Tangible Witness
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
1 Timothy 4: 12
All of our church leaders left Morogoro early Saturday morning to attend a two week long annual conference and training (yes two weeks) in Mwanza, a city in northern Tanzania. You would expect that with all the leaders gone for such a long time things would get left undone, worship would be a little more stressful or disorganized, weekly devotions would be cancelled- but not here in Morogoro. One of the amazing things about our church is the way that the congregation, not just the pastors, make the church function from day to day.
Our congregation is divided into four groups- children, youth (anyone who isn't married yet), mamas, and babas (dads). We also have five community groups- one for each neighborhood represented. All of these groups meet weekly for devotions and each week there is a different leader and a different preacher. An offering is collected, prayer concerns are shared, and on Sunday mornings all of this information is shared with the congregation. Everyone is involved in their community group as well as one of the four demographic groups which means they are engaging in fellowship two times per week outside of regular worship. We also have three choirs - children, youth, and adult - as well as a praise and worship team that meet several times each week to practice music for Sunday service. Lastly, each week there is a Wednesday worship service where a different church members lead and preach.
These groups, they take care of each other. When someone is sick they take up a collection and go to visit them at their home to pray for them. When there is a death in someone's family, all of the groups go to visit their home to pray and give their condolences. When someone is in need, their group is aware and they communicate with the other groups to do what they can to help. There are group messages for communication and if someone isn't present they get a text or a phone call to make sure they are okay. And none of this- NONE of it- is pastor led. We have many lay leaders who take their responsibility seriously and hold the other members accountable.
The largest group by far is the youth, followed by children. On any given Sunday there are between 20 and 40 youth in worship and no less than 25 children. Most of the youth are age 16-30, living on their own in community "apartment-ish" housing with other single young adults, and most of them are unemployed or working for the church in some capacity making very little money. Yet every Sunday they are in church and at their small group meetings giving their offering, even if it's 1,000 shillings (around 50 cents). In these weekly meetings there's no exciting events or meeting at a fun location like Main Event or a cute new bar or even a restaurant. The youth meet behind the church under a big tree. There is singing, they discuss business and any announcements, and then the preacher leads the group in reading bible passages and offers a (usually) short message. Oh, and this meeting is on Sunday afternoon right after our three hour worship service.
This youth church culture is very interesting to me because I feel like in American churches in general, this age group, 16-30, is the least represented. This age group, the youths, often characterized as being preoccupied with technology and so busy with other things they just don't prioritize church in their lives anymore, live much differently here in Tanzania. Most of the youth in our church have not completed high school and, if they have, were not able to afford college level education. Some of them, thanks to scholarships from our church, are completing university education now in their late twenties. They are struggling to find stable work and those who have it still struggle to make ends meet. Their parents who are facing the same struggles, have no support to give them, and yet are pressuring them to get married and have children. When a mother or father gets sick, the son or daughter is expected to send money to help them, even though they don't even have money to take care of themselves. And when they fall on hard times and they are sick with malaria and can't afford the (less than five dollar) medication, who do they turn to? Their church group. Every youth has been helped at one time or another by the rest of the group, and that is what keeps them coming week after week. They are part of a tangible witness of God's love and faithfulness that they know they will need to call on and they cannot lose that. Imagine if our churches in America functioned this way. Imagine if our need was so great that we depended on each other in this way. What would that look like?
I would love to tell you that I too am a regular attendee of these weekly meetings, but that would be a lie. Initially, I attended most Sundays and even preached one week, but over time- again I'm being honest- I gotdiscouraged lazy. After sitting through a three hour worship service where I understand less than 50 percent of what is said, the idea of sitting through another hour or two of Swahili was a bit much for me. Some weeks I would convince myself to go- Come on Allee, just go and sit there. You don't have to understand. But as I sat not understanding, I would get frustrated. Frustrated with myself for not understanding more Swahili by now, frustrated with my friends who speak English for not translating for me, frustrated at the leaders who would always ask me a question or volunteer me to do something knowing that I didn't understand them, and mostly frustrated that I was feeling frustrated.
One week as I was sitting not understanding my mind began to wander. I thought, what if we did an event of some kind? What if the girls all met together at my house and did something just social together? Or what if one Sunday we went to a restaurant and had lunch together while we met. We're all hungry anyway. And while yes, I'm sure everyone would enjoy it for the week, whatI realized the Holy Spirit told me the more I thought was, No one is asking for that Allee. No one has asked you to change this good thing they have going. Don't force what you want onto them. It's not about you.
I have tried (and failed) really hard to remember that fact over my year as a missionary here. My job is not to force what I believe is needed or is important onto these amazing people. Even if it's something I really want to do. My job is to watch and listen and love and be ready to jump in and help in whatever way I can when I am asked. When a need is brought to my attention it is my job to do everything I can to address that need and when the need is too great financially or too difficult logistically it is my job to pray and love and be present because that's all I can do and that is something.
So on Sunday morning in the absence of all of our leaders, we had the most joyous, spirit-filled worship service that we've had in a long time. Dozens of members stepped in seamlessly to lead as we sang and danced and prayed and listened to scripture. With chills all over, I found myself thanking God once again for the amazing congregation of people that I got to be apart of for the past year. They are truly a blessing and I know that with them God is well pleased.
Mungu akubariki,
Allee
1 Timothy 4: 12
All of our church leaders left Morogoro early Saturday morning to attend a two week long annual conference and training (yes two weeks) in Mwanza, a city in northern Tanzania. You would expect that with all the leaders gone for such a long time things would get left undone, worship would be a little more stressful or disorganized, weekly devotions would be cancelled- but not here in Morogoro. One of the amazing things about our church is the way that the congregation, not just the pastors, make the church function from day to day.
Our congregation is divided into four groups- children, youth (anyone who isn't married yet), mamas, and babas (dads). We also have five community groups- one for each neighborhood represented. All of these groups meet weekly for devotions and each week there is a different leader and a different preacher. An offering is collected, prayer concerns are shared, and on Sunday mornings all of this information is shared with the congregation. Everyone is involved in their community group as well as one of the four demographic groups which means they are engaging in fellowship two times per week outside of regular worship. We also have three choirs - children, youth, and adult - as well as a praise and worship team that meet several times each week to practice music for Sunday service. Lastly, each week there is a Wednesday worship service where a different church members lead and preach.
These groups, they take care of each other. When someone is sick they take up a collection and go to visit them at their home to pray for them. When there is a death in someone's family, all of the groups go to visit their home to pray and give their condolences. When someone is in need, their group is aware and they communicate with the other groups to do what they can to help. There are group messages for communication and if someone isn't present they get a text or a phone call to make sure they are okay. And none of this- NONE of it- is pastor led. We have many lay leaders who take their responsibility seriously and hold the other members accountable.
The largest group by far is the youth, followed by children. On any given Sunday there are between 20 and 40 youth in worship and no less than 25 children. Most of the youth are age 16-30, living on their own in community "apartment-ish" housing with other single young adults, and most of them are unemployed or working for the church in some capacity making very little money. Yet every Sunday they are in church and at their small group meetings giving their offering, even if it's 1,000 shillings (around 50 cents). In these weekly meetings there's no exciting events or meeting at a fun location like Main Event or a cute new bar or even a restaurant. The youth meet behind the church under a big tree. There is singing, they discuss business and any announcements, and then the preacher leads the group in reading bible passages and offers a (usually) short message. Oh, and this meeting is on Sunday afternoon right after our three hour worship service.
This youth church culture is very interesting to me because I feel like in American churches in general, this age group, 16-30, is the least represented. This age group, the youths, often characterized as being preoccupied with technology and so busy with other things they just don't prioritize church in their lives anymore, live much differently here in Tanzania. Most of the youth in our church have not completed high school and, if they have, were not able to afford college level education. Some of them, thanks to scholarships from our church, are completing university education now in their late twenties. They are struggling to find stable work and those who have it still struggle to make ends meet. Their parents who are facing the same struggles, have no support to give them, and yet are pressuring them to get married and have children. When a mother or father gets sick, the son or daughter is expected to send money to help them, even though they don't even have money to take care of themselves. And when they fall on hard times and they are sick with malaria and can't afford the (less than five dollar) medication, who do they turn to? Their church group. Every youth has been helped at one time or another by the rest of the group, and that is what keeps them coming week after week. They are part of a tangible witness of God's love and faithfulness that they know they will need to call on and they cannot lose that. Imagine if our churches in America functioned this way. Imagine if our need was so great that we depended on each other in this way. What would that look like?
I would love to tell you that I too am a regular attendee of these weekly meetings, but that would be a lie. Initially, I attended most Sundays and even preached one week, but over time- again I'm being honest- I got
One week as I was sitting not understanding my mind began to wander. I thought, what if we did an event of some kind? What if the girls all met together at my house and did something just social together? Or what if one Sunday we went to a restaurant and had lunch together while we met. We're all hungry anyway. And while yes, I'm sure everyone would enjoy it for the week, what
I have tried (and failed) really hard to remember that fact over my year as a missionary here. My job is not to force what I believe is needed or is important onto these amazing people. Even if it's something I really want to do. My job is to watch and listen and love and be ready to jump in and help in whatever way I can when I am asked. When a need is brought to my attention it is my job to do everything I can to address that need and when the need is too great financially or too difficult logistically it is my job to pray and love and be present because that's all I can do and that is something.
So on Sunday morning in the absence of all of our leaders, we had the most joyous, spirit-filled worship service that we've had in a long time. Dozens of members stepped in seamlessly to lead as we sang and danced and prayed and listened to scripture. With chills all over, I found myself thanking God once again for the amazing congregation of people that I got to be apart of for the past year. They are truly a blessing and I know that with them God is well pleased.
Mungu akubariki,
Allee
If you would like to donate towards my work in Tanzania, you can send donations electronically through the Venmo app.
My username is @Alison-Gomulka.
If you would prefer to send a check, you can mail it to
Alison Gomulka
15601 Shady Brook Lane
College Station, TX
77845
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