Segovian Aqueduct - 50 for 50 Fact 5

Chris continues our 50 for 50 campaign with our 5th fact, about an ancient aqueduct. We want to express our thanks to those of you who have responded with partnership, emails, Facebook messages, etc during this campaign. Our team is growing. Would you be part of the 50 people at $50 (or any amount!) to help get to Field Prep Seminar this spring?

The ancient Roman Aqueduct of Segovia in Spain was built in the 1st century A.D. and still supplies water to the city.

This was a fact that I thought was pretty cool. Those of you who know me well are aware that I am not the handiest guy in the world. On the rare occasion that I end up taking care of a "do it yourself" project, it never seems to turn out the way I want it to. Something is usually crooked, too short, off center, flimsy or other such undesirable finished state. Nothing I have constructed will be around in 10 years, let along centuries from now. And certainly not in working order.

While the Segovian aqueduct is an impressive feat of engineering which shows that ancient peoples were certainly not stupid or less developed than we are today, it makes me think about something else as well. It was (and still is) very important to get water into a city. It shouldn't be any wonder that cities and countries and governments go to such great expense and time to build things that provide reliable water access. I don't know if the Romans expected their aqueduct to still be in use centuries later, but I'm sure that they expected it would be around for a good long time.

What this makes me think about is whether we are building (discipling) others in the same way. Barna Group research reveals 59% of Millennials (18-29 year olds) with a church background no longer attend church. We have heard from other sources that 85% of students stop attending church when they graduate from high school 85%! Certainly there is something we are not doing correctly as God's church.

It is time we start coming to the throne of God and seeking answers from the author of Wisdom himself. And when he answers us, following his instruction to the letter. Being able to see a still working aqueduct is kind of cool. Seeing our children grow up to be adults who love, witness, teach, serve, and make disciples is beyond words. It is something that I'm sure we can only fully appreciate when we are finally in God's presence.

In Spain, we hope to allow God to work through us to begin building aqueducts of His own. The best part is that God's handiwork is eternal.