PEACE in Malawi Brings Change, Unity, and Hope
10/16/2015 .In fulfilling the “H” initiative of our five Daring Faith goals, Saddleback Church is helping to take the Good News to the last 3,000 unreached tribes on earth. This “Final Frontier Project” of our Global PEACE Plan is a mission that cannot be done alone. We must also work alongside other churches called to fulfill this great vision.
Joining Saddleback Church on this wave of faith is Parkview Church in Chicago, a church family that knows first-hand the power of being Purpose Driven. They wanted to be a blessing by coaching and training others across the globe to impact local communities. By setting up their ministry in Malawi, they have been able to lay the groundwork for Purpose Driven churches to flourish.
Pastor Sean Mixson, Director of Missions at Parkview Church, says from their initial conversation with Saddleback, they had a desire for the Rwanda Master Trainers to bring the Purpose Driven movement to Malawi. “We wanted to allow them to be a catalyst of change for the Malawian people,” says Sean. “Because of the incredible change that Rwanda went through, those Master Trainers would be the best to share experiences along the way.”
During this journey with the leaders of Malawi, God has been showing his faithfulness. There is a powerful unity among the church leaders in Malawi, with an excitement to serve in their own communities. Their desire to love one another with the love of Christ drives their longing to meet the needs of their neighbors.
As this process unfolds, powerful transformation is taking place with the individuals at Parkview Church and Saddleback. The church community is growing in their faith as they become spiritually mature and actively reach out to the Malawian people.
“Everywhere we’ve gone, we see God’s hand,” says Bob Bradberry, pastor of Saddleback’s Global Team and Director of All Africa Congress. “People are enthusiastic for change, churches are banning together, and there’s a strong desire for church unity.”
As PEACE Teams train and head to Malawi, the local people receive them with open arms. They are ecstatic to welcome the volunteers, learn the skills, and make a difference. Malawi is turning out a fruitful harvest for Purpose Driven Churches to achieve incredible results. The people are hungry for change and starving for hope. As one of the most underdeveloped countries on earth, Malawi has a population of people struggling for survival. Their needs are real and often unmet. Now more than ever, the church is poised to step up and make a tangible difference in local communities.
“We envision empowering the local churches in Malawi to bring healing, hope, and empowerment to their communities,” says Sean. “Each of the local churches have the ability to affect change and bring the Gospel to people in their community through the Purpose Driven movement and The PEACE Plan.”
Over the next month, Parkview Church and Rwanda PEACE Teams will help the Malawian leaders take significant steps forward. “The plan for November is to bring several hundred pastors together and give them an envision seminar,” Bob says.
They started with only 55, and the leadership and excitement is multiplying. They are owning this process and are working toward completing the Purpose Driven training within the next eight months.
For the church as a whole, this rallying point allows everyone to get involved at some level. Some will be called to serve through the PEACE Plan in Malawi. Some will be called to the front lines of prayer. Some will be called to give of their talents and finances. Some will be called to leave their homes and jobs and follow God’s plan for their lives.
“I see a national movement,” says Sean, “so that more people rise up to be in service to our God in reaching the unreached.”
Parkview Church plans to send groups every month to support the Rwanda Master Trainers and the Malawi leaders. They hope to create relationships that will be a blessing to all involved.
What does this step of Daring Faith mean for the people in Malawi? It means local churches will be equipped to minister to these desperate needs. The hungry, the sick, and the poor will be cared for. The next generation will be educated. Relationships will be restored. Churches will be strengthened. And the Good News will be heard. The PEACE Plan partnerships are bringing change to Malawi!