Refresh Retreat Day 

This was held at Aintree in the beautiful shared space of Katy and Jono Ingram and Lee and Norm Palumbo’s houses. They are our placemakers in this location and have developed a quiet space for contemplation and renewal. Pastors attended the day with Graeme Semple (Regional Pastor) and Gayle Hill (Mission Catalyst) to spend time in God’s word as well as sharing with one another their personal journey of recovery from COVID, and their aspirations and plans for reorientating to 2021, in terms of serving their church, but also their neighbourhood.  As an added bonus, Jono shared over lunch from the social enterprise café he and Norm established, their journey of neighbourhood engagement and the rhythms of their personal and faith community. All in all it was a meaningful and refreshing day.

Missional Imagination Workshop – The Church

A full day of engaging with pastors and the Mission Catalyst Team at NewHope Baptist Church was experienced where we collectively unpacked what missional imagination would look like if the church community was activated for local and neighbourhood mission. How do we undertake this transition from a formulated model of church to a missional ecclesiology? We considered the value of a multiplying model for the church as distinct from a growth model. How might our churches undertake a “side project” in missional experimentation in order to bring about missional praxis? Some of our pastors are considering how commencing a micro-church within their existing church which reaches out to people of peace is a good start. Others are considering commencing a social enterprise within their confines of their footprint. The Mission Catalyst Team has expertise in helping our churches develop and activate missional imagination.