Our trip last week to Ismir, Turkey, was, at its heart, a first hand view of the power of the Holy Spirit at work in a country that is 98% Muslim. The Lighthouse Church is established and counts its congregation at around 200. Ismir sits on a bay on the Aegean Sea and population centers are spread out, so another branch of the church operates across the bay from the foundational church.
Our time there was spent in getting to know church leadership including listening to their stories of how they came to Christ. Each of several stories was moving. A common thread was how dreams started their journey toward faith. Before I began the journey, I had heard of the role that dreams play in the Middle East. Those stories are well documented particularly in Iran, but dreams and visions transcend boundaries. One common element of each path was that damage with individual's family was immediate. The pastor told of sixteen years of estrangement from his. However a time came when his father also became a believer. His mother has remained in Islam. Other stories told a similar tale of family members who moved to Christ after seeing the change in their son, daughter, or sibling, but this journey has taken years. Though I had heard of these movements in the Middle East, the personal exchanges on the trip underlined that borders will not contain the power of the Holy Spirit.
We participated in several of the church programs including a new coffee shop and its opening, a Tuesday night offering of practice in the English language to people beyond the congregation, and a one morning VBS session for kids 3-9 years. We also were privileged to visit both Ephesus and Pergamum.
It is the church's vision to continue to open churches in all seven churches of the second and third chapter of Revelation. Already in place are churches in both of the above cities with Thyatira following soon. I have no doubt that this expansion will occur with greater numbers following. Given the conditions in the country, persecution is most likely to follow. Pastor at Lighthouse is already nationally known.
I feel strongly that EFCC need to seriously consider ongoing financial and prayer support for the congregation there and for the expansion of the message of Christ to a country that is much in need.
Our time there was spent in getting to know church leadership including listening to their stories of how they came to Christ. Each of several stories was moving. A common thread was how dreams started their journey toward faith. Before I began the journey, I had heard of the role that dreams play in the Middle East. Those stories are well documented particularly in Iran, but dreams and visions transcend boundaries. One common element of each path was that damage with individual's family was immediate. The pastor told of sixteen years of estrangement from his. However a time came when his father also became a believer. His mother has remained in Islam. Other stories told a similar tale of family members who moved to Christ after seeing the change in their son, daughter, or sibling, but this journey has taken years. Though I had heard of these movements in the Middle East, the personal exchanges on the trip underlined that borders will not contain the power of the Holy Spirit.
We participated in several of the church programs including a new coffee shop and its opening, a Tuesday night offering of practice in the English language to people beyond the congregation, and a one morning VBS session for kids 3-9 years. We also were privileged to visit both Ephesus and Pergamum.
It is the church's vision to continue to open churches in all seven churches of the second and third chapter of Revelation. Already in place are churches in both of the above cities with Thyatira following soon. I have no doubt that this expansion will occur with greater numbers following. Given the conditions in the country, persecution is most likely to follow. Pastor at Lighthouse is already nationally known.
I feel strongly that EFCC need to seriously consider ongoing financial and prayer support for the congregation there and for the expansion of the message of Christ to a country that is much in need.
Thanks, Mark, for a concise, thoughtful story. It's hard to capture all that went on over the trip. Nicely done.