a Vision for Mission - a Passion for Life

Sharing the gospel is vital. So the question is not ‘if’, but ‘how’? Of course, there is lots of great work already going on: Men’s Breakfasts, Small Saints, Christianity Explored, and much else.

The proposition agreed by the PCC is to look to a week of evangelistic possibilities which we are holding from 6th - 14th March 2010, with some lead-up events in January and February.

It is obviously true that, in evangelism, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’. What is most appropriate for one person may not be best for others; an option may be a non-starter for one friend, but extremely attractive to another. So variety is important, and there is something for everyone in the programme.

• For the full programme of events click here.
• For details of the evening meetings and the final event at Queens College click here

Because this is a huge undertaking, we are committing ourselves to doing this as the culmination of a year’s careful prayer, engagement and preparation. Prayer is essential - before, during, and after any such undertaking. If we are to have opportunities during A Passion for Life, we need to engage carefully with the culture around us, building relationships of understanding with those outside our church community.

Answers to some obvious questions...
Won’t this just be a lot of extra work?
It is certainly a big undertaking. But an event like this can act as a focus and as a catalyst: hopefully, this will bring together lots of new ideas and initiatives, and enable us to reach people much more effectively.

Why have a special week, rather than just step up what we are already doing?
Partly because doing things differently for a short while may help us break free from the mould of what we are already doing, and partly because people may find it easier to commit to a week than to ongoing events.

Will we be bringing in people from outside?
We don’t think we will need to. Perhaps it may be appropriate in a few instances, but it seems as if we have sufficient resources already available to us within the church. We’ll need to think carefully about this too.

What is ‘A Passion for Life’?
A national initiative for Easter 2010, bringing churches together to share resources for mission.

In prayerful planning and preparation, we look forwards to A Passion for Life. And may the legacy be one of a greater commitment to prayer, a greater commitment to personal evangelism, a greater commitment to engaging with our community in more effective ways, a greater confidence in God and his gospel, and - most significantly - much rejoicing in heaven over the many whom we pray will turn to Christ in repentance and faith...