Book Review: Everyday Church (Tim Chester and Steve Timmis)

I recently finished 'Everyday Church: mission by being good neighbours' by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. It is an extended study on the first letter of Peter, written to a persecuted and marginalised church, and seeks to challenge the readers to consider how we reach the world around us with the gospel. There were some areas that I found very helpful to consider:

1) We can be tempted to assume some level of judeo-christian heritage influencing worldview

When we move to a new culture, the first few months are spent listening, watching and asking. We want to know what people value highly. We want to know the stories of individuals, and to know what historical and cultural events have influenced their identity and worldview. And then, as Christians, we seek to find ways to interact and engage with this, bringing the hope of the gospel.

But in 'the west', we can easily assume that we know 'our own' culture. We can assume that those around us have the same basic moral compass, and have simply chosen to reject the things of God, or to choose to stop going to church. But in the current generation, there are increasing numbers who never went to church in the first place.

I heard the gospel for the first time aged 17. I had never been in a church, or attended Sunday school, and had been exposed to no  Christian teaching that I can remember. At the time (over 20 years ago now) this was a bit unusual. However, this is increasingly the norm.

We need to stop and take time to consider the prevailing worldviews, values and culture that surrounds us and prayerfully look for ways to engage. Sometimes the best way to do this is simply to listen, and to ask questions

2) Arising from the first point, simply adding more church events and activities may be futile

I know quite a number of Christians who seem to think getting somebody into a church building will have some kind of supernaturally transformative effect. Not only is this an error, but it becomes increasingly difficult to get people to come to church events, because they seem irrelevant. (Of course there will be people who walk into a church and immediately hear and receive the truth with gladness - and this is something we should pray for. But these are few compared to those who would never set foot in a church).

We can assume that people will come in to evangelistic and mission events, but in fact we need to go out and reach out to them instead.

3) People long for real relationship

Western society is increasingly fragmented. One of the best ways to reach people with the truth about Jesus is through building relationships. As we come to understand priorities, concerns, worries and hopes, we come to understand how we can bring the truth to people. (And some simple, practical examples are given). Certainly that has been our experience - so many people are lonely, isolated and long for somebody to take and interest and to care

Think of those around you who do not share your  hope. How can you reach out to them with love?

4) Daily life is full of 'mission' opportunities

Sometimes people can feel that they are too busy for another 'event' or specific outreach activity. Yet when you reflect on your day to day life, you will realise there are many points at which we are interacting with those who don't share our hope in Christ. These can be simple daily tasks - walking to the shops/ work/ the park, playing with our children, taking the car to the mechanic, going to the market, many others (take a moment to consider your life). We don't necessarily need to add extra things, but need to approach every moment with gospel intentionality.

Parents with children in school talk often of the 'school gate' being a mission opportunity; I believe home schooling families also have many daily opportunities to share their faith.

Consider the mission opportunities in your everyday life. Who do you interact with? Where can you spend just a few more minutes with somebody? Is prayer a daily priority?

5) 'By this all men shall know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another'

As Christians we are called to have brotherly love for one another, to see all our resources as gifts from God to be used for His glory, to be generous and hospitable and to open our lives to one another. This is radically countercultural in our individualistic society. Hence as we live in fellowship with one another, others will be challenged to ask for the 'reason for the hope that we have'. The authors are under no illusion that this is always easy - indeed as imperfect humans, real relationships can get messy, can be painful, can require hard work, commitment and forgiveness! But this is in part the power of it all - those in the world might simply give up and walk away, whereas the kind of relationships that the Bible calls us to would not entertain this option.

Challenge: Do you have true relationships with other Christians, or do you simply sit in the same room for a couple of hours every week?


The book moves on to describe an alternative model of church life, where the Sunday service has importance for corporate worship and Bible teaching, but where the true Christian fellowship and shared living takes place within smaller communities. The authors take care to emphasise that this does not mean that church events, mission activities and Sunday services are unimportant, but rather that reliance on these alone will result in missing a large sector of society.

For me, it was a refreshing read. Our aim in all that we do is to share our lives and our faith. I have had times when I have felt very guilty for not going to a particular event, or doing door-to-door outreach (I actually have concerns about that, and it makes me uncomfortable). However, the times when I have really seen people challenged in their faith, or asking the important questions about life, have usually been around our dinner table as we have opened our door and sought to share our lives with those around us. Similarly, reflecting on the area where we lived until recently, we did not have many (?any) of our neighbours attend church with us, but we did have many opportunities to spend time with people, to speak of our faith, and to help people with particular needs.

If you feel frustrated that church can seem irrelevant and disengaged from today's society, I would suggest you read this book.

If you want to use every moment of your life to serve God and help others see the light of His truth, I would suggest you read this book,

If you know you tend to compartmentalise your life into the spiritual and secular, and don't know how to move on from here, I would suggest you read this book

And if you see nothing wrong with the way church 'is done' but are interested in stopping to reflect and evaluate your outreach, then I would suggest you read this book.

Seasons

'I know how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.' Philippians 4:12

'In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you' 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Currently in the northern hemisphere, autumn is in full splendour. Trees of orange and gold, fresh crisp mornings, warm jumpers, the first open fires of the year, the turning of another year. When I first worked with missionaries as a teenager, one thing that several commented to me was that they missed the seasons most of all, and at that time, I didn't really understand what they meant.

Today in science, the boys had some experiments to do. The book we were using as a guide clearly referred to autumn, and the boys expressed disappointment that we weren't having autumn here. But we went off to the garden anyway, to look at the leaves on the trees and to consider all the different forms of wildlife that were contained within each tree (insects, birds, other animals and so forth). And this was where we had the most wonderful surprise. In our favourite jackfruit tree, there was a lizard shedding its skin. The boys watched, transfixed. At one point the lizard ran onto the grass and then looked lost, so the boys rescued it and put it back into it's 'home'. And we all marvelled at how amazingly created these reptiles are, and rejoiced at the opportunities to see things which we had only read about before. Suddenly, the thought of a chilly autumn day back in the UK melted away and we were able to embrace our surroundings.

I think this is an important principle when it comes to transitions (indeed to all of us as described in an older post, but I am writing from that perspective). There is almost a choice to be made. Do you spend time lamenting those things which you miss, or do you take the time to embrace and explore the things which are new? I miss cheese. I really do (you can get some forms here, but they are very expensive and not all that nice. Previously my husband bought me two pregnant goats one Christmas so that we could try to make our own cheese, but our set-up here doesn't really include space for goats!). I digress... I do miss cheese, and nice wholewheat bread, and a few other things. But here I can easily buy abundant fruit - pineapples, bananas, papaya, passion fruit. It is not yet mango season. The vegetables in the market are fresh, flavoursome and there are some things which we don't seem to have in the UK - several types of dark green leafy vegetable, peanut (or g-nut as they call it here) flour, jackfruit of course. Whenever I feel tempted to bemoan the lack of cheese, I have to laugh because there are so many other delicious things to enjoy here. The bread is not great. But nsima/ posho/ ugali/ whatever you choose to call it is quite nice, and the boys love it.

Similarly, I do miss those fresh blue skied autumn days. And in time, I will miss the long summer nights. We are virtually on the equator here, so the day length does not vary. But there are good things there too. The weather tends to be predictable. It gets hot. In the rainy season, it really rains and you are likely to get soaked. And then it gets hot and you dry off. You don't have to carry a jumper and a waterproof and some sun cream all at once just in case of unexpected changes (and when you are nipping out with young children in tow, this really is an advantage!).

We miss friends. Of course we do. But slowly, slowly we are meeting new people and with the improvement in internet connectivity it is possible to stay in touch better than it would have been five or ten years ago. There is always a balance in a new place - how much to spend time keeping in touch with 'home', and how much to realise that your 'home' has now moved and there are people right in front of you to spend time with, love and care for, share the gospel with, challenge and encourage and so forth. And again, at some level, there is a choice in how we approach things.

Today, I feel like God gave us an amazing blessing and encouragement by showing us that the opportunities here are simply different. Yes, no autumn colours, but awesome, watching the lizard shed its skin.

Maybe you are in transition. Maybe you've moved within the city, within the country or between countries. Let me encourage you to open your eyes and embrace the good things about where you now are.

Are you blessed? Don't feel guilty, but give thanks!

And He said to them, 'Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses' Luke 12:15

As we packed up our life in the UK, the headlines were filled with dreadful stories regarding the refugees fleeing from Syria. So many 'normal', 'respectable' families were leaving all they owned and making tremendously dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea. Weekly there were reports of overloaded boats capsizing and many men, women and children being drowned. As I heard these reports, I was in the process of deciding which possessions to bring in our luggage, which to pack into a 20 foot container, which to store and which to give away. I felt acutely aware of the discrepancy; that I had the luxury of more possessions than I actually need and the financial blessings to enable the shipment, in contrast to those who flee with nothing.

What should our response be? Are there any Biblical principles to consider?

'There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land' Deuteronomy 15:11

'Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give,  willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life'. 1 Tim 6:17-19

'From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked'. Luke 12:48

From these sections, I would draw several principles:

1) In any society there will be those who have more and those who have less. 

2) Rather than feeling guilty about what we have, we rather should prayerfully seek how we can best use these things for God's glory

3) Our confidence and security should never come from our material security, but from our confidence in God

4) We have a responsibility before God to see all things as a gift from Him, to be used for His glory

I think new Christians often feel this way - that they immediately want to sell everything they have and give the proceeds to the poor. Yet this is not usually their calling, and indeed by doing so, they might simply join the number of needy people in the population. Instead we need to consider all things as a gift, and possibly a transient gift.

Indeed, there may be times when it is right to spend slightly more on something in order to serve God more effectively - thinking of our field of work, that could be a reliable laptop computer which enables us to work effectively when we move between sites and countries and when there are powercuts, or a car which tough enough to not require frequent repairs from driving on low quality roads in the rainy season and which is large enough to be able to offer others lifts. Sometimes, the best use of your money (after giving/ tithing) is to spend a little more than you might naturally choose to in order to maximise the opportunities. (We are very frugal as a family, and often find the most efficient and economical approach, so it is quite difficult for us to make these choices. However living frugally can also become a kind of idol, and again requires a prayerful approach).

We don't know what the future holds. When my daughter and I were evacuated by air ambulance seven years ago, I was allowed to pack one small bag. My husband followed the following day with 20 Kg of baggage. But we did not know that we would ever return to our home after that. And you know, that didn't matter at all to us then. We were content to leave it all behind, knowing God was with us and would provide all we needed. Things were just things. Here, we are in an East African country, which at the present time is relatively stable. But other missionary friends in West Africa are facing a military coup and much uncertainty which seems to have come about quite suddenly. We do not know the day or the time when such things might happen. Yes, we are expecting many of our belongings to arrive by ship in a few months' time - books, toys, camping equipment and so forth; but that day might never come. And our desire in having all these things is to be able to serve God well, to encourage others, to raise and educate the boys in a godly way, and to use everything for His glory.

When my daughter was ill, and after she died, some friends expressed a feeling of guilt for having several healthy children. I used to counsel them not to feel guilty, but rather to rejoice in what they had. None of us know what tomorrow might bring, and Jesus tells us quite clearly not to worry about tomorrow. And we are clearly instructed that we are to 'give thanks in all circumstances'.

It might be your material blessings, maybe your health, maybe your family - but please don't feel guilty about the areas where you have been greatly blessed. You may well have friends who would long for what you have, there may be others on your street, in your church, in your workplaces, in your city who are struggling tremendously. May I encourage you to give thanks to God and prayerfully seek how to use His blessings for His kingdom.

Sonlight - a couple of weeks in

Recently I described our first week with Sonlight, and how this was a very positive experience for us. Of course not every day is filled with milestones and celebrations, and I imagine with every family there are days of great encouragement and others which feel like plodding up a mountain through thick mud. As we start our third week, I have a couple of further reflections:

1) The pace. I like the steady, step by step pace. Previously we tended to move more in fits and starts, some days doing a lot and other days very little. I know that one of the great benefits of homeschooling is that you can follow the child's pace, speeding up for areas of interest, slowing down during times of illness, life events or when challenges are faced. I never want to lose that! But what we are noting with Sonlight is that there is plenty more time in the day - so when the children are begging for more of something, we tend to switch to a parallel activity, something which complements and expands what we have been doing, rather than going faster through the schedule. (One big reason we won't change the pace from the schedule is because my husband and I are sharing the schooling, and it is really useful for us to be able to come in and know exactly where we got to the previous day. I appreciate this may be different with other families). I think it also helps the boys to know more clearly what will be expected of them every day - and to be able to see when the task is finished. My middle son has been really thriving on the joy of achieving new things and stretching himself - this has been a real joy to see.

2) The potential to go off on tangents remains - perhaps one worry I had about following a schedule was that it might be too rigid. However, with a little imagination, there are plenty of activities that can branch out of what you have been reading about. For example, today we made unleavened bread using some unusual flours (corn and millet) - we had been talking about what people would have eaten in early civilisations, and also had recently been reading about the Exodus from Egypt. So we experimented, made plenty of mess in the kitchen, and learnt about different types of flour (ie the absence of gluten, but high levels of protein and magnesium in millet). If you feel you need a bit of inspiration, the Sonlight forums (which are open access - all you need to do is register regardless of whether you have purchased their materials) - have whole discussions about creative activities which can go alongside the Core curricula.

3) Thinking about how useful it is that the whole package - including consumables - is shipped. Here we have no libraries, and it is much harder to just pop to the shops to pick things up. Yes, we are in the city where we probably can find things if we really hunt, but I can see the huge advantages in having had all the materials sourced, consolidated and shipped together particularly for those in remote areas. I would advise friends of mine who are going to low resource areas to consider choosing a curriculum package since whereas the eclectic pieced together 'do it yourself' style which relies on public libraries, museums and art galleries, second hand shops and ebay and good internet simply isn't an option out here.

4) The need to carefully consider 'electives'. One criticism of mainstream schooling is the emphasis on basic literacy and numeracy at the expense of other areas. Home schooling has the advantage of offering a rich, diverse 'feast' for the child, but I can see how if you rigidly follow the Instructors Guide for the core materials, language arts, science and maths, and then consider that 'school is over' that one could fall into the same error. We've taken advantage of being close to the music school and enrolled the younger two boys in a class for 3-5 year olds, and are considering an instrument (or voice?) lessons also. We've found a local home ed sports group on a Friday (which chooses a different sport every term, which is a good idea). We are trying to do some more art once a week (and have some art appreciation materials on their way to us), and we're going to start Rosetta Stone Spanish in a couple of months when the rest of our things arrive. We deliberately decided to focus on the core materials for the first couple of months, to establish rhythm and routine, but I can see the need to be careful to include the electives and to give the boys the chance to develop their interests and talents. I also think having the philosophy that 'education is a life' ensures that you do not compartmentalise your day into 'school' and 'non-school', but rather aim for a seamless continuity of learning.

5) I feel less pressure now that the days and weeks are mapped out. Previously I was always a bit concerned that I might miss a certain area, or might be neglecting certain foundations. I feel I can now spend more time prayerfully considering the whole of our lifestyle, using the curriculum as a basis, but taking a bit longer to look at the Bible, character formation, consolidating things we have covered as we walk along the road, visit the market, do other activities. I feel I am able to worry less and to focus more. (Not everybody would agree with this - my husband never really worried about these things at all! But he does get to benefit from a more relaxed wife, so he will appreciate this aspect).

I'll continue to write about  how things are going from time to time - particularly if there are any key encouragements or challenges. If you are following a curriculum (or have done at some point in the past) - I wonder what the main benefits have been for your family?

Priorities when starting afresh

We have often found that moving home (particularly when it involves moving to a different country) makes us reassess our priorities. Some of this can be deliberate - time to leave old things behind, perhaps start a new routine, a time to make new habits. Some of it is borne of necessity - water needs to be boiled and stored, clothes need to be washed by hand and dried in a small space, the electricity is intermittent. And some of it comes through unexpected challenges or questions as we get to know new people. I find it a helpful time, to consider which things have true importance.

Some recent examples:

1) Settling in a church. Wherever we go, if it is for more than a couple of weeks, we desire to get regularly involved in a church. We believe this to be Biblically correct, to join with the body of Christ wherever we are. And it brings other advantages too - we get to know other believers and be encouraged by them (and hopefully bring some encouragement too). We make it known to those around us that our faith is important - either we are seen walking to church, or when people ask how we intend to spend the weekend, we will talk about going to church. It helps the children realise the importance of this in any move - that no time is too short to be important to God. And in many respects it mirrors what we will see in heaven, when 'every tribe and tongue' will worship. We've been amazed at how blessed we have been in places where we have only lived for a few months - and our involvement and commitment to the local church has been a major part of that.

2) Patterns of family worship. We find that keeping our family devotional routines always helps with transition. We start every morning with a Psalm, and end every evening by reading through one of the books of the Bible before praying together. Wherever we are in the world, this has been our pattern, and I believe it brings the security of knowing that 'if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me' (Psalm 139)

3) Increasing involvement of the children in chores. There are more chores to do here - it fluctuates from dusty and dry to wet and muddy, and the beautiful red soil  which is so characteristic of Africa makes a delightful mess on the tiled floors. Dishwashers are unheard of and we don't currently have a washing machine. It is actually very good for the children to see how these jobs need to be done, and to reflect on how blessed we are with labour-saving devices in the UK. And now they are a bit older, we are increasing their responsibilities in terms of folding their clothes, tidying up before meals and at the end of the day. Small things which (in honesty) would be easier done myself, but we are using the move as an impetus to  instill better habits.

4) Building relationships in the community. As an expat living in Africa, it can be possible to live behind a locked gate and travel everywhere by car. We've seen that. Our approach is to try and walk as much as possible, and to find local stalls to buy our groceries rather than supermarkets in air-conditioned malls. (I am not saying the malls are wrong or that we never go there, but rather am describing the patterns we try and build). The market we have found is about 3 Km away, and is bustling, noisy, dirty and a little smelly. It's great! Several of the sellers recognised our family from our time here last year, and it's great for the boys to stop and greet people, to see daddy bartering for vegetables (the mental arithmetic can be quite fun to follow) and to get a much better idea of the value of money and where food comes from. So it's both a rich learning experience, but we also hope and pray it is a chance for us to walk with locals from different backgrounds and for them to perhaps question 'the reason for the hope that [we] have' (1 Peter 3:15).

5) Our commitment to living as a godly family - and that a major outworking of that is the decision to home educate. When I started to write at www.homeeducationnovice.blogspot.co.uk, one of the big challenges I faced was the reaction of some friends, family members and colleagues towards our decision. I think almost every home educator can tell you the typical list of concerns that well meaning people raise! And most of them can be very easily refuted (maybe I'll do a separate blog post on that soon!). I felt we'd got beyond that, and people just generally accepted it as something we did. Quirky or eccentric perhaps, but I was actually quite encouraged by how positive people tended to be once they saw how it all worked out. However now, in quite a different culture, I feel we are going back through the same kind of process with a slightly different slant. Amongst the middle classes here, there is very much a culture where a child will be raised by a nanny and in some kind of childcare or school from early until late (in fact the sign on the gate of the school next to our compound comments that 'children left before 6.30 am or collected after 6 pm are under their parents' responsibility' or words to that effect. It would be quite normal for a child to be at school from 6.30 until 6! There is always a temptation to justify our choices; sometimes this is right and helpful, as by explaining our priorities we might be able to challenge. But some of it comes back to 'being fully persuaded'. It is also easy to feel guilty for not being able to work between certain hours every day; again, I can summarise how we do this, how actually we are more productive in the hours we do work, and that we have considerable lattitude in terms of exactly when we work. But the point for me is to be confident before God that we have made the right choices, and not feel the need to apologise! I am sure I will write more on this too, as the weeks go by.

So there you have five things we are trying to prioritise as we build our lives here. Central to everything is having a Christ-centred, Christ-focussed household where visitors are welcome, and where we seek to encourage other believers and challenge non-believers. Many of the other things we do in our day to day life are just frills. It doesn't really matter if I walk, drive or take a taxi - the key is that I am seeking to build relationships, seeking to use my time wisely to glorify God and to make the most of every opportunity. I am sure you can think of similar examples - things that are of primary importance, and others which are just a means to that end.

So my challenge tonight is: What are the key priorities for your family?

Sonlight: First Week

Last week we moved back to East Africa. On Monday we started our new curriculum. We chose Sonlight for several reasons:

1) We have seen some really positive results. My first positive encounter with home schooling was about 10 years ago, in southern Africa. A family had seven children aged between 4 and 19, and so you could really see the difference in each stage. What impressed me most of all was the way these children could critically appraise evidence and reach a conclusion in a way which I was unable to do until I worked for my PhD. When I spoke with the family, it became clear that a large part was the well-structured and well-balanced curriculum they used, and this was Sonlight. The children all also spoke highly of their education.

2) It is very Biblically based, and seeks to instil children with a godly worldview. The integration of Bible, history and world cultures enables discussion right from the start about what is conventionally taught and what the Bible teaches (Week 1 of Grade 1 kicks off with a discussion of evolution, dinosaurs, the age of the earth etc - it does not shy away from controversy, but presents the Biblical view clearly and correctly)

3) It is similar to the style we had adapted to over the past few years - lots of reading together, lots of reading out loud, lots of discussion. The only criticisms I have ever heard of Sonlight are that the parents spent quite a lot of time reading out loud, but we had already based much of our education on this anyway, so it seemed a natural progression.

So, after the first week, how has it been? Short answer is: Wow. This has exceeded my expectations and I am thankful to God for such a positive start! More specifically:

1) You can get quite a lot of advice before you choose a Sonlight curriculum, especially if you are teaching more than one child. I chose a Core package with the other subjects added on because the core is recommended for children within a 3 year interval. My boys are 6, 5 and 3, and indeed for the core parts, all three of them seem engaged.

2) Then, I had chosen handwriting K (starting off - with manipulatives and very basic letter and number forms) and Grade 1 for the younger two (my eldest seems to write reasonably so I did not feel needed a handwriting module). The youngest is delighted to have his own materials, and both the younger two have been asking for their handwriting books. I chose 'handwriting without tears' out of the different options. We have quite a strong family history of dyslexia (although haven't noticed any signs in the children as of yet), and also my middle child does seem quite obstinate at times. They love the way the letters are described. It's amazing - to go from objecting to writing to actually asking for it from the moment they wake up!

3) With regard to Language Arts, I have obtained Grade 1 and Grade 2. We've started the older two at the start but are deliberately going faster with the six year old, in order to stretch him. I have never seen anything quite like the elation of my five year old as he correctly read his first page of a book. Sonlight author John Holzman has written the series 'I can read it!', and in our household this has proven very true. Right on the very first day!

4) We went for Singapore Maths, having considered the other options too (Saxon and Horizon). We did not want excessive worksheets and repetition (my boys tend to turn off and make almost deliberate mistakes when they are asked to repeat things too many times!) and also, the people we know who are best at maths are from Singapore. It seems to be working really nicely. We bought the textbooks and an extra copy of the workbook and both older boys are going at the same pace here.

5) Science - a lot is familiar to them, but it's nicely structured and I like the way it ties in with what we are doing in world cultures. They were extremely excited to blow pieces of paper across the floor to prove that air is a substance. It was incredible to see their delight

6) One thing I was uncertain about was they way the schedule involves reading short parts of several books, whereas previously we might read fewer books but complete them in a single or a few sittings. I was not sure how that would work out, and whether it might cause frustration. But in fact it has been working well, and has helped balance out the attention between the boys of three different ages (my eldest could listen to a whole novel, whereas the younger two prefer shorter sessions). The rapid change of pace is good and refreshing. In the afternoons we have spent more time reading some of our non Sonlight books, and so we have the best of both worlds. Also, there have been a couple of days when the boys have been more restless, and so the change of topic can help resettle them.

7) My husband and I were together for the first three days of the week, so able to work together and get a feel for it. Out of the two of us, he was a bit more reluctant to buy a package, but it has been quite delightful to see how much he has been enjoying it too.

I am very grateful for this positive first week! Not every moment has been easy, and I am sure there will be weeks that feel more like a challenge. But for this week, we feel like we have established a new pace, a new routine and are excited about the weeks and months ahead!

Transition Reflections 1: Community, Relationships and Ministry

I haven't written much over the past month because we were busy preparing to move back to Africa. It was a hectic time, but God provided for us in amazing and often unexpected ways. We were very aware of His blessing upon us, even though we were somewhat exhausted. Tonight is our first night in the apartment where we will live for the next month or so before moving into a house. The boys are asleep now, and I want to start processing some of the things which have particularly challenged or encouraged us during the move:

1) Finding a place in our community. Last time we made a big overseas move was 10 years ago, when we had no children and both worked full time. We didn't really know people in the neighbourhood, but would pretty much come home from work to eat, sleep, go to church meetings a few miles away, host Bible studies and then return to work. However that has all changed. We spend a large proportion of each day in the nearby parks, and along the way we meet many people every day. You know the people who become part of your life, but you don't even know their names? The thing that hammered this home to me was that our own postman, and the postlady who does the adjacent streets BOTH knocked on the door with gifts for the boys and to wish us well. Several of the neighbours sent us cards. The ladies at the checkouts at the shops we use commented they would miss us. And I felt quite emotional with some of the goodbyes. I think I had not realised how embedded into the local community we were until it was time to leave. And I have some reflections on this:

• Alongside all the 'advances' in society, the mobility of the population and the increasing tendancy for both parents to work and children to be in full-time childcare from a young age, there simply is not the close, caring community that older people might remember from their childhood. Often when I think about what the biggest need in our society is, I think it is to feel known, loved and cared about. The postman seemed quite emotional when we said goodbye, and this led me to consider that his role must often seem quite invisible and lonely; how many other people feel this way? And how as Christians can we reach out and make a difference? I think that homeschooling families are uniquely placed for this ministry - because we live out our real lives within a neighbourhood, have time for relationships to develop and the ability to invite others to our homes. 
• I have been following a thread on our homeschooling group Facebook page, discussing how we can feel that our decision to home educate has an impact on the types of ministry we can engage in. I think it is really really important to realise that we can minister in different ways, but that is no less of a ministry. For example, I have often felt a bit guilty for not being involved in 'one to one' mentoring or being involved in some of the outreach activities arranged through church. However, I have realised that in fact we have been doing more and better evangelism simply by living real, Christ-transformed lives. A couple of the other parents I meet in the park (again, those I do not really know well) have commented on our faith, and that they have seen something different in us. That really really encourages me that we can effectively reach others with the gospel whilst busily homeschooling a young family
• Taking it slightly further - some of this outreach and ministry would not be possible if it were not for our children. Polite, friendly children who ask others how they are, and occasionally ask them if they worship God (!) are great ice breakers. My husband in particular has commented how it was always a bit more difficult as a young man to start conversations with neighbours etc, and how the children have opened many doors. I find it really frustrating when people consider that devoting time to your children is a hindrance to 'ministry', because I really do believe that they are stereotyping ministry and trying to force it into a far narrower mould than the Bible would suggest.

2) Perhaps relating to the above - the power of an open home. Several years ago I really enjoyed reading about Francis and Edith Schaeffer and their L'Abri ministry which commenced in Switzerland but later became worldwide. One quote was that 'as many people came to faith through Edith's baking and loving care as through Francis's apologetics'. Whilst indeed feeling a bit guilty for not being involved in structured one to one Bible studies, there have been several young adults who have basically become part of our family, have spent many afternoons with us in the park, have had many chaotic and lively meals with us, and in between that we have discussed how our faith impacts upon real life. Perhaps you could even argue that this is more effective discipleship than to set aside a formal hour every week. As with my first comment, I do not think I fully appreciated the depth of some of these relationships until it was time to leave.

3) The closeness of Christian community. We changed church a few years ago, basically because we used to walk an hour to church (and everybody else drove in to the community) whereas a young lively congregation sprung up literally on our doorstep. It got to the point where we seemed to be more a part of the local church simply because of the way our daily lives interacted. Additionally, it is much easier to invite people to things that are local rather than being in a part of town they might not otherwise ever go to. Anyway, we've felt really encouraged and supported both by the church as a whole but also by our house group. People have asked sensible questions about how they can pray and otherwise support us. It was really positive for the boys to be sent out by the church, and to have the chance to publicly explain a bit more about our work here. You might think this should be standard, but the situation was very different 10 years ago, and I never really thought I'd get to the point where I felt closely involved in a church. As with the other comments, it was only really in the build up to leaving that I realised how much we have been encouraged, and how much grace and healing there has been from the previous situations we were in.

These three points are very much inter-related - because in all of them, we simply aim to live as Christians, to share everything we have, and to make the most of every opportunity both to witness to unbelievers and to encourage those who already know the Lord. The 'classic' Christian home education passage is in Deuteronomy Chapter 6 - and we believe we've seen that in our lives. Most of our 'ministry' to our children, to Christians and to unbelievers has taken place as we walk along the road, as we sit at our meals, as we undertake the activities of daily life. I do not want to dismiss the importance of other forms of ministry (and for example, we have been regularly involved in church and Christian Medical Fellowship events, as well as starting a monthly mission prayer meeting, and for seasons of time have done more structured evening Bible studies with young adults). But the purpose of this post is to encourage Christian home educating families:

1) Do not underestimate the power of a Christ-centred life within a community

2) Do not underestimate the day to day conversations and the relationships you and your children form with shopkeepers, postmen, gardeners, mechanics and the other people you regularly engage with; you might be the only Christian they ever know, and so many people are just crying out for love

3) Do not feel guilty if you cannot commit to activities during 'school' time (such as morning toddler groups). Rather seek to live your life alongside younger Christians and disciple them as they share your lives

4) Look around you and consider the relationships you may take for granted. Pray for the people you live amongst. Thank God for the unique opportunities given to you and your family.