Your story from 'Across the Divide'

This Sunday is the conclusion of the sermon series 'Crossing the Divide'. I plan to paint a compelling picture of what a multi-ethnic/cultural RFC will look like!

As part of my message, I would like to read out your short stories, journal entries or reflections on how this series has provoked, challenged, annoyed or resonated with you.

So, could you RFC'ers please stop for a few moments, reflect on the series and then send me a something I could read out on Sunday morning. A blog or facebook comment is fine, as it text or email.

I do think it will be really helpful to hear how we have journeyed over the past month ...

Being honest about this sermon series

When I read Owen Hylton's book in the summer I really had no idea how difficult a series on embracing diversity would be.

I don't mean preparing the material, Owen did a great job capturing our discussion and proposing a series. Neither has the church received the teaching recticently, in fact I sense we are all open to this journey.

For me, the pinch comes when standing at my daughter's school gate on a Monday afternoon. Whilst I wait for her smiling face, I am among the most diverse group of my week. And we all stand in our invisible enclaves and only say hello to those who look most like ourselves .

Worse still, because it's a Monday and I'm tired, I have no overwhelming desire to cross any divides! I keep thinking how exhausting it will be if I try to bridge the differences and try to make a new friend... and how easy it is to stay quiet.

I write this because, in my world, this is where the series hits the ground outside of church life. And it is provoking and it is hard.

And it is about Whitley & Earley. And it's about immigration & education & identification. It's about socio economic grouping and my emotional energy.

Diversity goes well beyond gathering lots of different people in the same room. Embracing diversity is very complex and can make at least 10 minutes of your day off very uncomfortable ... ;o)

On a different note on embracing diversity: Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

Owen Hylton @ RFC

We are currently using Sunday evenings to help us engage with some of the issues that the current sermon series 'Crossing the Divide' throws up. Last Sunday night we watched the film 'Cry Freedom' at the church offices. Simply watching this film in a room with black Africans changed the way I viewed it!

This Sunday night my friend Owen Hylton will be with us to tell some of his story (he is married to a White British Girl). Owen will also be part of a panel to help answer our questions as we journey on embracing diversity.

Do try to get along 7:45 until 9:30pm at the church offices ... and come prepared to ask your REAL questions even if they are not politically correct!

A Resilient Life

Last summer, Liz and I spent a day with Gordon and Gail MacDonald (courtesy of our friends at Kerith Community Church). We both thoroughly enjoyed their personalities, their teaching and their openness.

I have just finished another of his books 'A Resilient Life' and found it so helpful. Here is a man who in his early 70's is reflecting on his life and how he intends to finish well.

His honesty about his past mistakes and the lessons he has learnt is very refreshing. When people fail they have a unique perspective to bring. His reflections on the influences on his life has helped my journey into memories I have shut out for years.But most of all I like his idea of 'thinking big picture whilst doing the small things well'.

I think that this will be an important book for me, one that I keep revisiting as I journey into the second half of my life ...

Gift Days & Faith & Healing

Sunday was one of those mornings.

It was the second & final Sunday of the Gift Days. The total for the two Sundays ended up being twice the amount we asked for - God was extravagant and His people are truly generous!

During our time of worship the faith levels were so palpable that I felt compelled to give a general prayer for healing. I told people to place their hands on their ailment and I asked God to heal them.

It was fantastic when Joe Smith came and testified to his knee being healed ... it was such a supernatural yet ordinary moment!

I have been pondering the connection, if any, between the outpouring of faith for giving money and the faith for healing. I do find it curious that when faith is being exercised in one area of life (giving money), God responds to faith in a different area of life (healing a knee).

Joe Smith is a engineer, logical, faithful and needs 'good knees' to better serve his internship with us. I don't know why God, in a moment, healed Joe's knees but and other ailments in the congregation remained.

There is clearly much mystery and no favouritism when it comes to healing. But this I will say, when faith is being exercised, whether for giving money or healing, there is no telling what God will choose to do!

1 in 4

On Sunday I kicked off the new sermon series looking at embracing diversity. As part of my sermon preparation we conducted a brief survey of ethnic diversity at RFC and then compared that against the town.

1 in 4 adults at RFC don't come from the ethnic group White British which matched the stats for our town. However, we do have some work to regardings interns & deacons! (more data on Reading here).

75% of RFC are aged between 16-45 whilst Reading is only 50%. Interestingly, the 16-29 age group in Reading is at 25.3% whilst the South East of England is at 17.5% (more data on Reading here)

The series is based around Owen Hyltons book entitled 'Crossing the Divide'. Owen is with us on Sunday 22 Nov in the evening to be part of a Q&A session.

A risk worth taking

Starting a Sunday evening meeting in the New Year has created quite a lot of discussion here at RFC.

Yesterday I had a great conversation with Gary Watkins about the danger of us creating a mono-culture evening meeting. Starting at 6:30pm isn't a great fit for young families and given we value the inter-generational & multi-ethnic feel of Sunday mornings, how does that work on a Sunday night?

A wise question that I don't think has one 'silver bullet answer' but here was my gut reaction to Gary's question:

There is a real danger we shipwreck our momentum in diversity and build a mono-culture evening congregation. Yet, simply knowing that this 'dangerous reef' exists help us as we navigate.

Whenever you pioneer a new work, 'values' are more important than initial profiles. Our values should shape who we become. When we started RFC we were 100% British White but now we are 80% British white! We are multi-ethnic and increasingly inter-generational because of our dogged commitment to our values and God given calling.

That said, I do think that each meeting will have a different feel to it. The morning will be more family friendly (kids work) whilst the evening meeting end with an invitation to go for drink together. The expression of our values can look different and different people will prefer the different expressions. All that we do should be underpinned by our high value on inter-generational, multi-ethnic, socio-economic diversity.

Lastly, the risk of building a mono-culture congregation is eclipsed by the need to reach the unchurched & backslidden Christians in our town. These people may find an evening meeting an easier door to enter than our 10am Sunday morning meeting. On this basis alone, the risk of a monoculture evening meeting is a risk worth taking.

Clearly this is a not an exhaustive answer but Gary thought it helpful if I publish this on my blog!