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A Passion for the Nations
Photo credits: One World by Genista
Last Christmas I wasn't even thinking about going to LOVE:NATIONS. This year, to save me from fear (and to save myself a fiver) I've booked myself a weekend pass already.
But the early bird saving really isn’t the main reason I was so eager to book my place. LOVE:NATIONS has been such an encouragement to me since it was first held, now almost four years ago.
In 2009 I was in my first year at university and had just started to settle into community life at Mosaic Church in Leeds. I had heard that we were going to be hosting a conference that was about catching God’s heart for the nations, so I went along. For me it was a time of learning about the Newfrontiers family, and about church planting as a concept. I also remember praying about where I should go for my year abroad and having a (reluctant!) sense that it should be Berlin – rather than the other, smaller places I would rather have gone to!
One of the speakers announced that there would soon be a Newfrontiers church plant in a major European city, which could not yet be publicly revealed, but he encouraged us to come and ask him if we were interested. I nervously found him afterwards and asked him which city he had meant, hoping he would not say Berlin. He said Berlin. This was the first Godly prod overt enough to end my indecision, and it started the ball rolling for finding a placement in Berlin.
A year later, Andrew Wilson was our guest speaker, and I remember him speaking provocatively about the kind of people it takes to reach the nations. The most memorable category was ‘dead people’ – we must die to the things we hold sacred (which are often good things). You can listen to the podcasts; they are still on the ‘Resources’ section of Mosaic’s website.
In December 2010, I was on my year abroad in Berlin, teaching secondary school pupils about the joys of roast parsnips, flaming puddings, crackers, Boxing Day and the 12 days of Christmas – I hadn’t even thought about going back to Leeds for LOVE:NATIONS. A few months before last year’s conference, however, I received a phone call from a friend from Mosaic inviting me and saying that they wanted to fund my flight over for it.
This totally blew me away. I had known already that my family at Mosaic was supporting me and my ministry in prayer, but this practical gesture showed me just how serious they are about encouraging those who’ve been sent out. Needless to say I accepted the invitation and represented the lovely Newfrontiers Berlin bunch with pride. As well as being challenged, I was refreshed and encouraged, returning to Berlin with a fresh wind.
I’m now back in the UK continuing my studies, but my heart for the nations has in no way diminished. As part of that I’m helping to put together a dedicated prayer space for this year’s conference. This time round we will be joined by guest speaker Chris Taylor, who is currently planting a church in The Hague. I am excited about having the opportunity to set aside time to hear stories about how God’s Kingdom is coming, to catch His heart for the world around me, to hear from Him about where I fit in, and to battle in prayer for the nations. Teams at Mosaic are busy making preparations, and we would love to welcome people from other churches locally, nationally and internationally!
This year’s conference runs from 10 to 12 February. For more information about and booking details (as well as talks and music from previous years), visit the website.
About the author
Claire is a final year student and has been a member of Mosaic Church since she started university in Leeds. A self-confessed Germanophile, she is also passionate about youth work and cycling.
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