URBANarmy

It’s very moving. It did something within me. As I looked around our joint house group meeting I saw nine different nationalities I thought about the Great Commission and wondered how and when we the 'church' lost the significance, the profoundness of this great missional statement. James F Engel - famous for his scale of evangelism - talks about the "great omission" it’s got me mulling!? I’m not so certain that it represents the ecclesiastical mandate for world domination that I was led to believe. I think I am finding depth in the statement within the diversity that Poplar is. ...But I’m not sure!

Andy popped into our service today. He is already looking so much better. He connected with loads of people and his eye's even had the hint of a sparkle. All round good day!!

It was his hands that I noticed. They showed the scars of being badly burnt, scalded. Then the side of his face – not as bad but damaged. Then I noticed his eyes. There was a weight to them. No light. No sparkle. Andy was in our charity shop looking for a change of clothes – I was covering the morning - as our volunteers couldn’t make it - wondering what Nicky Gumble was doing today. I wonder if he was working in a charity shop somewhere? (first sardonic thought of the day!!) As we talked I discovered he stayed in a Salvation Army Hostel in Stoke where my friend Trevor Green worked. "Hey you know Trev?"..."Course one of the best Andy replied smiling!" We talk some more and he and his mate leave saying they’ll be back to pay for the clothes. “Yeah – whatever guys” (second sardonic thought of the day!!). Andy came back today. We sit and chat. Then he says could we talk privately. "I need to talk to you about my life". For the next half an hour he tells...

One of the frustrations and tensions of ministering within a small vulnerable inner city church is that for the missional life of the church you depend on volunteers. Our youth work; work with the elderly; charity shop – pretty much everything would grind to a halt without the people that God seems to direct our way as volunteers. Nevertheless at certain times our missional life seems more vulnerable. Despite careful planning over the last few years in terms of Youth Work we’re on the knife-edge. This is where I remind myself that we’re involved in 'missio dei' and not 'missio gordei'. It’s God’s mission not mine! But we have a responsibility to look out for those who want to venture in from the leafy suburbs who might benefit from some gritty inner city mission with kids from our local estates. Hence we’re re-introducing "Primitive – for mission that’s not Glamorous; Glitzy or Glossy!". We ran this project 5 years ago and had a great summer. We’re prayi...

Seems that there is a lot of church talk in emerging circles equating church with party! Maggi Dawn alludes to it. "Party church". We talked about it at BLAH , about enjoying church. I get the sentiments. I like the thoughts. But the metaphor is not that new. "Once there was a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son..." ( Matthew 22:1 ff ) remember the story? "Now go to the main streets and invite to the feast as many people as you find." (Matthew 22:9. Seems the party didn’t kick off until the "uninvited became the invited". I think I’m more bothered about the uninvited of society; those that don’t fit; those that are marginal; the insignificant; the don’t belong crowd– I feel more at home with these guys than with the ecclesiastical party boys and girls... "We’re looking for a church - what can your church do for us, what can it offer..." I look at two professionals sat before me and I wonder ...'what can ...

Over the years our garden has allowed three major bushes to dominate the skyline in our garden. I cropped the last two this weekend past. As I looked at the first once I attacked some month’s back I notice the new shoots and healthy blooms. It has done well for it’s pruning. It seems that not all growth is good growth. An over grown garden isn’t that attractive. Is this transferable to the church? What does the over grown church look like? Is an over grown church attractive? Is it possible for a church to overgrow and go to seed? "The themes of the Western dream are accumulating, up-scaling, status, power, consumerism, individualism and self-actualisation. The themes of the home-coming future of God are justice for the poor, peace for the nations, the redemption of the people of God, a restoration of community, a renewal of creation and a celebration of the shalom purposes of God for a people and a world. These are not two versions of the same dream. These are totally differ...

I’m finding mission to be a multi-dimensional phenomena. It is not just about giver and receiver it is also about observer. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but it does to me and it is a reminder that mission is multi-dimensional. You probably need to know Archie my one wish Things have got messy for Archie again. He won custody of his daughter only now to be facing another custody battle with the maternal grandparents. We went to see him today to offer support; to hear his pain; to share his anxiety in the days ahead another court hearing. As we arrived what I thought was going to be a private affair went a little public. Two unknown neighbours arrive - Barry and Ahmed. We together hear once again the story of manipulation, the story of anguish and the story of fragmentation that is this family; the story that in a moment of weakness could allow alcohol to get a grip of his life again. As I listened I wonder how appropriate it would be to pray with Archie in front of ...