Ihbia: IBI

Hi,

My name is Wavey (David to some people, incorrectly Dave to others) and I am still alive.
I realise I haven't blogged in about a month, and I realise I still have to do my 'controversial' if not 'radical' post on Evangelism... I will at some point, don't worry... I need to use my thinking cap and it is presently in the wash or something.

This is a new series called 'I haven't blogged in ages' and so here is a blog about what I am doing... which is largely about IBI.

I presently have the joy of being a Masters student in IBI. The Masters in IBI is really weird, in terms of how you go to classes. I wish I could tell you about all the modules I am doing, but I am not doing all the modules.

The way IBI works it's MA is that you do ONE module a term. At the moment I am doing something like "Church and Mission in Contemporary Ireland", not sure if that is the exact title but you get the idea. In the module you do one week of classes at the start, that was back in August, and then a catch up class, that was last Tuesday at 6.

The rest of term has been spent on reading for an essay and a personal growth essay thing. The essay is about how the problem in Ireland isn't that spirituality is gone but that the interest in the Church as a means to express that spirituality is gone.

Basically it is looking at how the church is modern and people are post-modern. The more I look into it the more disillusioned I am by the Church... which is kinda depressing because I loved it and thought it very important to Christianity and Christian walks once upon a time... now it seems like it is past its sell by date and spends half its time street preaching and the other half sinning and judging others while, every now again, having time to call people that call for reform heretics. God save us! That's not to say that any particular Church does this, or that I am saying that all Churches do... It's just the impression from some of the literature.

Having said that, there is hope. New churches that rethink how we do things, that want to reach this generation are starting which is awesome.

In IBI recently I heard a relatively new Church in Limerick has almost reached 100 members now. Praise God, that is so amazing and they are obviously doing things right when almost half of those are from unchurched backgrounds.

I think I want to look more into this postmodern thing. See if I can find my hope for the church again...
I think my thesis will be on "Why are young people leaving the Church and what can the Church do to draw them back?"

I can't wait for next term, when I will do Pastoral Care #2 and be able to be up every Wednesday.

IBI has some really cool people in it. There is a guy from Cavan called Craig who is a Church of Ireland Rev. (bishop more like). He oversees a number of Churches. He is such a legend. He is one of my favourite Church leaders and Christ shines out of him. Meeting people like him make all the hardness worth things :)

Okay, enough about IBI... I wanna talk about Christmas.

ask.fm/wavey1111