Let me start by reminding us all that we're all part of One Body across this nation, across whichever town we happen to find ourselves living in, and across this Black Country of ours (which is a good job for the ever growing number of us who don't happen to frequent our "LOCAL CHURCH" in a geographical sense, but do attend a church somewhere in the region). 

Now, whether you happen to relate to a particular congregation, your immediate neighbourhood, your town, your borough/city, your region or your nation, we pray that you will truly FIND YOUR PLACE in The Kingdom and function there as best as you can in the remainder of 2009, and even more into 2010.

You may even belong one of those rapidly growing groups in our region that do not relate into any congregation or faith group at all, at present, so even when you think you don't belong, you really need to know that do! It's great though to be able to relate to others in His Body isn't it.

The real key is that we relate to Christ, The Head of The Church, and what is required more than ever in our nation are people who know Him, who love His Body and who seek to establish His Kingdom.

Only He can organize us to somehow stand together. Only He possesses the genius to know how The Church really functions in this world. Only He can handle the headship, the organizing and the pressure of leading the most amazing living organism in the galaxy!

Paul tells us quite clearly that He has arranged the parts, combined the members and distributed

the gifts in order that His Body can function as a missional community on this planet, usually in geographical contexts (1 Cor 12).

I just have to wonder how many of the groupings/organizations/faith communities/congregations/etc in The Black Country would even dare to share the name of the "ekklesia" that He envisoned, launched and fashioned back in first century Palestine, and which He has continued to brood over ever since from His seat in eternity.

Our prayer in 2009/10 should surely be, "Lord, show us how to be your Body in the way you would have us be here on earth"?? Please show us how "to be one" as you are One, not as we think you are One!

This is something that we all need to give serious thought to as the world around us changes, and to do it as positively as possible. We all know that so much needs to change, but there is also much that has been built by past and recent traditions and models that is beautiful too, and negative criticism of what we see is never the best staring point.

God is still definitely talking to people all over the world, and all over our nation about His Body/Church.....He has no plan B! He wants us to be functional in our communities, He wants us to be involved in peoples' lives, and He wants us to work together with other parts of His Body.

In short, He wants US! And He wants us to work in groups, of all kinds, of all "ethnos"/tribes, of all kinds.........unity in diverstity. Maybe He wants us to work together in traditional ways, and maybe He also wants us to be creative and innovative with new expressions too.

One of the ways we (as The Net) have tried to respond to this in recent times has been the whole concept of THE SECTORS. You may or may not have seen references to this over the last 1-2 years, and it may have caught your attention for positive or negative reasons.

We continue to be as obedient as we can in this in that we call people out to gather together in groups, in sectors and in common ground SO THAT we can be more effective together in being WHO WE ARE where we are.

Somewhere in this statement is a potential hot potato.....as by saying this, we are saying that we are encouraging people to be CHURCH where there is no apparent "church"

(ie, building/program/recognizable structures).

But by saying this, and by making this call, we are simply encouraging people to realize that Jesus is IN THEM, with them and for them specifically for where they are and WHO THEY ARE.

Over the next few months into 2010 we want to continue to "OPEN GATES" into these sectors.

We started with the Social Services/Action sector back in late 2007, and from this the concept of A.C.E  was conceived and has now been birthed across the region. This is for individuals and organizations.

Imagine if local government needed to distribute £50million of social capital to better serve your area, and as existing structures seemed to be lacking, they looked to The Church to once again stand at the heart of community in servanthood and placement......how could we be better positioned to offer an effective gateway for this?

Then, last summer, we called into the Education/Learning sector, and something has started moving there too (.....just contact us for more details on this as we are always looking for people to join in, get involved and become CONNECTED in any and all of these TRIBES).

Imagine a tribe of 1000's of teachers, parents, classroom assistants, governors, students, school/college/Uni workers (etc) somehow connecting with a heart and passion for their sphere with a renewed heart and vision for MISSION!

Imagine a valley full of dry bones? (Ezekiel 37) Could something really happen such that THE LIFE OF GOD could be breathed into our communities through this gateway??

Imagine being in a huge school/college and thinking you're the only Christian there, only to find that there are another 50, but you didn't know about them as you each belonged to one part of The Body and these parts didn't connect....tragic really, but it happens every day!

This last year, there has also been a growing sense that we need to focus on the NHS/Health sector, yet we know so few people here that have been largely unsure of how or where to start if we're really honest, but we must be odedient and wait for the right people to come forward or something else to become evident. Please get in touch if this could involve YOU??

Imagine being in a huge hospital (like Russels Hall-Dudley/New Cross-Wolves/Sandwell General/Manor-Walsall) and thinking you're the only Christian there, only to find that there are another 250-500, but you didn't know about them as you each belonged to one part of The Body and these parts didn't connect....sad really, but it happens every day!!!

Also, the Business/Commerce sector has been stirring once more, and a number of people are praying to plot a forward path, and anyone is welcome to connect if they sense something or just want to muck in!

Imagine ways that God could reach people through Christian employers, managers and the like......ways of finding resources to more effectively reach 1.2 milion souls in The Black Country??

In 2010, we will also have reason to touch on the Law/Justice sector again, so we formally call out to those of you in this sector to come forth and take your place.

Imagine ways of re-discovering The Father's massive heart for justice and equality?

You may work in this field (law/justice/legal/Police/Probation/etc....etc), or you may simply have a passion for something in here, or for justice itself....well, you qualify!!

Or, just as importantly, you may someone who is/does....connect them in by simply telling them or forwarding this e-mail...it's as simple as that,ie, The Body working, communicating and connecting together. We need each-other don't we??

Sometime next year, we will also look at the other sectors, Media/Arts and Local Govt/Politics, as we want to have given opportunity to OPEN THE GATES in each of these sectors as things accelerate for The Kingdom in our Black Country, and beyond.

Imagine what our God could do in these spaces....in these huge gateways into our culture?

Maybe it's time to re-imagine? To dream? To conceive new initiatives, and new expressions of His Body, dare we say His Church??

As 2010 unfolds, may we each find our place in Him (Phil 3) and may we all find ourselves in Him, and each-other.

God bless you all, and may He keep hold of you in all there is in store for us in 2010, and beyond.

Keep going,

Tim

For YOUR NETwork of Black Country Christians

          Wolverhampton       Walsall        Sandwell        Dudley

 leaders' net

Black Country Foodbank goes national!!

Dudley Focus For Men - December 2009

As well as praying for the region, we would also like to stand with you in prayer for a specific need for your church for which you have been praying for a breakthrough. All we ask is that you let us know at least a week before each meeting by telephone, letter or e-mail, how many people will be attending from your church and what you would like us to stand with you in prayer for, so that it can be added to our prayer list.

Jobs