Musings from a Sabbatical
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Urban Expression recruits, equips, deploys and supports self-financing teams to pioneer innovative and relevant expressions of the Christian church in under-churched areas of the inner city.
They are currently looking to recruit more church planters. For more information, see the website.
Visit the Urban Expression site at
www.urbanexpression.org.uk
by Sarah Warburton
Sarah and Phil Warburton (Stepney, East London) have been in North America for the summer on sabbatical visiting Mennonites who are involved with urban mission. Here are a few reflections:
It was wonderful to hear the stories and to see what God is doing in L.A. and Ontario. We were encouraged that we had so much in common with the people we met and felt that we were with partners in urban mission.
One story is of a couple who work in Toronto on the ground floor of a huge block of flats. They are chaplains to the estate and are doing an amazing work. They spend their time building community there, getting neighbours to talk with each other and work together on problems that occur within the building. It was great when entering the building to see people from all walks of life chatting to one another and being good neighbours. The chaplains also give advice, run youth programmes and have church there. It was inspiring and we came away buzzing with lots of ideas of what we could do on our estate.
One of Urban Expression's values is:
We see teamwork, networking and mutual accountability as vital, recognising that individuals and churches need each other.
There are so many opportunities within urban mission, and so many needs, that sometimes it is hard to know what to be involved with. To have the privilege of seeing others in their ministries, and to be able to reflect on our own lives here in Stepney, has been great and we feel energised to continue with the work that God has for us here.