Bologna Scout Update

Hello from Tampa, Florida.

I was supposed to arrive in Tampa on Monday after spending 3.5 days in Bologna, Italy for a future church plant scout.  I arrived back from Bologna on Sunday - got home to London and unpacked and repacked and then headed to the airport again on Monday for my flight to Tampa.  3 countries in 3 weeks – Spain, Italy and USA. 

The flight was going well and finally after 9 hours of flying the captain started descending but the closer we got to Tampa the more we circled and finally the captain announced that due to severe thunderstorms, Tampa airport had closed and our flight was being diverted to Miami – a 5 hour drive away.  We landed in Miami and they herded us into buses to make the long journey to Tampa airport.  I hadn’t slept in over 24 hours and halfway into our journey our bus broke down!  You couldn’t make this up!  After many attempts from the mechanic and hours later we made it to Tampa and I reached my final destination at 5am Tuesday morning!

After a few hours of sleep, I now have the opportunity to reflect on our time on the ground in Bologna.  It was a full and eye-opening few days.

We spent our first day praying and discerning the spiritual atmosphere of the city, then meeting with John and Janelle, who are sensing a call to Bologna.

We didn’t quite know what to expect, but it was nothing like we could have imagined.

On day one, we met with a former student who gave us a tour of the city. Walking through Bologna felt strange and at times almost claustrophobic. Beneath the history and architecture there was a heaviness that became more noticeable the longer we stayed.

As we walked from church to church, there was a strong sense of darkness, oppression and grief. One place in particular left a deep impression on us: the church of Santa Maria della Vita. Inside is a powerful sculpture by Niccolò dell’Arca called The Lamentation over the Dead Christ. The life-sized terracotta figures capture the moment after Jesus is taken down from the cross, with Nicodemus still holding the tools used to remove the nails. The grief carved into the faces of those around Jesus is incredibly vivid.

As we reflected on what we were seeing across the city, something became very noticeable. In this historically Catholic city, Christ is almost always portrayed in one of two ways: either as a fat baby in the arms of a crowned Mary, or as a dying or dead man on the cross.

The only time we saw Jesus portrayed as alive was in infrequent depictions of the Last Supper.

It helped explain something of the spiritual heaviness we were sensing. The story of Jesus stops at the cross. Meanwhile Mary is crowned as the sovereign of heaven and guardian of the city.

Day two, however, felt very different.

While Ali and Dina headed to other sites of spiritual significance in the city to pray and discern, Jenna and I explored the campus area and tried to understand how students might best be reached.

After lunch we sat down in a small square beside a student café-bar and noticed three girls heading in the same direction. Jenna approached them and asked if they spoke English. We explained that we were with a church trying to understand more about life as a student in Bologna and asked if they would mind answering a few questions.

They happily agreed, so we invited them for a coffee and a chat.

Jenna and I took turns asking questions about why they had chosen their subjects, what student life looks like in the evenings, their experiences of church, and even the superstitions students hold when trying to pass exams.

After about forty minutes of conversation, I asked if they had any questions for us.

That was the beautiful moment.

After trust had started to build, they asked about our church and when we started believing what we believe. Jenna shared her testimony first, then I shared mine, weaving key aspects of the gospel into my story. From there Jenna was able to clearly explain the gospel using the Gospel Steps framework.

For the first time in their lives, these three precious girls heard that Jesus is alive.

In a city filled with images of a baby Jesus and a dying Jesus, we had the privilege of sharing the good news of the risen Jesus.

As we were finishing up, another friend arrived, which gave a natural end to our conversation. Before leaving, we were able to give each of them a Gospel Steps card summarising what we had shared, including the fourth girl.

Please pray that the seeds planted in that conversation will begin to grow.

As I sit here in reflecting on the past week, I’m reminded again of our role in all of this.

We sow and we water, but it is God who gives the increase. 🌱