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