Thanksgiving Celebration

We celebrated Thanksgiving a little early this year, on November 19. About 45 of us gathered in the section of northern Madrid known as "Sanchinarro," where we are currenlty planting a new church. We cooked four turkeys, and our guests brought lots of trimmings. We invited a mix of believers and not-yet believers; Spaniards, Latinos, and Americans. Carol organized a quartet that sang "Now Thank We All Our God," and then led us in country line dancing (just like the first Pilgrims, right?!) To top it off, our special guests Abraham Lincoln and William Bradford wove the gospel into the story of the first Thanksgiving!

Serving the City

Carol volunteered with Spaniards and Americans in one of the projects of"Serve the City" Madrid. They had a lot of fun befriending and entertaining the elderly at "Residencia Mi Casa." Madrid has many lonely residents who desperately need love and attention.

Neighborhood Evangelism

Another evangelistic opportunity tonight, this time with one of our neighbors. Actually, it was a friend of Carol's whom we have known for years. She told Carol that she wanted to talk to us about the U.S. elections. Turn out, she was very worried about the future, now that Trump has been elected. She's convinced he's crazy and will send the world into WWIII.

I tried to console her with Scripture (Proverbs 21:1, Psalm 9:17-20). Then, when she told me God had dictated some poetry to her which she will publish, I told her God's fullest revelation came through his Son (Hebrews 1). Though she didn't agree (she trusts instead in reincarnation and karma), my goal was just to get her thinking. I am learning that in evangelism, it is enough to "put a stone in their shoe."

Bar Evangelism

Last night I went to a crowded bar to watch the election returns. I struck up a conversation with a couple from Australia. After telling me how much they don't like Trump, the wife, knowing I was a pastor, began to tell me all the things wrong with the church. She voiced the usual complaints: hypocrisy, pedophilia, financial corruption, immorality, restricting women, etc. Then she turned on the teachings of Jesus, particularly that she no longer believes he ascended bodily into heaven. I was well-versed in the topic, having recently preached on the Ascension. I responded by saying, "If Christ was born of a virgin, then he should have no problem ascending to heaven." When she said she didn't believe in the divinity of Christ either, I told her that actually she is a deist, not a Christian. She was a little offended, but it got her thinking. My goal was just to "put a stone in her shoe,"* rather than win the argument. I'm getting better at this, and it's fun!

* See George Koukl, Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, p. 38

Cycling

We seek to include unbelievers in our normal activities, and thus build bridges of trust while looking for opportunities to share Christ. My favorite form of exercise is cycling, and it's also a great way to befriend men. When we stop for coffee, there are often opportunities to share my faith. Evangelism is Spain is no different than anywhere else: you have to sow many seeds, pray, and watch to see which ones begin to sprout.

Locating the New Church

I know this is a boring picture, but it represents something that's pretty exciting. Every church plant needs a good location, so one of our tasks is to find space for meetings and worship. A location will give us an identity and momentum to our church plant. Today Peter, Jorge, Ana, Vladimir and I looked at a great potential location. It's very big, with 5 meeting rooms and space for a kitchen. If we rent it, Jorge and Ana would use part of it for their property management company, and Vladimir would use it for his tutoring business. We began to dream about other possibilities: an English Academy, co-working space, line dancing, and training pastors.

Culture and Evangelism

Last night I felt the impact of how ones cultural background affects receptivity to the gospel. As is my custom on Wednesday nights, I went to a local bar where people gather for language exchange. Spaniards are attracted by the opportunity to practice English, and internationals come to practice Spanish.

I found myself in a very pleasant conversation with three young people: a Brazilian, a Syrian and a Brit. When one of them asked me what I do in Spain, I replied, "I'm a pastor, and I'm starting a new church." It was fascinating to note how each person's reaction to that statement was almost stereotypically predictable, according to their cultural background. The Brazilian said, "Really!? Cool! Awesome! That's great!" The Syrian said, "What's a pastor?" And the Brit only looked at me scornfully, as if she hoped I would leave the table.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but it was almost as if each response represented the climate in their country towards Christianity. Many Latinos love the gospel and respond positively. Muslims (like the young Syrian) have almost so little knowledge about Christianity and they cannot respond. And Brits, and other Europeans, can be militantly anti-Christian and atheistic. It is our privilege (and challenge!) to navigate the diverse world views of this very cosmopolitan city and present the claims of Christ.