This past month of October has been quite an eventful one at ITA. From extended ministry in Rome early in the month… to a week’s training on leadership in Tirana, Albania through our TMAI EU summit toward the end of the month… to this current week’s (final days of October) annual Bible Conference ‘Shepherd the Flock’ at the Bible Church of Messina… ITA has been faithfully serving the Lord’s Church in Italy. We are learning moreover that training can at times come in different varieties.
One such variety in this season of ministry that is not within the usual job description ITA upholds… is our involvement with US Astronaut Jeff Williams in ministering to several public schools in the city of Messina along with the University of Messina itself. Beginning Monday the 28thof October through to Saturday November 2nd, Jeff will have visited five different schools in the city. Hundreds of children wait to greet and hear from him and teachers and parents anxiously wait to take their pictures with him once there!
Of course, in the midst of the excitement, is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that Jeff so profoundly represents and witnesses to. Doors have been opened this week through Jeff’s godly character and testimony not only of being the only human right now to have lived in space more than anyone else but also due to his constant pointing to Christ in every conversation he is involved in even and especially those related to his space travel.
We at ITA are so grateful for having invested in such a worthy partnership with Jeff Williams. We praise God for Jeff’s own faithfulness to use his life’s significant vocation as a very distinguished US astronaut to reach others… even in Messina, Sicily for Christ.
What is the implication for pastoral training centers like ITA? Though we concentrate on men (and church members) for theological equipping, we must not also neglect our work… as faithful evangelists (2 Tim 4:6). Training the church means assisting the church in preaching and proclaiming Christ to the spiritually lost world that surrounds both training center and church.
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