URBANarmy

This isn't some trendy disenfranchised churchy youth wanting to find a way out of church by playing the ' missional incarnational em. ch I'm so misunderstood' trump card.! Mike is about my height (6' 3") he met me as I made my way into Laos - the Youth Service of Nunhead Salvation Army where I attend. Mike with a few of his groupies hang around outside while the service goes on inside. I've been a few weeks off and on and I have noticed this crowd outside. A mixed group who arrive for the service but are outside for the whole service then leave when it has finished. The worship inside was in full rhythmic swing as Mike between drawing on his cigarette welcomes me. "Welcome to Laos" he proudly declares. "I am an outside Christian..." , he nods to the door and says "they are inside Christians!" With a little prompting he tells me a bit of his story and that he has been 'coming' to Laos for four years since he was 16. H...

You know you are getting old when the fringe you had starts disappearing up your forehead and feels decidedly thin and fragile. You know you are getting old when suddenly your midriff has a relaxed wobbly feel about it. You know you are getting old when you find yourself spending more time in the gardening section of a second hand bookshop. You know you are getting old when you intentionally tune to radio 4. You know you are getting old when you realise that the guy that you are talking to was born after you left university and that when he is your age you will be retired! I went along to Laos the youth congregation of Nunhead Salvation Army on Sunday and it is true to say I felt pretty old. It was a good crowd and really encouraging to see and to be part of, but what I loved was the 'Laos Extreme' congregation that hung around outside 'smoking' while worship happened inside. These guys didn't come to sing songs but they obviously came for something. Popping in an...