In August, we'd held RAW (Real And Wild) in Leicester. They say it was the best ever. A significant difference from previous RAWs was the target age-group, just up to 25 rather than up to 35. Earlier in the summer, our Youth Camps had made a big impact on the around-16 age range. So the RAW core team was keen to follow on within this Holy Spirit movement. Some mouldy oldies' had gone along as team facilitators and mentors. The local Leicester saints had booked premises in the city centre for team gatherings, and subsequently to keep in touch with people that had been met. This included an early evening Saturday afternoon get-together in the Cafe of Bishop Street Methodist Church. I was keen to join the congregation in this current experiment.
Mary and I loaded up Lillian and her electric scooter, and headed down the M1. We dropped off our bags at Narrow Way (off Narborough Road), then cut across to Springfield House (in Stoneygate). Here we dropped off Lil, and had some tea before joining the minibus into the city centre. Sitting around the cafe tables, and wandering around the worship area, I had time for a lengthy catch-up with Richard and with Clive, key local leaders. My relationship with these guys has benefited enormously from the weekends that Mary and I have visited in the past year. Four new folks had joined the gathering, and Andy popped up to lead a couple of worship songs, followed by some personal prayer. It was a wholesome and holding couple of hours. The past year has also seen the two church household come together much more.
We were back at Narrow Way with enough of the evening left to attempt something worthwhile. Richard and Margaret were just back from seeing two of their sons down south, and I got asked about the recent Multiply trip. Conversation flowed easily and inclusively: the best of relaxed house family life. Carl and Akke went off to join the late night evangelism and healing team, again in the city centre.
For the Sunday morning, we were back at Netherhall. I talked about the importance and validity of each person's testimony about their experiences with God. I related the incident when, at home, the neighbour opposite's car rolled down the drive, across the road, and smacked into our garden wall. On board were the family's two young sons: one had meddled with the handbrake while the parents were loading up for their holiday away. Neil had checked out the damage; Dave had run to tell the parents; Mary had rushed to console the boys; I'd stood in the road to slow down other traffic. Thus, we - all four - would have a different account and perspective of the same incident. Just as we have in the gospels, and just as has been authentic in Christian witness ever since. The point was well received.
During the afternoon, Richard and Dave cooked up an imaginative means to capitalise on this for our evening get-together. They laid out a strip of drafting tape along the wood-effect floor of the dining room, and marked it in decades starting from 1930 up to today. Once the get-together was underway, Richard and Dave gave accounts of their lives at 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010, tracing the faithfulness of God and new discoveries in their Christan walks. Then we all spread out along the line to mark when we were born, and afterwards - some volunteers - the date of first finding faith, with the events that led up to it and followed.
We were spellbound by each others' accounts. I hear they've since had a re-run, because folks who missed the first chance wanted another opportunity. At Springfield, on our way to pick up Lil, we heard that they'd also shared stuff together like this. St Benedict used to insist that the purpose of community life must centre on the experienced presence of God. Norman Grubb described sharing testimonies as the key to continuous revival. Well, we'd had a welcome taste of it.
We were back at Narrow Way with enough of the evening left to attempt something worthwhile. Richard and Margaret were just back from seeing two of their sons down south, and I got asked about the recent Multiply trip. Conversation flowed easily and inclusively: the best of relaxed house family life. Carl and Akke went off to join the late night evangelism and healing team, again in the city centre.
For the Sunday morning, we were back at Netherhall. I talked about the importance and validity of each person's testimony about their experiences with God. I related the incident when, at home, the neighbour opposite's car rolled down the drive, across the road, and smacked into our garden wall. On board were the family's two young sons: one had meddled with the handbrake while the parents were loading up for their holiday away. Neil had checked out the damage; Dave had run to tell the parents; Mary had rushed to console the boys; I'd stood in the road to slow down other traffic. Thus, we - all four - would have a different account and perspective of the same incident. Just as we have in the gospels, and just as has been authentic in Christian witness ever since. The point was well received.
During the afternoon, Richard and Dave cooked up an imaginative means to capitalise on this for our evening get-together. They laid out a strip of drafting tape along the wood-effect floor of the dining room, and marked it in decades starting from 1930 up to today. Once the get-together was underway, Richard and Dave gave accounts of their lives at 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010, tracing the faithfulness of God and new discoveries in their Christan walks. Then we all spread out along the line to mark when we were born, and afterwards - some volunteers - the date of first finding faith, with the events that led up to it and followed.
We were spellbound by each others' accounts. I hear they've since had a re-run, because folks who missed the first chance wanted another opportunity. At Springfield, on our way to pick up Lil, we heard that they'd also shared stuff together like this. St Benedict used to insist that the purpose of community life must centre on the experienced presence of God. Norman Grubb described sharing testimonies as the key to continuous revival. Well, we'd had a welcome taste of it.
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