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I just finished reading the book: Prophet of Purpose-The Life of Rick Warren…in it, the book talks about a time when Rick Warren was struck by the fact that his church could be doing more-and it was very touching and eye-opening for me, so I wanted to share it here…it really made me think-what ARE our churches here doing-when these people with nothing are doing ALL this-giving ALL they have!
.....It starts out when Rick Warren had held a conference in Johannesburg……
“When his conference was over, Warren asked to be taken to a village so he could visit a typical African church and meet some pastors. They took him to Tembisa, a poor rural township just outside Johannesburg where a congregation of about 75 people worshiped under a blue-and-white-striped tent that also was home to about 25 AIDS orphans. Behind this tent, was a garden plot where church members grew food for the orphans. They also provided the children with clothing, schooling, and other basic necessities in addition to caring for their own families.”
It goes on to say: “Seeing that congregation’s dedication to the care of the orphans, Warren felt a twinge of guilt…..Warren said, “This church is doing more to help the poor than my megachurch, For all the effective and important ministry that went on at Saddleback-professional marital counseling, recovery programs for addicts, parenting support groups, an array of service projects in the suburban community-there was nothing for the poor.” “We’re not helping a single orphan,” he thought, “and they’re helping twenty-five, and all they’ve got is a tent.” He would describe this moment later as “like a knife in my heart, and I said, “That is going to change.”
It goes on to say:
As Warren stood there surveying the scene, a young African pastor came striding toward him smiling broadly and extended his hand. “I know who you are,” he proudly announced. “You’re Pastor Rick!” Warren was taken aback. “How in the world do you know who I am?” He asked.
“I get your sermons every week, “the pastor replied. “But you don’t even have electricity in the village. How do you get my sermons?”
The pastor explained that the government had placed computers with an Internet connection in every post office in the country. Every week he would walk an hour and a half to the nearest post office, down-load Warren’s sermons from Pastors.com, and preach them on Sunday. “You are the only training I have ever had,” he said. Hearing that, Warren recalled, “I burst into tears, and I thought, ‘I will give the rest of my life helping guys like that.”
This was taken from the book: Prophet of purpose-the Life of Rick Warren by Jeffery L. Sheler 2009 pgs. 198-199
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