THINKING ABOUT VULNERABLE MISSION

NCBC Room 1 at 7.30pm, 11th October 2010

(postponed twice, it is hoped it will now be on the date above)

Jim Harries is a Christian worker (sent jointly by NCBC and other UK churches) who lectures part time at KIST (Kima International School of Theology) in Kenya. For part of his ministry endeavours (mostly outside of KIST, at Yala and Siaya) Jim chooses to minister using local resources and languages. By placing himself in a vulnerable position he is attempting to loosen the link between Christian mission and dependence on the West.

His light touch is that of an experimental anthropologist. With minimal disturbance of his context, he is beginning to uncover the depths of mutual misunderstanding that may exist between Africans and Westerners when mission is habitually mediated by Western wealth and language. By setting one of the variables of conventional mission to zero – namely, material inputs and Western languages – he has placed himself in the middle of an experiment with unknown outcome. His work well earns the name “Vulnerable Mission”.

If you wish to find out more about this fascinating approach to mission, that Jim has engaged in for the last 17 years, you are welcome to attend an evening at Norwich Central Baptist Church where there will be an opportunity to discuss – and perhaps even understand – the problems Jim faces. (See above for time and place)

NCBC is Norwich Central Baptist Church in Norwich, UK.

(For more details of Jim’s work see http://www.jim-mission.org.uk/ and http://www.vulnerablemission.com/ )

For more details of this event please contact: Tim Reeves (tvreeves@yahoo.co.uk)