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St. Paul's Church, Ahmadi, Kuwait |
Andrew and his
family
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The Revd Andrew Thompson
probably had little idea that being invited to take the Easter services
in Kuwait in 2006 would lead to him becoming Chaplain there: he was
licensed in October in a very well attended and happy service. In
November, St Paul's celebrated its 50th Anniversary with an evangelistic
guest service followed by a reception. A great sadness has been the death of Revd Tola Roberts, a much loved former chaplain in Kuwait as well as serving elsewhere in the Diocese. His memorial service was a fitting tribute to a deeply spiritual man whose ministry had a lasting impact on the expatriate community. This year has seen a time of growth for the church, especially the Friday congregation where the number of children has grown six fold. Home groups are well established in the form of a Bible Study Group, a Chinese Language Bible Study Group, an Alpha Course, a Prayer Group and a Christian Leadership Course. Ecumenical relations are very strong and positive, leading to pulpit exchange and enjoying more unity. There is an increasing interest in Muslim-Christian dialogue and St Paul's is keen to be involved with this activity as an expression of the desire to be good neighbours. The chaplain and members of St Paul's have also been involved with Operation Hope, a new Kuwaiti¬based charity that seek to alleviate the suffering of migrant workers in the labour camps. |