Growing a heart for Europe

They say confession is good for the soul. I must

confess to you that I have been judgmental. I

used to think, though probably didn’t verbalize

or admit, that missionaries from North America

needed to be sent to places like Africa or Asia,

but not to Europe. After all, I reasoned, Europe

has had its chance. They’ve heard the Gospel.

God had acted within their history and raised up

many great leaders of faith like Martin Luther,

John Calvin, John Wesley and others to

evangelize Europe. The Bible and the steeple

were in their villages but still they had chosen

unbelief, becoming hard hearted to the things of

God. In the past when I was going to support a

missionary it was going to be among poor people

with real needs, not Europe.

No, I wasn’t swallowed by a whale and spat up

on the shores of England in order to go preach in

Oxford, but after reading through the Book of

Jonah today, I feel encased with some intestinal

whale slime. I am all too much like Jonah, the

reluctant witness. Jonah was judgmental too. He

wanted mercy for himself and for his own people

but not for the sinful city of Nineveh. However,

that’s where God sent him to bring a message of

prophecy so the people might have an

opportunity to repent and turn back to God.

Jonah reluctantly landed at Nineveh’s shores and

God went to work on both the heart of the

congregation and the preacher as both needed

transformation.

I have been living in England for just over a year

now and upon reflection, recognize how God has

been working on my heart. I have talked to my

neighbor who recalled the horrors of World War

II during his childhood and the disillusionment

of its aftermath. I’ve listened to moms admit that

while they don’t see that there is a God with any

relevancy for their life, they did wonder if there

was a higher power when their baby was born.

I’ve met more children than I care to count who

don’t seem to know anything of my Jesus who

visited churches who are struggling with how to

speak to this new generation. In short, I am finding

a huge need for the Good News of Jesus Christ in a

place called England and God is starting to form in

me a heart for the people in this great land. It’s as

though I can hear God say to me as he corrected

Jonah’s thinking, “Should I not be concerned about

that great city….” (Jonah 4:11)

Jonah whined for Nineveh to “get what they

deserved” yet God wanted to pour out His love

and mercy once again. While Jonah was

inconsistent, God continued to faithfully act within

his character, repeatedly demonstrating his heart

for the world. Our God is a God of steadfast love

and mercy who longs to forgive and restore (Jonah

4:2). Amazingly, our call, as Christ’s followers is to

join in with this ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor

5:19). So I hope you, our ministry team of prayer

and financial support will join with me in being

increasingly open to laboring for England. We

need your support at this season as there is so

much work to be done. Indeed all of Europe needs

the Gospel presented to them in a culturally

relevant way within this generation. They need His

grace. Just like us. May God continue to transform

us all to have a heart like His--one that longs to

embrace the nations. --Nicole

Recipients of Mission

Who are the recipients of mission? I

bet an image just came to your mind.

It may be based on a mission trip

experience, hearing a mission speaker,

or serving in a local outreach. More

than likely, you thought of a “them”

and not an “us.” Often times, we

think of mission in single directional

ways. “We” have what “they” don’t

have, and God calls us to share what

“we” have with “them.” This could

be spiritual, financial, intellectual,

material, medical, and so on.

Unfortunately, we may sometimes

send implicit or even explicit

messages when we engage in mission

in that we are the ones who have and

they are the ones who don’t. Hardly

ever do we think that we may be or

may need to be recipients of mission.

To those of us who are Americans, it

hurts our pride. We value being self-

made people. We have because of

God’s blessing. After all, we are the

ones who send the missionaries.

Being in Europe this last year, I have

seen how people have so much, but

also live with depravity. As you all

know, I have been researching

mission from West Africa. One thing I

am discovering is that many Africans

who have immigrated to Europe see

themselves as missionaries to a

“barren land.” In some ways, because

of the state of the church here,

Christians are in need of energy

from somewhere. (In England,

only 6% of the population regularly

attends church—which makes it

hard to believe that the seeds of the

modern missionary movement

once emerged from this land!) I am

sensing this century will see revival

in Europe, but it will probably look

quite different from the picture the

faithful have been praying for. It

sounds a bit like the surprise the

first century Jews had with Jesus,

the King and Savior of the world!

It’s interesting how God often

works outside of the box we

imagine. Perhaps God has created

us with depravity that we cannot

fill on our own. I guess that is why

we need Jesus and one another. After

all, Jesus has called us to be members

of His body, the church. And yes, the

Christians in the West need those

from Africa. Perhaps they will be

able to show us windows into the

fullness of the Gospel we miss every

day because we like having God in

our “box.”

The Africans are coming. They have

a Christ-centered passion and

commitment unknown to many of us

in the West. Will we in the West be

humble to learn from them and be

receivers as well as senders? Kirk

Continuing our missionary service in England

“Declare His glory among the nations,

His marvelous works among all the peoples.” (Ps 57:9)

Now as a resident of Oxford, England, I have

been struck by how so many of the nations

reside at my back door. I am observing this

place to be of great international influence as a

university city where some of the brightest

future leaders of the world are my neighbors.

From meeting fellow moms from places like

Nigeria or Turkey to leading a discussion

group about the Bible with college students

from places like China and India, it is

becoming obvious to me that I am living in a

unique context and season for global missions.

God keeps expanding my vision towards all

the peoples of the earth. Globalization and

migration are creating more opportunities

among the nations simply where I am planted.

Moreover, when I read the Bible, I am further

convinced of how God has been calling

believers to reach out with His love to the

nations. In the Old Testament alone there are

over 40 different times where God commanded

the Israelites to care for the foreigner in their

midst.

So I also want to encourage you to think

outside of traditional boxes for reaching the

nations. As a Christ-follower, we each have a

call to the nations. It is on God’s heart. Just go

to the book of Psalms and see how often the

words “glory” and “nations” are written.

This is not a time for business as usual. So think

for a moment, who are your newest neighbors? I

want to exhort you to recognize how mission has

come to your door. A plane taking you to the ends

of the earth is not the only option. There are also

people from many different ethnic groups coming

to the United States for education or job

opportunities. Foreigners coming to your

neighborhoods would be so blessed if you would

take the time to offer radical hospitality, build

friendships, and share about the difference Christ

has made in your lives. Some of the people coming

are even from closed countries or unreached

people groups who may not be able to own a Bible

in their own land, let alone legally talk to someone

about Jesus. I pray that we all will have eyes to see

and ears to hear how we can be in ministry to the

nations wherever we are planted. —Nicole