forge kick-off evening

last night we attended the first official forge event for upcoming interns.  the intent of the evening was to present the purpose and goals of forge and register students for the year.  it was hosted at a venue owned by a church - a very clever, hip space - a nightclub turned cafe and meeting space.   kim did a presentation, introduced the staff and we ate pizza. 

we had a chance to meet with the pioneering stream leader and the other folks we'll be working with before the evening began.  during the event, we were introduced to the students as the smart ones who'll be grading all the essays (i don't know where kimmy gets his information).  kim, the director, did a brilliant job casting the missional vision of forge, from his own personal experience as a forge intern years ago.  we love this guy - he is gentle, humble, understated and very funny, you can't help but want to be his best friend.

at the end of the evening, one of the workers prayed with the students we were with in the pioneering stream (people focusing on a project outside the church walls) and she ended the prayer with "good on you god, amen."  Only australians...

here's the first paragraph of a letter all the prospective students received:

"To Forge interns:

Good on you for signing up for an internship through Forge.  At Forge, we are absolutely committed to helping you develop missionary identity and pioneering leadership skills.  The Forge staff team and invited speakers and coaches are all here to serve and learn with you and cheer you on in your journey of training."

they are such outstanding people.  the privilege we have of working with these people is so overwhelmingly good.

(sherry)