Last week, a team from the UK (12 people) joined us in the parish for a week of witness & evangelism. The week began with informal meals in different people's homes followed by main meetings over the week-end. The aim of the week was 2-fold : to give vision to the church here as to what can be possible, and to engage during the week in more active evangelism than we are used to. It was very encouraging! We will see with time the long term fruit, but already here are a number of things that struck me:
- the really positive response to members of the team distributing invitations on the market - this was unexpected, especially since Mantes is a religiously and racially sensitive area, and during Ramadan too... And yet response was v +ve.
- the importance of personal testimony in evangelism. This is obvious, but we need to create fresh ways in the church of releasing balanced and authentic testimony that creates a desire for others to meet the same Christ.
- our church has move forward so much spiritually in the last few years ; it's easy to take it for granted. Having an outside team with us for a week reminded me of the wonderful sense of community and welcome that God has created in the church here.
- how good it is that not all the vision in the church is carried by Uta and me. This was pretty much the case early on, but we now have many people who are beginning to imagine great things and a church council which is seeking God's way forward for the church.
- there are unexpected opportunities for evangelism right on our doorstep if we are willing to seize them. Most of the time we are so used to what we see all the time we need someone else to come in an point out the obvious.
So... a great week. Tiring, but a positive beginning to a new academic year. Do pray that we can effectively build on it!
Matthew Dietz
mer 28 oct 2009 01:51