Patrick's Example: Growth and Miracles in Ireland

In light of St. Patrick's Day this week, this article in Charisma Magazine was interesting - Charismatic Churches See Growth, Miracles in Ireland.

Vineyard leader Alan Scott said the rich heritage of early Irish church leaders such as St. Patrick continues to influence him and his church. He points particularly to the monastic leader Columba, who sailed from Derry and set up a strategic mission base at Iona off the coast of Scotland. (Read about St. Patrick's charismatic faith.)

"Part of our reason for existing is that we want to recapture some of that original mandate," Scott said. "There was a group of crazy monks who were so captured by the Spirit of God they understood that community and mission are inseparable. They had something in their heart that wanted to care for the poor and change the community in which they functioned. Then they would go out from here to England and then on to Germany from there."