By Nick Raven, British intern from the newly formed AMiE (Anglican Mission in England).
‘…the Lord has sent me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me
to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and
the opening of the prison to those who are bound…’
-Isaiah 61:1
I have recently been reading ‘Celebration of Discipline’ by Richard
J. Foster. In the book Foster talks extensively about submission. He
asserts that true submission is liberating and gives us the freedom to
serve, value and take greater interest in other people. It allows us to
love unconditionally, not relying on receiving anything in return to
make ourselves feel worthy. It is obedience to Christ then, that sets us
free. It is a wholehearted submission to his call of discipleship that
opens the prison to those who are bound.
In the lead up to our first bible study at Briar Street I was
somewhat nervous about what would happen. Not only was it to be our
first explicitly Christian meeting, but ours was also a very unlikely
group of people who would not be expected to ‘gel’ in any normal
setting. The demographic goes a little like this: A middle aged Puerto
Rican woman and her teenage Puerto Rican-Mexican niece and nephew, a
middle-aged African American pentecostal woman, a single Mexican man who
speaks no English, four white Americans and a token Brit. What striking
diversity! Within the group there is also a wide range of brokeness,
some of which is very painful and deep-rooted.
So it was in submission to Christ, not through much confidence in our
ability to bring these people together, that I approached the evening.
How freeing to be able to commit the bible study into God’s hands and
not feel the pressure of having to live up to any level of expectation.
We started with a meal, which is our normal Sunday night community
activity, then moved on to some singing. I have never experienced
anything quite like the worship on Sunday night. It was brought to life
so brilliantly through the vibrance and energy of the participants that
it was hard not to feel that God was present, evident in our joy. Songs
finished with shouts of ‘Amen!’ and “Now that’s what I call praise and
worship!’, a reaction that I have sadly never been exposed to in a
‘conventional’ church setting. For the study Jonathan simply took us
through the first chapter of Mark, posing the two great questions of the
book, ‘Who is Jesus?’ and ‘What does it mean to be a disciple?’. Input
was high, and genuine, searching questions were asked about the passage
that propelled us into useful and profound conversation about Jesus.
This was followed by a period spent in small groups praying, a time that
was filled with heartlfelt sharing of some serious issues. It was truly
amazing to be able to pray for the healing power of Jesus in the lives
of these people and trust that he is in the process of changing them.
As in Isaiah 61, Jesus is the one who proclaims ‘liberty to the
captives’ and brings ‘good news to the poor’. Many of our friends at
Briar Street are captives, and many of them are poor both spiritually
and materially. However when we are able to submit to Jesus in the way
that Foster talks about, knowing that through this we are best able to
serve him, there is a release from from any spiritual shacklement that
remains within us and a greater ability to partake in God’s saving work.
Let us hope and pray that our friends will come to know the joy that is
found in serving God through submission to him and his will, and the
freedom that gives us to live and work to his praise and glory!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Briar St. Soccer Camp
By Nick Raven, British intern from the newly formed AMiE (Anglican Mission in England).
As a soujourning Englishman I have been subject to a wide ambit of friendly interrogation, especially from the kids in our neighbourhood. This has ranged from ‘do you speak English?’ to the culturally inquisitive ‘is England cool?’. Needless to say all of them have been gratefully received, considered and answered to varying degrees of success. Yet by far the most frequent question that all of us, English or not, have been asked In the last few days is ‘will the soccer camp be running next week?’ Plainly this denotes some level of success, of which I would like to share in a few words.
Throughout the first day of the camp it was clear that the kids were fired up for it. They had full uniforms on by midday (6 hours before kick off) and were busy telling their friends, handing out flyers and generally doing a much better job of publicity than we ever could! It was amazing to see Edgar, Kevin and Brian (3 of our neighbours) running around the apartment complex with flyers in hand whilst Jonathan and I stood admiringly from the comfort of our living room. The eagerness and positivity of these boys represented a trend that would last the entire week. 6pm eventually came around, so with 6 coaches and a few painstakingly prepared soccer drills we set about trying to teach them a few things. Dave was on hand with a quite brutal warmup for our eager participants, and then it was on to drills, followed by 45 minutes of scrimmages. This would be the routine for the remainder of the week, not forgetting the all important drinks and snacks break which triggered some of the finest sprinting efforts I have ever seen. So to my mind the first day had been a success, however by the end of the week I was thankful to God that my idea of a successful event had changed.
Before the camp started I had in mind a healthy number of kids as the
guage of its success, that was even my prayer. Of course I am thankful
to God that sixteen came on the first day, and that the next day I was
able to share this encouraging news with other people. A good turn out
is great and it was a genuine reason for encouragment, however as the
week continued I came to realise that what we are doing on Briar Street
and the surrounding area is by no means a numbers game. The root of our
mission is to love God and to love our neighbours. To base the benefit
of the soccer camp on attaining high numbers of participants allows room
for us to fall down in our love for God and neighbour. It causes us to
accredit ourselves with a shallow accomplishment that neglects the
building of relationships, the very things that create fertile ground
for the mighty work of God.
With this in mind the greatest pleasure of the week came not from seeing a few more kids trickle in, but in sharing life with them and their families in a deeper way than before. Such was the sense of community created by the influx of families, camping chairs littered about the place and parents cheering on their kids that it was hard not to be struck by the inherent significance of relationship within the mission of God. You need only look to the relatively undocumented first thirty years of Jesus’ life, in which he must have lived simply in relationship with those around him, to see that sharing our lives with others forms a better foundation for the mission of God to be accomplished in those whom we have come to know and love.
Thus to return to the original, suspense filled question, we are indeed going to continue Greenhouse Soccer Training at Surrey Park, every Wednesday, 6-8pm. How exciting that we can return there to continue to know our friends better, experience missional community and best of all, watch the likes of Marco, Edgar and Juan express themselves on the soccer field in ways so individual that you can’t help but find joy in the richness of God-given diversity!
As a soujourning Englishman I have been subject to a wide ambit of friendly interrogation, especially from the kids in our neighbourhood. This has ranged from ‘do you speak English?’ to the culturally inquisitive ‘is England cool?’. Needless to say all of them have been gratefully received, considered and answered to varying degrees of success. Yet by far the most frequent question that all of us, English or not, have been asked In the last few days is ‘will the soccer camp be running next week?’ Plainly this denotes some level of success, of which I would like to share in a few words.
Throughout the first day of the camp it was clear that the kids were fired up for it. They had full uniforms on by midday (6 hours before kick off) and were busy telling their friends, handing out flyers and generally doing a much better job of publicity than we ever could! It was amazing to see Edgar, Kevin and Brian (3 of our neighbours) running around the apartment complex with flyers in hand whilst Jonathan and I stood admiringly from the comfort of our living room. The eagerness and positivity of these boys represented a trend that would last the entire week. 6pm eventually came around, so with 6 coaches and a few painstakingly prepared soccer drills we set about trying to teach them a few things. Dave was on hand with a quite brutal warmup for our eager participants, and then it was on to drills, followed by 45 minutes of scrimmages. This would be the routine for the remainder of the week, not forgetting the all important drinks and snacks break which triggered some of the finest sprinting efforts I have ever seen. So to my mind the first day had been a success, however by the end of the week I was thankful to God that my idea of a successful event had changed.
With this in mind the greatest pleasure of the week came not from seeing a few more kids trickle in, but in sharing life with them and their families in a deeper way than before. Such was the sense of community created by the influx of families, camping chairs littered about the place and parents cheering on their kids that it was hard not to be struck by the inherent significance of relationship within the mission of God. You need only look to the relatively undocumented first thirty years of Jesus’ life, in which he must have lived simply in relationship with those around him, to see that sharing our lives with others forms a better foundation for the mission of God to be accomplished in those whom we have come to know and love.
Thus to return to the original, suspense filled question, we are indeed going to continue Greenhouse Soccer Training at Surrey Park, every Wednesday, 6-8pm. How exciting that we can return there to continue to know our friends better, experience missional community and best of all, watch the likes of Marco, Edgar and Juan express themselves on the soccer field in ways so individual that you can’t help but find joy in the richness of God-given diversity!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Miracle-Gro
By Jonathan Kindberg
Of late I have been quite desirous for something equivalent to a spiritual miracle-gro: something you could give people that promised easy, fast, and healthy growth in discipleship. And aren’t there a hundred small group resources kits, discipleship how-to manuals, and self-help books that promise just that?
In the evangelical sub-culture we love to highlight Damascus Road type conversions (quick and dramatic), but rarely the slow, gradual, often hidden and yet just as radical transformations and conversions that happen for many ( or most?) in people’s lives.
At Iglesia we haven’t had any of the former and only a couple of the latter. Some times I loose heart and patience. “Are people ever going to change?’ I think. ”I’ve been preaching the gospel to (fill in the blank) for 8 months now and they still don’t get it!?” Sometimes it feels like I sow some seeds and water and pull out weeds and some more seeds and water some more and still no sprout. But even just typing that makes me realize my impatience. I know of missionaries in the Middle East that have been doing ministry for decades without visible fruit.
There is no such thing as spiritual miracle-gro. God brings the growth, in his time. Meanwhile, all we are called to do is to be faithful and obedient…and to pray for patience.
1 Corinthians 3:5-9: 5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
Of late I have been quite desirous for something equivalent to a spiritual miracle-gro: something you could give people that promised easy, fast, and healthy growth in discipleship. And aren’t there a hundred small group resources kits, discipleship how-to manuals, and self-help books that promise just that?
In the evangelical sub-culture we love to highlight Damascus Road type conversions (quick and dramatic), but rarely the slow, gradual, often hidden and yet just as radical transformations and conversions that happen for many ( or most?) in people’s lives.
At Iglesia we haven’t had any of the former and only a couple of the latter. Some times I loose heart and patience. “Are people ever going to change?’ I think. ”I’ve been preaching the gospel to (fill in the blank) for 8 months now and they still don’t get it!?” Sometimes it feels like I sow some seeds and water and pull out weeds and some more seeds and water some more and still no sprout. But even just typing that makes me realize my impatience. I know of missionaries in the Middle East that have been doing ministry for decades without visible fruit.
There is no such thing as spiritual miracle-gro. God brings the growth, in his time. Meanwhile, all we are called to do is to be faithful and obedient…and to pray for patience.
1 Corinthians 3:5-9: 5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Church planting: the funny, ironic and absurd
By Jonathan Kindberg
Some funny, head scratching, and bizarre recent anecdotes and factoids that confirm, in the words of one of my friends, that there aren’t any easy answers and models to base my ministry on:
-One of the kids has started bringing his Muslim Eritrean refugee neighbor to our primarily 1st and 2nd generation Mexican church. One of the youth has started bringing his caucasian, unbaptized, unchurched girlfriend to church with him.
-In one week I spend half of my conversations with parishioners explaining the dangers of Jehovah Witnesses and the next performing services at key rites of passage: quinceanos, vow renewals, first communions, house blessings.
-Of the adults in my congregation I am the youngest and the most pale of skin. Of the whole congregation, the children outnumber the adults (a great blessing) and yet often threaten mass chaos.
-Somehow we try to blend the catholic, charismatic, evangelical and social action streams of the church: the same week we have a (liturgical) healing prayer service followed by a workshop on the rights of immigrants.
All in all, you never know what to expect from one day to the next and there are no clear steps to follow! Lead us Holy Spirit!
Some funny, head scratching, and bizarre recent anecdotes and factoids that confirm, in the words of one of my friends, that there aren’t any easy answers and models to base my ministry on:
-One of the kids has started bringing his Muslim Eritrean refugee neighbor to our primarily 1st and 2nd generation Mexican church. One of the youth has started bringing his caucasian, unbaptized, unchurched girlfriend to church with him.
-In one week I spend half of my conversations with parishioners explaining the dangers of Jehovah Witnesses and the next performing services at key rites of passage: quinceanos, vow renewals, first communions, house blessings.
-Of the adults in my congregation I am the youngest and the most pale of skin. Of the whole congregation, the children outnumber the adults (a great blessing) and yet often threaten mass chaos.
-Somehow we try to blend the catholic, charismatic, evangelical and social action streams of the church: the same week we have a (liturgical) healing prayer service followed by a workshop on the rights of immigrants.
All in all, you never know what to expect from one day to the next and there are no clear steps to follow! Lead us Holy Spirit!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
¡Caminemos Juntos! A Consultation on Hispanic / Latino Ministry in North America
By Jonathan Kindberg
August 12-13, 2011 the Greenhouse Regional Church Movement will be hosting a special Anglican 1000 consultation on Hispanic/Latino Ministry in North America. The event will be in the Chicago area. Speakers include Archbishop Robert Duncan, Gabe Garcia, Pdre. Alvaro Jinete, Dr. Roberto Miranda, and more. Cost is $50. Scholarships are available. Contact Jonathan Kindberg of the Greenhouse Regional Church Movement for more information.
Did you know that by 2050 Hispanics will constitute 30% of the population of the United States? En el año 2050 Estados Unidos será compuesto por 30% de Hispanos/Latinos.
It’s time to begin to walk together. Ya es tiempo de caminar juntos. This gathering is aimed at bringing together Anglican ministry leaders working among Hispanics/Latinos in Mexico, The United States and Canada and those hoping to begin new ministries. Through building relationships with one another, conversation and presentations we hope to consider different ministry models on both the evangelical (“cristiano”) and catholic (“católico”) sides of the spectrum and to together create a unified vision for Anglican Hispanic/Latino ministry and church planting in North America. Esta consultación tiene como propósito crear una visión unida de misión Anglicana hacia la comunidad Latina/Hispana. A través de conversación y presentaciones queremos considerar diferentes formas de ministrar a esta comunidad, tanto “cristianas” como “católicas.”
August 12-13, 2011 the Greenhouse Regional Church Movement will be hosting a special Anglican 1000 consultation on Hispanic/Latino Ministry in North America. The event will be in the Chicago area. Speakers include Archbishop Robert Duncan, Gabe Garcia, Pdre. Alvaro Jinete, Dr. Roberto Miranda, and more. Cost is $50. Scholarships are available. Contact Jonathan Kindberg of the Greenhouse Regional Church Movement for more information.
Did you know that by 2050 Hispanics will constitute 30% of the population of the United States? En el año 2050 Estados Unidos será compuesto por 30% de Hispanos/Latinos.
It’s time to begin to walk together. Ya es tiempo de caminar juntos. This gathering is aimed at bringing together Anglican ministry leaders working among Hispanics/Latinos in Mexico, The United States and Canada and those hoping to begin new ministries. Through building relationships with one another, conversation and presentations we hope to consider different ministry models on both the evangelical (“cristiano”) and catholic (“católico”) sides of the spectrum and to together create a unified vision for Anglican Hispanic/Latino ministry and church planting in North America. Esta consultación tiene como propósito crear una visión unida de misión Anglicana hacia la comunidad Latina/Hispana. A través de conversación y presentaciones queremos considerar diferentes formas de ministrar a esta comunidad, tanto “cristianas” como “católicas.”
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