Bredäng (Stockholm area)

On Sunday, we started the day with worship at Bredäng church, which is the home church of Tord and Martha Larsson.  Bredäng is a pentecostal church with a dynamic and faithful pastor, Joachim Davidson.  The worship services there are unique, in that they are attended by people from a very diverse range of cultures and languages.  To best serve the many immigrants and refugees in the area, this church provides translation of the entire service, including the sermon, (which is presented in Swedish) into English, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic, in real time as the service is proceeding.  We were able to witness a baptism of a young woman and also to share in holy communion at this service.  The service also included very worshipful and moving hymns and music.

After the service we had a brief time of fellowship with other attenders, and then we went to a lunch with Tord and Martha and Pastor Davidson and his wife Karin.  After this we were invited to Tord and Martha's house for a time of coffee, dessert, fellowship, and prayer.  Prayer items that Pastor Davidson expressed included:  praise for Muslim refugees that have come to Sweden, become Christians, and then have returned to their home countries (such as Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan), places where it would be difficult or impossible to send missionaries; pray that more immigrants in Sweden would be saved; the liberal theology in Sweden is starting creep into more churches (pray that it would not have an impact on the pentecostal or evangelical churches); the youth minister (Gabriela) is leaving their church for overseas missions (pray that a good replacement for her would be found); because of growth in the church, the church leaders are trying to decide if they should expand the current property or look at other alternatives (pray for wise decisions here).

In the late afternoon, we left on our long road trip to Lund, in the southern part of the country.  We would have left Stockholm less late in the afternoon, if we didn't have to get a headlamp replaced in the van.  This time was not lost, however, as it provided the opportunity for some of the group to have a great spiritual discussion with the front desk clerk at the hotel we were leaving.

Pastor Davidson preaching at the church.  His sermon was on keeping yourself humble before God (using the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying as his main scripture)

 Fellowship at the Bredäng church after the service.  Carol from our team is at right.

 Paul Lindberg speaking with Pastor Davidson and Karin at Lunch.  Martha Larson and Karin Lindberg are in the background.

 Karin and Pastor Davidson during our fellowship and prayer time at the Larsson's home.