Vive la revolution?
This month: spiritual hunger in secular France, the Bishop of Egypt on the future after revolution, behind the scenes with church workers in war-torn DR Congo and Sri Lanka and insights into reconcilation in Israel-Palestine. Produced and presented by Mike Stranks.
Audiomission podcast: May 2011
[ Format: mp3 | File size: 18.8MB | Length: 20m34s]
Heathrow finally said hello to rescued Chilean miner Jose Henriquez today - just six or so hours later than scheduled.
Accompanied by CMS mission partner - and chaplain to the President of Chile - Alf Cooper, Jose is here to tell his incredible story of faith and survival in the world's most watched good news story of 2010.
Despite a missed connection in Sao Paulo, Jose and Alf, together with Jose's wife Blanca and Alf's daughter Melanie, sped off immediately towards Oxford, where scheduled BBC interviews had had to be pushed back.
If a missed connection was not enough, their baggage went missing as well. Even so, on the ground at the end of a gruelling overnight flight, they were in an ebullient mood, encouraged that onboard their fellow passengers wanted to hear their story.
Listen out for them on Radio 4's Sunday programme and on local radio Sunday shows this week.
And please keep praying throughout the tour.
(Photo: (c) Jonathan Self/CMS)
"I hope this new community will be so much like the first Pentecost,
that people will be able to hear in their own language people telling
the mighty acts of God."
These were the words of the Archbishop of York as he inaugurated the new CMS mission community on Saturday 22 May at Day 50 in Oxford.
Jenny Rawden presents a flavour of Day 50 - celebrating CMS and SAMS coming together as a new CMS community of mission service on the eve of Pentecost, the traditional birthday of the church when the Holy Spirit descended on the first apostles in Jerusalem and enabled those listening to hear the gospel in their own language.
The archbishop also welcomed the focus of the new CMS community on mission for everyone. "In your neighbourhood, in your village, in your church in your place, just be that witness, spreading out the gospel of Christ."
The latest insane fundraising effort for mission is a mammoth 13-city cycle ride kicking off on 9 May.
Six intrepid pedallers will be cycling from Hull to Oxford – via York, Birmingham, Cardiff and numerous other stops – a total of 657 miles! Many more will be joining them on the way for individual legs.
Each night at the end of the ride there’s a special service of inspiration and recommitment to mission hosted by CMS.
The cyclists need your support – please consider sponsoring them to make all those miles even more worthwhile. Go to their justgiving page >
You can get a full list of dates and locations along the route here, and you’ll be able to follow their progress on the Revolution blog here.
[Image from Foxtongue on flickr]
Big name speakers including Tony Campolo, Brother Andrew and Lynn Hybels are heading to Bethlehem next March for an important evangelical conference in the heart of the Holy Land.
"Christ at the Checkpoint" aims to put "theology at the service of peace and justice" - and the gathering is hosted by Bethlehem Bible College, where a number of CMS people in mission are working.
Local and international evangelical Christians will come together and hear from others including Salim Munayer, founder of reconciliation ministry Musalaha, another CMS partner.
The organisers say they want to equip the global church to:
Looks like it could be fascinating - and hopefully influential.
More details and booking at the Bethlehem Bible College website
