Cross Cultural Placements 3

Monday, 24th October 2022
Image: cross-cultural-placements-3

Cross Cultural Placements

Jonny and Adam share about their experience over the summer.

Jonny Dodds: Greece

During the summer I had the opportunity to serve in Athens for six weeks for my cross-cultural placement. Going out with European Christian Mission, I spent my time working with Hellenic Ministries, AMG International and Christian Refugee Relief. I also had the opportunity to visit several churches and it was encouraging to see how God is continuing to work through his church there even though proselytization is illegal in Greece, and there are so many with a misconstrued view of God due to the teachings of the Greek Orthodox Church.

My time was mostly spent working with pre-school children in the Petalouda Centre which is an educational centre in the Roma community in Ano Liosia, in the northern outskirts of Athens. This centre is run by Hellenic Ministries with the aim of educating the women and children of the community so that they may integrate into Greek society. The Bible is at the centre of this education as the staff teach Bible stories and sing Christian songs to teach them both the Greek language and about God. The Roma community are a more superstitious form of Greek Orthodox so sound biblical teaching is crucial for them to understand who God truly is.

I also had the opportunity to help with a football academy run by AMG International. The academy is held at the Cosmovision Centre, a camp centre in Koropi, and is an outreach to teenage/young adult refugees in the local area, although some Greeks also come and participate. Thankfully for me, the refugees tended to speak better English than Greek which meant that there wasn’t much of a language barrier, and I was able to have good conversations and form relationships during my time there.

Another refugee ministry I was involved in was a more practical one with Christian Refugee Relief. This organisation seeks to assist charities who distribute food and supplies among refugees by bringing donated supplies in and giving them to the charities where needed. My time with Christian Refugee Relief was spent working in their warehouse in Pallini, loading and unloading boxes and bags of food and supplies. I also had the opportunity to help with a distribution at the Hope Café, one of the charities that CRR help supply. This was an eye-opening experience to see the hardships the refugees face and the difference that the work of charities makes.

Overall, my time in Greece was an incredible experience. While the evangelical community in Athens is relatively small, it is very much alive, and I pray that God will continue to strengthen and build his church there.

 

Adam Riley: England

Part of IBC’s ministry course is a ‘cross-cultural overseas placement’. I arranged a 5-week summer placement with Maidenbower Baptist Church, in Crawley England. I shadowed Pastor Jeremy Walker, acting in an assistant role, and experiencing the roles and responsibilities of everyday ministry, albeit in a slightly different context. This included Sunday and midweek services, leading, and preaching, as well as taking Adult Bible Class. Sprinkled among this was a number of pastoral visits with Pastor Jeremy. Alongside this, I made several connections with other churches and pastors, attending day conferences and events specifically designed for pastors to be spiritually refreshed through preaching, prayer, and general support.  

The 5-week placement at Maidenbower Baptist Church was a fantastic experience. I am indebted to Pastor Jeremy and the church for their kindness and have greatly benefitted from my time in England. I learnt lots of lessons and am certain that this has been a pivotal moment in my pastoral training. The practical lessons surrounding pastoral work were invaluable, especially in its scope, covering visitation to sermon feedback. This has been particularly useful as I take up responsibilities as intern pastor in Magherafelt Reformed Baptist Church for the next number of months. Furthermore, connecting with the church family was a true joy and knowing that they will continue to support Rachel and I in prayer is a real blessing. While the placement was extremely useful, it was good to return home to Northern Ireland! 

    Blog Archive

Let’s Read Irish Baptist College Conference (Online) From Intern to Undergraduate (Emily Middleton) Let's Read: The Hole in our Holiness — The Reason for Redemption Baptists and Revival in the Long 18th Century Second Year Placements From Intern to Undergraduate (Josh Brown) Let's Read: The Hole in our Holiness — The What and Why of Holiness Final Year During A Pandemic 2nd Year Placement Experience Friends of the College 2021 Update The Art of Reading More Books Let's Read: The Hole in our Holiness — The Real Possibility of Holiness A Basic Easter Fact The Servant King Podcast Let's Read: The Hole in our Holiness — You Are Holy Third Year Reflection Gospel Guardians: Protecting the Purity of the Gospel for Future Generations Graduation 2021 Book Review: Succeeding at Seminary Let's Read: The Hole in Our Holiness — A Work in Progress Why the Irish Baptist College is Vital to the Health of the Association A Good News Story: The Ministry Partnership Scheme Why Study the Biblical Languages? Profit in Toil: A Short Message on A Level Results Day Let's Read: Small Preaching Recognition Service Report 2021 Sin Forgiven: Nourishment for Life and Joy for Living Let’s Read: Small Preaching—The Character of the Preacher Commencement Service Report Placement Friends of the College Update God Rejoices over His People: A Meditation on Zephaniah 3:17 Let’s Read: Small Preaching—Constructing the Sermon Evangelism Teams: Newcastle and Brannockstown Evangelism Teams: Stonepark and North Belfast Christian Fellowship First Year Reflections (Reuben and Andrew) Some New Books Let’s Read: Small Preaching—The Craft of Preaching Let's Read: Small Preaching—What is God Saying? A Christmas Reflection on John 1 - ‘The coming of the light’ Christmas Reflection on John 1 - ‘Life, Light & Glory’
Time to read Genesis...again Friends of the College - January 2020 Friends of the College - January 2020 Finances Tribute to Marion Craig The Resilient Pastor: Surviving & Thriving in Ministry Just a Blow-in? What is new on the shelves at IBC? Friends of the College - February 2020 Four Reasons to Study Theology Academically From Spain to Moira Testimonial Financial Update Friends of the College – March 2020 Irish Baptist Historical Society: The Mayflower Thomas Patient: the Father of the Irish Baptist Church Testimonials The Pastors’ Conference: An Encouraging Privilege Testimonials (part-time studies) In the worst of times: COVID-19 and the Book of Ruth Friends of the College - April 2020 The Long Wait: Victory Delayed Testimonials - Preparation for Ministry and Evening Classes The Leadership Podcast Testimonials - Ladies Study Fellowship The Leadership Podcast (part 2) Friends of the College - May 2020 Reflections from the Student Chairman Why do we teach the Old Testament? Reflections on first year at IBC Friends of the College - June 2020 Why do we teach Romans? IBC Placement Is Church History a Thing of the Past? Friends of the College - July 2020 Friends of the College – August 2020 Friends of the College September 2020 Recognition and Graduation Service Introducing the Irish Baptist College’s New Logo Commencement Service Friends of the College - October 2020 Filled with the Spirit: Soundings in Luke’s Theology of the Holy Spirit The Famous Five: The Abiding Relevance of the Solas of the Reformation Friends of the College - November 2020 The Importance of Theological Training in Fulfilling the Great Commission First Year Reflections — Tim Houston Singing: The Place of Theology in Corporate Worship New Library Books Friends of the College – Unite to Pray – December Christmas Reflections
Agree and Close notice.

By continuing on our website you agree with our Privacy Policy and to the use of cookies by third party plugins. Find out more here