T-7

Seven days (or <168 hours) from now we will be on our first flight bound for Athens via London!  It’s hard to believe that a journey which started last fall is so close that packing lists are being made and clothing is beginning to be tossed in bags.  For those of you following along at home here is a bit more about what our mission to Athens will entail. 

We will be working with Kim Garrity, missionary partner of McKinney, at St. Andrews International Church (http://www.standrewsgreece.com) in downtown Athens.  Kim and his wife Jenny work with the EuroTeam arm of Greater Europe Mission organizing and leading work teams to complete building projects. Our team will be working to provide renovations at St. Andrews - a church which has a history of ministering to American ex-patriots and other English speaking ex-pats from around the world.  St. Andrews is currently expanding their ministry to intentionally reach the Greek-speaking population by moving their church from a suburb of Athens into the heart of downtown and by adding Greek translations of their services.

In Acts 17:16-34 Luke records Paul’s experience in Athens.  In verse 16 he tells us that Athens was a city full of idols and that Paul was distressed by all that he was seeing.  Today’s Greek culture is not much different from the one Paul encountered.  The once vibrant 1^st century church has been replaced by a works-based religion.  It is estimated that only 0.4% of the population are true followers of Jesus.  Greek society as a whole and the media and government specifically generally despise and occasionally persecute Evangelicals.  That pressure combined with a strong sense of nationalism has made modern missions and evangelism very challenging.     

This is why we are asking you to join us in praying not only for our short-term mission but for the long-term vision of Steve Dutton, pastor of St. Andrews, and his congregation as they too step Beyond the Known and follow God into uncharted territory; trusting He is already at work moving in the hearts of those who will soon call St. Andrews home.