IN THAT PLACE AGAIN

So here I am, in that place again, realising that it’s been ages since I’ve written down my thoughts, wondering why I’m falling into old sin’s again, wondering why the initial passion that I had is now fading somewhat, realising I’ve let my quiet times become fleeting and often rushed.
Renew me afresh Lord, restore the passion into my life, revive my soul, and draw me back close to you again. I’m sorry for falling into old sins, allowing the temporary pleasures distract me from the eternal glories you have promised. I’m sorry that I’ve gotten so busy doing stuff that I’ve forgotten who I’m doing it for. Take this broken spirit, drained and weary, and fill me afresh with your spirit. Give me the passion and urgency again to communicate the gospel of Christ through my life, and in the work you have called me to do with a new generation in your church in Boardmills.
Help me to make you the priority in my life again, to run from sinful desires and thoughts that the Devil will place in my way to distract my focus from the goal. Give me a fresh encounter with Jesus that I may have that initial urgency and passion to tell of the grace and redemption of Christ like those shepherds many years ago. As I look back on a year that has been, and look forward to the year that is to come, help me to learn from the mistakes of the past, and move forward in the year that is to come, freshly enthused and inspired to draw ever closer to you, growing in knowledge, wisdom and stature as I seek to learn how to be Christ in all aspects of my life.Thank you Father for your forgiveness, mercy and grace, revealed in Christ that has saved a wretched sinner like me, and for the hope I now have as a child of the most high and holy God: creator, sanctifier and friend.

Bruchko

Just finished reading the above book about Bruce Olson, a teenager who followed his God given dream of bringing the Good News of the gospel to the Molitone tribe in the South American jungle. Amazing story of a guy who passionately pursued Gods calling in his life, no matter what the personal cost. An interesting point when reading that struck home with me : others had tried in the past to reach the tribal peoples with the gospel with limited success. Olsons approach was to spend time learning the language, investigating the culture and customs, and only then did he attempt to present the gospel to the people. And when doing so he didn't present it in a way that was threatening, he used customs and legends familiar to the tribal people in order to present te key elements of the Christian faith, the breakthrough coming when he found a way of presenting Jesus as a molitone who walked the jungle trails.

Struck me heavily that as we carry out our youth ministry programmes, we need to find new ways of presenting unchanging biblical truth's in a format relevant to the culture of our day. This is where the challenge begins!!

Been a while

Well its been quite a while since i've updated this, thing are pretty hectically busy at present and I haven't been taking the time to jot down my thoughts. But while i've got a few minutes at present i'll jot down a few things that have been on my mind recently.

MAKING TIME
Part of the reason i've been more hectically busy than usual is that youthwork responsibilities have increased over the past month or so, and will be that way for a while. Jill, a fellow youthleader who was heavily involved in youthwork has had to take a step back due to the many other stresses she is facing right now, so that leaves me with taking bible class and youth club responsibilities until she is well enough to come back on board. She has been so devoted and passionate over the past year, but it has got to the stage where she simply has to take a step back or face burnout.
Its a stark reminder to me to be careful how much I take on, and in my willingness to serve and tell our young people of the savng grace of Jesus, to be careful not to push myself too far. Learning to gain strength from God, dwelling in his presence regularly and listening to His voice are all disciplines I need to make a priority in my life.

TRADE JUSTICE
This is what i'm currently looking at with our young people, and hope to use for our youth service in a couple of weeks time. Tearfunds Lift the Label campaign resources have been great and have certainly opened my eyes to the tremendous injustices that exist in the area of internetional trade. The campaign seeks to highlight the need for ethical trading standards, where the worker receives a wage they can live on in working conditions that are hospitable.
The following comment sums it up perfectly
"Jesus asked us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, but today it is the poor who are feeding and clothing us."
As Christians we should be voicing our concern's over the injustices in this area, indeed being a voice for the poor, and adopting a spirit of compassion as demonstrated by our Saviour

Pass It On

Psalm 78
1 O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old- 3 what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD , his power, and the wonders he has done.

What are we passing on to the next generation? Are we corporately as a church, and personally as individuals, fulfilling the biblical mandate laid before us in this psalm?
These are a few thoughts that have been on my mind of late as I consider what we are about in our youth ministry at Trinity, and how we go about it more to the point.
A few points that i'm contemplating at present

• Is it solely the biblical principles and teachings of our faith that we are passing on to the next generation, or is it a tainted faith infiltrated by the prejudices and flaws of the culture and environment that shaped our lives.
• Do we simply pass on our faith and let them do church (as is hinted at in Andy Hickfords book Essential Youth) or do we insist that they conform to the traditional format and structure of churchlife as we know it.
• Are we adopting a missional outlook as we seek to engage in this cross-cultural presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the basis of our faith.
• How does this all look in practice

I guess the danger we can fall into here is undermining the bible teaching by adapting too much to the culture that surrounds us, and glossing over its teaching. Another neglection on our part is not giving prayer the priority it should have, seeking Gods guidance in all we seek to do in His strength and to His glory.

Whatever floats your boat

This weekend was the harvest services in our church, and as is normally the case in our rural setting the church was more packed than usual, with many faces making their annual appearance to church, and others visiting from neighbouring churches. Harvest is a very traditional thing, especially in the country, and for the first year I can remember I found it a struggle.
The concept of harvest I am totally OK with, I certainly am all for praising God for his goodness at this time of year. I guess it was just the format I struggled abit with, and maybe thats just down to personal preference, I dunno.
As far as format goes, alot of it was listening to our choir, and in the evening a male voice choir sing praises in beautiful harmony and melody. The evening service especially was for me more like sitting in a concert for this male voice choir, than attending church to praise and thank our God the great creator and provider in this time of harvest.
I guess my main issue was the lack of participation involved, it would feel much more like a community if we joined together in our praises and prayers uplifting our God of the harvest, and crying out to him for a hervest of souls to be surrendered to Him again in our land.
Another thing I couldn't help wondering is what make's God smile : the melodious and harmonious praise of a professional choir, or the genuine heartfelt praise of a redeemed sinner......
I'm not judging those who were singing as not being genuine, and i'm sure there's many people they blessed with their God given voices, but I guess I realised i'm more someone who pelts it out because it means something to me no matter what I sound like, and worship for me is very much participatory.

I guess this all stems to some things that have been on my mind recently about how we present "church" as such. For the teenager who struggles through yet another service they feel they have to go to, where do they possibly fit into the traditional format of how we do "church". Should it be the case that we present a "You fit in with our agenda and how we do it here" attitude, or do we provide a caring atmosphere where they are valued and feel like they bleong, and more than that allow them to express themselves in a way thats meaningful to them.

Quite possible that my thoughts are influenced by my musical innability and illiteracy, and the strong drum and bass influences of my teenage years that dont quite fit in with the choral melodies.

In my last post I was looking forward to the weekend in Ganaway with the young people from our youthclub, somewhat apprehensive as I prepared talks last minute, and racked my brain thinking through the things I had probably forgotten to do. But looking back in reflection now 3 words spring to mind : "God Is Good". The weekend was awesome, what can I say : memorable, fun, action-packed, life-changing, challenging, relationship-strengthening, bridge-building, barrier-breaking; all these terms don't really come close to describing the experiences of this weekend. And theres one reason why : Gods presence. In safety, in conversations, in the weather, in providing for the things we had overlooked, in the challenges from his word, in the fun, in the laughter, in the silence God was present in it all.
In that environment it really was great to see our young people letting their hair down and enjoying the gift of life that God has blessed us with, having the freedom to do so in their own way. Everyone i'm sure will have been challenged as we considered Running the Race, I know I was, considering who or what we are running our lives for, how we can face the hurdles and struggles of life, how we can run this race with passion giving it our all, and how we are representing Christ as His ambassadors here on earth. There was certainly some food for thought, and I trust and pray that God by his spirit will nourish and grow the seeds planted through the weekend, bearing fruit in the lives of the young people he cares so passionately about.

Now my thoughts turn to the year ahead, as the organisations start back, and as we look to move on with the momentum built through the weekend, and carry this through the year ahead. We must seek to nurture and develop the relationships over the weekend throughout our programmes in the year ahead, and indeed seek to draw others from the fringes in. And to do this we must fall on our knees and cry out to our Father, seeking His guidance, strength and direction as we look forward to what He has planned for the year ahead with our young people at Trinity.

...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us

Hebrews 12 vs.1
Were taking our young people away for a weekend to Ganaway Outdoor Activity Centre, and the verses above are our theme for the weekend, looking at the analogy of running the Christian Race. As I have been thinking through this passage and pondering its implications I have been greatly challenged by it. Am I running this race with an indescribable passion, am I 100% focussed on the prize, am I looking only to Jesus : the author and perfector of our faith, am I casting aside the sin that so easily entangles ????
And with the olympics now over, and having witnessed the singleminded sacrifice, dedication and perseverance of these athletes who wholeheartedly pursue the goal of olympic gold. As you watch the inexpressible joy, pride and elation of the victorious athlete who finally achieves what they have strived toward all their life. These emotions and feelings are what the New Testament writers are getting at when they use this analogy.
Am I running with this passion, dedication and single mindedness; am I persevering through lifes hurdles by focussing on eternal rewards; am I actively removing the sin that entangles and weighs me down in this race; am I giving it my all in the same manner as our mentor and role model Christ did ???????
Certainly alot of things to mull over, challenge and inspire in these passages.
1 Corinthians 9 vs. 24-27, Hebrews 12 vs. 1-3

SLOW TO LEARN

How many times do we have to make the same mistakes, fall into the same traps, give into the same old temptations before we learn and move on. Its easy to live for God when we are in a nice christian environment and take the time to spend with God. But when we are stuck in the middle of the whirlwind paced everyday life, when our quiet times with God are merely a fleeting glance, these are the times when the Devil will attack us, and when we stand in our own strength we'll fall.

Thats why we've got to rely on the strength God gives us by the Holy Spirit and strive to make God the priority in our lives : not our jobs, not our families, not our loved ones or friends, not ourselves but God. Praise God for His grace, love and mercy that He gives a fallen sinner one last chance. But lets not abuse this grace, but rather let it inspire and enthuse us to live everyday with God at the centre

Having returned from the final evening celebration at the Get a Life conference I suppose these are a few notes on reflection

• First and foremost, what a priviledge it was to be a delegate at this event, to receive the expert teaching, experience the uplifting worship and partake in the group discussions
• What a breath of fresh air and time of excitement when our Church at Presbytery level is indeed considering such issues and seeking guidance from Gods word in doing so
• The thing that has come through most is that God must be central. Its only in the strangth and vision of His Holy Spirit that we can even attempt to reach out in Christian love to the communities in which we are placed.
• The big question is where do we go from here. How do we get others onboard and release this vision and desire for change in our home congregations. What are the practical issues, considerations, outworkings and implications of all this?

• At the conference today we were looking at "Meaningful Worship". Don Carson walked us through John 4 looking at how we should worship in Spirit and truth, taking the example of Jesus encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well as our focus. We looked at how Jesus broke down the barriers of division to address her spiritual needs. The main emphasis was on how God seeks TRUE WORSHIPPERS NOT WORSHIP.
• God centered, authentic and focussed worship is what we must seek to develop. Its who we are worshiping and our attitude, not how we worship and in what form.
• The evening session by Martin Allen looked as the parallels between the Church in Revelation and todays church (Revelation 4+5). Our necessary vision must be the throne of God. The central truth of the bible is that "The Lord Reigns". Therefore we are to worship in reverance and awe, because when we worship we enter into the very presence of the most Holy God.
• Christian worship should be an echo of whats going on in heaven

GET A LIFE CONFERENCE

• Usual mixed emotions experienced before this evening began : apprehension, un-certainty, excitement, anticipation
• Reflecting on it now my feelings are that of joy and excitrment. Joy in that I am fortionate to be at the event and in this position as the church considers its future. Excitement about how God will use this conference to revive a fresh urgency and passion in His church. And on a personal note, excitement and joy for the teaching and experience I will gain from it.
• The main points from this evenings teaching (Exodus 33 vs.12-22) was the revelation of Gods glory in a time of social and moral decay when Moses relentlessly intercedes before God. The challenge for today being the need for intercessors before God.
• Gods glory should be our central focus, not what we do of how we are doing it.
• Gods presence must be what we long for in our lives, not the temporal things that consume so much of our time and energy. Our desire should be to experience His glory more and more

GET A LIFE - God : real and relevant

You may remember I posted about this event that I will be attending a few months back
http://colinforeman.blogspot.com/2004_05_01_colinforeman_archive.html.

Well the event begins next monday night, and having just received the conference material at church yesterday, I can now say I am quite excited about the prospect of what this could become. The conference, run by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, is an attempt to look at meaningful worship, authentic fellowship and effective witness in the society we live in today. In realising that church attendances are falling lower, and people are becoming largely apathetic to church life, this conference seeks to address these issues, and bring about fresh revival for church communities throughout this land.
Further details are available on the PCI website http://www.presbyterianireland.org/getalife/index.html.
I pray that God will use this event to spearhead a fresh revival on these shores again, giving fresh insight and inspiration to those who seek to further His Kingdom through the work of the local churches throughout Ireland.

GOD IS GOOD
These are the words that spring to mind as I reflect on what was an awesome week at CSSM in Ballycrochan last week.  The evidence throughout of Gods hand protecting us, uplifting us and strengthening us was amazing, and as we lifted our prayers before him each morning, that same evening we were found thanking Him for answered prayer.
The kids who came along were a mixed bunch, but we trust and pray that they will take something away from the week to challenge them in their faith, or indeed challenge them to make that commitment for the first time. 
As always, I came away from the week as challenged myself as i'm sure any of the kids were, God has a way of pushing the boat out while on such weeks, as you find yourself so far out of your comfort zone that it is barely visible.  I know that God has used this week to challenge me in my faith so that I will not be satisfied with "lukewarm" Christianity, and will strive to develop a faith that is living, vibrant, and on fire for Him.
 
 

Greenfingered Youthwork
Probably wondering what on earth i'm on about here, thinking i've finally lost the plot,let me explain. Getting involved in youthwork is gonna be a messy business, but the end product has the potential to be something beautiful. So where does it all start, well thats the messy bit : preparing the soil for the seeds to planted so the roots will grow. In youthwork this translates to the relational foundation that underlies the activities we provide - an opportunity to build relationships with the youth we seek to reach out to.
Next we set about sowing seeds in the hope that some will take root in the soil we have prepared, and in our context of youthwork these are seeds of the gospel. This may be a lengthy and frustrating process, but the end result is worth the effort that will be put in. Finally we need to cultivate and nurture the seeds, providing an environment that will stimulate growth. Regular care and attention is required and occasional pruning to ensure that a healthy plant is borne.
So there we have it, a few random thoughts on greenfingered youth ministry.

What is the one thing young people long for the most? Thats a question I have been pondering recently as I have been considering the format our youthwork should take. And one of the key things I feel matters most to young people, and indeed all of us if we are honest, is a sense of acceptance and belonging. The peer-group influence is one of the most influential in the lives of our young people. And with that comes alot of pressures : the need to conform, wear the right clothes, go to the right places, listen to the right music, socialise in the right scene. As Linkin Park put it "I wanna find something I've wanted all along, Somewhere I Belong"
An article I was reading by Bill Cummings entitled "The Church On Monday" expresses this need to belong as follows:
Even in a culture of individualism, independence, humanism and self-gratification, the foundational need of human beings to connect to other human beings still exists deep in the heart of every person. We long to belong. We are in desperate need to love others and be loved by others. We need to know we are part of something bigger than ourselves. God not did create us to be independent or alone. Even He is not alone.

So how does church fit into this, how do we as a church address this need and provide a positive environment where young people are accepted and belong. Our readings of the Early Church certainly suggest that this relational atmosphere of caring and belonging was central in its ethos.

The Fellowship of the Believers

42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)


Surely this should be what we must strive towards again if we are to see a fresh revival of the Church of Jesus Christ on these shores again.

Yet again realising I haven't updated this in a while, will have to make an effort to get into the habit of updating more frequently. Anyway, what am I up to at the minute, well a few things of note are coming up.
Youth activities in church have taken abit of a break over the summer, but we hope to use the time as leaders to re-think and re-structure what we are doing with the youth in an attempt to be effective, real and relevant as we seek to pass our faith onto the next generation in Boardmills. We hope to get some events going for the older teen age-group as this is often where the drop-out from church occurs, and also wish to become more involved in reaching out to the community around us.
Also i'm going to be involved in Ballycrochan CSSM, a week-long mission in the Bangor area. I will be working with the teen age-group as we delve into the theme of "Where is the love". I'm quite excited about what God's going to do during this week, and trust that He will amaze us agian as He works out our programmes and works in the lives of the teens we seek to reach. So for this theres a couple of talks to organise, a church service to plan, and general bits and pieces to plan in advance of the weeks mission (17th-23rd July).
Finally i've started the "Big Read - Bible in a Year Challenge". Has been interesting reading through Genesis from creation, through the "Fall of man", the story of Noah and now looking at the faith of Abraham. In my readings it has struck me that since the fall, the depravity of sin has been evident throughout history, and without men and women of faith in God, the world is on a slippery downward spiral. As we look at society today evidence of the fall is visible all around, and yet again Godly men and women of faith are need to listen to and obey God's callling in their lives in order to prevent further decay.

Realise I haven't updated this thing in a while, one week just seems to roll into another these days. So what have I been up to for the past while. Well last weekend was our youth service in the morning, it wen't really well, and God got me through taking another sermon through which I hope his voice and message was heard by both young and old.
This weekend myself and a number of youth leaders from church attended the National Youth Leaders Convention at church house. Yet again it was a tremendous day: challenging, insightful and resourceful are 3 words that spring to mind.
Saturday night was a mate from schools stag do which was great craic, and a good chance to catch up with old school friends. Interesting to see people's expressions who knew me at school when I tell them of my involvement with youthwork in the church, seeing how my lifes pretty much turned 360 since my wayward youth. Praise God for his "Amazing Grace" that has "saved a wretch like me".
Whats coming up now: a few youth leaders meetings as we seek God's guidance in re-vamping and re-viving the youth ministry in our church, and Ballycrochan CSSM in a few weeks working with the teens there.
The book-a-month challenge is kinda getting there, I'm about 3/4 of the way through "Whats so Amazing about Grace" by Philip Yancey, although I feel somehow that it may have to be re-read to take it all in, theres just so much in it.
Also hope to start the "bible-in-a-year" study that a few members of the church are hoping to begin from July. This is something i'm quite excited about, as there are many books of the bible I have never read, and my bible-knowledge is sketchy in parts to say the least. I think the word DISCIPLINE is going to have to be at the fore-front of my mind if I am to complete it, and keep up-to-date wit the readings, but i'm sure it will be of tremendous blessing to all who take part in it as we delve into the truths of Gods Word together.

So nice to have a Bank Holiday off yesterday, not only is it a day off, but it means you go back to work, and its a 4 day week. So how did I spend my day off...........
Firstly I spent abit of time with Sam before he heads off to the States, and on to South Africa with his puppet ministry. Had a good chat, catching up with eachother and whats going on in our lives. With both of us leading pretty hectic lives, our wee chats don't happen so often, so its always nice to catch up with him.
Next I wen't into Lisburn to get a couple of gifts for some things that are coming up in the coming weeks, as I know i won't get the chance to get them in the coming weeks. On my journies I stumbled across a 2nd hand bookshop which was pretty neat, and discovered a substantial section of christain books, all in good nick, at a much discounted rate. So that was my bargain for the day : 7 books for £14, can't say bad to that. Now my next challenge is to make the time to read them, and the many other books I have sitting on my bookshelf. I'm gonna set myself a challenge of 1 book a month until I get through them, thats the intention anyway.
There are so many great Christian writers throughout history, and indeed of recent days, that I feel it necessary to tap into this vast knowledge and guidance, with due care mind you, as we strive to grow in our faith. These readings should however only complement our daily devotions on Gods Word, and it should be Gods Word that we ultimately should strive to get to grips with. This is another thing i'm going to strive toward in future months.

I've just tried to update this blog with the ability to comment, not sure if it has worked, but feel free to comment on its content, and we'll see what happens, if anything!!

Get a life....God : real and relevant
I attended an information evening last night for the above conference that is due to be run in August by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Myself, my minister and the clerk of session of our church were all in attendance, and we are the appointed delegates attending the weeklong conference on behalf of our church.
On going to the meeting I didn't really know what to expect, but I guess that was the purpose of having the meeting, to provide information on the event. Having attended this I am now looking forward in anticipation to the event, and indeed quite excited by the prospect of what it will entail.
The conference will be looking at how the church can be real and relevant in the society and culture we find ourselves in today, revealing the unchanging message of the gospel to those in our community. The seminars will focus on the areas of appropriate worship, authentic fellowship and effective witness as a church in society today.
It is indeed my prayer that God would truly bless this conference, and use it to equip his body, the church, to present the unchanging gospel truths to a spiritually apathetic and needy world.

Assignment Complete
Having just handed in the final assignment for the certificate in youth ministry course I was doing, I thought i'd write a few lines here in reflection. Was weird last night at the dinner seeing everyone again and realising how well the group bonded and how much we all miss our wee monday night group. The final assignment involved analysing the current youth ministry setup in my church, and producing a purpose statement and structure to move the ministry with the youth forward. At first this was quite a daunting task, but I trust that God has directed my thoughts, and know that He will direct us forward in reaching the youth of our community.
I have personally found the course of huge benefit in guiding me firstly in my personal walk of faith, and also in the area of youthwork, and how we can reach out to this generation and ignite a genuine faith and passion for Christ lived out in their lives. Having completed the assignment, I feel that this is a structure and vision that our church could adopt and implement as we seek to reach this generation of young people, and feel that it should do so as a matter of urgency.
In our ministry we must present the never changing truth of a counter-cultural gospel in a format and language that is relevant and real to the culture of today. In doing so, we must look to Christ, the apostles, the missionaries, and the great communicators of previous generations and follow their example and attitude. It is our biblical mandate to pass on our faith to the next generation Psalm 78 vs. 1-4 so lets get back to doing it.

The cross, and its significance is something I’ve been contemplating over recent weeks, as we consider an easter program of activities for the youth of our church. And as I contemplate the cross I come to realize it is much more than merely remembering what Christ has done. In doing so, and contemplating its meaning to our lives today, the cross should surely inspire us to daily take up our cross and follow Christ. The cross cost Christ his all, and likewise it should cost us everything as we offer our lives as a daily sacrifice. That’s “costly grace” as Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it.

If we look back a mere 30 years to the world as it was then, many would agree that we are “better-off” today than we were then. Most of us have respectable homes, fully fitted with every mod-con accessory, a car to travel to and from our place of work, plentiful supplies of food, and more than enough “stuff” in general. But spiritually are we “better-off” today than we were a mere 30 or so years, when the morality of society was intact, church attendances were ample and regular, and the 10 commandments were largely regarded as the benchmark for society. Today, where the 10 commandments are merely guidelines, many of which can be disregarded as irrelevant, where church attendances are at an all time low, crime rates at an all-time high, and Sunday is the day where you do the stuff you didn’t get time to do the other 6 days of the week.
Are we really “better off”, I have to wonder. Heavenly Father, I do indeed pray that a fresh awakening to and desire for your word would develop in society again. That revival will once again visit these shores by your Holy Spirit, and that people would once again be concerned with the eternal rather than the temporary. In Jesus Name.

Well works going well, busy as ever, but I guess while its still busy i'm still employed, so in many ways i'm praying the business will remain. But it isn't doin my head in yet, i'm still enjoying going in to work each day, getting good opportunities to witness, and am learning new stuff in the world of I.T. daily which adds to the old C.V.
The challenge I now face is balancing time effectively between work, and the youthwork I feel I have been directed to carry out in Boardmills. Got my assignment in last night for the youth course, after a few late nights over the weekend getting it nailed, but its nice to get it out of the way, and I found it very purposeful and beneficial doing it. It has very practical consequences, the result being by the end of the 2nd assignment I will hopefully, by what I have learnt, and under Gods guidance, produced a youth strategy and purpose statement for our church in Boardmills, which is both challenging and exciting.
Thats me for now, hopefully i'll record a few thoughts next time i get a spare minute, take care and God bless

Has been quite a while since I’ve taken the time to update this journal, so I thought I’d better record a few thoughts. Last weekend was an awesome weekend retreat with the youth ministry course I’m doing, spending the weekend at Glenada Conference Center in Newcastle. It was so good just to spend time alone with God in the beauty of his nature, meditating on his word, and sharing with a group of brothers and sisters in Christ who have a heart and passion for youth ministry.
It really drew it home to me the importance of spending quality time with God, and how that should be our number one priority in our daily lives. Also the benefit of sharing, encouraging, networking and inspiring one another as a group of youth leaders was a major benefit of the weekend.
The only worrying aspect to develop was the increasing realization that next Mondays deadline for the PDYM assignment is drawing ever closer, and I still am not as far on as I need to be at this stage. A day snowed-in, housebound and unable to attend work would greatly assist the assignment being completed on time, but I’m sure it will get done in some shape or form by next Monday.
Adios for now, and I’ll try not to make it as long until my next update.

I wonderhow long the new years resolutions have lasted? If your anything like me you will have had the best of intentions, but found these intentions dwindling away as you get bogged down with worldly matters that seem to take up so much of your time. As you an see, my original intentions of keeping a daily journal have fell by the wayside somewhat, and thats down to the fact that my daily quiet times have become somewhat rushed as lifes hectic pace has dragged me along.
So here I am again, realising my failures, and prayerfully attempting to get back on track with God. Guess its just a matter of prioritising time better on my part, and fitting the worldly things that are temporary around the essential and eternal that is God.

It has been interesting reading through the Old Testament account of the Passover in Exodus 12, and how in Christ we have the fulfillment of these scriptures. He has once and for all dealt with our sin, the pure and perfect lamb who shed his blood at Calvary for our sins. We are released from the bondage of sin, no longer slaves to it, but rather servants to the one who has dealt with our sin, paying the price in full by His precious blood, allowing us to live new lives free from the grip of sin. Praise the Lord!!

A new year, a fresh start, a year full of opportunities both fresh and old, Help us Lord to surrender ourselves to your will for our lives this year. Reveal your purposes and plans in our lives, drawing us forever closer to you, and moulding and changing us to be the people you have called us to be, radiating Christ’s love and grace into the lives of others by our actions, words and lives, in Jesus name…
My daily readings this morning focused on the commands found in Proverbs 27 vs. 23-27, and how we as Christians are to be good stewards of what we have been blessed with materially by God. We are to manage our finances wisely, carefully planning for the future, and giving generously, wisely and prayerfully to Gods work worldwide. In today’s spend-it-as-you-get-it, self-centered, pleasure-seeking society this is a huge challenge to the Christian. Do we stand out from the norm, distinct as salt and light in our attitudes and actions as Christ was?