Come and See!

The BKB travel calendar is filling up! Over the next five months, 10 groups and 100+ people will travel from St. Paul to Iringa to be present with companions. Some of those will be seasoned travelers, returning for a blessed reunion, while others will be experiencing it all for the very first time.

The Rev. Justin Grimm, Director for Evangelical Mission/Assistant to the Bishop for Congregational Vitality, is inviting clergy and congregational leaders to "Come and See! " Jan. 23 through Feb. 6, 2024:

The calling of the initial disciples in John’s Gospel features an invitation to “Come, and See.” Jesus invites two of John’s disciples with these words and Phillip invites skeptical Nathaniel in the same manner. Come and see. For Jesus and these early disciples, it was an invitation to explore the unknown and to meet the Holy One – Jesus himself. But it wasn’t just about seeing Jesus. It was about meeting him, being shown his ways, being transformed by his presence and then sent eventually to do the work of the Gospel.

We are inviting you to “Come and See” the work of the Gospel in Tanzania. But just like that initial invitation to the earliest disciples, it is an invitation to come and see and then go and tell. You will see the amazing way God is working in our siblings across the globe and learn from them about evangelism, accompaniment, faith formation, being the vital church and more. Together, we will explore what it means to be the church in the Iringa Diocese, through visits to diocese schools, health care facilities, and parishes, through worship together and deep conversations about our own contexts and experiences.

The experience will be rooted in group conversation and deep theological wondering about what it means to come and see and then go and do. Each experience will serve as a catalyst for discussion and self-reflection with the hope you take back what you learn and incorporate it into your calling back home.

Click here for details. Interested in learning more about this opportunity? Contact justin.grimm@spas-elca.org or kirsten.levorson@spas-elca.org.

Complete an online interest form by August 1 at https://bit.ly/tanzania2024.