Emily, a student from Pittsburg Theological Seminary visited South Sudan in June as part of a research fellowship exploring how people are finding hope and healing after trauma. We visited several activities of South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SSPEC) congregations while she was in Juba in order to give her an overview of the life of the church. I wanted to share a few of the highlights with you, and hope you will be encouraged by the impact of local congregations in their communities.
There happened to be a 3-day national holiday because of a
Muslim celebration, so several congregations took advantage of the opportunity
to hold conferences. We visited a youth conference at the new Referendum
congregation. We were impressed at the exuberant worship, the thoughtful ways
that the youth to engage with the content and with each other, and with their eagerness
to learn and be equipped. One of the speakers gave an overview of a trauma
healing workshop, and asked how many of the participants had come from Khartoum
in the last year. Nearly half of the people raised their hands.
The Eden congregation in Juba organized a conference for children in their neighborhood during that holiday. It is a rare opportunity for children to have an event to attend like this other than school, and we were impressed to see the mix of singing, lessons, and games that they included. This congregation, on the edge of town in another neighborhood where many people have come recently because of the war in Sudan, is providing hope and care to families by nurturing the children.
We also attended church services on Sunday and a monthly
women’s prayer meeting. Singing, and particularly choirs, are an important part
of worship here. Choirs practice multiple times a week for a few hours, and some
members shared that the time spent together in practice provides opportunities
for encouragement, discipleship, and healing from painful experiences of war. Since
very few people read music, a new song is learned by repeating line by line as
one person models the singing.
In addition to these events, we attended a wedding, a funeral, and a monthly women’s prayer meeting. It was evident that the local congregations are an important part of nourishing the faith, health, and connections in their neighborhoods. It is always great to see a place through new eyes, and Emily’s perception and great questions made for a rich experience!
1 comment:
Thanks for reporting on these many wonderful events of local congregations with whom you shared. They add so much to their communities. By the way my Dad taught at Pittsburgh Seminary for over 50 years I believe, so reading about Emily's visit made your account extra special.
Post a Comment