Global Vision Seminars
Seminars – you may attend 2 seminars. Write your name and first 4 choices for each person on the booking form. It is a first come first served basis.
School-in-a-Bag
Here's an equation to ponder "1 radio + 1 volunteer + 1 school-in-a-bag + 1 piece of dusty land = 20 changed lives, multiply that by 300 and you have 6000 changed lives. Learn how Open Schools Worldwide brings hope to thousands of abandoned, abused, impoverished and marginalised children in Southern Africa. Led by Alan McIlhenny, this innovative project is a partnership between MMS(I), the Association of Christian Schools International and Trans World Radio.
Mission to Muslims: NGO worker or Bible teacher. WWJD?
Jesus would feel right at home in most parts of the Muslim world today. His love of hospitality and feasts, story-telling, spiritual conversation, extended family, connection to nature, drinking tea and valuing time with people. Of course, he couldn't be a Bible Teacher because it may be illegal, so how would he have go about proclamation? Would he be an NGO worker helping with practical social needs? Explore the challenges and tensions of proclamation in the Muslim world.
Praying and living in mission
‘Hope Together' is an inter-Church initiative designed to build towards 2014 as a year of helping Churches in Britain to "do more, do it together and do it in word and action". It marries with ‘24-7 Night and Day' that links public prayer with mission and justice and also with the ‘Back to Church' campaign. There will be stories, information and resources from these three initiatives. Jonny Best and Beth Laverty, the 24-7 team for 2010-11 have a rich experience of Christian ministry and service in Ireland and abroad.
Knocked down but not out
Brian and Eirene Griffin returned to la Côte d'Ivoire in December 2010. They saw the spiritual boom despite economic decline with people destitute but with dignity and integrity intact. Eirene works with the disabled men and women of CAHPA (Co-operative for Artists Handicapped Physically in Abidjan). They have had a stall at Global Vision every year. Artists, some there for 30 years, are seeking to develop the site to reach out to others condemned to begging, to provide training and personal empowerment.
Good Doers or Do-gooders
Take a critical look at how we in Irish Methodism presently think about and engage in mission. Listen to voices from the developing world: "What Afrika does not need is those who want to reinvent everything and do what they think is ‘good for Afrika according to their sterile academic models - all in the name of good intention". "As long as the poor remain objects of volunteer mission trips rather than joint subjects in a common enterprise of faith, it's never going to be mission." Robert Russell gleans observations and reflections from his experience as a mission partner and his many conversations and consultations.
Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI)
Ecumenical Accompaniers offer protection to threatened people through non-violent presence and support of Israeli and Palestinian peace groups by participating in their non-violent demonstrations. They report violations of human rights and international humanitarian law that they have witnessed themselves. Methodist David Orr is a retired professor of civil engineering from Cork. He spent three months as an Ecumenical Accompanier placed in East Jerusalem.
How can you be certain? God's guidance.
Individuals and couples continue to make decisions to exchange the familiar for the unknown. They have family, careers and comfort and yet feel led by God to another land. Mervyn and Claudette Kilpatrick have lived and served in India, Ireland and Zimbabwe. They have heard God's call again. They will share about their life journey, how God has guided and their recent visit to Sri Lanka where they may be sent as mission partners.
Haiti - The unluckiest nation on earth?
Why is a country one and a half hour's flight from Miami so poor and does the Church there offer any hope to the people? An exploration of living Christian faith and witness in the midst of the comedy and tragedy, colour and darkness, that is Haiti. Rev. Laurence Graham once lived and worked in Haiti and led the recent MMS(I) VIM Team from the Methodist Church in Ireland.
Glocal Mission
In an ever increasing individualistic society how can we encourage people to catch a vision for a world in need? How do we connect mission locally and globally which is able to respond to the hurt and pain of society and also seeks to make new disciples? Can a re-visioning of world mission become a catalyst for growth again in our own congregations? Stephen Poxon is this year's keynote speaker.
Loss of a shared language?
The Church seems to have lost the ability to communicate with those outside it. It seems that those outside have no reason to want to be inside, especially true of those in working class and ‘disadvantaged' communities. The communities that Jesus knew experienced the same disconnection between the religious institutions and those excluded from power, opportunity and influence. What can the emphases of his life suggest to help us find again a shared language and shared spaces with the poor and excluded of our day? Ken Humphrey, with over 20 years in faith-based community development work, is presently employed with the Churches Community Work Alliance.
The Bible is in hundreds of languages ... but not mine!
Do you know how many languages are spoken in the world today? Do you know how many of these have the Bible? What would your life be like without the Bible in your heart language? John Hamilton has been a member of Wycliffe Bible Translators for over twenty years including eight years in Ivory Coast as teacher and school principal of missionary children. John is currently Wycliffe's NI Coordinator.
I share your faith but not your freedom
Millions of Christians today live in the most dangerous places on the planet to be a Christian. Hear up-to-date news from around the world, celebrate what God is doing and at the same time be challenged and inspired as you ‘Walk with Them' as they walk ‘Where Faith Costs the Most'. Lorraine is Head of Ministry, Open Doors (Ireland).
Mission in Africa - the land of hope
Africa is an interesting place to live and do mission. Why? Because it resembles a ‘fertile ground' where the seed of God's word grows and multiplies. His word offers hope to the hopeless, strength to the weak, comfort to the bereaved and gladness of heart to the joyful. Africa is a land of faith. It has its share of problems but God is still transforming lives and communities. Bunmi Olayisade is the Partnership Coordinator for Africa of the Methodist Church in Britain.
