I will be going on a short-term missions trip to Rome, Italy, in early May 2008. Please see my Mission To Rome page for information on the trip and how you can be a part of it through your support.
I meet regularly with a friend of mine, Bob Kilpatrick, for coffee on Thursday mornings. We talk about family, ministry, faith, art and music, books we’ve read, songs we’ve written, inspiration and transcendence. We talk about life.
Sometimes I pretend that he and I are bohemian beatniks wearing black berets, listening to avant-garde jazz in some SoHo cafe, and debating socialism while sipping bitter cappuccinos. Then we finish our lattes, I get in my minivan and he gets in his SUV, and we commit to meet again next week.
Many months ago, he started sharing an opportunity with me. There was this pastor in Rome he befriended, who was allowed a historical first: the city government gave his evangelical church two acres in Rome in order to build a church! It’s the first evangelical church in the history of Roman Catholic Rome to own property. Bob is in the process of putting together a short-term missions group to support this church, for the purpose of doing musical outreach in the piazzas and ministering to the local evangelical churches there through an Italy-wide Worship Conference. It sounded exciting. And so far away.
Suddenly, it is time to make it happen. And he has asked me to go with him. So I said, “yes.”
I’ve shared earlier about how these trips have really pushed against my comfort zones. I am uncomfortable being in a strange place, not knowing the language, not knowing basic things like how to make a phone call or get a taxi or read flight information. But at the same time, I really feel that God is preparing me for more trips like this, slowly carrying me along—first with my ministry to Canada (a huge stretch), then with other short-term trips like my trip to Germany last November.
But Debbie and I cannot deny the uniqueness of this trip. There are several historical firsts associated with it. And I may be uniquely qualified to go on this trip, having played keyboards for both Bob and fellow artist, Randy Stonehill, as well as being the only person on the trip who can speak at the conference from the perspective of a full-time worship pastor.
So now there are various things to do. Raise support. Gather a prayer team. Acquire equipment. And I hope you can help me. If you are so led, please see my Mission To Rome page for information on how to help financially or with prayer. It would be most appreciated. Ciao!
Adventures in Faith & Art 