Mission

One of our goals this year is to give a greater opporunity for our disciples in mission. We want to get better at preparing our disciples for a life of mission and for a mission team. The areas that we want to work on are the demonstrating and supervising aspects of mission (taken from the "Master Plan of Evangelsim" by R. Coleman). There needs to be opportunities to see mission in action before being able to take on mission. This year we will have regular organised mission experiences including keeping our neighbours informed, teaching scripture, running a junior youth club, visiting the high school during lunch times, surveys, street mission and involvment at the markets. There will also be opportunites for mission through personal contact through things like sport and work. Throughout the year there will also be some mission trips to Adelaide and Strathalbyn. Later in the year there will be an opportunity to choose a mission project and think through how to develop a mission strategy. Mission experiences will increase throughout the year.
In Broken Hill St Pat's races are one of the major events in the year. So last week the students developed a flyer for St. Patricks Day to remind people who Patrick was. The community also did surveys down the main street asking people about what St Patrick's Day was all about and the meaning behind it. Some good conversations were had and some gospels were given away. I think that everyone appreciated the challenge.
At one of the local high schools, I asked some of the students about the meaning of Easter and what they thought it was all about. I would like to say that I was surprised by the lack of knowledge about Easter, but I wasn't. It is what I have come to expect because of the lack of input into young people about Christianity. It does confirm to me the important role that we play in teaching scripture in 2 of the primary schools. Unfortunately though we don't have the time to teach at them all. We need to think of new ways to engage with people and proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said the "harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few".
Perhaps this week you could ask someone the question "What do you think Easter is all about?" and just see what happens.