Looking at Christ

These are my notes from the very significant Gospel and Class Conference organised by the Acts 29 Church in Hard Places collaborative : Session 1 - Ian Williamson - Ephesians 3:1-12 - What does it really mean to be worthy of the prefix 'gospel'? Willing to take risks and make painful sacrifices for the sake of others (v1)   Being One Body - equality and impartiality - overcoming post-Fall division of class (v6)     Humility - gospel exposes our sinfulness, our uselessness without God      - Jesus beaten and mocked as he died for us - smashes our pride (v7-8)   Being the united-diverse church displaying the wisdom of God (v10-11) Willing to struggle, make mistakes, have hard conversations - worth it (v12-13) -Mez McConnell - What's the problem with the church in the UK? Class is about power not money: those who are used to taking orders versus those who are used to giving orders. Saved by the wrath of God.  Became a traitor to...

Last month we were privileged to do an Utumishi Course training for pastors and gospel workers in Mutomo, Kitui County. It was a long drive to get there - almost 2 hours of murram road after turning off Mombasa Road. But it was well worth it to meet with these dear brothers and sisters who are striving to serve their congregations and communities in very difficult conditions. It was a joy to interact together and look at preaching the gospel from Old Testament narrative, servant leadership, the pastor's family, and above all to go back to the good news itself of the one who became utterly poor that we might have the riches of adoption to sonship. Fidel, James and Daniel did a great job delivering engaging teaching and training (katika Kiswahili) and it was wonderful to see the pastors working hard in groups, digging into Genesis 27, seeking the big point and crafting a sermon outline. But this is dry ground - not just literally - the soil here in south Kitui is very sandy -...