We started with a PowerPoint show www.runnymedechurch.org/M2EP.zip to give people a feel for the experience.
I (Mike Wilkins) spoke about how Congressman John Lewis called us to “get in the way” of government that is going the wrong way, and his call for us to “stay in the house” and protect our community in these turbulent times.
Grace Poon shared how Angela Glover Blackwell told us that we are in the “Perfect Storm of Opportunity". She got out the whiteboard to demonstrate Angela’s tree illustration!
Steve Hunter, who runs a woodworking shop for marginalized men to help them with job and life-skills training, shared Freddy Haynes’ recounting of the story of Ebed-Melech – how Ebed-Melech didn’t just look after Jeremiah in the pit, but got him hauled up out of there, and called us to move beyond compassion to justice.
Linda Ruth Ciglen spoke from Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie’s talk on the church not just being the reservoir, but being the river. She was able to condense what Vashti said in 40 minutes into 10 minutes, and everybody got it!
All through the service there was a theme of getting aligned with God’s ways and God’s dream for his creation. People said that it was the best conference/mission report they had heard in our church.
