NEWS END OF APRIL 2015

Dear Friends,

Here is the cover design for my latest book, that should be out in print any time now:

See here for some pictures of the last of our seven days of conferences/consultations on vulnerable mission issues in the UK this month (April 2015).

Eddie Arthur has reflected on his experience at the AVM consultation in Oxford on 23rd April 2015 in his blog. This blog, that he wrote in response to the consultation, seems to be a response to an earlier blog, in which he agitated for: “We need to completely rethink our approach to mission and to supporting mission work from the UK. Tinkering at the edges and solving problems are no longer enough“ (see See here).

I have, since my last news shot, attended seven days of conferences and consultations in four locations in the UK. All these events have gone remarkably well. Attendance was lower than we had hoped for, but that was not very surprising because we were looking for a detailed focused examination of key issues rather than a scatter-gun of diverse thoughts. I am very grateful especially to our committee that arranged these events, that includes Tim Reeves from Norwich and Ralph Hanger from Coventry. We were also privileged to have Jean Johnson of the World Mission Associates with us as a key speaker for all the events.

God willing, my next step is on Monday 27th April to head for Germany. From 27th to 29th I hope to visit Helen Stainsby in Poland. Helen is sent by my home church in Andover to work with drug addicts and other marginalised and compromised people in Szczecin in Poland. From there I am to spend time with family and supporting churches in northern Germany. 6th May I am to give some lectures at the Marburg Bible School. Our German conference is to be on the 8th to 9th May at Marburg, and then our consultation for mission executives is to be on 11th May in Stuttgart. I hope to spend time with our AVM German contact Frank Paul in Reichelsheim before returning to the UK and moving on to Norwich on 15th May.

Jim