First blog

Ok, here goes… first blog entry…

Having to plan for MEC3 hard on the heels of my MEC2 assignment has been interesting. I have to confess to feeling a little bit superior on completing my essay (I know, very shameful) because, after the time and effort invested in producing 8,000 words of clarity over what defines an emerging church (or fresh expression), it's easy to find other people's confusion all rather irksome.

However, having to do MEC3 has been good for me. It's very humbling. I have new appreciation for practitioners who are told to begin a fresh expression by their superiors or line managers. I wouldn't change anything I wrote in my essay. I think it still stands but I note that however you define an emerging church when it is up and running, the start-up issues are less straightforward than the theory suggests. Where do you start when you've a "blank sheet of paper"? What happens when you've got limited resources? How do you balance a) where you have to start with b) what you hope it might eventually become and not confuse everyone in the process? Writing an essay doesn't tell you how it all feels when you are in the role of the practitioner faced with these kinds of questions, living with the provisionality of hoping something significant will grow but having no certainty about when, how and what.

On a more positive note, I'm glad to report that I'm getting really quite excited about what I'm planning. My thoughts are never far from what recipes will work well with the kids, what equipment we'll need, etc. I love the fact that cooking is a way in to celebrate life…to create something, to mark the seasons, to bless another person by making them something yummy, think about family traditions…it's all good!