It’s a little while since we have updated you on the news from Rooted in Jesus, our practical discipleship programme for Africa – and there is much both to share and to ponder.
We have just posted a blog report on the recent conferences in the Diocese of Soroti, Uganda, where 245 people were trained to lead Rooted in Jesus groups in their parishes. It was our second visit, and this time brought some surprises – to find out more click HERE.
We’ve also had some encouraging news from the Diocese of Toliara, Madagascar, where CMS missionary Derek Waller has taken on the role of Coordinator of disciplemaking in this huge, poor, sandy, cyclone-prone diocese. Derek and his team are just back from a brand new parish where people walked all night to get to the conference. The parish has no priest, but the evangelist is already running a group for seven not-yet Christians.
And John Musaasizi has sent an inspiring report of his visit to Binikira in the Diocese of Mityana, where Rooted in Jesus is transforming the life of the parish. To catch up with these and other reports from the Rooted in Jesus family check out our news page HERE.
Practising RinJ, Toliara
RinJ training, Toliara
What can we learn from Rooted in Jesus for our ministry in the UK?
Steve Coneys is the Diocesan Mission and Growth Adviser for the Diocese of Canterbury, and was a member of the Rooted in Jesus team to Soroti. He reflects: “Being part of the RinJ team was demanding, thought-provoking, inspiring, and profoundly affecting. People’s commitment to learning, their gratitude to God and to us, and their sheer joy in the Lord will be abiding memories. So will the impression of an Anglican diocese growing in number and vitality. I’m interested in seeking deep rooted culture change towards missional church in the Diocese of Canterbury. Here is a church, recognisably Anglican, where the clergy and lay leaders we observed seemed to enjoy working together, the people seemed receptive to learning and to change, and the church is growing using a strategy of planting new congregations. It can happen!”
The Mathetes Trust 