Current Events @ Broken Jars
Recent Events .
. . & Places
Forthcoming .
. .
September 14 - October 2, 2007
Britain and Ireland
November 10 - December 10, 2007
Singapore
Doug Norwood returns to Southeast Asia
for a series of events in two nations.
First, Doug will teach two courses at the
Asia Theological Centre (ATCEM): an undergraduate course
in the Synoptic Gospels, and a graduate school course focusing
on the missionary theology of Saint Paul. ATCEM is a
unique school of theology in that it focuses on the missionary
and evangelistic mandates of the Church and has sent hundreds
of its graduates into ministry in over sixty nations.
While in Singapore, Doug will also be
preaching at the Victory Family Centre and leading training
seminars for that megachurch’s pastoral staff.
Malaysia
From November 16 through 19, Doug will
fly across the South China Sea to the region of Sarawak, East
Malaysia on the northern coast of the island of Borneo
Ireland has
been transfigured in the last 20 years. From the 16th Century
to the 21st almost overnight, from sleepy country roads to
mega-lane toll highways, from poverty to the richest natiion in
western Europe, from monolithically Roman Catholic to... well,
the potential is bright for Spirit-led Christianity to flourish
once again in Ireland.
Irish native Rev. Peter Finch, one of
Doug Norwood’s students from the seminary in Singapore,
coordinated and hosted all events for this visit. Not only was
Doug able to preach in a plethora of venues but he was able to
meet and talk substantively with the leaders of nearly all of
Ireland’s evangelical and Pentecostal
“streams”; the result - Ireland’s dramatic
demographic, economic, cultural and religious changes have lent
an atmosphere of hope to the nation, boding well for the growth
of an authentic Church. Nigerian, Polish, and Roumanian
immigrants have brought their own unique Christian flavors into
this country, and a spiritually hungry Irish population appears
to be ‘soaking it all in.” New churches are
being established all over the nation, and when they begin to
work cooperatively, Doug hopes, the island is ripe for a
spiritual explosion.
Broken Jars has been invited back for at
least one visit in 2008 to help light the fuses for such an
explosion!
Doug visited the coastal city of Kuching
this Spring and has been invited back by the pastor and staff
of Calvary Christian Centre to preach and teach in their
congregation as well as to meet with other evangelical and
Pentecostal pastors in the region.
Britain
From London to Liverpool, from a yacht
anchored in the Thames to a businessman’s bar on
Blackfriars Lane, the opportunities to learn and teach in
Britain’s exciting (and increasingly open) spiritual
climate abounded for Doug Norwood on his ten day visit to
England. Although traditionally structured churches and
denominations are for the most part dying throughout western
Europe, Britain’s Christians appear ready to experiment
wih new paradigms for ‘being church.” House
churches are flourishing, and organizations like Paul
Szkiler’s A
Call to Business are
touching hearts in London financial district. A small group of
visionaries met aboard a classic steam yacht in the heart of
London, praying, praising, expressing prophetic wisdom,
offering counsel and opportunities to dig deeper into ones
faith; that same core group invites London’s “Fleet
Streeters” to a Christian breakfast every last Friday in
a popular pub, offering a refreshing alternative community
Christianity to those who would never darken the door of a
church.
New church plants, with strong focus on
meeting real people needs rather than franchising
denominational objectives, excite the general population, and
Doug had the oppoturnity to minister in just such a new
congregation in downtown Liverpool.
The ministry of Broken Jars has had its
focus on bringing church leaders together to share a vision and
challenge them with biblical strategies to enable that vision
to be realized. In England, “church” and
“leader” now carry very different meanings than
they did a generation ago, and although God’s plan and
His biblical strategies remain unchanged, the method of
communicating them and placing them in tactical operation will
require great wisdom and adjustment. This ministry has unique
opportunities that few others seem to be aware of, and we look
forward to our next visit to Britain (probably late Spring or
early Fall 2008) with awesome anticipation.
Copyright 2007 Broken Jars, Inc. All
Rights Reserved