| Street Pastors |
 |
 |
 Mark has lived in Inverness for 12 years with his wife Sue and twin daughters, Sarah and Emily. In the latter half of that period he has been asking difficult questions about adopting a posture of "local missionaries". How does that change the way we disciple and the way we reach out into our communities?
Mark has helped lead initiatives in Inverness such as Healing On The Streets, Treasure Hunting, and Prophetic Evangelism on the streets, in pubs, coffee shops and spiritual fayres. He leads a young house-church network, initiated one of the first Street Pastors groups in Scotland, and is a Trustee of Ascension Trust Scotland - the national body which nurtures the Street Pastors movement.
Oh yes. And he does a lot of Mountain Biking.
How well do you know your community? How many of the people do you really know AND UNDERSTAND? Maybe the younger generation who congregate on the streets? How about those who seek the attraction of the night life? Maybe those who have fallen through the cracks and can't see a way out? Or other ordinary people who live behind closed doors?
How well do you know your local partnerships and civic authorities, including the police, local government, safety initiatives, community partnerships, and the various agencies who offer interventions for specific problems? Can you imagine gaining their favour and earning a voice at the table when policy is discussed?
Do you know the profile of your community? What are the problems? What is the history? What are the hopes and dreams of the residents? In what ways do they feel supported and in what ways do they feel let down?
Most importantly. How well are YOU known in YOUR community? What is the reputation of your church? Is the church scratching where there are real itches or do local people view it as irrelevant? Is JESUS known to ordinary people whatever their need? Is He represented - known and accessible - on YOUR streets?
Street Pastors offers an amazing opportunity for those who want to develop a missional posture in their own communities. We'll share with you the Street Pastors story, stir your imagination with what can be accomplished, get you head-scratching about your own community and how the gospel is relevant to ordinary people there, take you onto some local streets to see with fresh eyes, and give you the information you need to start Street Pastors where you are. We'll also be working with some of the other seminar groups in the evenings, helping bring it "onto the streets".
Recommended reading: "Street Pastors" by Les Isaac; ISBN 1842914197
|
