SO the Desert Rats have arrived in Afghanistan! I see on the news that the 7th Armoured Brigade of the British Army will be helping the Afghan Security Forces in Helmand province.

While we keep our brave soldiers and the people they protect in our prayers, the more cynical among us might cite this as further evidence of Mission Creep and echo President Karzai’s criticism of NATO forces causing suffering with insufficient gain.

Mission Creep, by the way, is what the online dictionary calls “the expansion of a project or mission beyond its original goals, often after initial successes”. Most people consider this undesirable.

My bishop is a Mission Creep you know. Whenever I bump into the Right Rev Stephen Cottrell he is talking about mission! Like last Thursday when he spoke to more than 180 people in Grays Parish Church. Very exciting!

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not talking about military exercises here. This is about celebrating God’s love and sharing faith with our neighbours. You might find a lot of Christians doing that in the coming months as our local diocese celebrates its centenary with a Year of Mission.

So don’t be surprised if a Christian near you begins to share their mission. God might even creep into your heart!