Some overall reflections of the two weeks

 

“We are all hired!” – this was part of the message that Gillian Francis shared with a group of women when we were in Kolkata, and is fundamental principle for Disciple Making Movements.  What we often refer to as the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is in reality the everyday commission for everybody.  The tendency towards professional clergy/pastors too often mitigates against this, with ministry being the preserve of the few rather than of everyone.  During our time in West Bengal, it has been challenging to see everyday people equipped and inspired to be disciple makers.  This, in itself, leads to multiplication of growth rather than simple addition.  The momentum is outwards in dispersion rather than inwards in attraction.

The centrality of God’s word was another principle that shone through, and the way in which this was for everyone and not just a leader to share.  Everyone can feed themselves – “Man cannot live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4) – rather than being dependent on an “expert”.  It was great to sit with various groups of believers as they read the Bible together and shared the insights that they gained using a simple Discovery Bible Study (DBS) approach.  We were able to see the passage through multiple sets of eyes rather than a single person’s perspective.  In addition, we were struck that the word did not merely add knowledge, but was then applied in their lives and in sharing with others – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like the wise man…” (Matt 7:24f).  We saw obedient faith worked out.

We had the joy of meeting many people who had recently come to faith and who straight away passed on their story to others.  Much like the woman at the Well who returned to her village (John 4), and the Gadarene Demoniac (Mark 5) who returned to his village with simple stories of transformation, so here in West Bengal people boldly shared their stories in their relational networks.  Coming to faith in Jesus was not without a cost, but they have experienced such good news that they simply have to pass it on at every opportunity.

We were struck by the deeply relational nature of the movement in India.  The command to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34-35) was tangible in its expression.  This was accompanied by an expectant faith seen in many amazing stories of healing and transformation.  The worship times were moving as people expressed their love for Jesus.  Although the language was not understood by us, we could sense the reverence and love for Jesus that we experienced.

Spending time in a movement is truly inspirational.  The challenge for us now is to put the lessons into practice in our own settings across Yorkshire.

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