NEWS END OF SEPTEMBER 2011

Dear friend,

A colleague asked me to say more about the day-to-day Christian ministry that I am involved in here in Kenya. This is difficult.

Some time ago I wrote something explaining how eating patterns are different in UK as against Kenya. Some Kenyans were offended as I seemed to be making them out to be inferior, poor, or primitive.

I have two options:

1. I could just explain things as if the context is British; 'we had a prayer meeting . . . '. But this is misleading to people in the UK if they think that what we do in churches here is the same as is done in the UK when frankly it is not.

OR

2. I could try and explain how different things actually are here from the UK. This could result in people from the UK condemning what happens here in Africa when it is 'wrong' according to their UK thinking. Even more difficult is the fact that these days news that I produce may be being read over the internet by many people right here in Kenya. They may be offended by things that I write that they think portrays them in a negative light. (One side effect of the globalisation of English is that cultural differences are concealed.)

Hence I cannot share details in my regular news shots about what actually happens in the kinds of ministry in which I am involved. Instead, what I can talk about and promote is vulnerable mission - a way of ministering with people in places like Africa that does away with some of the problems such as the above that many missionaries face. That is why these days I don't talk much about 'African people do this, and African people do that'. Instead, I promote vulnerable mission: I encourage some Westerners to carry out at least a part of their ministries in Africa using local languages and resources. I think that this is VITAL. Not everyone seems to be listening.

Yours,

Jim

PS I am continuing to divide my time between office work at Maseno and visiting churches and doing other Christian ministry around Yala. Give thanks for opportunities that are opening to being more directly involved with students here at Maseno. Pray also for wisdom in how to share the most helpfully with them. I am to be in UK/Germany October 25th to November 12th primarily for a World Evangelical Alliance conference that is to be at the end of that time.

PS Please do see: Brochure for AVM Conferences