Market Sellers, how will they hear?
21/10/2009 9:00 am <>
A-So is 45 and married with two children. He and his wife work 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the main market selling children’s clothes. Once a year they take a few days vacation with market friends on an organized trip. Weekends are the busiest trading time in the market. How can someone like A-So go to a traditional church?
There are 4 churches in town. Three use Mandarin although this is a predominantly Taiwanese- speaking area! Each has a Sunday meeting at either 9:30 or 10 a.m. Weekends are the busiest trading time in the market. How can someone like A-So go to a traditional church?
A-So is outgoing and loves to ask questions. He is not afraid to disagree or express his doubts. Even if he could go to a church meeting, would he fit in?
Donggang (“East Harbour”) is a town of 50,000, one hour south of Kaohsiung, a city of 1.5 million. There are many people whose language, work schedules or culture cut them off from traditional churches. Many of my neighbors are connected with the fishing industry or work with boats. They would never think that Jesus could be relevant to them. How are they to hear about Jesus? I fear that our neglect of them often communicates that Jesus is not for them but only for the more educated who have Sundays free and who can sit through a traditional service.
I am trying to connect with my neighbors, market sellers and small business owners. There are two main ways to get to know neighbors; sitting outside with them in the cool of the evening (please pray that I do get outside then) and doing exercise in the local primary school. Every evening about 5 p.m. the locals use the school oval to walk, stretch, chat and run. Most of the 40 people there are middle-aged to elderly and I have been able to start telling Bible stories to 3 or 4 old ladies. I’ve also started to have other small gospel opportunities.
A-So, his wife and Autumn Pearl, a friend who sells dried fruit, have both heard all the basic set of Bible stories (Genesis to Jesus’ ascension). They’ve also read a complete set of accompanying Bible comics. A-So is reading the Bible and Autumn Pearl borrowed the Jesus film recently. I’m hoping to continue telling some new sets of stories about Elijah and Daniel. I’m praying that A-So becomes a Christian soon because he has great potential as a natural evangelist. He has said he’s happy for his children to follow Jesus but he is afraid of family pressure, ridicule and persecution.
What will a church for market folk look like? I don’t really know. But I am confident that God does! It might just be one person sharing a story or reading the Bible with another and praying.
Christian Dillon – Donggang
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