Pressing On

You may have been wondering if the redevelopment has ground to a halt! Well the answer to this question is most definitely not ... Whereas the updates did slow for a while ... Sorry! But for those who have been following the redevelopment, and especially those who have any familiarity with the house, you will be interested to see the latest pictures. The freshly completed rooms are already in use as seminar rooms, with one as a prayer room! The last residents to move into the new buildings have vacated rooms that are now in the process of being gutted before awaiting final painting. The Lord, as always, has been so faithful in His provision of skilled workers to compliment the team here, and so progress has continued apace. However, we don't presume so please continue to pray that the Lord would release His abundant provision on us for this season ... All that we need not only to do the task at hand, but also that we might be in a position to bless others! Recently I was reading th...

It is my birthday this week - so Pauline and I went to watch Mousetrap at the theatre in London ... Preceded by a walk round a bustling Covant Garden ... I am now a member of a cultural subset ... I know who did it!! (but, of course, my lips are sealed ... I can say that it wasn't Professor Plum in the Library with a Candlestick ... Because that's Cluedo!!! ... But I can say that the end was unexpected, but what else would you expect!)

Well, that is the end of this years GLS ... And what key thought can I take away with me? ... The first must be how humbling it is to live in a culture that is so rich in resources ... When I know that there are so many areas of the world where leaders are lacking the opportunities to be resourced for the tasks they are fulfilling in the Kingdom .. But the last session contained an excellent talk by a Pastor working in Detroit, his main point was this ... Equipping is okay, as long as it leads to doing the work, and not just the gaining of another 'binder' that sits on the shelf in the office ... So, what real differences will it make to me, my walk with the Lord and my ministry with WEC? ... The answer is ... Watch this space, and give me time to reflect and ask the Lord ... And if nothing has changed by the end of next month then please contact me and ask me why not!

Mmmm ... Trade vs Aid, and how to lend money most effectively into a majority world environment ... It all sounds so simple in a seminar room ... My experience in Senegal, and elsewhere, seems to give me a different expectation ... But, the challenge is to not become cynical and unaffected by the poverty around us in our global village ... How can the Christian dollar in my hand be most effective? ... Here are some thoughts which might be helpful pointers. A/ Recognise that what I have is His not mine ... I am a steward. B/ Trust in His ability to provide for my needs, and give generously ... Beyond that which I can afford. C/ Make giving a priority, the thing I do first each month not last, distributing out of the firstfruits and not from what is left over. D/ Be deliberate, intentional in my giving. E/ Be joyful, what a privilege it is to be free to give. F/ Ask Him 'what do you want me to do with this money you have given me!' - and then do it!! If we all did this I am sure ...

Spending two days at the GLS, run by Willow Creek ... It is always very interesting to see how the Lord organises these things in a perfect, timely fashion!! ... The first session was looking at priorites and our 'replanishment strategies' ... As leaders this is vital but too often the 'urgent' overtakes the important (see last blog as an example) ... So we now reflect, make changes, and trust that, as a result, our leadership is more fruitful and therefore honouring to Father! ... Rom 8:6 says that 'the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace' ... Let it be so for us all ... Father, lead us on!! ... Time for the next session!

Just a quick snap, taking in the dingy light of a local restaurant! Having dropped a number of the kids off at various clubs ... Church youth group, Scouts etc ... We have managed to fit in a quiet hour together ... No mean feat! ... It is funny to think that whilst we know that time alone together is very important it seems to be low in our actual 'to do' list ... Swamped by other 'urgent' things ... Life is like that, the urgent often overtakes the important.

This is a little snap of our littlest 'Baggie' - enjoying the sun in the South of France ... really just trying out the camera and mobile posting to the blog ... couldn't bring myself to delete it after the test worked ... too gorgeous! ... truly children are a gift from God!

Had the opportunity for weekend of ministry in the Isle of Wight recently ... so Ollie and I decided to go together ... the weekend was made up of a multi-cultural evening with food from many different countries ... the Senegalese Chicken Yassa was a firm favourite ... Ollie managed to take a chunk out of my finger with a cantankerous roll-out display ... he thinks it was my fault ... then we had a Church service in the morning before returning home ... the hospitality was very warm ... the weather was great and it was good to spend some time together ... as well as meeting friends from our time in Senegal ... should do these road trips more often. I think I may have converted him to Prog Rock ... many hours confined in a car with your Dad's limited collection of CD music can have that effect ... though he now listens to it voluntarily I notice ... is this brainwashing?

Just spent a short time ... too short ... talking to another leader of a Christian organisation. How encouraging it is to talk about doing things together ... and seeing the potential for fruitful ministry that this brings. Of course, the Church is not renowned for working together ... in fact, quite the opposite ... but when this genuinely happens and people are prepared to set aside personal agendas for the One agenda that matters ... His agenda ... we will increasingly see the huge potential for fruit realised. There is much that could separate us ... doctrine, practise, conviction, denomination ... but there is one thing that must unite us ... Christ, who is the head ... and there is only one body, His Church ... in all it's glorious diversity ... but one nonetheless. There is still a lot we can be doing for Christ ... yet too often we resemble two ants arguing over the carcass of an elephant! I promise that if you and I are faced with sharing the great news of the gospel w...

Have just had a few hectic weeks chasing round the country .... many miles in trains, planes and cars ... too many different beds. However, at the same time it has been great to meet many new people, encourage some (I hope) and see things moving ahead. Very encouraging for me to see! God is at work! Then came home last week to have a flu jab ... I'm not old, just diabetic! ... which, as usual, gives me mild flu symptoms - this on top of all the travelling leaves me feeling fatigued and washed out. I tend towards being melancholic by nature, to see if you are check out which type of music most appeals to you, as some old sage suggested ' music touches the spirit it finds...' or something like that. So when I am feeling a little low I have to work hard not to continue feeling low. So what is the solution? Always to take a step back, reflect on the Word, and see all that is happening around me. How God's grace touches someone else in the midst of seeming despair, brings c...