{"id":128,"date":"2009-12-04T17:58:45","date_gmt":"2009-12-04T21:58:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedockchurch.org\/blog\/?p=128"},"modified":"2010-02-16T15:53:18","modified_gmt":"2010-02-16T19:53:18","slug":"an-update-and-an-invitation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.the-dock.org\/blog\/2009\/an-update-and-an-invitation\/","title":{"rendered":"An update and an invitation…"},"content":{"rendered":"

December is here… so how about starting with a Christmas-themed joke?\u00a0 OK… three men stand before St Peter at the gate of Heaven.\u00a0 They will be allowed in, St Peter says, if they can show him anything to do with Christmas.\u00a0 The first man roots around in his pockets and finds a lighter.\u00a0 \u201cThis is a candle!\u201d, he says, and he\u2019s allowed in.\u00a0 The second man fishes in his pockets and finds some keys, which he jangles – \u201cThese are bells!\u201d\u00a0 He\u2019s in.\u00a0 The third man searches his pockets for a while longer before eventually producing some lacy pants.\u00a0 In answer to St Peter\u2019s questioning look, he says triumphantly \u201cThese are Carol\u2019s!\u201d<\/p>\n

Well it made me laugh.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s now just over a fortnight since Launch Day at the Dock – and I\u2019ve been nowhere near the Titanic Quarter for most of it.\u00a0 That\u2019s not quite as jammy as it sounds – one thing I know I need as I take this new role is some re-training and fresh input (planting new churches wasn\u2019t exactly part of my theological education in Dublin…).\u00a0 So it was perfect timing that two conferences coincided perfectly with the first few weeks of the Dock\u2019s existence.<\/p>\n

First up I headed off to a church-planting conference called \u2018Planting Life\u2019 in Bath and learned:<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0953\"<\/a>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

1. \u00a0Bath is lovely<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>2. \u00a0…especially since they had an open-air exhibition of my favourite photographer, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, lining every street – check out www.earthfromtheair.com<\/span><\/a> !<\/p>\n

3. \u00a0There is nothing on this planet like a good fried breakfast<\/p>\n

4. \u00a0and… I got to spend time with people of different nationalities, denominations, styles, backgrounds – all united by their desire to plant new churches and find fresh ways to worship God and serve their communities.\u00a0 In one day I went from feeling kinda lonely to being part of a great network of people with stories to tell and experiences to share.\u00a0 I found out that some people in the Netherlands are also thinking of planting a church on a boat… that the docklands of Glasgow have an urban regeneration scheme very similar to the Titanic Quarter and that the Church of Scotland have been planting a church there for the last 18 months (I\u2019ll be going over to give that a visit!)… that this whole world of church-planting is so big and vibrant that books have been written, \u2018experts\u2019 have emerged…<\/p>\n

5. \u00a0…and maybe most importantly, all the speakers, seminar leaders and experienced practitioners agreed on one thing: it all starts with vision.\u00a0 The most important thing a leader can do at the start of a new church plant is to discern God\u2019s heart and call for the area in which they are working, and set forth a vision.\u00a0 Something that excites people.\u00a0 Something that people can get behind.\u00a0 Something that fires the soul…<\/p>\n

So – let\u2019s have coffee.\u00a0 To anyone and everyone reading this blog, if you have an interest in, or a heart for, or an idea about the way church could grow in the Titanic Quarter, I want to hear it.\u00a0 I believe that God speaks through his people, his church, and that he unleashes imagination and creativity and vision in all sorts of different people.\u00a0 So my mission for December is to imbibe all the ideas and hopes and passions that are out there, so that 2010 might begin with the establishment of a vision for The Dock.\u00a0 You know where to find me (usually The Streat in the Odyssey) and how to get in contact (<\/strong>chris@thedockchurch.org<\/strong><\/span><\/a>).\u00a0 So get in touch, tell me your thoughts, meet me for a festive latte, and let the vision begin to take shape!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second conference I went to was a week-long retreat as part of something called The Arrow Course, which is a leadership training course for Christian leaders.\u00a0 I\u2019ve signed up to follow the course for the next 2 years and at the residential I learned:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Newry is – well, it\u2019s not Bath<\/li>\n
  2. (although the shopping Outlet at Banbridge is quite cool)<\/li>\n
  3. It\u2019s really<\/em> hard to take a break from your mobile and laptop for a week<\/li>\n
  4. and… you can\u2019t lead others if you can\u2019t lead yourself.\u00a0 Again and again the different speakers and topics kept coming back to the challenge to get my own spiritual life sorted – a really good challenge to face at the start of a new venture.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"IMG_0192\"<\/a>
    \n <\/span><\/p>\n

    So as part of the Dock website (and this blog), as well as keeping you up to speed with happenings at The Dock, I\u2019ll be sharing some of my own story and my own walk with God.\u00a0 I\u2019m not a super-holy megasaint starting building a new church based on my own personal wonderfulness.\u00a0 But I do believe in the power of God\u2019s love and forgiveness for imperfect people, and I believe that he does incredible things despite (and sometimes through) our weaknesses.\u00a0 So I hope that this blog will be a human story and a journey of faith, not just a description of the facts.\u00a0 If you ever think it is becoming so crowded with programmes and ideas and meetings and events that the God-story at the heart of it all is getting buried, please give me a warning sign!<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s all for now! I\u2019ll try to blog again soon to share some of the ideas and thoughts surrounding the vision.\u00a0 For now – take care out there!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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