If you are British then the answer is probably NO! ... but if you were you will have enjoyed what seems to have been a blessed time - well done to all those who worked so hard to get there and helped it run so smoothly ... as usual George Verwer did what George does best! (http://www.christiantoday.com/article/george.verwer.makes.call.for.fulltime.mission.workers/29116.htm)
If you don't follow @missionnet then can I encourage you to do so keep up to date with the follow up ... I trust that there will be a huge response to this event and that the Lord will raise up a fresh wave of people from Europe who are prepared to 'Go"! May all those who attended, and those they come into contact with when they return home, be inspired afresh with passion for the Kingdom.
I would like to know how many people from the UK made the effort to go as historically these events are poorly attended by us Brits! Perhaps we are all Europhobes at heart, or perhaps we are saturated with other options, or perhaps we just don't care ... there are others more qualified than I who will be able to comment on that. Yet, the result is we risk standing alone, separated from what is going on elsewhere in Europe.
As we embark on 2012 I am trusting that this will be a year where the UK Church captures a fresh passion for 'Going...' or for 'sacrificially facilitating the going of others'. A recapturing of the full meaning of mission in all it's varied forms and out-workings, including cross-cultural mission to unreached peoples ... whatever we 'do' when we get where we are going, it will require time and commitment that goes beyond the short-term and sponsorship model ... if we are to truly incarnate Christ in all the communities of the world, make disciples and build communities of believers.
I am especially encouraged by the rediscovery in recent years of the primacy of prayer and the Word ... because as we commit ourselves to a lifestyle of praying and reading the word it puts us in a place where the Lord can draw us to Himself and shape our priorities, passions and desires such that they are aligned with His - which will always lead to a passion for missional lifestyles.
I am also incredibly challenged to consider what my response to this is ... how do I pray? How committed am I to the studying of the Word of God, and to becoming a do-er of the word? I recognise that if I am hoping others will move forward then I have no option than to commit myself to the same journey ... that is my personal challenge for 2012. Please pray for me ... I find it challenging too!
Now, as you read the article mentioned above, or follow MissionNet, you might begin to wis you had gone yourself. Well, if you do then do not despair ... we are working with other Missions and Churches to bring together GO2012 - which partly, is the UK expression of the MissionNet movement. So if you want to engage with it here in the UK then you can - explore what God's heart for the world is, and where you fit in with His plan ... AND ... you don't have to cross the Channel into mainland Europe, it will all be in english and the weather will be truly british too! ;-)
So, check out http://www.gofestival.info/ ... better still BOOK IN!
Follow @Go_festival
Press on ...
Who are you? I have never been a great fan of labels when it comes to describing members of the body of Christ. eg. he is anglican, she is Baptist, they are Charismatic, etc. etc. I remember once causing a man to become increasingly hot under the collar when he asked me who I was? To which I replied I was a disciple (follower) of Jesus. He was meaning which Church did I attend (presumably so he could classify me and decide whether I was bona fide or not) and my answer did not bring him peace, but I refused to go any further. Why? Because, as I said, I am not a great fan of labels, but also because for me there is a very important distinction between primarily identifying myself with Jesus and identifying myself with Church. Of course, I recognise that by becoming a follower of Jesus I become part of the body of Christ, but that can be very distinct from being a member of a Church. To me this is the crucial difference between vibrant faith and dusty religion. I want t
Hi! I was present at mission net although I was on Latin Links stand. During the family meeting times I noticed that there were a few actual Brits present. A few possible reasons for lack of representation brought up during discussion were:
ReplyDeletei) The timing of Mission Net over the Christmas break
ii) The cost of flights/transport and accommodation very expensive especially as some were students/lack of work etc.
Hope this helps!
Personally I had a great time, and it was great to see thousands of young Christians meeting together from all over Europe.
Rocky
Indeed these are key issues - which is why we are seeking, with MissionNet, to be a UK expression of the same vision.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the removal of those two barriers means that many will come here in May ... would be great to see you as well - with a large group of followers!!!
Great to read that you had a good time ... trusting that there will be much fruit coming from this event!
John