september has begun, schools start again, and it’s back in for a new season after the summer…

there is lots going on as ever. i already mentioned ReSource below if you are looking for mission leadership training. but there are plenty of other things to consider or put in your diary.

if you are youngish (under 40 – i won’t be let in!) then cms is hosting a weekend in november called tomorrow’s world – follow the link for details. the guest speakers are the padillas, currently missiologists in residence. if like me you don’t know your missiologists too well, then rene padilla helped put social justice on the evangelical map – here’s the blurb from cms about him…

Dr Padilla has
made an immeasurable contribution to the recovery of the Christian
conscience.  He has spent his life practising what he preaches: prison
ministries, preaching on radio and on the streets, planting churches
among slum dwellers and drug addicts, and now playing a key role in the
Micah Network.

sounds good eh? the padillas are with cms for a few months so i am looking forward to meeting them and gleaning some wisdom. follow the link for details on how to book.

tom sine is over doing some things in september. he is doing a day in oxford with cms on sept 25 – i can’t find details but will get more and post them here when i do but it is definitely in oxford. i so enjoyed tom’s last book which i reviewed here. no doubt he will be exploring that. he is also doing 3 sesssions over 24 hours with blah… in manchester from 30 sept to 1 oct – details and book here

cms in oxford are really starting to get some interesting events at the mission education centre – another one is a day enough is enough (pdf), the title inspired by john taylor’s book which was as ever ahead of its time.

mike frost is also passing through oxford on october 9 – not organised by cms this time so we can’t take credit but i’ll be going along. it’s part of a tour where he’ll also be in london, portsmouth, southampton and bristol (sorry if you are anywhere north of oxford!).

then of course we are back for a new season of grace – our year runs from sept to july with greenbelt in the middle. september is a chance to reflect on and commit together to god and the journey of faith, re-unite around our ethos and celebrate god’s presence in the midst of our broken community we love. inspired by 1giantleap with a title lifted from their current dvd it’s called wounded in all the right places. come and join us if you are anywhere near by.