Let the Children Come

A Letter from John McCall, mission co-worker serving in Taiwan

Fall 2024

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Dear friends,

Most every weekend, I travel throughout this beautiful island of Taiwan to teach and preach in a variety of different churches. Sometimes I am in large city churches surrounded by high rises. Sometimes I am in small rural churches surrounded by rice fields. Some of these are Indigenous churches in high mountain villages.

When pastors call to invite me to teach/preach in their churches, they often ask me to speak on a Saturday afternoon/evening and Sunday morning/afternoon. I am always impressed by the willingness of the church members to come on Saturday afternoons and stay after worship on Sunday afternoons. Most of them are hungry to learn and grow in their faith.

Tai An youth with elder and pastor

Sometimes pastors of small churches say, “We are just a small church, are you willing to come?” I often then ask them if they have more than 12 people in worship. They always reply in the affirmative. Then, I say, “Well Jesus had 12 disciples, and they changed the world, so you have more folks than Jesus did.” I then gladly go to their church. And many of these small churches are doing amazing things in the name of Jesus.

Recently early on a Saturday morning, I took a bus, the metro, and the high-speed rail to Taichung, a city in the middle of Taiwan. There one of my former students picked me up. Pastor Bwo-wen had several young people in the car. We drove for an hour into the countryside of rice fields and papaya trees. He had arranged for us to go hiking at a nearby mountain. We spent about four hours hiking and then headed to the church to get ready for the evening service where I would preach. Bwo-wen had invited two nearby churches to join us for the service.

That evening the sanctuary was packed with joyful and eager church members. As I spoke, their faces were bright and expectant. I talked about how the Bible can become a part of us and that we can live out the Bible in our daily lives.

Tai An youth preparing to read scripture at worship

Sunday morning, Pastor Bwo-wen asked four of the youth of the church to read that morning’s scripture. They practiced in his office. I then had an opportunity to hear their stories. All of them come from non-Christian homes. They are now in junior high and high school but started coming to the church when they were primary school students.

Many years ago, this church started an after-school program for community children. They helped them with their homework and fed them dinner each weekday. One of the church’s elders spends hours each week with these children and youth. He shares God’s love with them. He listens to their problems and prays for them.

In many places in Taiwan, non-Christian parents will not allow their children to go to the church for fear they will become Christians. But in this small town of Tai-an, the parents are happy to have their children go each day to the Presbyterian Church. They see how the church loves their children, and they see how their children are changed by their involvement at the church. They do better at school and are more focused. They are more willing to help at home.

The Sunday morning, I was there, I saw a young mother drive her elementary school son up to the front of the church on her motorcycle. The pastor had not met this mother before but went out to speak to her and to welcome her son to the church. I asked the pastor why this mother was willing to bring her son to the church even though she didn’t come in. The pastor said that since the church has been caring for the town’s children for so many years, the word is out that the church will help their children.

With the two pastors of Tai An Church, Si Row and Bwo Wen

This church elder who has accompanied these community youth and children is now in his sixties, but these children and youth trust him. When a young man who is involved in the church was in a recent motorcycle accident, the first person he called was this church elder.

It is always encouraging to me to see how God is using these small churches to make such a difference their communities. Often their human or financial resources are not great, but God provides what they need to do the work God has given them.

As those four youth read the scripture in Sunday worship and then sat back down in the front pew to listen to my sermon, I was grateful. They are able to hear the good news that they are loved and valued by God and by this small church. They paid attention and were engaged in the worship.

Just a small church? No “just” about it. This is a church with a big heart who is responding in exciting ways to the opportunities which God has given to them.

Thank you for your support which allows me to accompany these churches and to be encouraged by them.

Gratefully,

John