We discovered something very interesting today. I was leading a specialist session on church planting in rural areas. As part of this I spoke of a project where a small church plant in Cumbria has inspired the whole village to engage in a mission project in Congo. Now they have more people wanting to go to Congo - despite danger and hardship - than they have room for. They are busy fundraising as a community and have recently had a special day that was featured on regional TV!!!
As soon as I mentioned this I discovered two others in our small gathering at the conference group who were also running with similar schemes.
I believe that this could be a process by which people can find their way to a personal relationship with Christ. I think that this is a "programme" worth exploring.
Any comments?
1 comment:
I thank you for your reflections - I too have been reflecting on the matter of mission
I wonder whether we help ourselves by taking on an expectation that we need to be so progressively intentional in our relationships
I think after reading The Shack alongside books such as the trilogy of A New Kind of Christian and thinking about Jesus own interactions with people, that I am becoming more and more focussed on 'living life in all its fullness' which in turn brings me again and again to the realisation that I am to become a more integrated part of my community - being salt and light to my neighbours, chiefly by a simple reflection on who I really am and that the only positive transformation that happens in my life is instigated by God's Spirit.
It is by Grace that I find myself interacting with God in what sometimes seems a ludicrously bold and comfortable manner - although on an increasing basis I find myself feeling intense emotional reponses to the presence of God - often shame followed closely be humility and confession, but also moments of sheer joy and thanks.
Where am I going with this? I guess I really empathise with the struggle around the nagging feeling that we need to have a strategy or programme - even if we identify a set of what could simply be 'normal relational interactions' in retrospect.
I loved your 'being right' about unconditional acts of love - I fear for the group leader you mention if he has not yet been able to bask in the totally undeserved and gloriously over the top nature of God's love to every human being.
Keep on with your unconditional acts of love and service for God says we should acknowledge Him in all our ways, not just when we apply some special and legitimising lable to them!!
Thanks for the anecdote re the whole village project, aswell - keep spreading the good news, using words if you have to!
Post a Comment