Good movie...

Just watched 'Up' with life group.  A really good movie with funny moments and more poignant ones. The animation from Pixar was of high quality, as usual.  The story line is relatively simple but essentially a love story resulting in a great adventure, however the execution of that story is wonderfully weird and quaintly quirky.  I would highly recommend watching it.

On another note, I have challenged life group to consider how they could use the movie to convey something of the message of Jesus.

I for one see the transformation of Carl as he realises that he has been released from an expectation of adventure, to a whole new one.  When I tuned to Christ I quickly grabbed hold of this new adventure of following Him wherever He may take me.  I felt released from the old adventures that others would impose on me and that I would impose on myself.  The new lease of life that I encountered I believe can be encountered by all, just as Carl grabs the opportunity and embraces his new life without the past hindering him, I too can do the same.

What about you?  If you have seen the film, how would you use it?  If you haven't seen it, rent it, borrow it or buy it - it's really good!!!

Four days

How different four days can be.  On Friday we had the news that our dear friend Karena Mackay had gone to be with her Saviour, Jesus.  We know that she has gone to a better place and that we will see her again in glory, but that still did not take away that immediate feeling of mourning; that churn that happens in your stomach and the tears that follow swiftly afterwards.  B and I continued our evening, dwelling on fond memories of our friend.

Contrasting that has been the joy of celebrating Rachel's first birthday.  We did this by visiting family on Saturday and then enjoyed swimming and a birthday tea yesterday on her actual birthday.   She had a great time and was so excited that she forgot that sleep in the afternoon is a good thing!!!

It's been one of those weekends where we have understood and have carried out to a certain extent that which Paul writes in Romans 12:15:

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."

I pray that my daughter will grow to be a mighty woman of God and declare Jesus with as much commitment and love as Karena did during her life.  I also pray that she would know that same assurance that Karena knew as she went off to be with Jesus.

These past four days have been about two people who have changed my life, both for very different reasons and for both of them I am truly thankful.

Together on a Mission

Every year we join with pastors, leaders and students from around the world at the Newfrontiers Together on a Mission Conference.  It has two strands one for leaders and one for Students and twenties.  This is not a bible week but is the family coming together to once again hear the vision and enjoy worshipping together in a much bigger setting.

The task of reaching the world cannot be done by one church alone. Yet many churches coming together and bringing their own unique contribution will go some way to seeing this great commission, to which we have all been called, fulfilled.

I have been for the past 6 years and have always found it to be stirring, encouraging, challenging and full of the presence of God. the deadline approaches for the first price break (Feb 28th) maybe it's time for you to consider going or at least finding out more. You can both book in and get more information here.

Front Edge 2010

For the first time this year, the Home Counties region that we are part of as Newfrontiers, will be hosting Front Edge. This is a conference that sees excellent faith-filling evangelistic equipping coupled with evangelists going into churches to preach the gospel and pray for the sick.  I have had the pleasure of being involved in many of these around the country and am so excited that we will be doing one here in our region. 

As I have said there are two elements - the first is on Saturday May 22nd. This will be a day that I will be calling as many RFCers to be at as possible. The two main speakers will be Lex Loizides and Adrian Holloway. The blurb below comes from the conference leaflet:

Lex was born again in Brighton and is now based in Jubilee Community Church , Cape Town.  He has a wonderful combination of outrageous zeal and mature theology.  His remarkable evangelistic gift has taken him all over the world.  in recent years he has also been seeing an increased number of healings, both in Africa, and on his many visits to the UK.

Adrian is the author of two best-selling evangelistic books, The Shock of Your Life, and Aftershock, which tackles the most common objections to the Christian faith in the form of a novel.  He is based at Christchurch, London where he serves alongside David Stroud, who leads the Newfrontiers UK team.

I will be getting more info out to people as  the weeks go by, but I do think that this will be an important time for us as a church to come and listen to evangelists that are seeing great things in the name of Jesus and who are coming to equip us.

On the Sunday we will have an evangelist coming to visit us and before that Sunday we will have an opportunity hopefully to meet him.  I too will be going to another church to preach and so as a church we will be extremely involved in all that is happening.

Put the 22nd and 23rd May in your diaries now and let's start praying and asking for God to move powerfully with us over that weekend, both in equipping and healings and salvation.

Again! Again!

Only yesterday, I posted that we would be ringing the bell for Becky. Well last night at about 10pm I had a text message which read:

"Hi Scott, you can ring the bell now Andy&Karen"

This was a text message that filled me with great joy as it was announcing that my friend Andy had accepted the invite of Jesus to follow Him. This has been a great journey that I have travelled with Andy over the past year. He came to the first Alpha@CoffeeRepublic in April last year and has been a regular at church on a Sunday morning with his family. He did the foundations course in September but still couldn't make that step of faith. Now he has!!!

These are the text messages/ emails/ phone calls that I live for, they give life to me and I hope that reading this will give you courage and confidence to persevere in relationships and keep praying and let God work in someones life in his timing. Just be ready to rejoice when you see someone come to faith in Christ.