How do you like your tacos? Nate Twichell, co-director of Agape Year, likes them ‘con carne’ or ‘with meat’. Doesn’t really matter if its pork, chicken, or brisket. He’ll take them with mucho ‘con carne’. These past few months we’ve had the privilege of participating in the Gospel con carne. After returning from Thailand, we debriefed with our Missionals and hit the road as a living epistle to 10 churches in 6 dioceses, a couple of schools, and a few ministries.
Here’s the thing, the Church takes on the Gospel con carne when you experience the radical welcome of Christ through the hospitality of this family we’re called into… sometimes that looks like the best strawberry shortcake in Florida shared over conversations of God at work in prisons, or a meal harvested from a community garden, or an offer to drive a hot-rod, or thoughtful questions in a parish hall during a bake sale. Sometimes it looks like a priest gripping your hand during the Eucharist while saying “The body of Christ who loves you so very much broken for you.” There’s Truth that sinks down into your bones when you worship with unmet brothers and sisters and then that evening sleep in one of their guest bedrooms or living rooms or share a family meal with them. It’s the Gospel con carne.
God is good! We are amazed that we’ve just finished our first year of Agape Year. This would not have been possible without the help, prayers, support and vision of so many individuals. We are humbled and grateful! Our Missionals are headed home to summers of work and ministry and then to college! We’ll miss them; grateful but thankful that they’ve lived the Gospel con carne.
Please join us as we pray for our missional fellows for next year! So far we have two: Tessa and Kieran! We’d love to have two more join the cohort. Please pray that God would lead those He is calling to experience the gospel con carne.
This summer, we will be trusting God as we grow in partner development. We’ve been thankful for the number of one time donations given to make this year possible, but will need to grow our monthly support by $2000 to make Agape Year sustainable for years to come. Please pray for us as we dedicate time to growing our monthly community of supporters and if He is leading you to join in His work through Agape Year?
Want to taste the Gospel con carne? Or want a night off from cooking? Come join us and our neighbors the final Friday of the month at “The Open Table” Pizza Pop-Up. We’re hoping to extend hospitality and good pizza in our neighborhood for the life of the world. More details can be found here.
Missed our service of Thanksgiving and Commissioning? You can read Nate’s charge to the fellows and hear more about the origins of the phrase “gospel con carne” over on our blog.
The Agape Year program is still taking applications for the 2018 cohort. To learn more about the Agape Year program and apply, visit its website here.
Nate and Erika Twichell are co-directors of the Agape Year program, a partnership between Anglican Global Mission Partners and Young Anglicans Project.
