Hi Friend,
We are welcoming a Michigan summer which means the end of school, patio nights, and honestly, a rise in general chaos in our home as everyone figures out new jobs, schedules, and free time. :) We are also getting ready to say goodbye to our exchange student, Amos, who’s lived with us for two years and leaves for Beijing next week. But in the middle of the busy, I wanted to share a few takeaways from a trip I recently took. It’s gripped my mind and heart, and I wanted to invite you to consider and enter into the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ in Africa.
Much Love!
Kara
The guide turned off the noisy jeep engine and hopped out onto the red dirt to stretch his legs. Except for the grass swaying gently, all was still as the sun sank quickly behind the mountains in the West. The massive reserve in northern South Africa was a breathtaking display of God’s creative handiwork in rugged landscapes and exotic animals. “The best part of my day is the morning,” our guide shared. He’d worked on the reserve for 23 years, but rather than being tired of the place, his voice carried pride and excitement as if it were his first day. “The animals are active in the morning, and everything is alive. The sun rises, and there is LIFE.” His voice crescendoed, spilling over into a full laugh of joy that punctuated his wide smile.
There is life.
These words speak to more than the stunning ecosystem of the Entabeni Game Reserve. They speak to the cities and villages stretching across the African continent, teeming with people. They speak to the African Church which, unlike the West is experiencing rapid growth and vibrancy.
This was the real reason for my visit to Africa: listening to brothers and sisters in Christ in this context. For several years I’ve had a role that’s allowed me to consider the Gospel advancing in many places and people. Africa is especially compelling as they are experiencing a drastic population increase that will continue over the next few decades and present unprecedented opportunity and challenge.
By 2050, 1 out of 4 people in the world will be African. And it’s a very young population — more than 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25, making it the world’s youngest continent. In the midst of this growth, people are moving into cities for job opportunities, education, and a better life, yet the reality is most cities lack the infrastructure and economy to support current populations. By 2050, more than half of Africa’s 2.2bn people will live in its rapidly expanding cities.
More than ever, we have the privilege to be in prayer with and for the African Church as they face the Gospel challenges and opportunities in the midst of massive population growth and tremendous need. In the West, many of the conversations around youth focus on how to stop the exodus of youth from the Church in a post-Christian context, but in Africa, the challenge is how to keep up with the Gospel opportunities and equip leaders and churches to raise up the next generation of the rapidly growing Church.
On my flight back from Kenya, I had time to begin processing the many conversations and experiences between layovers, cozy (read: cramped) seats, and attempts to sleep in an upright position (completely unsuccessfully, ha!). Here are four broad themes that are shaping the way I’m praying for leaders within the African Church:
Pray for their faithful Gospel ministry. I had the opportunity to share many meals and cups of coffee with youth ministry leaders from across the continent. Some came from persecuted contexts while others were from open African countries. One thing was constant in both: the Church has a vital need for faithful Gospel living and teaching. Gospel integrity is key to the vibrancy and health of Gospel movement (Ephesians 4:11-16). In every context, they emphasized the presence of teaching that flies under the name of Christ but is at best misleading and in many cases, darkness masquerading as light. Pray for clarity of Gospel message, the training of leaders, and a continued Christ-like witness.
Pray for their unity. Paul urged the church in Ephesus to be united and connected it to their maturity and building up of the body of Christ. Pray for the leaders who are looking across the continent and working actively to promote Gospel unity through networks and partnerships to share resources, encouragement, and collectively impact key areas. Though there are many nuances in each area and groups, the Lord knows them all! Pray for Spirit-worked unity and the shared mind of Christ for our brothers and sisters.
Pray for their creativity and strategy. Jesus modeled caring for the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of the people he ministered to. I was inspired by the faith and action of believers to bring the Gospel in word and deed in their unique contexts. One program trained young people from rural areas to begin Christian daycare centers accompanied by community development work. Along with evangelism and discipleship, they equipped parents with farming techniques, micro-finance programs, raising chickens, and other sustainable living projects. Discernment, compassion, and effective strategy are needed for the African church to come alongside her communities with Gospel help and hope.
Pray for their encouragement and perseverance. The context of ministry for the typical African leader would be overwhelming without the sustaining grace of God. I shared lunch with one young leader, Popo, who led a ministry in the infamous Kibera slum of Nairobi. He had to leave early to meet with the police to discuss a violent lynching that happened the day before — three young teens had become involved with moving drugs as a way to survive and were wrapped in tires and set on fire by another rival gang. “To be a teen boy in Kibera certainly means death,” he shared. The urgency is great and the discouragements many, but “I keep on because the Gospel is our real hope,” he shared. Romans 15:13 invites us to join in prayer for the God of hope to fill the African continent so they will not only persevere but abound in hope.
As one person shared with me, “The next decades will either secure Africa as a ball and chain around the ankle of the world (humanitarian crisis) or create a Gospel movement that has ripple effects around the world.” I’m not sure of the accuracy of that statement, but it is clear that much is at stake.
I’ll end with just one more picture to fill your mind. One day I sat in a tiny church, the roof lined with hundreds of pieces of tin to form a sort of covering. The space filled and with a chorus of song, graduating students entered. They were the first in their villages to receive any sort of higher education and equipped to do ministry in their remote areas. As each one stepped up to get their diploma, impromptu joy and song burst out of them with the crowd quickly joining in. Spontaneous songs filled the entire ceremony.
Much like the laugh of our guide, I was reminded that though the overall picture is challenging, contagious joy and hope are very much alive and at work in the hearts of many in Africa. I pray they continue to mark the African church as they rely on Christ and faithfully lean into this season of opportunity.
For further reading, TGC has a site with resources from African leaders and mission workers giving much more breadth and depth to the context:
Thanks Kara, for sharing. Gives a vivid perspective on the situation. 💕