holiness define missions?
6. What is community?
7. What is our influence on society?

If you are interested in learning more about these gaps, you can go here for brief videos and descriptions of each.  I have been assigned to #7, looking specifically at "Societal Trust and Influence of Christianity," asking this question:  How might the church, parachurch, and workplace reach and disciple others in a Christlike way which rebuilds societal trust and demonstrates the gospel's plausibility through Kingdom influence?  Research shows that the church is either maintaining or losing trust in society.  How do we rebuild this trust?  How can we live as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God in every sphere and sector of society?

Important questions to wrestle with and even more important that there is collaboration going forward.  Societal trust and influence seem to be at an all-time low for the global church, due to many different issues.

While this past year has been a flurry of activity, reading, learning, communicating, and meeting with people around the world, I have been so very encouraged by all the ministries and individuals that I have met who are trying, in their own way, to make this world a better place and to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  

Please pray that we may lay our egos and personal ministry agendas aside, to network and collaborate for the building of the global church, for the flourishing of all of creation, and for the glory of God.

Beautiful Uganda: Lake Victoria and the Nile River

Greetings from Singapore!  Last year I met a wonderful sister in the Lord at the Beyond Business Conference in Hyderabad, India, and she invited me to Singapore and Indonesia to share the message of DML.  She has been working with universities and Bible schools across Southeast Asia teaching entrepreneurship and has many connections who need to hear the message of "work as worship."  So when I had a week between the Ugandan conferences and the Lausanne Congress in South Korea, she jumped at the opportunity to schedule some meetings.  I will speak at three Bible Colleges on the island of Batam, which is about 70% Muslim and 20% Christian.  This sister is also going to Lausanne, so we will travel there together on Saturday. We expect to have an amazing time as the global church sits down to work out how to be a healthy body of Christ!

Last week in Uganda, we had a wonderful time with the Pentecostal Theological College in Mbale, Uganda and they are hoping to integrate our courses into their curriculum.  We thank God for this! 

I then had the joy of spending a couple of days with a friend who joined me on the Uganda portion of this trip, and we visited the source of the Nile River and a beautiful island on Lake Victoria covered in birds.  What an amazing creation God has made!

Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world (the first being Lake Superior).  It covers almost 60,000 square kilometers and connects to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.  Many rivers flow into Lake Victoria, but there is only one outlet to the (White) Nile River.  At that point, you can see the water bubbling up to the surface from the springs below (see picture below).  About 33% of the water that flows from Lake Victoria from the Nile is from the spring, and the rest is from the lake.  

The water then travels 6,800 km (4,000 miles) over 90 days to reach the Mediterranean Sea, traveling through South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt, joined by the Blue Nile River, coming out of Ethiopia.  Tributaries contributing to Lake Victoria are also in Burundi, Rwanda, Eritrea, and the DRC, bringing the number of African countries impacted and impacting this water source to twelve.  This means there needs to be lots of cooperation relating to this very important water source!

We learned that close to where we were, on Lake Victoria, were two prisons, built right on the lake.  We were told that many Ugandans do not swim, therefore the lake served as a natural protection against escape.  The crocodiles are also a big part of that deterrent.  Many factories have been built along the waterfront for easy access to the ports for export to neighboring countries; unfortunately, many were abandoned after the reign of Edi Amin and are still not functioning.

I don't usually do much tourist stuff so this was fun for me!  (BTW, a little promotion of tourism for Uganda - they have bungee jumping and ziplining over the Nile if you are into adventures!  Plus kayaking, fishing, and more.  A beautiful place to visit!)

The water bubbling up from the springs at the source of the Nile.

Rapids further down the Nile from the source.  We met several people worshipping other gods here - praying to the river.  That has been happening for many centuries - we pray for all to recognize the power of God in this river!

These trees are FULL of birds - all around this small island.  So beautiful.  (It's also a bit dangerous to walk under the trees, as there are a lot of droppings!  And yes, that happened to me.)

A new name for God? God as......waiter??!

This week in Kampala, I visited the Gaddafi Mosque, an amazing building built on the highest hill in Kampala and able to hold 25,000 people for prayer.  On one of the walls were written the 99 names that Muslims have for Allah.  As Christians, we also have many names for the Trinity.  Some favorites come from Isaiah:  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  

But this week, I learned that some Christians have another name for God.  Well, maybe not a name per se, but definitely a perception of God that is VERY different than my own.  Let me share with you a quote that I heard this week from an American pastor who was also a speaker at the church conference in Uganda, where I was this past week:

"Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He is sitting down.  He is not working.  And He will sit there until He returns.  And it is the same for you.  You do not need to work.  You need to sit there and wait for Him.  It's like you are in a restaurant.  The waiter sits you down.  Then he sits other people down.  Then he comes back for your order and you put it in.  He then goes to get the orders of the other customers.  After some time, you can see that the orders are being brought to those who came after you and you wonder where your order is!  But just wait.  God is going to bring you your order!"

God as a waiter.  A God who takes orders.  A God whose job is to serve us.  

This is NOT the God I serve.  

The theme for this conference was "Possess the Land."  It was a theme that I admitted made me a bit nervous, especially with the history of colonization, tribalism, and civil war.  But I was able to teach it by adding the phrase, "Possessing the Land for the Kingdom of God."  I taught about how we are the hands and feet of Christ, and how we are to work as agents of reconciliation in our relationships to God, each other, and to creation and work.  My goal, given to me by the leaders of the denomination, was to help people recognize the ability of every member to contribute to the flourishing of Uganda, their families, and the church, by using their time, treasure, and talent (what is in their hand) for the glory of God, seven days a week.

The US team that came to speak had a very different goal. Actually, it was a contradictory message, which was frustrating for me and confusing for the audience.

The speaker quoted above said, "Taking possession of the land is more about receiving than working.  Just receive it.  I need you to worship and just receive your inheritance.  You don't have to work for your inheritance.  My son does not need to work for his inheritance - he will receive it.  The prodigal son did not work for his inheritance - he just received it.  You need to do the same."

The prosperity gospel in full.  Just have enough faith, sew a financial seed, and you will get your miracle.  It made me sick to hear hour after hour of this.  I had heard prosperity gospel messages before and have read books on this as well.  But to hear it live for this many hours was a first for me. As the week went on, I moved from feeling sick to feeling angry.  

In my mind, the prosperity gospel is similar to selling lottery tickets to the poor.  They pay something (which is nicely phrased as "sowing a seed" in the hopes of getting a big cash out. 

I tried to recraft every hour I was given to speak to come against this message.  The one line that often gets people clapping in many churches that are not focused on the prosperity gospel is, "The spirit of poverty cast out by prayer alone will return again."  When I said it last week, there was no applause, just silence with a look of confusion on some faces.  

Brothers and sisters, this message has been exported from the US to the rest of the world, and it continues to this day.  It needs to be combatted.  People are wasting their lives, believing that they must spend their time in church praying for a miracle, afraid of working because they also are being taught that wealth will lead to losing their salvation.  

We need to be in prayer about this and we also need to share the message that God is King (as opposed to servant) wherever we can.  Many doors are opening for this message and we are trying to build capacity in new trainers as quickly as we can. Please join us! (Click here for more details.)

"Church does not create Kingdom. Kingdom creates genuine church."

Greetings from Uganda, where I will have the opportunity to speak at a national conference for a local denomination this week.  Thankful to God for church leaders who are opening doors for this message!

Recently I was forwarded an article by a DML board member in which I found a quote that is the title for this blog:  "Church does not create Kingdom.  Kingdom creates genuine church."  The message articulated well what DML has been trying to say for some time.  The author stated that the church is born from necessity, as described in the book of Acts.  But the Kingdom was formed from the beginning, from creation.  

In too many places, we have forsaken the Kingdom to create the church, often a place of nourishment, comfort, and healing.  Not a bad thing, but not complete.  The Kingdom requires us to attend to the Father's purposes, carrying the message and power to a hurting world.

We have been asking the world to join the church, but we have failed to equip the church to provide hope and direction in the Kingdom.  

The time is coming where this may change.  

At the end of this month, the fourth Lausanne Congress will meet, where a significant discussion will take place regarding the role of the church and the role of the workplace.  The number of global church leaders who are showing an interest in this conversation is significant.  The message of "the purpose of Sunday is Monday" is resonating among many and there is a movement toward understanding the need for holistic discipleship.  

But message and method are two different things.  We may appreciate this message, but knowing how to implement a methodology to help this come alive in a local church context can be complex and rigorous. 

We have found that the first thing needed is to UNLEARN some things before we can learn some new things.  We need to unlearn the definition of the church as a building rather than the people.    We need to unlearn a clergy/laity divide (these are not Biblical terms) and go back to the understanding that we are all the people of God, all called into the general full-time service of giving glory to God, with very different specific placements.  We need to unlearn a sacred/secular divide that is so very deeply embedded into our faith that we often contribute to it without being aware of it!

For example, I was at a church a few weeks ago and the pastor was preaching on Matthew 9, when Jesus had dinner with the tax collectors.  The pastor said, "Maybe this was a goodbye dinner for Matthew, as he would not be able to return to being a tax collector again - not like the disciples who were fishermen and could go back to their craft!"  Immediately, a red flag went off for me, and I wondered why this pastor believed a tax collector would not be able to return to his work.  Is that work too secular?  Too worldly?  Too sinful?  And if that is the belief, isn't it even more important for Christians to be in those places, doing that work with integrity and excellence?  When I shared this story with some businessmen some days later, one said with a grimace, "I was in tax collection for many years."  Imagine the impact of working in a profession that your pastor believes is beyond redemption.

It seems obvious that the church does not create Kingdom.  While 33% of the world professes Christianity, most of us would agree that we do not see the Kingdom of Heaven on earth in any significant way.  In countries where the majority profess to be Christian, we see the same levels of corruption, destruction, and poverty that we see in countries where the majority are not Christian.  There are exceptions to this, of course, but as a rule, we probably can agree that the church does not create Kingdom.

But do we agree with the statement that "Kingdom creates genuine church"?  For this to find agreement, we may need to use our imagination.  Imagine a place where the Kingdom of Heaven is palpable around us.  Where all people are treated with dignity and respect, where every person sees the part that they can play in contributing to the flourishing of others, as image-bearers of God.  Where every person can participate in being blessed to be a blessing, working with integrity and excellence, working with purpose and as an act of worship, while caring for creation and loving their neighbor.  What would such a place look like?

And if such a place existed, how might people respond?  

I know that when I am in nature, there is almost an automatic response to worship.  When I see nature, I see the hand of God.  When I see people and cities, I don't have the same reaction.  But if I saw people and cities behaving in the way I described above, I wonder if there would also be an automatic response to worship?  Seeing the Kingdom displayed in such a way would draw people together to not only worship but to continue to encourage and equip each other to stay true to our purpose, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, a little at a time, every day.

I would like to see such a place.  I catch glimpses of it here and there.  But sometimes it feels like water at the beach...the water hits your feet and as soon as you start to appreciate it, it's quickly gone.  

But we can do better.  We are called to do better.

Please join with me in prayer that the conversations at Lausanne will lead to a revival of the people of God being the church in every place and space.  From tax collectors to fishermen/women, from sales to service, from pastors to teachers to auditors to cleaners to police officers to guards, and more and more!

2.4 billion people living this out.  What an amazing impact that could bring!  

DML Global Summit: Revival and Reformation in the Marketplace

I'm preparing to head out on Saturday for a one-month trip, starting in Uganda for two weeks, then Singapore, Malaysia, and lastly South Korea for the Lausanne Congress.

While the majority of my travel typically centers around me meeting with teams in their locality, every two years our teams gather together for community, fellowship, learning, and sharing.  So while I've been preparing for this trip, I am also actively working on the upcoming DML Global Summit in November.  In 2022, we gathered in Tanzania (team picture from that summit is below) and this year we will gather in Ethiopia, with the theme: Revival and Reformation in the Marketplace. 

This is a big ministry opportunity and here's why: 

DML is now eleven years old and this year has seen significant growth for our ministry.  We see the ripples of the message going out to more and more countries and denominations.  So far in 2024, we have started work in Benin, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Pakistan, and Guinea, and soon will start in the DRC and Trinidad and Tobago.  The connection through the Lausanne Congress is opening more doors for partnership with the Congress’ emphasis on the workplace.

This is exciting!  We knew that this growth and expansion was coming, and we have been trying to prepare for it as best we can.  Therefore the opportunity to gather together in person to discuss best practices and lessons learned, as well as to pray together in person, have communion together, laugh, and cry together, is very important.  

We have seen a sharp increase in ownership of this message by our teams, as they implement this message in their own homes, communities, and churches, and as they take their own initiative to carry this message further in their locations and spheres of influence.  

Our call is to join God in what He is doing in bringing revival and reformation to the Marketplace.  He is doing this work!

 

Our mission would not be possible without the prayer and financial support of committed partners like you. We thank God for your faithful support.

Our Summit is planned for November 2-9, where we will be gathering 50 ministry partners from thirteen different countries.

We invite you to participate in this summit through prayer and potentially sponsoring one or several of our partners. The per-person cost for the summit (which includes airfare and travel, visa, lodging, food, etc.) is $800.  Should you desire to sponsor a team member for this year’s summit, feel free to give online or by sending a check to DML at PO Box 231, Sparta MI 49345. Any support, both prayer and/or financial, is greatly appreciated. Thanks!