It's behind you!

I'm sure the photographer here, Colleen Niska, is right in thinking this will only happen once in her lifetime. An amazing photo - taken last week in Canada.

Check out: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152149235746975&set=pcb.10152149239216975&type=1&theater

The photo depicts the bride and groom holding hands while walking along a country road.  What the couple could not see was the tornado behind them.  A Canadian news station confirms that two tornadoes touched down in the area where the wedding was held, so this was not a photoshopped picture. The couple said the wind blew a tent over, but otherwise their reception was a success!
Interestingly this picture was sent to me by a friend in Malaysia who picked up the 'parable for our times' written by an American. 
So, within hours we have collaboration from Canada, USA, Malaysia and the UK, but across the BU we seem unable to effectively collaborate around mission!? 
However, he really sent me an article by Jim Denison about his recent visit to the UK: http://www.denisonforum.org/cultural-commentary/1101-photo-captures-tornado-behind-wedding-couple 
You may, or may not find his observations true to your experience, but It's always helpful to see how others view us.

"We have to go now, make us ready"

Last week a few of us took Chris Ellis, this years BU President, round three new church planting environments within WEBA. Our photographer (incidentally also my daughter Emily who could radically improve the impact of any website with a great photo package! - http://www.emilycolesphoto.com ) sent us the photos from Portishead over today. This was among them, which sounds like a pretty good slogan for many who are catching the pioneering spirit.

Why Liverpool should stand by Luis Suarez.

I’m a Liverpool fan, so biased, lacking in objectivity and incapable of rational argument … and that’s just what my wife, Maggie, might say!

However, I am tired of the pretence, listening to phone-ins on five live this week, whilst driving around – I doubt if there’s a club side anywhere who wouldn't welcome Luis Suarez into their first team and I'd be interested how the supporters of other clubs would react if he was one of theirs. Ironically, Barcelona, the latest club apparently trying to sign him, could be the exception – not sure even they are big enough for Messi and Suarez in the same team.

Much has been said and written suggesting Liverpool should get rid of him. The argument goes he’s a disgrace to the club who are known for value based decision-making and dealing with discipline in-house. That’s precisely why I would be hugely disappointed if we walked away from Luis Suarez now. Right now he needs people who will love him, help shelter him from the storm, pick him up and get him back on track. Last season he was a revelation: a model of someone who had learnt from his mistakes, responded to the wise words and support of Brendan Rogers – and everyone had forgiven him to the extent, players and journalists alike voted him their footballer of the year.

I’m not defending his disgraceful act, I’m not denying his need of help, but casting someone adrift at their lowest point is never an answer. If Liverpool FC remain true to their values, now is the time to show it.

Weekend away - the gifts, but now we await the fruit.

We've just shared a terrific weekend away with North Cheam Baptist Church - at Oak Hall. It was a delight and privilege to be back among the church where I was first inducted as a Baptist Minister, back in 1986. 
It's been a helpful reminder about the nature of my ministry as a 'Regional Minister', especially as they asked me to lead around the theme of 'the gifts of the Spirit':

- local and regional (can) produce a synergy, which can be a real blessing.
- we (RM's) remain practitioners in a very real sense - as long as we don't allow ourselves to be consumed by the organisational demands of maintenance.
- both regional and local 'Ministry' remain utterly reliant upon the Spirit of God if we're to see any genuine fruit.
- many people feel the place of the Bible in the local church community is being challenged by the institutional 'Baptist' viewpoint - this incorporates regional and national people like myself into a position I feel I don't belong to.

I guess many others will surface as the week progresses ..... 

more gardeners?

We had some interesting conversation at our Cluster Facilitators overnight, this week. A game of two halves, to keep it topical - thought we were going nowhere (fast) at half-time, but a great second half recovery!

We remain a very localised connection of churches, despite talking about clusters, associating, networks, mutual accountability and learning, etc.

One particular challenge, which I've brought away is the reminder the Lord is looking for more gardeners - we were reflecting on John 15. A gardener looks for fruit and if there is none, then it's a reflection on how good a gardener they are! (I know this, personally, one well!).

I don't think this was being applied only to cluster facilitators and can certainly apply to anyone in Christian leadership.

It's an uncomfortable route to go down, but dare we must.

The question with me, right now, is can our own Baptist Union adequately re-invent ourselves for a new generation?

“Even a dysfunctional culture, once well established, is astonishingly efficient

at reproducing itself.” (Megan McArdle, “Why Companies Fail”)

Some of us having lunch at our WEBA Cluster facilitators overnight at Cotswold Farm.

Albania visit

Maybe Paul preached to a crowd around this amphitheatre?

I’m writing whilst visiting Albania - my first visit, which is proving to be a marvellous experience. I'm here to explore the potential of a partnership between West of England Baptists and some Albanian Churches. 

I was moved by one of the local church elders, whose son was baptised last Sunday. He told me his testimony was the first time this church had heard anyone say “I was brought up in a Christian home”. 

I often quote the line ‘the church is always only one generation away from extinction to help me, even if no one else, to focus upon the need to pass on the gospel of Jesus Christ to the next generation. 

This was literally true in Albania where, prior to the collapse of communism in 1991, 

we were unaware in the UK of any visible evangelical group of believers. However, I have been reminded several times in the last few days, it is highly likely the Apostle Paul established the gospel here in Durres, where I am staying. His reference to ‘Illyrium’ in Romans 15:19 is modern day Albania and Durres is the obvious port for him to have left from for Rome.

The Lord is challenging me:

Where do I need to rely more upon the embracing grace of God, who can do immeasurably more than I can ask, or imagine?

Where do I need be more open to the flow of the grace of God through my life, into the lives of others?

Turning up for the movement?

This is a slide, which seems to cause some reaction. It highlights the two key areas, we need to put more energy into, if we're to return to looking more like a movement, than religious institution.
The one at the top, in terms of more intentionality around outcomes. The one to the right in terms of looking to intentionally 'turn-up'. This is based on where the vast majority of people are saying we are, across the UK Church, on a bell curve such as this.