ELKHART, Ind. (Mennonite Mission Network) – Churches in Indonesia offer great opportunities for service in holistic ministry overseas, says Sunoko Lin, a Mennonite Mission Network board member.
Lin, who lives in VanNuys, Calif., also pastors Maranatha Christian Fellowship in Northridge, Calif. The church is a member of both the Mennonite Church USA and Jemaat Kristen Indonesia (JKI), one of the three Indonesian synods (council of churches) that are part of Mennonite World Conference.
Lin is excited about the service and learning team of U.S. young adults that is scheduled to be in Indonesia from September 2014 to July 2015. During their term, participants will be challenged by the global Anabaptist church to integrate faith into all of life, even after they return to America.
“We are thankful for the initiative of the JKI church and Pastor Lin’s church in California that has invited the team to participate in their ministries,” said Sharon Norton of Mission Network. This will be the first Mission Network service and learning team in Indonesia.
Lin also said that JKI Synod is eager to have older volunteers serve in various ways. For example, the synod seeks English-speaking teachers to cover various subjects at its Sangkakala Bible College, he said.
Serving in Indonesia is a great opportunity for mutually beneficial cultural exchange, said Lin, who was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, attended high school in Seattle, and graduated from the University of Washington.
Located in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is a developing country of more than 238 million people. The gap between rich and poor is vast. Lin said that the church, by way of holistic ministries, plays a vital role in bringing the gospel to the poor.
For example, JKI Injil Kerajaan (Gospel of the Kingdom) church in Semarang provides full or partial scholarships to approximately 70 percent of students coming from low-income families, regardless of their religious backgrounds. Holistic ministries help churches like Injil Kerajaan attract non-Christians despite the fact that Indonesia is about 87 percent Muslim compared to 9 percent Christian.
There is tremendous enthusiasm for the gospel, particularly among younger people at the Bible college. Ervin Stutzman, executive director of Mennonite Church USA, witnessed the enthusiasm at the college during a visit in 2012, and said, “I have never spoken to a more enthusiastic and receptive audience.”
“It is the hope of JKI Synod that the service and learning team can be inspired by witnessing life transformation while they are serving alongside our students there,” Lin said. “It is my prayer that these young adults will bring back the flame of the Holy Spirit in reaching out to the lost in our communities across the U.S.”
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For immediate release
Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact news@mennonitemission.net.
