An unusual communion

This morning is our final meeting. We take time to evaluate the weekend (what was good and what should be improved), and ask everyone to indicate the area where they sense God is calling them, and what they want to contribute to and receive from the Connect Europe network.

Tim Fellows presents our basic development plan, after which we break up in regional groups. As Europe has 50 nations (counting the UK as four and including Israel) and is hard to 'grasp' as a continent, we decided to create an extra 'level' of 7 European regions: the nordic (north Atlantic, Scandinavia and Baltic nations), the anglosaxon (British Isles and Ireland), the germanic (Benelux and German-speaking nations), the catholic south (Spain, Portugal, France and Italy), the balcan (all nations in the triangle Slovenia-Greece-Moldova), the slavic (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) and the russian (Belarus, Ukraine and Russia). The first four regions are represented here in Geneva, so we use the opportunity the strengthen relationships and encourage the nations in these regions to pray for and help each other where possible.

Then it's time for communion. Not in the churchy sense of the word, where everyone puts on his solemn funeral face, while quietly passing on the bread and wine. No, this is a time of joyful celebration, encouragement and ministry to each other. We put the elements in the centre and everyone can take bread and wine and share Christ. All over the room people are praying for each other. It's this kind of community that marked the first church in Acts and made many people decide to follow Jesus.

The first Christians made their 'bond of love' very practical: they shared their resources, so that all needs would be met. Andreas from Germany suggests we have a special love offering: "Give joyfully as the Spirit leads, but feel also free to take money out of the offering if you have any need." I love this, wished every church would do this on a regular Sunday morning! The basket is filled with ease, but no-one takes anything out. Maybe because this is unusual and public, but more likely because God already blessed us out of our socks these days. Still I believe He wants us to experience something special, so I suggest we take a minute silence to hear from God whom of the participants He wants us to bless and with what amount. About 15 people come up to me, whisper into my ear what they received and we divide the money accordingly, praying over everyone. It's wonderful to bless people this way, and a great experience for us all to learn to share our resources in Christ.

After this experience no-one wants to leave. Jussi comes up with some specific words for people and we pray over them. Then it's time for a group picture and really close our gathering.

In the afternoon we have a debriefing with the team in the park overlooking Lake Geneva. We look back on a blessed time together, but also look forward. Today it's exactly two years since the start of our adventure in Herrnhut. A new window of opportunity is opening up, a new phase of God's plan to raise up the emerging generation in Europe for his purposes. We feel it's important to pray into and connect the (missing) regions in south-east Europe. We will meet every two weeks in a virtual space on the internet to pray and plan together. Connect meetings will be held in different nations this year. It's time to focus and develop the network, as God's Spirit leads the way.