Go

Contact Us in the UK

  • Phone: 01302 811319
  • Email: 
  • Mailing Address:  24 Elmfield Road, Hyde Park, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN1 2BA

Contact Us in the US

  • Phone: 202.468.4571
  • Email: 
  • Mailing Address: PO Box 5188 Wheaton, IL 60189-5188

news from the Radstock network

Being Present and Productive

Posted by Derrick Baker on

Round Table 2012

There is something truly biblical (Col 4:7-11), and empirically verifiable, about the benefit of “face” time with partners in the gospel.

I look forward to Skype calls to friends in Albania, and hope they are encouragements to us both.  But it is no replacement for, as the Albanians say, “having a coffee”.  Some things are just better said, asked, or heard in person.

But true encouragement doesn’t come merely from presence, but intentional presence.  And it’s even better when time being present together is focused on gospel mission. 

If we are going to share together in the work of the gospel at some point we have to get to the who, how, what, and when of proclaiming Christ and planting churches.

This is why I am grateful to God for what I experienced at the Radstock Round Table.  

Round Table 2012 - Derrick Baker

It was about real gospel partnership – making real plans, with real people, to proclaim a very real gospel.

There are discussions our church still needs to have about what we do next and how, but I can say this – there are real possibilities for us to consider that weren’t real possibilities before my trip.  And it is quite possible that our plans for 2013, and for every year after that, will be deeply affected by the time I got to spend with partners in the gospel.

And so I’m grateful to my family and to our church for the time they let me get away to England for this year’s Radstock Round Table.  Was it worth the extra two days at the end of a trip?   The expense?  Time taken away from other important work? 

Yes – because productive, encouraging face time with gospel partners is valuable.  If we aren’t willing to believe this, then I don’t think we’ll ever actually have gospel partnerships.

[originally posted on the Church of the Cross blog ]

Tags: church, mission, gospel partnership, radstock round table

Comments

Back to Top