On 19th evening I flew from Bombay to Cochin, as I was to preach at the 47th Annual Convention of the St Thomas Evangelical Church. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Evangelical_Church
The convention began on Sunday 20th evening with the inaugural public meeting and concluded on Sunday 27th with lunch.
Rev Paul Hasan Shah, a convert from Islam, who has been serving as a pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance churches in Bhusaval, Maharashtra was the other speaker at the convention.
He testified to the cost a person of another faith pays in following Jesus. Even when he has gone back to his home, he has been told he is no longer welcome and has not been able to see his loved ones ever since.
A special choir was trained under the leadership of Rev Laji Varghese.
What was impressive was that the choir had quite a few original compositions and their singing gave the lie to the saying (that I had heard while a schoolboy) that in Kerala only those from the CMS (Church Missionary Society of the Church of England) background could carry a tune. While I didn't follow the words I distinctly understood that the song about Jesus being the Bridegroom was a composition by a young woman from the choir--the tune did have an air of devotional, wistful longing for the Heavenly Bridegroom to return.
I took morning Bible studies in Daniel chapters 1 to 6 from Monday to Saturday emphasizing the importance of Christian integrity in the public arena, and also preached topical messages at five public meetings.
The attendance at the morning Bible study times was not a lot, but it was good considering that it was being held from 7.30 to 8.30 a.m. before breakfast was served at the site.
From Monday to Friday the attendance at the evening meetings was rather poor, but it did peak on Saturday evening.
Sunday morning began with a Communion service in the chapel and after breakfast there was the final public meeting at which both Rev Shah and I spoke. For that last meeting the tent was packed and it would appear that the church will need to do something to increase the seating capacity in years to come.
https://picasaweb.google.com/117323355222425422370/STECIConvention2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas_Evangelical_Church
The convention began on Sunday 20th evening with the inaugural public meeting and concluded on Sunday 27th with lunch.
Rev Paul Hasan Shah, a convert from Islam, who has been serving as a pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance churches in Bhusaval, Maharashtra was the other speaker at the convention.
He testified to the cost a person of another faith pays in following Jesus. Even when he has gone back to his home, he has been told he is no longer welcome and has not been able to see his loved ones ever since.A special choir was trained under the leadership of Rev Laji Varghese.
What was impressive was that the choir had quite a few original compositions and their singing gave the lie to the saying (that I had heard while a schoolboy) that in Kerala only those from the CMS (Church Missionary Society of the Church of England) background could carry a tune. While I didn't follow the words I distinctly understood that the song about Jesus being the Bridegroom was a composition by a young woman from the choir--the tune did have an air of devotional, wistful longing for the Heavenly Bridegroom to return. I took morning Bible studies in Daniel chapters 1 to 6 from Monday to Saturday emphasizing the importance of Christian integrity in the public arena, and also preached topical messages at five public meetings.
The attendance at the morning Bible study times was not a lot, but it was good considering that it was being held from 7.30 to 8.30 a.m. before breakfast was served at the site.From Monday to Friday the attendance at the evening meetings was rather poor, but it did peak on Saturday evening.
Sunday morning began with a Communion service in the chapel and after breakfast there was the final public meeting at which both Rev Shah and I spoke. For that last meeting the tent was packed and it would appear that the church will need to do something to increase the seating capacity in years to come.https://picasaweb.google.com/117323355222425422370/STECIConvention2008
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