Advent means ‘arrival’ or ‘coming’. As Christians, we remember the Advent Season as a time when God’s promised Shalom is on its way. That God, people and the Earth will live in harmony. We remember the first Advent as the coming of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem, the second arrival as the resurrected Jesus in our lives and the third at the end of the age when Jesus will fully heal the Cosmos.
So many around the world are struggling to anticipate such hope right now. Yet, I know it’s possible. Last month I was in Kyiv, with our partners at Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary and saw first hand how determined they are to keep alive the costly hope of shalom in a war zone.
Similarly, in July, I was on the Myanmar border leading our Incubator programme with the Civil Disobedience Movement as they resisted the Military Dictatorship’s reign of terror there. Across cities in the UK local leaders in our Seedbeds programmes from diverse urban neighbourhoods, including ours here in Winson Green, are joining together to resist the cost of living crisis and collapse of basic services. What do these local leaders and communities have in common? They haven’t given up on seeking justice and in solidarity are working together for a new day. This is the promise of the Advent Season coming alive.
With increasing challenges, we have needed to keep discerning ‘why’ Seedbeds exists. What is our unique contribution and our best methods to see this happen? Here is our latest ‘statement of intent’ for Seedbeds, which tries to outline our hopes in a paragraph:
We believe that every local community can flourish, but few urban neighbourhoods realise their unique potential. Through responsive, practical and innovative programmes, Seedbeds grows local leaders and communities into:
- Fullness of Life: God, people and place living in harmony together in God’s promised shalom.
- Fresh Connections: Gifts cross pollinating together in and across neighbourhoods.
- Fruitful Diversity: Reproducing life grows in response to local challenges and opportunities.
- Flourishing Roots: Deeper legacies are being created for sustainable change.
Please pray we can see these hopes arrive in 2023 in new ways through local leaders in UK, Ukraine and Myanmar.
It would be such an encouragement if you could send a gift to our partners in Myanmar and Ukraine as a symbol of hopeful solidarity this Advent. Giving £150/$300 will help grow a local leader and their community into fullness of life through one of our programmes there. Please give here if you can.
As may know next month I will be in Australia for a sabbatical to reconnect, renew and re-boot for our next season of life based in Winson Green and to prepare to expand Seedbeds. There will be opportunities to meet up, including a special Fundraising Dinner for Myanmar there. Details are here. I would love to see you in person!
I hope this Advent Season is a time of blessing and renewal for you and your families and that 2023 will be a year of hope realised. Thanks for standing with us. Your support, prayers and encouragement are a life line for us and make so much possible. Thank you!
Shalom,
Ash Barker
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