an unexpected change in direction

In recent entries, you’ve read about some of the creative avenues GBIM staff are exploring as they plant the Church in Europe. In this blog, Brian Weaver explains how God led his family to a full-time position with UCCF (InterVarsity UK):

I didn't expect to be where we are today. Rhonda and I were raised Grace Brethren, and we took part in everything the Fellowship offered - BNYC, NAC, OB, TIME, Grace College and Seminary, and ultimately GBIM. We came to England with hopes and dreams of a life-long career with GBIM, seeing churches planted across the United Kingdom.

But we didn't see the change coming in early 2005. A colleague in London student ministry was moving on and he invited me to apply for his position. ‘Leave GBIM?! Surely, that isn't what God wants from us?' Thoughts like this echoed in my mind for months, joined by other thoughts: 'Building up God's Kingdom is what we're called to do. Perhaps we've been prepared for this kind of change in direction?'

With the advice of our teammates, our sending church and some trusted friends, we decided I would take up the role of London Team Leader with Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship and Rhonda would take a job in our children's school. And God has confirmed this decision countless times since April 2005.

Since arriving in England in 1995, and especially since we came to London in 1998, we’ve seen the importance of working with the larger Body of Christ. Some place more emphasis on preaching, others on serving. Some worship in different ways. But all of them look to Christ alone for forgiveness and trust in the Holy Spirit's work of conforming us to the image of Jesus all to the glory of God the Father. What a blessing!

Part of my role is to represent UCCF across London, drinking coffee with church leaders from many denominations, seeking collaboration with colleagues in other ministries, aiming — like Barnabas in Acts 11 — to find evidence of the grace of God, encourage, edify and give thanks. I haven't been disappointed. I first learned that notion of encouraging the Body of Christ in June 1983 when I attended Operation Barnabas orientation in Lititz, PA. God was preparing me even then to work with UCCF in 2005.

So, here we are - still working the harvest field in London alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ. They don't wear the badge of GBIM, nor are they all from UCCF. That doesn’t matter, as long as we all belong to Christ and are preaching His gospel for the glory of God. It's great to be in the business of making Jesus famous together!

Bible students or disciples?

Our family just returned to the east coast (USA) after two weeks of conferences in California and a week of vacation with my brother-in-law's family. We were then subjected to what seemed like a week in the Seattle airport due to heightened security measures, missed and cancelled flights and other such riotous fun while ALL of our luggage vacationed in Baltimore ;-)

We stood in this line, which extended down into the bowels of the airport,
in order to pass through the Seattle airport security

At Brethren National Youth Conference (Biola University) I had the opportunity to do a luncheon discussion on "informal intergenerational disciple making" entitled, Tell Your Kids: Don't Waste Your Life. I accepted the invitation to share on this topic because years ago I reached a critical juncture in my church planting; I realized that I was making Bible students, but I was not making disciples.
D.A. Carson says:
“Disciples are those who hear, understand, and obey Jesus’ teaching…. It is binding on all Jesus’ disciples to make others what they themselves are—disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Sounds good, but how does one do that?! So at the luncheon I shared some of my insights on disciple making and gleaned others from the participants. The gist of my thoughts from Titus 2:1-10 were:
Share your time with them (don’t depend on the youth group meeting)
Share your life with them (don’t depend on the Sunday School curriculum)
Share stories and tips with them (don’t depend on the Sunday sermon)

In an accelerated culture, sharing time with someone may be
our costliest sacrifice and most fruitful investment

One reflection on disciple making that has greatly impacted me comes from Dr. Günter Krallman's book, Mentoring for Mission. He writes:
"In his discipling of the Twelve the Master attached eminent importance to association, i.e. companionship, the cultivation of close relational ties. On the basis of such with-ness he (Jesus) generated a dynamic process of life-transference which was meant to foster holistic maturity in his friends…."
Nothing intellectually groundbreaking in all of this. The hard part, of course, is actually incorporating the "life-transference" that fosters holistic maturity into our praxis; so we had a time of prayer asking the Spirit to enable us to do that.
Otherwise, this summer the Klawitters have visited churches in York, Souderton, Lancaster, Hagerstown, Shady Grove, Clinton, Alexandria, Lancaster and Coatesville. We will be in Hope and Telford before we head back home in less than two weeks. It has been so good to see friends and family again, sharing glimpses of the Trinity's doings in Europe and how we might all participate in His activity through prayer.

If you would like to have a short list of prayer items for GBIM's established churches and emerging teams as well as for the European Charis Associates (evangelists and church planters), please drop me a note at: paulklaw@gbim.org and I'll be glad to shoot them off to you.
Rather than attempt to crank out another entry on the fly, I think we will take a summer break. See you in September!

Pilgrims Along the Way

What would make young Europeans walk hundreds of miles across Europe and northern Spain? What would bring several from our GBIM Europe staff to the Agape Pilgrim House to serve these pilgrims?

It's none other than the St James Way - one of Europe's most popular pilgrimmages. Thousands of people will pass by the Pilgrim House, stopping for water or a night's lodging, all in search of something spiritual.

Just as the Apostle Paul went to the synagogue and the Areopagus to find those who were asking spiritual questions, many will be the opportunities to talk with pilgrims about their motivation for their pilgrimmage.

The Bible calls all of us pilgrims on this earth - and we're each on a spiritual journey. Pray for great conversations and opportunities to follow-up on conversations and new relationships formed on the spiritual foundation of Jesus!