a week in the life of BMS (3)

Here’s a glimpse into the things that have been keeping me out of mischief this week.

 

Monday

Early rise for a 9am start at IMC, our training centre in Birmingham, working through our mission strategy document in the comfort of the lounge – “armchair theologising” is always the best.  Back to Didcot for an all-afternoon meeting with Peter Dunn, our Director for Mission, reflecting on all kinds of things.  Peter was just back from speaking at our Asia mission retreat in Thailand.  He arrived back just as the ash cloud descended and closed the skies.  Margaret Gibbs and Gordon McBain, two of our regional secretaries, remained a couple of days longer to visit the Thai-Burma border where we have a growing work – and are still in Bangkok a week later!  So too a BMS team from Fleet Baptist Church.  And in different countries, with people going and returning, we have been dealing with huge disruption this week.

 

Tuesday

The last assembly planning meeting before Plymouth next week, and no last minute shocks.  Two of our speakers are still stuck overseas but we trust they will be back in good time.  Numbers are a little down from last year but we are strongly hopeful that day visitors from the region will swell the crowds.

 

Wednesday

In the morning Mark Craig and I met with our area coordinator team to look at plans to reform how we relate to associations in the coming years.  These were really helpful meetings with some very creative ideas coming forward.

 

In the evening, there was no football of note to watch even though it was Champions League semi-final night - no British clubs to cheer on! And while I’m no Europhobe, I can’t bring myself to cheer on teams from Germany, Spain, France and Italy.  (By the way, checkout our BMS World Cup resource 'Onside' if you’re planning an event in your church for the World Cup.  I am delighted that our guys managed to get John Motson to present this for us – a real coup, and remember – this could be our year! 

 

OK, enough footie – back to mission stuff!

 

Thursday

Hard to label much of today other than a pre-Assembly hive of activity.  Some of the time I needed to finalise the text of our proposed constitutional changes (kept that short or I’d lose the will to live), agreed a version of two earlier blog entries for publication next week on www.EthicsDaily.com in the US, and finalised some teaching material for Spurgeons College on Monday.  I love the opportunity to teach in our baptist colleges.  Like those who come to our training centre in Birmingham for mission in other countries, our colleges too are full of women and men passionate about mission.  My focus with them is looking at mission principles gleaned from other parts of the world and seeing how appropriate they are for mission in this country.

 

But the meeting I enjoyed most today was with Chris Duffett, recently elected to BUGB Vice-President and head of The Light House.  Chris is an evangelist and he was in house to meet with Jonathan Edwards, General Secretary of the Baptist Union and ourselves with a view to beginning discussions on how best to use his time in this role.  I hadn’t met Chris before, but as Peter Dunn and myself met with him, I immediately warmed to a man who has proved ‘on the streets’ his dedication to take this gospel to this generation.  Ideas easily bubbled up on how Chris might serve with us using his passion and gifts for evangelism.  I think we’re in for an exciting time with Chris.

 

Friday

Day off today and so – before I head for the hills, let me post this and hope you have a good weekend. 

 

David Kerrigan