Mission Partner Barry, with Gillian Sloan serve on the launch team of INSPIRE, a fresh expression initiative in Chemnitz.
At INSPIRE you can find prayer, worship, preaching and teaching from the Bible, holy communion, baptism, blessing, anointing, liturgy, service and witness, and spiritual formation. But often not in the ways or format that you would be accustomed to in traditional church. For church people, this can be confusing, or even unsettling. But at INSPIRE we believe in Jesus’ model of incarnational ministry. Jesus entered the world to demonstrate what love looks like. We believe we are called to follow Him. To enter into the world of our neighbours on the Brühl in Chemnitz. To serve them. To bless them. To tell them the old, old story of a God whose love crosses every border to bring life and light.“
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All Mission Partners are supported by generous giving, please donate to the World Mission Fund here.
In April 2022 Barry visited the Poland to see the work of the church with refugees and the impact of the Ukraine was. He wrote this poem reflecting on his visit.
“We offer holy Communion from the Bar” Barry Sloan
In a city where there has been a recent rise in far right activity, they are helping to transform the neighbourhood. The film 'On The Brühl' about their work in Chemnitz won an award at the Burbank Film Festival in 2020. Watch the film below:
Contact: sloanb@methodistchurch.org.uk
'The Irish Pilgrims' sharing all about their life and work in Chemnitz.
Watch the latest post below where Barry visits Lampedusa and the work of Mediterranean Hope and subscribe to their YouTube channel 'Irish Pilgrims'.
Check out Barry's blog and read his thoughts on Brexit here
Read Barry's newsletter
Below you'll find a reflection from Barry.
Our greatest challenge has been in helping the churches here have more of a focus for the people outside the church community. In Communist times, the church had to keep a low profile. Evangelism and outreach were only in a very limited way possible. Since the political changes in 1989 the church in Eastern Germany has been struggling to come to terms with its new freedoms - and, along with this, its new responsibility.
Rev Barry Sloan