Jack’s Buzz

One if my former students, Gary, just told me about his friend who is the Pastor of Shady Grove Baptist Church in Who-Knows-Where, USA. Friend went to Africa three years ago and met a new church planter there. The new church planter asked Friend about his church in the USA and was intrigued by the name. Evidently a “shady grove” carries more meaning in that part of Africa than it does to most of America.

Three years later, Friend returned from the US to Africa and new church planter has now planted NINE churches. All named (can you guess?) Shady Grove Baptist Church.

I thought that was cool (get it). Sorry, it gets better.

I thought each of those SGBCs was probably a house church with 10-15 people in attendance. Gary says the attendance at each one is closer to 100-150. Wow. We need that guy over here. I want to know more. How could that happen in three years?

Here’s my guess. He (the African church leader) is a native who prays more than he complains and sows the gospel more than he watches TV. That and I’m guessing that he recognized a powerful cultural reality that the name “Shady Grove” would instantly register with locals. God gave him a connection point. What’s yours?

Sunday is a good day to send you the best web sites I’ve found lately. These two compete for most of my limited attention.

LarkNews.com – a good source for Christian news, or at least this is what we’d read if the Christian news were written by the same people who write Saturday Night Live or The Onion.

TED.com – a good place to stretch your brain. Watching TED presenters has helped me see much more of what God is doing in the world. Of course, that’s my perspective–most of the TEDers own a different world view, so be aware. I am addicted, however.

Enjoy.

I intended to visit Lifetree Church this morning. The GPS unit in my rental had other ideas. It sent me about 45 minutes in another direction. On the way I passed three huge churches each of which had overflowing parking lots and cops directing traffic. All three were located adjacent to one another. All three–as I mentioned–were packed.

The three? First Presbyterian, First Methodist, First Baptist. Three in a row. All traditional. All full. What can you say except that God must be up to something.

When I realized I was too far away to make it to Lifetree, I parked (3 blocks away) and just made it in for the 11:00am worship at First Baptist. What I saw impressed me no end. People of every generation filled all the seats. Many men wore suits and many did not. The choir wore robes, and led us singing hymns all of which I recognized. The Pastor preached that Christians need to lead in truth-telling. He preached it simply and straight from the Bible. An 8-year-old boy came to Christ and I went out feeling like I’d met with God and His people.

Not a bad Sunday. Tradition is in in Roswell, Georgia. I was glad the three cops were directing traffic.