FAIR STOOD THE WIND FOR COIMBRA – 66 - “THE CHURCH IN ENGLAND” – ANGLICAN BUT NOT “C OF E” - 21 - PUKKA CHURCH 17 - A FEW BEERS 03 - PORTUGUESE PLANT PLOTTING ;))) - Shane had bought a round; Luke had bought a round; Shane had bought a round. They had both been to University, and were used to REAL ALE – and this stuff was SUPERB – better than the usual excellence expected at this house… - But they agreed it was time to stop – Luke got the fourth and FINAL round… - It had been a really great evening – views were freely traded, often with great passion, but it was great fun ;) - Shane’s view of a church plant was something initiated by a big church: if you have 1000+ on your electoral roll and umpteen curates views were freely traded, often with great passion, but it was great fun ;) - Shane’s view of a church plant was something initiated by a big church: if you have 1000+ on your electoral roll and umpteen curates, you can afford to send out a curate with 30 or 40 people to start something in some school or other hired venue – often without bothering to consult the existing neighbourhood churches. - Not GRACE ABOUNDING – this was DISCREETLY initiated some time ago by a “PORTUGUESE LADY”… - ANA? Asked Shane - Ana QUORNWELL, says Luke…. OMG!!! - Granny, says Shane – it’s OK, different views but mutual love and respect ;)* - And you are beginning to see things her way? - Hmmmmm... - And of course you know Piers and Siobhán – Ana got them to visit 2 or 3 big “conservative” evangelical churches within easy commuting distance from here, and as they were being made welcome, they asked a few discreet questions of their own, and drew up a network of “conservative evangelicals” living in the neighbourhood - Piers and Siobhán – Hmmmmm... - Ana hired a function room in this inn discretely arranged for word to be passed round asking people if they were concerned about the lack of gospel witness in the area (this was BEFORE Toby and Clarissa or you arrived, so it’s not personal) – so about 20 or 30 people gathered including Ana and Piers and Siobhán, and Ana set up a tab, so you would go downstairs to the bar with a card marked “PORTUGUESA” and get a free drink - Ana and Piers and Siobhán are part of my home church, and Piers is the Curate – OMG! Are you sure you ought to be telling me? - Sure, now that GRACE ABOUNDING is well established, this has long been LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG ABOUT – Piers is one of our visiting preachers - Wow! - The consensus was for a 6:30pm meeting: if you wanted to carry on socialising, you were already within walking distance of home (Ana had already earmarked a local school) – no worries about commuting - And you can still go to the morning meeting at your regular church, so you are still getting THE BENEFIT OF THE BEST TEACHING IN LONDON and membership of a FIRST CLASS CITY CHURCH – clever people, the Portuguese ;) - And Ana would have paid for YOU to have gone on a Cornhill training course… - But I wouldn’t have met you or Toby and Clarissa then ;) -
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 16:00:50 +0000
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