“MOST PEOPLE are content to stay in the boat. Some may consider getting out. But only a few dare to do it - to walk on the water at the call of Jesus, risking failure and mockery." Such was one of the challenges brought by Paul Reid from Belfast to the leaders at the Multiply International Conference at Northampton's Spinney Hill Theatre.

A number of the 80 delegates, representing 17 nations, stayed for two weeks in Jesus Fellowship community houses. This offered ample opportunity for them to experience day-to-day church life, be it motorway traffic-jams (lengthy), eating (lots of it), chatting (frequent) and the English weather (damp). A number of special events were also organised.

The Sheffield Praise Day was designed around the theme of Living, Multicolour Church, a composite of worship, speech, dance and poetry, plus morphed images of some of the existing colourful 'living stones'!

Tours took in various community houses and businesses including New Creation Farm, where the visitors joined in the lunchtime brotherhood at central offices. Senior leaders were on hand to answer questions, and there was even the opportunity to enjoy the half-yearly meeting for celibates - a first for many of the delegates.

Wednesday evening saw them joining the 'Eat, Drink and Pray' coach campaign of evangelism in central London, where the Hungarian group set up church on Piccadilly Circus. Some sang and others handed out Streetpapers while their one English speaker shared the gospel with passers-by.

On Friday the focus turned to the Heartcry vision with visits to the six-month-old Coventry Jesus Centre and the pilot project and old cinema in Northampton - the Jesus Fellowship 'cathedral' as it was dubbed by one Nigerian visitor.

The conference was the culmination of their stay - a day of celebration and inspiration. If Multiply emphasises relationships, you only had to head backstage in the meal breaks to see it working - amid the welcome banners and origami decorations were a sea of smiling faces from all around the globe tucking into a varied feast of food and fellowship.

Seminars in the afternoon focused on gifts and ministries - the apostolic and evangelistic, the prophetic and pastoral - as old and young, single and married, came together to share their experiences and inspirations.

The closing comment goes to one delegate from Rwanda who was amazed to see his dream realised: "I thought community was my idea!" Like all 'water-walking' ideas, it is God's idea - that's why it works. But it needs us to work it out - together. Such is the vision of the Multiply stream.