JourneyOnline
Young American evangelist and activist Shane Claiborne is one of the key speakers at NCYC 09, from 3-9 January 2009 in Melbourne. “Shane is excited to be part of NCYC09, and we’re delighted that Shane is excited!” said an obviously excited Rohan Pryor, NCYC09 Convention Coordinator.
Shane is a compelling Christian speaker in demand around the world, author of “The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical” and a founding member of The Simple Way, a Christian community based in urban Philadelphia working to change the world one loving act at a time. Shane also loves the circus, and sews his own clothes.
“We love God, love people, and follow Jesus”, writes Shane. “We are about ending poverty, not simply managing it. We give people fish. We teach them to fish. We tear down the walls that have been built up around the fish pond. And we figure out who polluted it.”
NCYC is the largest gathering of young people in the Uniting Church. It is a temporary but intentional residential Christian community that forms every two years to celebrate God through worship, Bible studies, community living, great bands and music, and to hear inspiring speakers like Shane. “We come from many different places and converge to discover, celebrate and deepen the faith and unity we share in Jesus Christ”, said Rohan. “Shane will challenge us to live our faith radically, and show us how in ordinary ways.”
Shane says “Many spiritual seekers have not been able to hear the words of Christians because the lives of Christians have been making so much horrible noise. It can be hard to hear the gentle whisper of the Spirit amid the noise of Christendom.”
“As an evangelical, the only way I know to invite people into Christian faith is to come and see. After all, I’m not just trying to get someone to sign a doctrinal statement, but to come to know the love, grace and peace in the incarnation of Jesus, and now in the incarnation of the body, Christ’s church. Let me show you Jesus with skin on.”
NCYC09 will feature international and Australian speakers, great bands and new music, solid Biblical teaching and uplifting worship, and communities of young people gathered from around Australia.
And NCYC delegates will be invited to assist in offsetting the ecological impact (primarily carbon emissions) from the travel of Shane and other key speakers. If you have an area of land that needs reafforestation, please let us know!
To register for NCYC09, and for more information, visit the website http://ncyc.org.au or email converge@ncyc.org.au or phone 1300 00 NCYC (6292).
For photos and more information about Shane visit http://www.thesimpleway.org/shane/
Shane’s book “The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical” (Zondervan, 2006) is available from UniChurch Books http://unichurch.victas.uca.org.au/ and other good Christian book stores.
Photo : US evangelist and activist Shane Claiborne
