Earlier this week I found myself on the sidelines of a riveting game of cricket, chatting with some older and wiser Ilamites. I was telling them how I have recently started a new work role alongside my work with children and families at Ilam. This role involves working one day a week for the wider family of NZ Baptist churches as the children’s coach for the Upper South region.
Later, I was reflecting on my conversation with them at the cricket pitch. I realised that in my new workplace there is a lot of talk and prayer around ‘gospel renewal for people and places’ in our local neighbourhoods, and trying to define what this means.
This helps me look with fresh eyes with how we approach things at Ilam. Last Sunday, 25 households from Ilam Baptist rolled up their sleeves and got involved in projects to bless the community and benefit the environment. When I look at some of the photos from Sunday, I see anew what gospel renewal for people and places can look like. I love the way that gospel renewal includes creation care. I love the way that the gospel or good news is about actions more than words. I love that it brings different people and age groups together, working and learning alongside one another.
THANK YOU to everyone who joined in at Nerve to Serve last Sunday. Some provided waffles for the workers, others fixed bikes in Aranui, many took part in weeding and mulching at the Eco-church project in Opawa, and a super-efficient team at the Waiting Room café filled 30 ice-cream containers and 18 zip lock bags with meals for those in need! Let’s keep experimenting and exploring what gospel renewal can look like amongst the people and places that we connect with.
