:springs in the desert:

Another abortive start?

2008-10-06T11:00:00.002Z

Feeling far more organised these days and I want to try again to blog on a regular basis. So what's going on currently?

Well we are beginning an entirely new programe at church this term with loads of new ideas. I have prayed through and produced a vision document that the church have agreed to take forward as a framework for the future, but God seems to have already put his mark on things.

Slightly foolishly I decided to put a timescale of when we hoped to introduce things over the next year and two weeks in God already seems to have other plans on the how and when!!!

n:GAGE

2008-02-27T10:59:00.004Z

Been thinking a lot recently about the next step on from n:GAGE and what that should look like. The sessions are two hours and split into two halves. Firstly there is the "social" part involving lots of chat, pizza, coke and cake in that order followed by a time of worship/prayer/testimony/sharing in a different part of the building. n:GAGE is weird because it brings together young people fresh from the estate with no church contact with young people who have been brought up in church for years. Quite honestly, every text book I have come across as part of the degree says that it shouldn't work and yet it does. The books aren't always right you know!

It strikes me as an animal that has elements of mission, disciplship and worship about it, but what does that mean for the continued development of the faith of the young people who go to it. What should be the next piece of track that is laid down on the train journey to Christ? We keep praying for guidance.

By the way, the photo above (along with the one that heads this blog) is my favourite of a number I took with my new Samsung G800 mobile on a recent trip to Hayling Island. I now have a Flickr account with lots of others on (but surprisingly none of the car!). I've been trying to link it to this blog but I'm having trouble, so the photos below are from someone elses. Check my Flickr out here.

Which way now?

2008-02-18T11:10:00.003Z

Got a planning session with the leaders tonight looking at how the work with 15-25's fits in with the ministry and mission of the rest of the church. It seems like a great opportunity to look at the future and ask God's will for it. Important I think to make sure God is central to what we are doing and the direction it goes.

In true "Purpose Driven" style the first job will be to create a purpose statement that also fits in with the church's new purpose statement before beginning the process of discerning God's will.

I am blest with such a great team here in Crookhorn, wish all youth workers were as fortunate as this.

2008-02-12T11:05:00.000Z

One of my new years resolutions is to actually keep this blog up to date (keep praying for me, it may happen!).

For those who are unaware, Kate and I moved at the beginning of December away from Gloucestershire for the first time and we now live near Portsmouth. God called us here to take on the role of 15-25's minister at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Crookhorn (hence cogs).

The job is hugely different to the one I was doing in the Cotswolds with different issues and different opportunities. This is why I have taken the opportunity to change the look and feel of the blog, to put less emphasis on me, and more about sharing the job and as the title says finding God in the urban sprawl.

I have been taking more pictures recently, especially walking with my two favourite people (well Holly half counts as a person) so I'm going to start a flickr to see what happens but don't expect too much because the only decent digi camera I have at the moment is on my mobile.

God has been doing amazing things already in the first two months since we moved, but we've had some difficult times personally too. There is an excellent opportunity here to as God what his will is for this work and this area, and to spend time on strategy with this amazing group of people God has blest me to work with.

In the

Marilyn Manson in St Peters

2007-03-28T23:16:00.000Z

Myself and the curate are in the process of putting together a looped presentation to play in our church during the Easter period. It is a mixture of artwork based around the easter story as well as music. We are using tracks by artists as diverse as Black eyed Peas, U2, Marilyn Manson, Johnny Cash, Lauren Hill and a few others. The idea is to reflect on the Easter story using culturally relevant images and music.

Also in the last week , God has provided the opportunity to meet with a group of guys in the pub to talk about my faith. More soon.

Gods Continued Blessing.

Taking Aim

2007-01-13T16:50:00.000Z

I've been thinking for some time now about youth work particularly in a church context and I think that there is the potential for an organisation to get involved in youthwork for the wrong reasons.

Before I get shot down/sacked etc let me quantify that statement, and infact I am sure that many institutions get involved with the best intentions but inadvertantly miss the target. Youth work in any context should be there not to service the needs of the organisation, but to serve the young people in the cultural context of their community and to enable them to reach for God and to know more about him themselves.

Good to see Steve P from uni this afternoon who brought round a piece of furniture for our lounge (yes I have finally been doing some DIY!!!) And for those of you who know the story, we still without a car. So frustrating!!!

Blessings to all.

PS For those of you who have not mentioned cricket in my presence since the Ashes series my sincerest thanks, I continue in mourning!!!

I'm back!!!

2007-01-10T19:56:00.000Z

Well peeps its been a while but I'm back. (I've been promising Ian McDonald for months that I would resurrect this thing so now I have)

Plenty more musings to come on life, youth work, culture, church and anything else you care to mention. Will muse shortly (at uni both today and tomorrow).

Blessings to all.

Drunk on New Wine!

2006-08-01T21:54:00.000Z

Last week saw our first visit to Shepton Mallet and I have to say that we had a really great time after some initial trepidation.

During the week, God did work in both my wife and I, and I havew come away with plenty of new ideas for St Peters. More of that soon.

It was amazing to spend time with folk we don't see too often anymore (hi to the Groves, the Holders and the Balfours!)

I happened to come across a member of a large church and tried to strike up a conversation but found that I was not to be granted an audience with this particular person (maybe I'm not holy enough or am I becoming increasingly cynical?).

Blessings to all.

Change

2006-07-17T15:49:00.000Z

I'm afraid I'm complaining again, but why is the six letter word above seen as such a swear word in churches? Rather than moving out of a comfort zone, why do we look so suspiciously at fresh ideas, new thinking and improvement. I won't go into details here but this is something that I am struggling with at the moment. I long for a church (in the wider sense of the word) that embraces new thinking in the same way as the rest of culture. I long to see a day when the cultural boundaries between the churched and nonchurched communities come down.

Jesus himself was not in ministry long and he realized that in order to get his message accross in the best possible way, he would need not only to be culturally relevant but also inclusive and accomodating too. In ministry we need to be strong and if God has shown us the things that aren't working, he expects us to do something about it. We as the church for too long have been expecting people to knock on our door on our terms speaking our language and behaving in a way that we find acceptable. I begin to see people realising that in order for the Kingdom to come again we the Church need to be relevantly teaching the Gospel through word and action. Without this major change in our thinking the Kingdom can't come again. Not because it doesn't want too but because we having been given the job of proclaiming the Good News in order that people can make their own mind up haven't done our job well enough. We have spent so much time worrying about what we stand for that the world is not paying attention anymore. We need to reaffirm what we do in the light of the basics of Jesus ministry and seek God's guidance as to how to proceed.

The world will continue to change, do we the Church have the guts to change with it?

Anyone remember WACADAY?

2006-07-10T09:02:00.000Z

With staff meeting fast approaching, I thought it was time I thought about letting you know that yes I am in the land of the living. Som much has happened. Unis stuff got in on time (after a tortuous stint til 5.30am!!!!). Its amazing though that you relieve yourself of one burden only to take on a load more (God has so many plans during the summer).

Good to see Justin, Lucy, Zoe and Toby this last weekend, mate it was so good to chat like we used to!

On a sadder note we bade farwell last week to Chrissie an ex colleague and housemate of mine. A wonderful youth worker and friend who will be sorely missed.

2006-06-06T08:52:00.000Z

Found a free website full of really cool pics especially good for use in worship.

www.burningwell.org

This will probably be my last post for a week or two. Please pray as I complete my first year.

Blessings.

Light at the end of the tunnel

2006-06-06T07:39:00.000Z

I think I feel that right now there is a little too much light in this picture but you catch my meaning. Uni work is slowly getting done and having written a to do list for the first time in my life I can actually begin to see how much I've achieved.

There is still plenty to do however and some prayer for my sanity (or whats left of it) would be very welcome.

On another note, we finally get some good convertible weather and both Kate and I are currently sunburnt so we are slightly unwilling to put the roof down at the mo!! God's sense of humour again???

Coming to the end of my first year with CYM, I have come to some weird realisations. Not least that having had around ten years youth work experience (yes Just it really is that long!) if I had done this course any sooner, I don't think I would have learnt so much. Need to go now and complete one piece of coursework to be handed in tomorrow.

God's blessings to all.

To see or be seen?

2006-05-27T18:23:00.000Z

This blog is turning in to one long ecclesial rant, for which I apologise but at the moment it's where my heart seems to be.

Going to church for me is a time to come together with God, spend time in his presence, worship Him and ask forgiveness for the things I've done wrong. Whatever church you attend, I'm increasingly aware of folk who attend because they want to be seen. I was acutely aware of this at a Midnight Mass service we went to last year away from Winchcombe. The great and the good turning up so that Mrs Smith who lives down the road will see them there.

Church is surely a vehicle to come before the Lord in our brokeness and human imperfection. Not somewhere to try and be the bigshot. I remember Mike Yaconelli talking about churches h'd attended as a visitor where regular's looked at him as if to say "What are you doing here?"

Like the parable about the rich guy who invited all the wealthy and important people to his party, and when they didn't come, invited all the outcasts and the nobodies. That parable is about the church. So before we ask anyone what business they have being in church, as yourself, "what are you doing there?"

Walk the Line

2006-05-23T11:00:00.000Z

Watched walk the line last again last night but for the first time on DVD. Johnny Cash, an amazing man who was truly aware of God's call on his life. Kinda links in with the whole History Maker thing, he found that God could use his gift of music to benefit everyone and he stood for what he believed in. There is a scene after his rehabilitation from his drug habit where he's introduced the idea of recording a live album in a Folsom Prison, the proeducer tells him that as most of his fans are Christians they wouldn't like him even going to a prison. Cash simply replies "Well they can't be very Christian can they!" How often do we as the church turn our noses up at the lowest in society? How often do we help those "higher profile" cases.

Justin, hope all is well in sunny Newport!! Love and blessings to Lucy and the kids, we must get together for a world cup game!!

Snowed Under

2006-05-22T08:59:00.000Z

If you've ever been in any kind of ministry, you'll know that there aren't enough hours in the day! I have the busiest few months since coming to Winchcombe between now and the summer (New Wine is coming along just at the right time!!!). With all the coursework and prep for the weekend away to do, as well as other stuf that is important and just has to be done, am I coming or am I going?

God continues to bless us here, I 'm speaking to the Year 6 teacher at the primary school tomorrow about the transition between year 6 and year 7, plenty of opportunity there. Anyway, look on the bright side, at least I'm all ready for youth worship on Sunday evening, 6.30pm at St Peters church, we're even having an Agape!!!

By the way thanks to all for their continued prayers, both Kate and I are really blessed that so many have been thinking and praying for us over this difficult time.

Big Bother!!

2006-05-22T08:53:00.000Z

Do we have to go through it all for the seventh time, and this time for three months!!!

I caught literally a couple of minutes of the first show, the crowd booing each contestant as they got out of the limo's, the disbelief on the contestants faces (some close to tears!!) as they entered the house. Is fifteen minutes of fame really important enough to put yourself through all that not to mention missing the world cup!!

Longings

2006-05-17T13:35:00.000Z

“I’m gonna be a History Maker in this land”, words that I know only too well, but listening to them again after a long while has reinvigorated my passion to see this generation changed and come to know Jesus. Allied to all the stuff we’re doing at uni at the mo around worshipping community and you have one fired up guy! The theory I’m developing in my essay is that as we all learn in a variety of ways some getting the most from words, some from actually doing stuff etc, in the same way we all connect to worship in different ways. Personal experience proves that I’m really turned off by word based stuff, but I connect more through the experiential. In honour of all this I took the Bible study group out on a prayer walk last night, and I was amazed by all the stuff they came up with. God is really good!

Back at uni

2006-05-04T10:04:00.001Z

First couple of days back at uni this week. I always seem to get nervous going back even though I’m beginning to get to know some of the guys really well now. I suppose that goes back to the memories of my time in the education system. One of the guys gave me a prophetic word that he had about me during the night in the USA (hope the shoulders better Dave). He said that God wants me in some sort of ministry, but that my viewpoint on what that might entail is a lot smaller than what I think it is. He also said that he felt God say that I am gonna be breaking new ground in some way and that I’m gonna be pioneering change. I’m encouraged but also frightened at the same time.

Hi

2006-04-18T15:32:00.000Z

Well I thought I'd better give this blogging lark another shot!!!

Being the youth worker at any church has it's moments, but I'd never til now had to get to grips with being in the middle of nowhere (thats really in the countryside Justin not in the centre of Gloucester!!)

I have been in the job since August last year, and though it has it's moments, I have to say that I'm really enjoying it!

By the way, please excuse the photo. It was taken a couple of years ago at a Christian residential centre near Torquay. It was the weekend that my wife and I met. I still can't think what she sees in me!!