NEWS END OF SEPTEMBER 2010

Dear friends,

My first experience at a college using English and having the 'promotion' of vulnerable mission as a primary objective is now behind me. This was at Oakhill College in north London. It was very encouraging. Many of the people I met had already been reading my articles. The tutor there was very positive. I was able to give a student who is planning to minister in East Africa some pointers to help him in his research and hopefully in due course in his ministry. I was able to 'try out' a message that I hope to continue to use, and it 'worked' there so will hopefully work again - with God's help.

I talked about 'the biblical basis for vulnerable mission' with my home church in Andover. One evening I shared with folks from Alresford about the 'pastoral' side of the work that I do. I spent one Saturday in London with folks in servants asia . I found that we had a lot in common; they apply some vulnerable mission principles in their ministry in slums in Asian cities. That could be very useful contacts in days ahead.

Early days are therefore appearing VERY encouraging. It is very en-heartening to find that people have already read some of my articles. That gives me real hope - that perhaps things are shifting. To me this means, that more Westerners may go to Africa to work ALONGSIDE the indigenous people. This could break the monopoly of the teaching that mission is done through money. Once church leaders acknowledge that Christian mission ought to be done from within the local context, cultural barriers can be broken, and troublesome issues that have been ignored for decades could be addressed. Addressing those issues will not be easy. It will try people's faith. Such trials can build faith. This kind of activity could even help to awaken Europe from its sleep in secularism. Then those who are hopeless, lonely, and failing to satisfy their human needs through worldly material things and sexual and other excesses could be re-awakened to a knowledge of God's provision and God's love.

I head for Trinity college in Bristol for one week starting tomorrow. The following week I am to spend some time at Redcliffe missionary training college in Gloucester. On 14th October I am due to give a public lecture on 'vulnerable mission' in Toronto.

Best wishes,

Jim