Life & Hope, Faith & Reality
I apologise for my lack of blogging. Lakeland has been just so amazing. I could share so many testimonies with what God has done in others, but for me…I’ve just had a transformation.
I’d mentioned to a few people that before I came out here I felt distant from God and that’s totally been transformed. I feel really close, I feel the Spirit more than I’ve ever done. It’s just amazing.
So, it looks like I’m going to be about 24 hours behind with all my blogging. So this is a quick look at yesterday. The three of us (Majai but I’ll get to that tomorrow) set off at about 5:40. Gatwick soon arrived and because of the wonder of online check in we were soon through security and into the no mans land of “duty free” and queueing at Garfunkels for breakfast.
All of us are hungry for God and hoping to see Him break through in a powerful way so we started as we meant to go on: Prayer. I was the reciepient of the prayer and it was for relief from travel sickness. Breakfast came, and went, far too quickly and we soon hit one of the areas I dislike most…boarding. I’d chosen not to take an travel tablet.
Flights are flights and a little dull, apart from the normal turbulence. However Matt prophecsied over me, which I’ll share once I’m back. After the best flight I’ve had in a long time, apart from some turbulence, we landed at Houston, TX and transferred from there to Tampa, FL where we picked up our hire car, which I’ll attach to this blog when I attach my phone.
Being mature and sensible men of God we decided to forget the early night and go straight to the meeting and were there by 21:30, or 02:30 UK, we didn’t get back to the hotel until 00:30, or 05:30 UK, but already we’ve all met with God and he’s bought us too a place where we can rest in Him and fully engage in what He wants to do.
If you watch God TV look out for 3 guys who look like they’ve been travelling for too long…It’ll probably be us.
Until later, Be Blessed Y’all.
Pastor Dave
As I mentioned in my previous post I’m heading out to the revival in Lakeland, Florida, in what is only 12 hours now. Since I booked the ticket all has been a bit hectic. I’ve had to cram six weeks of preparation into 3 days. Still as I blog now my hold bag is packed, as is my hand luggage. My phone and iPod are charged and have been synchronised. I have my glow in the dark bible and a good book (reccommended by Austin Wade). A shiny Vodafone Pre Pay SIM card is sitting in my iPhone for two reasons. The first is that I really don’t want to add extra costs to my poor T-Mobile contract. The second well I’m trying out Vodafone again 8 years after I was first with them.
Many people have been both a little surprised that I’m going and also wondered why I’m going. So here is a quick answer that:
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts at the HTB interview the subject of ordination came up after weighing it up for far too long I finally spoke to ACC’s senior elder/pastor David Thatcher about completeing some formal Theology training. He was amazingly supportive and suggested that I do two things. The first being that I start heading along to a small group (either one run by Joe Gisbey or Matt Ford) while the second is do some research into the differnt theology courses courses on offer. I just feel that Lakeland has got God in it right from the start, aside from the amazing ministry we’re going to get once we arrive, it’s a chance to spend some time with people who are much more grown up in the faith than me.
From the other perspective I really want to bring what’s going on in Lakeland back to Ignite. We’ve been teaching from the book of Acts and our weekend away that starts in seven days time is concentrating totally on the Holy Spirit. The last time this was tried, when we were called “Slam” and before Jon had started regular blogging, (yes, that’s how old we’re talking here! And I did have a quick search) was amazing young people started to prophecy over each other. In short it was amazing weekend. God is already touching some of the young people and I just want to see more. As Jez Wong and I were saying the other day we’d love to see God effect the older people in the Church through the young people.
So, there are my thoughts. Plan A, as I wrote the other day, is to be blogging from Florida, but obviously I can’t guarantee this. If you’re all interested here are the airports that are going to be visited:
Some of you will have heard about the revival currently taking place in the city of Lakeland, Florida. Well, I’m going. It’s been arranged fairly quickly but on Saturday I’ll be joining Joe Gisbey and Matt Ford on the flight to Tampa followed by a drive to Lakeland.
And I’m really excited I can’t wait. I’ve got quite a lot to do. The weather is about 30 degrees, so while I’m prepared for a English summer where it rains every third day I’m not prepared for proper sun. I need to get all the things that it would normal take me 6 weeks in 3 days.
After that? Well I’m off! Unusually on one of my trips I will be taking a laptop alongside a camera so that I can blog about it and from what I’ve read it seems that the city has free WiFi.
I think that it could be a really significant time for the three of us and I think Friendship, Faith and (Gods’) Fire will be in abundance. Following that time I’ll be heading off to the Ignite weekend away and I really want to see God move powerfully amongst the Young People so much so that we are prepared to drop our plans to wait on Him. Arun has already a taster of this and I think there is a hunger.
For more information on Lakeland click here, while to take a look at things from a while for a Wikipedia perspective click here.
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If there’s one recurring subject that I’ve been thinking about since my interview at HTB 6 weeks ago is personal development. Specifically: “Where, on earth, am I heading?”
In some ways the discussion at HTB threw me off guards, if you’re slightly confused let me just remind you:
I foolishly mentioned that I’m a TEFL teacher who enjoys Youth Work and, occaisionally, preaching. And was asked “Have you thought about ordination?” Again, not perhaps something you expect at an interview.
You really don’t take ordination lightly. I’d like to say that when they mentioned it too me it would have been a total surprise, but in truth I had thought about it. Perhaps not the Church of England, though I do have certain sympathy to there traditions and liturgies, but certainly some formal Theological training. Being completely honest, and a little vunerable, here when I got back from the HTB interview I was a little down about things. If people asked about the interview I tended to respond:
I’m not sure that HTB is the right place but I’m not sure ACC is either.
There’s no point denying that, that was how I felt. Luckily I have some great friends to talk things through with and for the most part I don’t feel like that now. For me the bigger question is now:
How can some of the things that were talked about with HTB be transferred to ACC?
I’m sure that that’s not the only way that I can be challenged and developed. In my youth work at Ignite I’ve been trying hard to step up; Some things have thrown me in at the deep end and forced me to develop myself and skill set. While with other things I’ve used my own initiative; whether that’s just sitting with someone who doesn’t want to join in, or whether it’s empowering the young people to help tidy up! Personally I feel much more part of the team and actually useful! Which is a bit different to April when I wrote:
I say to my surprise as I’m not one of the popular leaders
This stepping up continues at work too. While I still struggle with the politics and day to day workings involved with Multi-Agency working I’m finally getting the hang of it and I certainly feel that if we, as Christians are to work towards the great commission we actually need to get uncomfortable in these kind of situations.
Of course some development requires we go back to our past. Certainly this is true when I look at the IT work that I now do. Some of it has been a learning curve, some of it has revisited things from when I was younger and some of it has been exactly as I expected! I really have to thank my parents for suggesting (and sometimes paying for me) that I keep some skills up my sleeve in case the music thing didn’t work out.
Which brings me nearly to the end. As I was reading the current issue of Youth Work magazine Jill Rowe’s words from her column, The Back Rowe kinda hit me they go as follows;
When we are sad and disappointed with nowhere else to go, Jesus simply presences himself in the middle of our ’stuff’ and is ‘deeply moved’.
As well as being many other things I’m a qualified TEFL (Teach English as a Foriegn Lanugage) teacher and I thought I’d share with you a couple of the lessons that I’ve developed over the two previous years teaching.
The first of these is called Information Leaflets and fits perfectly after doing sessions grammatical sessions on Comparatives & Superlatives and then vocabulary lessons on Holidays and Festivals. It works well as a last lesson of a day, or as a first lesson towards the end of a longer stay when they are tired.
Aims
To create a tourist information leaflet. This puts into practice all the language that has been taught in previous lessons. It works best with a Pre-Intermediate or Intermediate group, though it does work with an Elementary group.
Time Limit
No more than 45 minutes. At it’s worst this activity will eat time. I’ve lots 2 out of 3 lessons before doing this. Be strict.
Instructions
If you haven’t already split the class into groups of 3 to 5 depending on the size of them. The following instructions can either be written up on the board for the class to refer too or printed out and giving to each group. Remember to do a vocabulary check.
Outcomes
Hopefully at the end of the lesson you’ll have a few different leaflets. The class will have had a relaxed lesson but critically will have put into practice what you’ve taught them. If you want to give it a little twist to this make it a contest and offer a prize for the best leaflet
Since Saturday night I’ve been thinking (perhaps, a little too much) about self esteem; mainly mine. For the most part I’m an emotionally stable member of society, but even I have areas where I struggle.
For me it’s my own musical ability and it’s something that I’ve struggled with since I was a lot younger. Even upto A-Level I tried to avoid solo performance, always preferring group performaces. This, perhaps was a tiny problem as if you’re familiar with the A-Level syllabus it requires a solo performance that’s about equivilent of Grade 8.
And I still suffer with that today. So, I was thrown into a sense of both panic and joy when on Saturday night Si Parkin (who write’s the Chewing Pixels blog) rang asking if I could play keys for him on the Sunday. I would experience a similar ambivalence if I was asked by Andy or Martin. Why? I respect them as musicians and worship leaders. They do a great job of leading people into the presence of God and I always admire the way they get the best from the musicians with little practice.
Whilst I’m sure I have the skills I instantly put myself down and ask “why me? are there not others who are better?”
So, I turned up, set the keys up and prepared. Si had prepped a great set of worship songs, he particularly likes using old hymns in a modern context and had picked “Here Is Love, vast as the ocean” as one of his (I also have great admiration for the Traditional Hymns, see here). We practiced and worked through arrangements. Si, amongst other things is a producer so I’m guessing has a pretty good idea of how he wants things to sound and can articulate clearly with his musicians where subtle changes are needed.
Whilst I was largely happy with my playing it was nice to recieve some positive feedback. So I’ll keep struggling and fighting my self esteem.
If like me you subscribe to Jon Jolly’s blog then his most recent post (here) would have shown up in your reader. Well speaking as one of his loyal minnions, oops I meant volunteers, I can only say that it was a great evening and at least from my perspective went fantastically well.
I, and I type this nervously, was the leader in charge of the Chalk Drawing. Whilst I had a “edit” some things that were written and drawn some of them were amazing. We had the police scene that Jon mentions (and I have to apologise to whoever the other persons car was). We had footballers. We had people drawing round each other. We had the typical teenager “X loves Y” messages. I had two favourites, well three but Jon’s already mentioned one;
In at number 2 is The Clown, that’s shown below.
And at number 1? Well, it’s the picture at the top of this post. Created by three of the first group who called it “Follow The Yellow Brick Road”
This is a quick shout out to my friend, and budding film maker, Tim Jolly who’s recently bought himself a new camera. Here is one of his quick films;
After being shown the camera I think the work is truly amazing and can only get better.
So, you may have noticed a few changes around here. I upgraded my installs of WordPress and K2 and basically things kinda went wrong. D’oh!
So I’ve slowly worked through getting things in a way I like them. Changes include the re-thought sidebar to your right which now includes;
A helpful calendar to indicate when I’ve posted.
Direct links to recent posts and comments.
Categories drop down menu.
Online status - you can now see if I’m logged onto MSN/AIM
Also you’ll notice the new artwork in the header it’s all been taken from a Royalty Free website called unprofound.
I’d still like to find a way to integrate my Facebook profile directly into here. Any suggestions anyone?
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