Last Sunday I attended worship at my 'sending church', the church of which I was a member at the time I heard and repsonded to my call to ordained ministry way back in 1997 (yikes that's now a long time ago!  I didn't actually start training until 1999).  When I was there, there were always problems with the roof, which were regularly patched up in the hope of getting through one more winter.  This year the roof finally gave up the ghost, so the 'sanctuary' arera is out of use, forcing the congregation to meet in their hall.  Welcome to the world of tablernacling churches!

Inevitably once you leave a church, your paths diverge, and yet the shared history remains precious.  Your lives are inexticably linked, but you find you are less and less alike... or maybe it's just me!

It was a real delight to see lots of children in the congregation, mostly grandchildren of the people I knew when I was there, and also a decent number of younger adults (25 - 30 age band).  As well as the stalwarts, all a little more silver haired, and several now with walking aids of one sort or another, there were a number of rough sleepers for whom this is a safe place to be.  It was especially good to meet the NAM minister who remained with them having completed his training at NBLC.

The service was all age, interactive and included a number of creative ideas... not sure I'll be copying them but it was good to see this church pray together playfully.

Camping in our own back yard is normal for the Gatherers; Dibley have been worshiping in a 'tent' for just over nine years now; some churches have never done anything else; many churches fear it.  There is something about this transient, temporary making-and-breaking of 'sacred spaces' that, for me anyway, is an authentic echo of Biblical praxis... a very old stomping ground to which we are invited.

Every blessing WBC as you continue your journey of disicpleship, ministry and mission in your own back yard.