Lithuanians reaching Poles... in the UK?

There are around 10,000 Polish immigrants in Gloucestershire, England. With 80 or so churches in Gloucester you might think that there are plenty of people reaching out to them. Well, it is actually quite difficult. But a couple from Lithuania has stepped forward to minister to these Poles. This is your chance to meet them!

Want to find God in Belgium? Get on your bike!

Thanks to Incarnate Network for sharing a video about a unique ministry in Belgium.

According to the intro to the video: 'Moto ConneXion is a missional church plant for the open road, a motor bike church. The church meets regularly for road trips to seek Christ. Every trip is a double journey: a ride on a motorcycle and a spiritual journey. During the day the riders gather at pre-determined stops for a Bible reading, meditation or prayers, then back on the road where the rider is left alone in his or her helmet. It sounds almost monastic..."

But it doesn't look monastic! Brooom brooom....

Take a look at the video here

Need a hug?

If you really really need a hug, then Peterborough in England is the place for you. BBC Newshas discovered a new city centre ministry there based on, well, hugs!

"The Reverend Chris Duffett said: "I'm known as the free hug man. I'll hold a sign saying 'free hug', and I've hugged thousands of people." "

Find out more here

Art during church?

A few weeks ago we had 6 baptisms at the morning service of the church I attend. I was asked to do art during the service as part of the worship experience. Here is what happened...

The people at the end were selecting images that represented either things they had been set free from or things they had been set free into through new life in Christ. One person picked a penguin. I am still trying to figure that one out!

Are churches ready to help the needy?

This morning over breakfast I was reading "I", the stripped down version of the British newspaper "The Independent". Two lines jumped out at me:

- "More than one in seven retail stores across the UK are empty and in some small towns the number of boarded-up shops is nearly as high as two in five."

- "The number of people contacting a debt advice charity for help online doubled during January as growing numbers of people struggled to keep up with their borrowings."

People are increasingly in need. Local authorities are planning to lay off up to 20% of their staff. Companies are downsizing as the economy struggles. 

And for once the government isn't offering to step in and fix it all. In fact in the UK they are calling for charities like churches to step forward and help! But are we, as Christians, ready to help? 

I have a friend who isn't working so that she can have the time to set up a food bank for the town she lives in. She wants to involve churches, but also local food stores, social services, schools, etc. She is a Christian and she wants to be ready to help by the time it gets worse.

Will you be ready? What will you do?

Image: Mantas Ruzveltas / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A snapshot of Spain

I am just back from Spain and thought I would share a glimpse of what it is like there with you. Enjoy!

It's really not about buildings

I love churches. I love the windows, the light, the shadows, the pointy bits, the carvings... All the architectural cool details. And when I visit anywhere I try and get into them and take a few pictures. I did that a few weeks ago in Linz, Austria. That is where this picture is from.

From my travels, cities and towns across Europe are FULL of cool church buildings.



What they are NOT full of is people. Certainly not people that know Jesus. Country after country that I go to has an evangelical population of under 3%.

But I will admit -- it is a strange world when it is hard to get a photo of a European skyline that doesn't have a church spire in it and yet my job is to see more churches planted in Europe...