Final day in Dubai
Colin Baron
"Everything here is on a massive scale and built in such a short space of time"
It’s Friday afternoon but it feels like Sunday!
Friday is the ‘Holy Day’ of the week and so Friday and Saturday become the weekend. I preached this morning at Gateway International Church, where over 280 people gathered from many different nations. It was fun to be led by Evan with his African songs, now supplemented with some Hindi words. I had a very good response as I preached on faith. Lunch was in the open air, a fantastic mezze of different dishes.
The evening before, we gathered some of the leaders to pray and listen to stories of living in Dubai. I was amazed at their faith and optimism. It was also a delight to meet and then pray our hearts out for a dear couple, Ayub & Teresa Peter who lead Jalali Jesu Church, which means Glorious Christ in Urdu. The church is around 40 strong, drawing mainly people originating from Pakistan and Indian.
After lunch we drove to The Palm, a massive new man-made development out into the Gulf. The hotel at the end is the much-photographed Atlantis Hotel. Everything here is on a massive scale and built in such a short space of time.
A few hours to go and one more meeting, then the midnight flight back to Manchester via Paris. It’ll seem strange to start my second weekend (!) as I join CCM church members as we run our monthly Saturday Funday at Hyde Town Hall.
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Colin's Profile
Colin leads Christ Church Manchester (CCM), a new church on the east side of the city birthed out of a passion to see significant churches planted in each of the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester.
Colin also travels internationally for the Newfrontiers team, encouraging and equipping church planters as well as coaching leaders and developing teams in established churches.