Greenbelt/Fresh Expressions/New York

I have enough work to do in the next three days to fill a month.... however regardless of that I jump on a plane next Tuesday to head off on an exploration and an experience of some emerging churches and some popular culture in places and at events I have harboured a hope of seeing for decades!!

I have tracked Greenbelt Festival for some 15 years as a seemingly genuinely diverse all age event at Cheltenham Racecourse in England. I had made tentative plans to be there in 2000 but that didn't pan out. The 'fresh expressions' movement strikes me as a move allowing permission, space and real resourcing for grassroots change and new indigenous expressions of faith in community!! I am looking forward to checking all that out...

On the same score I have been lucky enough to visit the 'Big Apple' twice before and while disappointed this is not a family jaunt [because it's coincidentally at the time of year Simone and I have dreamt of returning] BUT if I'm on the work trip of the decade then I had better knock over both goals because it won't happen again for a while....

I think I've already written that I plan to track a few faith communities in NY but to also participate in a Tribute Centre Walking Tour of Ground Zero where the guides are those directly effected by the fall of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centres on September 11 2001.

This is very much a part of my 'storytelling' explorations... I hope to have time to take a wander in Harlem [avoiding the Tour Bus syndrome] as I've done almost all the touristy things in NY I need to... apart from the Yankee Stadium Tour of course [as this is its last year of MLB]!!

So there you have it... we leave on Tuesday and I hope to have sufficient headspace, net time and motivation to blog while away.... we'll see!!