A few years ago I was browsing through 9Marks website and came across an interview that Mark Dever did whilst in Scotland with a guy called Mez McConnell. What peeked my interest in Mez's testimony was that he was identified as a pastor in Niddrie, Edinburgh.
Whilst at High School I used to travel from my home in Haddington, East Lothian, 15 miles or so into Edinburgh to play football(soccer) for a club called Edina Hibs whose home field was in Niddrie. During my late teens when I was a member of Musselburgh Baptist Church, I used to pray for the Edinburgh City Mission work in Niddrie and our church soccer team would train at the Jack Kane Centre in Niddrie. So Niddrie was a part of Edinburgh that I was familiar with for two reasons still close to my heart, my love for Christ and my love for the beautiful game, soccer.
As I listened to Mez's testimony I was moved to tears as he testified to the saving power of God in Christ towards him and I found my heart strangely knit with his as he shared his vision for the work of the gospel that he was engaged in Niddrie. I decided that I should write to Mez and encourage him in what he was doing and assure him that I would be praying for his ministry. As we interacted over the next few months it became evident that God was knitting our hearts together beyond mere acquaintance and I rejoiced that God was indeed giving me an opportunity to be involved in gospel work in my beloved homeland of Scotland and more than that, in a place that I was somewhat familiar with.
It is very encouraging to see how the Lord has directed in terms of the raising up the 20 Schemes endeavor and the desire and intention to seek to plant 20 churches in Scotland's poorest housing schemes. This is a noble vision and a tall order in light of the abject darkness that marks Scotland as a whole and the weakness that marks the evangelical church too. However in my recent visits to Scotland, Dec/January 2011/12 and May 2012 I have observed encouraging signs of spiritual stirrings amongst God's people.
I am involved in 20 Schemes because I believe it is a worthy effort at fulfilling the command of Christ to make disciples. I am involved in 20 Schemes because I believe God has raised up Mez for this generation to do a hard yet wonderful work in a tough place. I am involved in 20 Schemes because I believe what Mez is seeking to do is what the church in Scotland should be doing, reaching the lowly, broken and perishing of Scotland's poorest areas. I am involved in 20 Schemes because I believe the planting of churches is the greatest need of any nation. I am involved in 20 Schemes because I still love my kinsmen after the flesh and many of them sit in darkness without hope and without Christ.
Please pray for 20Schemes and for Scotland, a land once rich in Christian faith, but now a land lost in sin and misery and perishing ! If you would like to know more about 20 Schemes please feel free to contact me or look up 20Schemes on Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment