"What a week this has been!" wrote Doug Birdsall, Executive Chair of The Lausanne Movement. "Over the past seven days the unity, diversity, and vitality of the worldwide Church have been on dramatic display in Cape Town." And it has been quite a week! What stands out for me is the
Jack De Vries was hired on by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and began his work as Ministry Training Coordinator in January 2008. In 2012 this role shifted to that of Ministry Development Coach.
Jack came from Canada where he pastored three Christian Reformed churches: Alliston CRC, Alliston, Ontario(1983-87), a church plant:...
Jack De Vries was hired on by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and began his work as Ministry Training Coordinator in January 2008. In 2012 this role shifted to that of Ministry Development Coach.
Jack came from Canada where he pastored three Christian Reformed churches: Alliston CRC, Alliston, Ontario(1983-87), a church plant: New Life Community Church, Pickering, Ontario(1987-95), and Bethel CRC, Listowel, Ontario (1995-2007). Jack is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity - 1983) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry - 2003) Jack and his wife Jeannie currently live in Petrie, a northern suburb of Brisbane in Queensland. They attend and are members of Bray Park Community Church. They have four adult children and seven grandchildren living in the USA and Canada.
In Isaiah 58:11 we read: "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Australia has seen times of drought and floods. There is another type of drought in Australia; there is a spiritual drought. But God promises to provide refreshing rain, a never ending supply of refreshing water. The water he provides will satisfy the needs of all Australians. As we take up the missional vision God has given us we extend the life changing invitation of Jesus: "Come! Whoever is thirsty, come, and take the free gift of the water of life!" (Revelation 22:17)
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What hurts God most is the disobedience and failure of his people. Just read the books of the prophets in the Old Testament. Here and there God addresses the unbelieving pagan world; most often he speaks to believers. Ever since the days of Abraham God's people have been called to be a light to the nations, a blessing to the people around them. But the reality is that often God's people have become worse than the people around her.
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In 1910 there was very little church growth in Africa. But many people responded to the mission call to reach out to the continent of Africa. Today, 100 years later, the church has grown by 3000%. In 1910 it was a receiving church; today in 2010 the African church is a sending church. They are sending missionaries to
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History began in a garden; it will end in a city. This is the testimony of the Bible. It all began in the garden of Eden and it will end in the holy city, the new Jerusalem. From a garden to a city. Cities -- this is where the population of the world is. More than 1/2 of the world's population
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God told Moses: "I have seen the suffering of my people; I have heard their cries; I will come down." (Exodus 3:7) It is especially in Christ where we see the fulfilment of those words. God has seen the suffering of people; he has heard their cries; and God came down!
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