A Week On

It's a week on now since IN:Whitley was in full swing when we were meeting many new people, laying paths and clearing rubbish and overgrown vegetation. It's difficult to know what the fruit has been in terms of peoples lives, but I do know that the council and the groundworks team were delighted and astounded at the amount of work that was done by the team that served diligently over two days in the Cowsey. One of the RBC workers was particularly impressed stating that it was better than the path that had existed before.

For me I think there were many successes:

1. We meet people we would never have meet had we not done this - obvious I know but in the business of life this was a real highlight

2. Many people we met knew something about Reading Family Church - people actually know we exist!

3. It got so many of us out of our comfort zones - it is so easy to settle into what you are comfortable with

4. We had one person off the back of a leaflet - not a massive response but all that work for one is definitely worth it

5. 5 people responded to the gospel on Sunday morning - hoorah!

6. I was told off by the children in my street for not being there on Saturday morning whilst they got their faces painted - how cool is that, they were telling me off for not being with my church!

There was so much more but these are just a few of my highlights. It would be great to hear of some of the other great stories that I am sure are out there - maybe you prayed for someone to be healed or maybe you were on the doors for the first time. I for one get excited and am greatly encouraged when I hear about conversations or meetings that people have had.

The West Reading Badminton Tournament

I have now been playing badminton weekly for nearly two years with the same group of guys. The four of us meet on a Wednesday at 4:30pm at Rivermead to play as competitively as we know how. I am somewhat of an outsider in the group (although I do not feel like it) as I am from South Reading and the others are from West Reading.

At the beginning of this year we decided that we would actually play for a medal each week. The person who has the most wins over the year will get to keep the 2008 West Reading Badminton Champ medal!!! This has been going on for 9 weeks now. Unfortunately I have had to miss a few of these evenings but the results stand as follows:

Neville Hollands - 1 (See picture)
Kim Wheller - 0
Richard Thomas - 4
Scott Taylor - 4

As you can see I am currently drawing with Richard but would like to point out that I have only made 6 of the 9 games!

In the words of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - the game is afoot

8 Days to go to IN:Whitley

In a weeks time we, as a church, will be getting out into our local community of Whitley. We have many signed up for the three days doing things such as clearing vegetation, laying paths, painting fences, clearing rubbish, meeting youth, going door to door and face painting.

There is such a buzz about the days that I cannot help but be excited and expectant as to what God might do. I have just come back from Loughborough where I preached on Sunday. It was magnificent to see the Glory of God fall on 102 people in a school in the centre of that town. 5 people responded to the good news of Jesus and there were several healings.

However God is not just in Loughborough. He is here in Reading and is with us. As Phil Moore comes and preaches on June 1st, I am certain that the Holy Spirit will be with us in power. Not because we can whip up any of this stuff, but because as Paul said in Ephesians 3:20-21:

'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.'

IN:Whitley is about the Glory of God and advancing his kingdom and he chooses to use vessels like us - what a privilege!!!

The Cowsey

Whitley is beautiful - not words you would often hear about the South of Reading, but words that are true none-the-less. With a couple of others I have just walked through part of the wooded area known as the Cowsey.

This is the area that we will spend two days working on as a church and I can honestly say that it is beautiful. There's wild-life including badgers and red kites, there's great wooded areas and clearings for picnics.

To be part of improving this area will be a really exciting. Another great reason to look forward to IN:Whitley.

View From The Top

Once again it has been a while since last I wrote, lots has happened not least the demise of a West Ham season that has shown promise but has not really delivered, although they are doing better than this time last season! I have preached twice, seen various healings, had a great week at New Word Alive sitting under the teaching of Terry Virgo, John Piper and Don Carson. I have had this week off to spend with my beautiful wife.

It was on wednesday of this week that we went to Paris for the day. A long trip but wonderful. The weather was glorious, the food was good and the company was excellent. We left early and returned late. We probably did in excess of 15 miles as we walked around the sites of this magnificent city. Standing and queueing under the Eiffel Tower for an hour was definitely worth the views from the top (well the second platform seeing as they had shut the top because of sheer volume of people).

The view is across the whole of Paris and as it was a sunny day you could see the sun reflecting off the lavish, almost white buildings, however there were clouds and there were times where whole areas of the city were found under that cloud cover and there was a dark shadow.

I couldn't help but remember what we are told in 1 John that there is no darkness in our God and in Revelation, that the light will not come from the sun or electric lighting, but from God himself. There will be no dark shadows resting over the city of our God it will be incredible!!! This is all so brilliant because Jesus has promised that for those of us who have accepted his invitation to follow him, for those of us that have been born again, for those of us that have said I will live my life in a way that brings honour and glory to him, we have a place in heaven set aside for us and that is assured!!!

What wonderful truth, what a glorious hope.

Random thoughts over a fortnight

Well I know I'm not the most prolific of bloggers, but I'm back for another instalment. It's been a good time for the Hammers. We have seen a win and a draw since our horrible run of 4-0's, that's 4 points out of 6 and in all fairness we could have won the game at Everton. We've seen two new superstars start their careers with the first team in Freddie Sears and James Tomkins. There has actually been no negative press surrounding the club, so all seems very well with the Claret and Blue!!

On the down side England lost to France, not a surprise I guess, but I'm like every other football patriot - I have high expectations and am disappointed every time!!! However the cricket team have done well to come home with a series win at last. Maybe I should support cricket instead!!! Na!

Badminton has been a mixed bag - since winning twice in a row, I have held on to champion status by default as I have been one of the guys who have drawn for the lead. However this wednesday I actually had to hand in champion status - mine for 6 weeks!!! I came outside the drawing guys at the top. Still I shall endeavour to win it back next week seeing as it belongs to no one at the moment.

However throughout all this competitive nonsense (which, as you can tell, I really quite enjoy) I know that God has been at work within me. I know that I am growing in trusting him. Reading through Leviticus, I have been reminded again that God is interested in all of me and he has something to say into each area of my life. When going through the accounts of Jesus' death and resurrection over the Easter period I could not help but be stirred again to the fact that I am saved and that Jesus paid that enormous price for me. To know that there is someone that loves me this much is so comforting, but to know that he loves me enough to want to speak into my life, to bring me encouragemnet, to bring me rebuke, to teach me - I truely find incredible.

With the psalmist I can think, 'what is man that you are mindful of him' and yet he is. Laying hands on people to be healed or filled with the Spirit and seeing God work is fantastic, but knowing him - by knowing I mean having an intimacy with him - that's special, that's precious, that's amazing.

I need my competitive streak to be tempered by this knowledge, because my competitiveness relies on what I can do, whereas I want to be reliant on what God wants to do in me and through me.

Cole or Ronaldo

West Ham 0... all other teams 4!!! Well that's the summation of the current form of the Hammers. Who knows what has gone wrong with them, but as a die hard supporter I am hoping for better things on Saturday against Blackburn. One of the big problems isn't so much the defence, it is the attack not taking the chances that are presented to them.

I find that this is so true in our everyday lives. As Christians we are often presented with goal scoring opportunities but are too busy or too fearful to take them. I did have an opportunity yesterday and it's one, I thank Jesus, that I took. A random caller to the church office looking for another Christian agency lead to the name of Jesus being proclaimed as the one who changes lives. I bought him sandwiches and some crisps: he thanked me: I pointed to Jesus as the one who changed my life which is why I was in a positon to buy him sandwiches and why I was willing to do so.

He didn't give his life to the Lord there and then, but he did know that my motivation for helping him was not my own goodness, but love that was given me by Christ.

One example where I got it right, but how many have I missed. Carlton Cole has scored three times this year for the Hammers, great! But how many has he missed? I want to be more prolific, the evangelistic version of Ronaldo, that whenever a half chance in front of goal is presented, I will be on hand to shoot on target and will take that opportunity.