The brief cheering sunshine of the last two days had given way to steady rain. I didn't envy the marquee team their de-rig take-down task at Cornhill. The AMEN guys has assembled in the lounge at Living Stones where our apostolic team meets monthly. We got straight down to business after a cup of tea.
We still needed to have an update from Mark, and he focussed on the growing interest in community he meets across Europe. He likes feasts, rather than 'church' as a way to dissolve the tension between the cultures of the Kingdom and the world.
Kelly and his team (Wilf and Dan) gave the morning focus on brotherhood. He spoke of needing to share the burden of pastoral care, and of our own frailty. One day he was doing practical jobs in a small room, with one bright central ceiling light. Wherever he turned he found he was working in shadow. So it is if our vision is only illuminated by our own perspective: the light is darkness. Dan unpacked how covenant is alive with personal reality, not some distant formula or obligation. Wilf spoke of leaders' vulnerability needing to be balanced by the integrity that means we don't circle round difficulties, but resolve them.
Jonny, Jason and Jenny reported back on their two J Gen projects in Kenya and Nigeria. In Kenya 19 folks have been trained in the new workshop/college and 55 children helped in their school. The Lagos school project didn't run so smoothly. There's room for better planning, and we'll need to note this for India and Sierra Leone, and Zambia next year. When we look back over two years in which we've initiated this aspect of Multiply, it's been a good start.
After lunch, Piet gave on overview of Multiply Europe's developments. Interest in the gospel has sprung up in several ways: pockets of life in the landscape of deadness; the opening up of eastern Europe that has brought poverty into the open; the spread of migrants who aren't infected by prevailing uninterest; the breakdown of society provoking the question where one may find community. "Urban mission" is blossoming in new places, like Rotterdam. He has a good perspective.
After this we left the AMEN guys to spend time together. I nudged Gregory to produce a wish-list of half a dozen priorities for later discussion. Stephen pinned me down to work out some dates for the Africa visit in Spring next year.
With time to spare before agape, I went to the Skaino office and knocked out the powerpoint for Thursday's session on future developments and initiatives. There's plenty stirring.
We still needed to have an update from Mark, and he focussed on the growing interest in community he meets across Europe. He likes feasts, rather than 'church' as a way to dissolve the tension between the cultures of the Kingdom and the world.
Kelly and his team (Wilf and Dan) gave the morning focus on brotherhood. He spoke of needing to share the burden of pastoral care, and of our own frailty. One day he was doing practical jobs in a small room, with one bright central ceiling light. Wherever he turned he found he was working in shadow. So it is if our vision is only illuminated by our own perspective: the light is darkness. Dan unpacked how covenant is alive with personal reality, not some distant formula or obligation. Wilf spoke of leaders' vulnerability needing to be balanced by the integrity that means we don't circle round difficulties, but resolve them.
Jonny, Jason and Jenny reported back on their two J Gen projects in Kenya and Nigeria. In Kenya 19 folks have been trained in the new workshop/college and 55 children helped in their school. The Lagos school project didn't run so smoothly. There's room for better planning, and we'll need to note this for India and Sierra Leone, and Zambia next year. When we look back over two years in which we've initiated this aspect of Multiply, it's been a good start.
After this we left the AMEN guys to spend time together. I nudged Gregory to produce a wish-list of half a dozen priorities for later discussion. Stephen pinned me down to work out some dates for the Africa visit in Spring next year.
With time to spare before agape, I went to the Skaino office and knocked out the powerpoint for Thursday's session on future developments and initiatives. There's plenty stirring.
No comments:
Post a Comment