Dave Andrews came back into my life this weekend and it was really great. He recognised me and said “Hi, what are you doing down here?” He even remembered I was from Sydney. Can you believe that? I guess it helps having a twin. It means he has seen my face more than he has actually seen my face, if you get what I mean.

I went to the Melbourne Tear conference for a day and Dave was speaking. It would have been great to go for the whole weekend but with Blackstump last week and a Uni degree to get it was not really feasible. My friends here are calling me a conference junkie. What do you know from speed junkie to Christian Conference junkie all in the one lifetime. Life is so diverse. So anyway back to Dave Andrews. He had me nearly moved to tears a few times with his stories that made the simple things in life come alive. He reminded me that ministry is not having set agendas where we all go out and try and force ourselves onto people but rather it is about grabbing hold of the Kairos moments in our lives and other people’s life. We need to be involved. These Kairos times are change, celebrations, conflicts, chance encounters and cycles. 

Example of change- When we move to a place introduce ourselves to our neighbours. Invite people over. Apperently it is less wierd when you first move to a neighbourhood rather than five years later.  

Celebrations – Birthdays, state of origin etc.

Conflict – When somebody kicks in a store window, gather everyone around, get everyone to share with the person why they feel hurt by that and then get each person to give the  person who ahd been violent a hug. Before you know it the person who kicked in the store window will be crying and also feel cared for.

Chance encounters – if you happen to be standing next to someone you recognise, do say hello and ask them how they are going. Listen to the answers they give you.

Cycles- have a baby and then everyone will want to stop and talk to you. Walk around the neighbourhood with your baby. Men with babies are less scary. Also when someone in your community loses a love one, even if you don’t know that person very well they will appreciate your condolences.

Ok these are just examples that he gave. Not all of us have people kick in our windows and unfortunately not all of us have a partner to have a baby with.  

He reminded me that in community not everyone has to be your best friend. Most of the people that Jesus connected with were people that just came to see him speak. They were not intimate with him but the connection still happened and it was still really important. Jesus was actually only intimate in his life with 12, and maybe a few extra, people but he was still a community person who made time for people. It was amazing watching Dave. Lots of people wanted to talk to him over the weekend and he stopped and gave all of them time. Beautiful. I bet that is what Jesus was like. Like the woman that touched Jesus cloak and was healed. Jesus felt the power go out of him and he could have kept on  hurrying to Jairus’s house (Jairus, very important man) but instead he stopped and said ” Who touched me,” and then he stayed and talked to the woman, leaving her with the lines, “Your faith has made you well.”