Potenciál: Halfway! May 2010
This Saturday meeting of Potenciál at the end of May 2010 will be the halfway point of the course!
How is it going? It is a good point for assessment. Do you remember the prayer requests last year? Had we got it right? Were we hearing God? Would people book in? You remember we thought 35-40 was an ideal number and we are started with 38!
Looking back, we are so grateful to God that he led us – and it seems we got it right. Actually, the numbers have changed; after the first weekend the dad of one of our students and an old friend of mine asked to come on the course. And the last time we met (in April) I am quite sure there were a few who had not been with us before! So far, no one has pulled out of the course. Read on...
And what are people saying about Potenciál? Several students have volunteered fulsome praise. After the first weekend one used the word ‘life-changing’; one wrote to me with tremendous enthusiasm about the book ‘The Shack’ that we asked them to study (with some critical notes to provoke them to think through some of the issues). One pastor wrote to me this morning about his son who, he says is benefiting greatly. Those are three out of a substantial selection. We have had a few moans, but about minor practical issues, none about the course itself.
And what do we teachers think of the ‘customers’? They are the best bunch of students in the world! – Yeh, I’m biased! We can see so much potential in them (well that’s what we said from the start, isn’t it?) There is so much we would like to do and teach, and we are already half way! The April weekend with Rachel Hickson and Garrie-John Barnes was, as expected, very powerful and we all took away blessing.
We have had some superb visitors: Sue, Peter and Rick are part of the furniture now! It is remarkable how different students relate to different teachers. God seems to have put the mix together so well. We are just basking in the care of his love. Add that to the remarkable admin team in Hradec Kralove: mainly Kamila, but Jakub too, who out of a very busy schedule organises programmes, cares about the people and makes so much contact. He keeps telling me not to worry and so far nothing more than trivial has gone wrong. Even the finances seem to be running smoothly.
From this halfway point we want to see the students more ‘hands on’, preparing devotional talks, more involved in worship leading, branching out into new fields and ministries. On Saturday a few of them will be speaking briefly to the whole group, some for the first time. You may know that we have organised the group into teams, each of which have nominated a Christian ‘cause’ to support during the rest of the course in practical ways. We have been pleased with their choices and will keep you up to date with progress.
One specific prayer topic (apart from the obvious): what next? Will we do Potenciál again? Well, not beginning in January at least. We do believe that what God has led us to pioneer is a way forward for the Church in the nation, but we feel the need to assess, discuss and listen. Maybe something will start in September 2011, but if it does, it will build on what we have learned. It will involve Czech leaders much more than now and hopefully some of those who are students on the present course at some level. We would like it to be a package that local churches could take on and develop for their own needs, perhaps in groups. As ever, decisions about planning have to run well ahead of events, so we are asking you to pray with us now.
As you always do. One of the reasons I am looking forward to getting to heaven is that, at last, we shall know. We shall see the mighty force that you released for us in our work.
Keep building!
Very much love,
Dennis, plus Sue, Jakub, Kamila, Pete, Rick, Garrie-John and so many more!