In blogging, the best is the enemy of the good. The year has been a full one, but you wouldn't know it from our blog.
For example, you wouldn't know that we are nearly a month out from starting weekly Pilgrim Dinners (30 October). Many of you readers were encouraged by our Huon Mission at the beginning of the year. Well, keep reading, because it turns out that was only the beginning of something much bigger.
A little after the Huon Mission, we had an epiphany: why not “do Pilgrim Hill now” in a permanent sense? We don’t have our building yet, but there is so much we can do already. So we settled on a strategy that we believe with God’s blessing will be effective in reaching backpackers in the Huon: a plan for Pilgrim Hill now - in part, if not in full.
Now, Pilgrim Hill's mission is to make disciples for Jesus by showing and telling the Gospel through hospitality. But how can we do hospitality without having a building or beds to offer? Answer, by offering free dinners from a hired venue in the centre of Huonville for the backpackers who flock to the Huon for about 7 months of every year.
It’s a way to begin offering kindness, community, practical love and Gospel truth to travellers - many of the same travellers who will be hosted overnight when the hostel opens.
The project is called Pilgrim Dinners, and the plan is an evening meal with a discipleship component. Our team will run the free dinners with the support of volunteers (like you), who prepare and assist in the meals and evangelism.
The evangelistic component will usually be a short talk, but will occasionally be another event (film night, bush dance, etc) with the express purpose of disciple-making through showing and telling the fullness of the Gospel.
God willing, we start 30 October, in the lead up to the next picking season, and finish at the end of the season in the Autumn, with time for development in the Winter. We’ll start with one dinner a week, plus Bible studies and special events. Seeing how things take off, there are plenty of opportunities to expand.
Naturally, we are very excited about the months ahead. Excited enough we may just start blogging again.
