Urban Poor Workers/Trainers Encounter
The 2nd Gathering of the
Encarnação Network
Bangkok,
July 5 -11 , 2004.
(Encarnação = Living Among the Poor)
Program
This is an
encounter of urban poor incarnational and churchplanting workers, and
trainers. The consultation will include
urban poor movement/ ministry leaders from India, Thailand, Manila, Phnom Phen,
Africa, Latin America
and the West.. It is an integrating
point for several network processes.
This is a
story-telling consultation. We want to
learn from each other. Those of us who
work among the poor learn best from each others’ stories. This is also a spiritual retreat time, a time
of intercession and ministry in the Spirit, one to another.
This is not a
conference but a consultation following on from the Brasil Encarnação
gathering of 25 urban poor mission leaders.
The majority of people will come prepared with input from their works
and we will work towards outcomes of the discussions. The majority of conferees will be asked to
bring presentations in their area of expertise, as a basis for sharing, plus
ideally a 10 minute video clip that highlights this aspect of their work. With each presentation will be time for
discussion and intercession.
We have several
foci: relationships, churchplanting, raching Commercial sex workers, training,
land rights issues, capacity building, publications.
Genesis of
the Network
After 15 years of
networking various incarnational urban poor missions, a group of 25 leaders
from 10 missions came together last year in Sao Paulo in 2002. We explored what we had in common and whether
there were ways we could partner or simply encourage each other over the next
years from the 40 cities that have been penetrated to the next 40. We
grew to love each other, God met us and we realised there were outcomes of
significance in terms of how we could partner. The results have been
multiple. The results are on the web at www.urbanleaders.org/Brazil-Consult/ I have included a number of folks in this
email who were not there but who are good friends and should be part of the
network because of your work.
Global
Expansion of the Network :
I have been working flat out to
see the network expand these last years. In Brazil, I mentioned that we
should not move forward with a network without consultations in Africa, India
and with Chinese friends in Hong Kong, so that
at the outset it is truly global. So there have seen consultations
in Nairobi, Addis Ababa, discussions
in Hong Kong and Mumbai, meetings with the
Servants leadership in Delhi
and the National Urban network in Ahemedabad.
Encarnação Learning Network Developments :
One of the outcomes from Brazil was to
explore ways we can use our training expertise for each other.
The development of shared
training modules is what has been an exciting idea for everyone. Lots of discussions have gone across the
various continents and cities. This
consultation will look at some kind of integration of these ideas and
processes.
In Him,
Viv Grigg