 Hallelujah Moment from Cameroon |
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by Jodi Cataldo |
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What is involved in making mission contextual? As a first step, we must put away our suitcase full of answers and instead fill it with questions like: How? What? When? Where? When we ask these questions, our mental attitude becomes that of a learner. We can begin to relate our work in mission in a culturally sensitive manner. We become open to finding ways to share the love of Christ in a way that is fitting or contextual to a particular culture. But never ask, “Why?” It tends to evoke defensiveness and questions the validity of another’s tradition. One example of making mission contextual is Playday in Cameroon. Sometimes we know it as Weekly Bible Club, vacation Bible school, or even Bible Day Camp. In Cameroon it is known as Playday. In a culture where traditions are generally passed down orally and history is kept through storytelling and music, the events at Playday make a lot of sense. Playday has become an effective way for the Cameroon church to reach out to the children of their communities. Every Saturday, at the new church in Yaounde, the Gateway United Methodist Church, Leah Magruder and the mission team host Playday at Gateway. This is a joyous time of vibrant singing, storytelling, discussion, crafts, snacks of juice and popcorn, Scripture memory, and Journey Time when the children talk about their personal journey with God. It will be very exciting to see what God does through this little church as the children journey with God on Playday at Gateway. Ways to Support this Ministry You can support the ministry in Cameroon by sharing your gifts through the ADVANCE:
Learn more about Leah Magruder, and other United Methodist missionaries at: Hallelujah Moments: Celebrations of United Methodist Mission from the Mission Education unit of the General Board of Global Ministries. http://gbgm-umc.org/me/ Bulletin inserts are available in PDF format:
Date posted: Apr 09, 2007 |
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