Pastor Mark has posted an update from his trip to South Africa. He talks about the partnerships and learning opportunities that come out of trips like this:

Right now I’m sitting on a plane flying from Durban to Cape Town in South Africa. I had a wonderful few days with Pastor Rory Dyer and a number of other pastors and churches in Durban, preaching at a men’s conference, a church, and a citywide celebration. It’s a beautiful city on the water and our hosts were very gracious, booking us a nice room with a magnificent view of the ocean from our deck.

In Cape Town I’ll be preaching a number of sessions at the Urban Force Conference as well as at a citywide worship event and a men’s gathering. Then, we fly to Johannesburg for another Urban Force Conference, men’s event, and Sunday services at GodFirst Church, along with another citywide worship event.

Trips like this are incredibly strategic. By seeing other cultures, churches, church planting networks, and movements, I learn a great deal that helps me improve as a leader for Mars Hill, Acts 29, and Resurgence. On this trip I am spending time with movement leaders from New Covenant Ministries International and Newfrontiers. These are wonderful global church planting movements that have planted over fifteen hundred churches, and their leaders have become good friends of ours. Each movement blends a deep commitment to the same Reformed doctrine we hold dear with mature and biblical exercise of all the spiritual gifts and an enthusiastic commitment to worship, prayer, evangelism, and church planting. I am very glad to serve them through preaching, teaching, and consulting, while also learning a great deal that I simply could not learn without getting on a plane to go see and feel things experientially.

For more details and ways you can pray for Pastor Mark, read the rest of the post.