Saturday, December 17, 2011

Missions Teaching

This last week I spent 4 days teaching a group of 15 pastors on the subject of "Missions". Many pastors in Zambia see Americans as missionaries but they dont see their churches as needing to or able to be a part of the Great Commission. We walked through many Scripture discussing the relevance for today and how God expects the church to truly function... every member a minister!
We had some great discussions concerning the point, the people, the purpose, and the plan of God's Mission. As always, it is hard to know if these men will own this teaching for themselves and really seek to move forward in this area. We continue to pray and equip as the Lord leads through all of this! 
One interesting discussion through all of this was on the subject of deliverance. Many churches in Zambia, whether Baptist or Pentecostal have "deliverance" services. The perception is that people hear the message and then come for counseling - once they come, the pastor "delivers" them from some demon or overbearing sin. Along with that discussion comes the talk about "Christians" being possessed and controlled by demons. Quite a passionate discussion by those involved. 

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