Saturday, July 26, 2014

Tattoos and piercings welcome

Meeting with ministry partners from Good Sports International
This morning's meeting with friends from Good Sports International once again showed us their passion for ministering to young people where they are in life.  They not only want to provide the kids with sports and fun, they also want them to experience unconditional love and the hope found in Christ.

One of the long-term Good Sports ministries is to orphans in the northeastern Hungarian city of Miskolc.  Because of the distance involved, Good Sports staff and volunteers can only go about once a week to spend time with the kids and have Bible study.  As we discussed this morning, there is a huge need for a new, radically-different type of church there, one which can speak to the needs of these troubled young people. They need to have someone close by who is there for them during the week, as life hits them hard with temptations and despair.

Choir robes, organ music, and long, theological words don't speak to these desperately wounded hearts. We believe they need a different style of church, one prepared to meet their special circumstances.  They need to be shown that God knows and loves them as they are...that Christ understands living in the dirt and pain of this life, but that He can lift them up and give them hope and new life.  Will the Lord send us a church planting partner with tattoos and piercings, who can relate the Gospel message to those who feel thrown away by society?  We don't know yet what God has planned for this new church, but we want to help if we can.  We want to come alongside Good Sports, to pray, to help train leaders, and to stand amazed as the Lord brings about something totally new in Miskolc!

Pray with us:
  • that the Lord will give wisdom in decision-making and show us how we can partner together
  • that He will raise up strong, courageous leaders who will relate well to the kids at the orphanage (tattoos and piercings welcome but optional)
  • that a new church will be birthed in Miskolc, loving and relevant to the hurting & marginalized
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  James 1:27

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi. How is the ministry going with that orphanage by the local church (Miskolc Christian Church - Miskolc Keresztény Templom/Gyülekezet)?

Are they not getting thru with the kids anymore?

Thanks

Carolyn said...

Hi, Jarrod. Sorry I'm slow answering, we've been in camps and working with volunteers.

Thanks for your comment -- we appreciate your concern and your prayers. That church is interested, but lack the resources and people to reach out to these children.

BTW, we sure don't want to minimize any work that has been done in the past, and we hope to partner with folks in the area as much as they are able.

God bless!