2017 Service Material

“Unless someone explains it”

Guidance 1. Use this material for your 2017 World Church Service, traditionally during February in the Methodist Church in Ireland calendar. 2. This material is representative of the overseas mission work of the Methodist Church in Ireland. Please do not substitute this with the work of other organisations or experiences of individual church members. They could be accommodated at other dates. 3. Give out the accompanying MMS(I) Annual Reports and offering envelopes at the beginning of the service. NOT the week before and not as an option. Hopefully people will be more engaged and responsive when they have attended the service. These resources are available from the office from mid-January. There is version of this material for those with the capacity to show PPT and video. These can be downloaded from the WDR website at www.methodistworlddevelopment.org or request from the office at mms@irishmethodist.org.

VERSION FOR THOSE WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY

Introduction Today as we focus upon God’s mission in the wider world, let us join together in our call to worship. Call to worship Leader: Let us worship God; People: The God who forms the rhythm of our lives; The God who is present at the beginning and ending of each day, Each season, Each purpose. Introduction (continued) It would be fantastic if everyone could know of God’s grace and have the same purpose, belonging and peace; as well as the assurance of a future with God. However, in the world today 42% of the world population has not heard about God. They are unreached. That’s 2.9 billion people. They have not had Christ’s gospel explained to them. Today we hear of our church’s work of mission across the world through our Methodist Missionary Society (MMS). MMS enables us to share in the spreading the gospel beyond Ireland. Proclaiming Christ in word and discipling believers, often where there has been no church or Christian witness. Children’s address Has anyone ever heard of food? Has anyone ever heard of water? Have you ever seen water? Clearly stupid questions – of course they have heard of and seen these things. Have you ever heard of God? This too may seem a rather stupid question. That may seem like another silly question. Of course we have all heard about God and Jesus. In our homes, at church, maybe at school. Maybe we think that everyone has heard about God. But many people in the world have not heard about Him and his son Jesus. In fact nearly half the people in the world have not heard about Jesus. No one has explained Jesus to them. We all come along to this Methodist church. There are Methodist churches all over the world – America, Brazil, Kenya . . . PRINT-OUT 1 – bad road and map (PRINT A4 photo at end of this document) Let me tell you about something that Methodist people are doing in Ghana, West Africa. In Ghana, lots of people live far from towns and cities. They live out in the countryside (rural areas). Many of them are farmers and they work very hard.

Roads are often poor, especially when it rains. And so it is hard to reach them. Many of the villages have no church. Many don’t know about Jesus because no one has come to them and told them. So some of the Methodists in a place called Sunyani have decided to reach out to these people. To explain about God and his son Jesus Christ. They prayed, made a plan and got a lot of Christian volunteers together who would be willing to travel out to the villages. But there was a problem. The roads are not good and the bus service is not good. PRINT-OUT 2 – mission bus (PRINT A4 photo at end of this document) They needed their own vehicle. This is where our Methodist Missionary Society here in Ireland has helped. Our missionary society helped them buy a bus. Now, Methodist Christians from the towns travel out to the rural villages. They hold big meetings, visit homes, have Bible studies to learn about God, show films about Christianity and will build churches where there were none. That’s a great story. As we are worshipping here in our church, Methodists in Ghana are travelling to those villages. We must not think that everyone has heard about Jesus. They haven’t. We thank God for Christians in Ghana who are telling others about Jesus. We thank God that we can help them do that. Pray with children: “Father, we thank you for the people who have taken the time to tell us about Jesus. People in our family, at school, at work or wherever. Be with those Methodists in Ghana as they tell people about you. Amen.” Reading Acts 8, verses 26-40 Sermon Introduction Marco Polo is one of the most famed explorers in history. It seems he inherited the travel bug from his father. In 1260, when Marco Polo was 6, his father and uncle traveled to Mongolia (part of modern day China). When they arrived there the Mongol Emperor, Kublai Kan, revealed an interest in Christianity. He asked the brothers to take a letter to the Pope requesting as many as 100 wise men to spread the Gospel among his subjects. Three years later the brothers arrived home, and two years later set out on their return trek. Did they take the 100 wise men with them? No. Just two friars, for this was all the church felt they could spare. And even those two didn’t make it, turning back shortly into their journey. What a tragedy! Imagine if the Emperor’s request had been fulfilled. Perhaps the whole history of China may have been very different. An opportunity not taken by the church.

2.2 billion people are adherents to the Christian faith. That’s one third of all people. A considerable presence.

Yet, over 40% of people have not had Christ’s gospel explained to them. And yet, as the Eunuch in our Bible reading said “How can I [understand] unless someone explains it to me?”. Does the idea of ‘mission’ in other lands and cultures excite or scare us? Perhaps it is the image and language of the old style missionaries that scares us. C. T. Studd (one of the Cambridge seven who served in China, India, Sudan and the Belgian Congo in the late 1800s and early 1900s) said "Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." His attitude is inspiring but also frightening. Yet, all around the world, Christians, including Methodists, are going to new places to reach the unreached. Although the world is a different place from the one in which Studd was doing mission, there are some fundamental truths than still hold regarding mission in Christ’s name. We’re going to focus upon three fundamental truths about mission that are illustrated in Philip’s meeting with the eunuch. A meeting through which the Eunuch became a Christian. Our illustrations are from our partners through the Methodist Mission Society. Mission requires Christians to be open to ‘whatever’ For Philip, an angel appeared and said “Go south on the road – the desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out . . . Philip was called but there was no real detail or plan. It seems he was not told what he was to do on the road or why God was calling him to go. William Carey, began mission work in India in the late 1700s, said "To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map." God’s call does not always have the detail the Christian would like. The Christian needs to have an open map so that they are willing to go wherever they are led and do whatever they find to do there. Through MMS, our church works in partnership with the Methodist Church (Upper Myanmar)/Burma. A land closed to the outside world for 50 years and where Christians are a small minority amongst quite militant Buddhists and also animists. MMS works alongside MCUM in sending their own indigenous missionaries within Myanmar. Visual - refer to page 6 of Annual Report – our Methodist President, Rev. Bill Mullally, making a visit to Myanmar after the President of MCUM visiting us in February of last year. These individuals and families often do not know what lies ahead of them. Where they will live, how they will connect with local non-Christian communities nor how and when it will be safe to talk about Jesus. But they go. The Methodist District of Tahan sent missionaries to animist areas in Mindone in 1990. Since then, 651 people have given their lives to God and there are currently 18 missionaries. A missionary family receives just £90 / €106 per month. Your giving is allowing more such missionaries to be sent to explain the gospel to those who have not heard and who do not understand the gospel in Myanmar. Our children’s JMA project for 2016 focused upon this work and their fundraising will ensure that this missionary work continues.

And the faith that these new Christians have is inspiring. The Methodist President of Upper Myanmar, Rev. Dr. James Ngun Hleia, recently visited the remote Rezua area. He said “Some local congregations were seen worshipping in jungle-style, thatched roof small churches. Yet their worship was so lively and enthusiastic. These situations gave me a sad feeling in my heart. My secret tears ran down. I thought that the people in the poor lands are rich in Christ more than of the rich lands.” A lesson, that those who have not yet heard, may be the very ones who more fully grasp the joy of life in Christ. Mission requires a boldness to grasp opportunities Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The latest mission partner to be sent out by the Methodist Church in Ireland is Stephen McCann. He is serving in Ibiza in a partnership between MMS and the 24-7 Prayer organization. Visual - refer to page 11 of Annual Report – Stephen McCann Ibiza is one of Europe’s biggest holiday partying destinations. The unreached are no longer just those beyond Western shores. In Europe, we are well into our second generation where people are growing up with little experience of God or his church. The Ibiza holiday scene is a culture in which many of us would not be comfortable – drinking, drugs, casual sex. Stephen will now tell us about his work: Have someone read Stephen’s message (a transcript from a video that is available from office or online from the MMS(I) pages Just like Philip, Stephen and his team seek opportunities to ask “Can we help?” From those initial contacts and conversations around being helped, there can be opportunities for witness in word as. It needs boldness to be in those situations in the first place and also boldness to grasp the opportunity to serve the people and share our reason for doing so. Mission requires Christians to be truly alongside new people in new situations The Eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with the very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they travelled along the road, they came to some water . . . “As they travelled along the road” Philip committed to going where the Eunuch was going. He stepped up into the Eunuch’s chariot to be in the Eunuch’s space (not his own). Mission requires us to be alongside people where they are, sometimes in scenarios that are new, unfamiliar and even difficult. Does the church spend enough time living amongst the unreached? How should we do that effectively?

MMS, apart from partnering in mission overseas, wishes to help us in Ireland learn from our brothers and sisters around the world. In August last year, a group from the Methodist Church in Ireland spent time in South Africa seeing how Methodist Churches there get to know and are a presence amongst their communities. We have much to learn about mission. Despite huge economic, political and social challenges, the church prioritises mission. Indeed all activities of the church must relate to the five pillars of mission:

• Evangelism and church growth • Spirituality • Justice and service • Education and Christian formation • Human empowerment and economic development

For example, there is an ‘Order of Evangelism’ in each District. This is a lay ministry of women and evangelists. It is their calling to be trained and then assist in evangelism, pastoral care and church growth. Our Irish Methodist Lay Leader, Dr Fergus O’Ferrall, was on the team Visual - refer to page 7 of Annual Report – Fergus with Thokozani Poswa of Pinetown Methodist Church and another lady involved in their church outreach programme. Fergus shares that a key thing is that much of the mission work is not carried out in the church but in the community. And how do they know the needs of the community? Fergus’ words: “The minister at Johannesburg Methodist Mission said simply “We walk around the community and talk to them”. In communities there is an openness to God and the ‘spiritual realm’. This gives a starting point for engagement and discussion with non-church goers. The churches very much see themselves as “standing in the mission field”. In South Africa the mission field may be much more obvious whereas in Ireland, perhaps it is often hidden or not recognised. There, there seems to be a trust in the local church because many of the churches are actively trying to improve things in the community.” The Methodist Church of Southern Africa currently has half a million members but is reaching far more by being a significant part of its communities. So one of the challenges in mission is “do we know our communities and how can we be a vital part of them?”. The full insight into the learning done in South Africa is available from our World Mission and Development Office. THE FOLLOWING SECTION IS IMPORTANT AS IT EXPLAINS THE “GOOD NEWS FOR SYRIA” RESOURCES BEING GIVEN TO ALL IRISH CONGREGATIONS - DO NOT OMIT THIS BIT Reaching the Unreached We have heard of Methodist mission to the unreached in Ghana, Myanmar, Spain and South Africa. Oswald Smith, a Canadian pastor and global evangelist said "No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once."

That is our challenge. Christians have heard. What can we do to reach those who have not heard. One of the first things we can do is learn about those who are unreached and pray for them. At this point explain how your church will be using the “good News for Syria” resource: 1) personal prayer guides for those who will commit to use them 2) Bible studies for home groups , midweek groups etc. 3) Using some of the information and prayers within church services Intercessory prayers Produce prayers from the following resources:

• This sermon material and its stories • The MMS(I) Annual Report • MMS(I)’s bimonthly prayer points from mission partners (emailed in January) – PPT slide

provided if required • Prayer Focus (contains MMS entries for partners churches and mission partners)

Explanation of the offering envelopes As Christians, we each need to commit financially to mission to the unreached. John Piper said "All the money needed to send and support an army of self-sacrificing, joy-spreading ambassadors is already in the church." None of the stories of outreach that you have heard today could be happening to the extent that they are without your giving. That does not necessarily mean the sending of Irish mission partners. It includes us supporting partner churches and organisations with their indigenous mission work. Our Methodist Missionary Society enables us to 1. tell people about salvation in Christ 2. promote church growth i.e. discipleship by working with others. We ask you to return your offering envelope next week to support this work. Closing prayer