Archive for the ‘General News’ Category

STOP PRESS:
GSUS Live trailer will be returning to schools in Hampshire for the 1st half of the autumn term 2014 (Sep/Oct).

The Alresford Show is described as ‘The jewel in the crown of Hampshire agricultural shows’.
This year thousands of people attended the show which takes pride in being traditional and quintessentially English.
It was great to join with the fellowship from New Farm Chapel, Alresford who each year provide a Christian witness to the visitors and stall holders.

New Farm Chapel provided a small marquee and tea area, where Penny & Naomi Burden were able to offer face painting to the children (and teenagers!) while I was able to provide a second hand bookstall selling a mixture of Christian and secular books.
Good conversations were had, lots of literature was taken and hundreds of books were purchased including a number of Bibles. It is always hard to evaluate how effective outreach like this has been, but please pray that the tracts taken, the books sold or conversations enjoyed will prompt the start of many people’s journey of faith!

‘GOOD NEWS’ CAMP was full to overflowing, and it was always sad to have to turn children away.
So many prayers were answered in the run up to Camp, and we could fill many paragraphs with stories of how God not only provided a team of forty helpers, but the right helpers, best suited to fill the many rolls. It was great to be a part of and lead a team of enthusiastic volunteers whose hard work and commitment helped camp run so well!
Despite the mixed weather there was a very positive spirit among the 55 Campers and attention during the sessions was excellent. It is good to report that a number of Campers made commitments or re-commitments to Jesus Christ and others have testified to how Camp has helped them!

‘THE 2:42 EXPERIENCE’ is our self-catering, all-age Camp run over the August bank holiday weekend. This year we enjoyed having Andy Hodson (www.growingshoots.co.uk) as our guest speaker and many have testified to the weekend being a real blessing. It was a great thrill when one man told me, “Last night I became a Christian”. This makes all the hard work of Camp and the months of preparation worthwhile!

‘Boomerang’ Holiday Club is an inter-Church event run by Churches in the Fareham Western Wards during the first week of the school summer holidays. Five hundred children attended the three venues this year.

Gordon & Richard Cole (Decade Ministries – www.decadeministries.co.uk ) led the programme for school years 3 & 4 (7 to 9 yr olds). Known as ‘Surfers’. One hundred enthusiastic children attended their ‘Surfers’ venue each day and during the week a number of children came to ‘Quiet Row’ with a variety of questions.

Yesterday a man said to Penny and myself; “You are the ones responsible for converting my son!” It was great to hear that the man’s son had come to faith in Christ on our ‘Good News’ Camp a number of years ago. The son is now at university and a keen Christian who is active serving God in the C.U. and local Church.

How encouraging to know that God is at work in us and through us and as we faithfully sow the ‘good seed’ of the gospel and along with our supporters ‘water it’ with prayer. As the apostle Paul wrote (2 Corinthians chapter 3 verses 6-9) we can then wait for God himself to germinate the seed and bring forth life!

“…I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field.” (New Living Translation):

I have just enjoyed a fantastic holiday in Turkey, two weeks of lazing in the sunshine, swimming in the sea or pool and enjoying uninterrupted time with Penny and the children.

It was good on both Sunday’s and to meet up with Turkish Christians in Antalya, at the Evangelical Church. Turkey is predominantly a Muslim country and Antalya Evangelical Church is the only Turkish Christian Church in Antalya Turkey. It has grown from meeting in a house to a congregation of about 150 believers, it is now one of the 10 largest Christian Congregations in all of Turkey .
I was invited by the Pastor to preach on both Sundays but only took up the invitation to preach on the second Sunday. This is not the first time I have preached abroad with a translator, but it is the first time I have preached with three armed guards placed discreetly outside the Church to protect us from any extremists.
A short while ago the Pastor of the Church needed house protection after threats to kill him had been made! This lasted for several months and the man who made the threats (and disrupted Church meetings) has now been arrested and the court case is ongoing.

So often we take for granted our freedom to meet together and our freedom to openly evangelise and share the gospel, so let’s remember to give thanks for this blessing and make the most of the opportunities that come our way!

Do pray for the Turkish Christians in Antalya (and their pastor Ramazan Arkan). You can find out more about the Antalya Evangelical Church by clicking here

Mission: Rescue Holiday Club was held at Wellington Road Community Church, Hounslow, London, UK, during the May half-term holiday.

Each day 50+ children excitedly came along, and what a mixture they were! We had Congolese, Somali, Ghanaian, Egyptian, Pakistani, Indian, Bangladesh, Polish and a few other nationalities which I didn’t write down! What a great opportunity to teach these youngsters (and some of their parents who stayed to help) the ‘Good News’ of Jesus Christ. Please pray that the ‘good seed’ of the gospel that has been sown in their young hearts and minds will, in time, bear fruit.

The week finished with a Saturday morning prize-giving and B-B-Q, the place was packed as parents and other members of the family filled the Church building and car park.

Religious Studies lessons came alive at Brookfield Community School this week. Over 700 students in Years 7, 8 and 9 took their turn in the mobile, multimedia classroom that has been travelling the country. The GSUS experience starts with a 3D video projected on a large screen that really grabs the students’ interest and attention. One Year 9 boy said “It was great – and we got to keep the 3D glasses to check out the website” (www.gsuslive.co.uk).

After the short film, students were introduced to one of three characters. Kylie, whose friend had been taken ill. Kylie was afraid her friend might die, and students were asked to give her advice on what to do next. Ben, whose brother stole money from their mum and left home. Jack, who got picked on at school for being overweight. In each case, students could listen to music, hear what individuals had to say, read Jesus’ words from the Bible or watch a short clip from a film before deciding on what advice to give. At the end of the lesson they were presented with a print-out of their responses with further questions to think about.

The GSUS Live Trailer allowed students to learn independently and work at their own rate. It engaged and motivated the students, allowing them to make their own, personal response and of course it was fun!

21 young people and 15 leaders enjoyed a cracking weekend in Bournemouth over the May bank holiday weekend. The weather was sunny and warm which meant we could enjoy lots of outdoor activities.
Ivor Cooper was our guest speaker who shared three teaching sessions on the life of Abraham. Ivor is a gifted Bible teacher who related well to this age group.

We praise God for safety, enjoyment and for speaking to us through his word the Bible!

‘CY Nano’ (Youth edition of the ‘Christianity Explored’ course) was held at Duncan Road Church, Southampton the first week of the Easter school holidays. It was great to have 16 young people come along each evening. These 11-15 year olds are from our weekly Youth Club and many have very little contact with the Christian message apart from a weekly epilogue. Please water with your prayers the ‘good seed’ that was sown in their hearts and minds. Please pray also for ‘S’ who asked for a Bible to read.