mission 21 thoughts - pt 4

(pic Mark Berry)
Since delivering the report I have had a deep sense of completion - mission accomplished. All that needed to be said has been communicated. Essentially (at the end of the report) we were identifying and articulating something of what is actually happening amongst the emerging, organic, simple church movement. Our suggestion was that there is quite a lot happening both within and without the existing structures and some of it could well be a reflection of what God is doing around the world through church planting movements.

Perhaps even more encouraging was the networking time afterwards when we had 25 people who are involved or interested in organic, simple, home church. I expected 12!
We had a really excellent time sharing and interacting in a way which for me was a proto-type of what I want to help initiate regionally around the UK and then Europe too. At the end of the day I feel called to serve this emerging movement any way I can, locally, nationally and internationally.

Other highlights included:


• Ngwiza Mnkandla the International Director of DAWN http://www.dawnministries.org was invited to speak after the report presentation. He apologised on behalf of DAWN for the ‘let down’ factor in the nineties, and reflected that here in the UK we are now very cautious and like to carefully think through everything whereas in Africa they just believe God and get on with it! However he reminded us that many nations around the world still look to Britain for the way forward, so we still have a vital part to play globally.
• Staying with Laurence & Beth from St Thom’s & meeting their cat Maisey.
• Catching up with loads of folks.
• Meeting a pile of people I had only spoken with on the phone or by email during the research.
• Meeting Ian Aitkin, Church of Scotland minister from Aberdeen, who is doing simple church.
• Meeting Andrew Pakes, a Methodist minister who has had to forgo his stipend and manse to pursue this stuff.
• Meeting the AoG CP team at the networking time.
• Meeting Nicholas, an AOG missionary from Malta who has a passion to reach that whole nation through planting simple, home churches.
• Catching up with and hearing the latest news from a new church planting movement in Spain; where in the last 4 months they have seen 15 new churches planted and they have 70 people awaiting baptism – until the weather is a bit warmer! I’m hoping Ross will write some of the amazing stories that are emerging from this brand new movement so that I can post them here. (Nudge, nudge Ross!)
• Having the KCM director there – a colleague and friend from Bath. KCM as a ministry generously supported the research report financially, such a blessing.

posted by alexander @ 12:41 PM    0 comments

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