From the Baltic’s to Banff
As I write I hear that 1300 people are booked into our New Frontiers weekend in October. See www.togetherateastofengland.com for further details. I think this will be a hugely significant event for us with far reaching implications for apostolic mission and healthy local church life locally, regionally and internationally. There is something special about coming together as churches on a mission. God somehow cements some things, starts some things and often the environment at such events is full of faith and charged with the presence of God. When I think back perhaps 25 years when we first started seeking to build church on New Testament principles and values in my home town of Lowestoft. A gathering of these numbers of people from the region taking place in Lowestoft with a commonly held vision and passion for the local church would have seemed unthinkable. Praise God for all he has done and will do. This is just a beginning phase.
Over recent years God has been expanding the number of nations we are involved in. From 13th -15th June some 70 of us gathered in Smiltene Latvia for our second Baltic Nations conference. David Jones and the New Frontiers church in Smiltene once again did an outstanding job of organising and planning. Folk from Latvia and Estonia came together with a good number of us from the UK. The meetings were notable and I felt God was repeatedly assuring us of his ongoing presence with us as we seek to plant and build local churches across the Baltic nations.
Of the many memories of the this weekend meeting with new people with a commitment and heart to seeing God move in the Baltic’s and being asked to preach for the first time in Valga Estonia on the Sunday stand out. I felt I made good connections with the leadership team in the church there, especially as we talked over lunch. They have purchased a very large redundant hospital and are in the process of converting it to a variety of community and outreach uses. I was impressed by the vision shown by the small but committed church.
After a couple of days back home it was off to Alberta Canada to speak at the ‘Out of the Box’ conference. Keith and Jeremy Hazell from Mosaic church in Lethbridge hosted this conference which was mainly for those in leadership or ministry. The aim being to address key issues related to building on apostolic foundations and New Testament values in local church life and getting to know more of the folk who are hungry for such things in local church life. I felt we had a very significant time and God was with us in power. Many good relationships were made and existing ones strengthened. I was blessed to be able to travel with Jeremy Simpkins from Teesside. It was such a joy to work together for the first time and it reinforced my belief that working and travelling in team is the best way to proceed.
I preached at Mosaic on Saturday night and saw some lovely healings. I was very encouraged also to spend more time with Jeremy Hazell and the team who are heading up this plant. I felt God really connected us in his purposes and that much likes ahead in the future for us. I then took the 3 hour journey to Lethbridge where I was with Harvest Christian Fellowship on the Sunday. This vibrant church has an abundance of musicians and young people amongst a great bunch of people. I felt a great joy in meeting Richard and Margaret Graham/ Richard leads the church. Margaret heads us he very anointed worship team.
After a very busy few days it was a nice end to go up into the mountains before catching the flight home. Lake Louise near Banff is quite impressive to say the least. As I looked at it I thought one day we are promised the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as chief amongst the mountains. It is this promise that motivates me to do anything in ministry. Jesus has promised he will build his Church as a light in the nations.
It is always a joy to be with Keith and Nova Hazell. They were able to come with us into the mountains. Sue and I have the highest respect and love for them and count it a privilege to know them and call them dear friends.
A brief catch up at home with the inevitable assortment of e-mails. Then we moved my Mum and Step Dad into their new home. We praise God for his provision in their later years in providing this new place for them.
We had an excellent Elders team day yesterday. I am so pleased to be working with such a team. We are blessed to be able now to meet in the day time which is a huge help.
Next week we have our New Frontiers ‘together on a mission’ conference in Brighton with around 5000 delegates from over 40 nations. I anticipate another outstanding time. After that the summer holiday in North Norfolk!
Saturday, 5 July 2008
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Leadership and the Prophetic
Acts 21:10-11 after we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'
Acts 11:28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)
These occasions in Acts show God using prophetic ministry to shape and prepare individuals and churches for what he intended to do in and through them. The response to prophecy was to shape, direct and prepare in line with what God had said.
1- Agabus was known as a Prophet. This is presumably as his life showed godly character, his ministry was proved to be genuine over a period of time and his doctrine commended him as one approved of God.
2- The Prophetic worked in team. Agabus came to Jerusalem with a team of prophets. He was in Caesarea with Phillip who had four daughters with prophetic ministry. Here was not a man who was aloof and isolated Agabus ministered in corporate contexts
3- Room was made for the prophetic in local church life. When ‘they came down’ to Jerusalem it was not viewed by the leaders of the church as a side show but rather as a significant moment of directional input for the church.
4- They adjusted plans, ministries and programs in response to what God had said. The entire ‘ministry to the poor’ agenda in the Jerusalem church was fashioned and shaped by the prophetic. With so much need around us in our communities how do we know where to target our enegies unless God shows us.
God intends us to be a people who follow the cloud not follow the crowd. I want to ensure genuine prophetic ministry has access to me and the churches I work with. I wonder how anyone leads in a local church without prophetic input. How can we possibly know what God wants us to put our energies into as a local church? What direction do we go in?
John in Revelation said ‘he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ each message to the local churches was different. They all had strengths and weaknesses. God said different things to each church. Indeed every genuine planting of the Lord has a unique fingerprint of God upon it. Our role as leaders is to find out and express Jesus desires for the local church we are part of.
In our leadership team and church we make room for prophetic ministry to come in shaping programs and individual ministries in the church. We seek to weigh and discern God’s voice then once we feel we have heard the heart of God we do some practical things
1- Prayer meeting agendas are shaped by the prophetic
2- Leadership goals and objectives are shaped according to the prophetic. For example if God has spoken about us having a new building we need to go and look for one.
3- Staff and budgets are apportioned in line with the things God has said
4- We cast vision in the church to ensure everyone is serving the same vision.
5- We feed back to prophetic ministry to both encourage them and also to keep our ears open to fresh instruction from God.
If apostles and prophets work together, the most powerful and strategically vibrant leadership combination is possible. Prophets to show the way and Apostles to build like wise master builders. That is how in reading the New Testament it seems God intends the local church to function.
Genuine prophecies should not get filed under P in someone’s filing cabinet. They were living working documents to build to.
Acts 11:28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)
These occasions in Acts show God using prophetic ministry to shape and prepare individuals and churches for what he intended to do in and through them. The response to prophecy was to shape, direct and prepare in line with what God had said.
1- Agabus was known as a Prophet. This is presumably as his life showed godly character, his ministry was proved to be genuine over a period of time and his doctrine commended him as one approved of God.
2- The Prophetic worked in team. Agabus came to Jerusalem with a team of prophets. He was in Caesarea with Phillip who had four daughters with prophetic ministry. Here was not a man who was aloof and isolated Agabus ministered in corporate contexts
3- Room was made for the prophetic in local church life. When ‘they came down’ to Jerusalem it was not viewed by the leaders of the church as a side show but rather as a significant moment of directional input for the church.
4- They adjusted plans, ministries and programs in response to what God had said. The entire ‘ministry to the poor’ agenda in the Jerusalem church was fashioned and shaped by the prophetic. With so much need around us in our communities how do we know where to target our enegies unless God shows us.
God intends us to be a people who follow the cloud not follow the crowd. I want to ensure genuine prophetic ministry has access to me and the churches I work with. I wonder how anyone leads in a local church without prophetic input. How can we possibly know what God wants us to put our energies into as a local church? What direction do we go in?
John in Revelation said ‘he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ each message to the local churches was different. They all had strengths and weaknesses. God said different things to each church. Indeed every genuine planting of the Lord has a unique fingerprint of God upon it. Our role as leaders is to find out and express Jesus desires for the local church we are part of.
In our leadership team and church we make room for prophetic ministry to come in shaping programs and individual ministries in the church. We seek to weigh and discern God’s voice then once we feel we have heard the heart of God we do some practical things
1- Prayer meeting agendas are shaped by the prophetic
2- Leadership goals and objectives are shaped according to the prophetic. For example if God has spoken about us having a new building we need to go and look for one.
3- Staff and budgets are apportioned in line with the things God has said
4- We cast vision in the church to ensure everyone is serving the same vision.
5- We feed back to prophetic ministry to both encourage them and also to keep our ears open to fresh instruction from God.
If apostles and prophets work together, the most powerful and strategically vibrant leadership combination is possible. Prophets to show the way and Apostles to build like wise master builders. That is how in reading the New Testament it seems God intends the local church to function.
Genuine prophecies should not get filed under P in someone’s filing cabinet. They were living working documents to build to.
Sunday, 25 May 2008
A Full Week
A Full Week
Reflecting on a week in the life of LCC. I am struck by the fact so much goes on; in fact more goes on than is known by any of us.
Reverb unplugged was from all accounts a great night with nearly 50 youth and some new emerging talent.
Showcase Sunday was outstanding. The high quality of the presentation on ‘what is a Christian?’ built around a school audience was notable.
The clubs, the cells, new faces every week, Sunday meetings open to God. People becoming Christians. About 8 at the ‘klub’ weekend away last week alone. More reports of people being healed and set free. Especially notable is the ministry of Greg and Angela Kemm in this regard. They come to us each year for a week or two and equip and help catch us all up in being able to pray for people with illness or bondages and see results. We need to see much more but we are seeing more than we did – we must press in. God has promised.
In the business of life it is often possible not to notice when God is at work. He is at work here. We are seeing increased momentum. His grace is upon us. There are a growing numbers of people willing to serve. Acts of kindness slip by almost daily without any great fanfare.
We live in troubled times. Our nation is desperate. Our Town is in great need. The nations of Europe are like a dessert spiritually.
Within the Christian world waves of thought come and go. The atonement is dismissed as an awful theory akin to ‘cosmic child abuse’. Extra Biblical teaching on all sorts of spiritual mysticism is absorbed without anyone commenting or questioning, or being criticised if they do. How we need Churches of Word and Spirit. How we need to ask God to be merciful to us and use us even though we are weak and frail and not in any position of ourselves to commend ourselves.
I love seeing what God is doing amongst us. I love it that he for some reason wants to bless us – why? I am privileged to be surrounded with many godly people. I am genuinely humbled when I see some folk whom I know who have lived with considerable suffering and trials and yet they a radiant with God and his Spirit. That we might be a community drenched in God is the longing of my heart. That God would catch us up more in prayer has got to be a goal. We need God to act according to his promise. Praise him for all he is doing, but call on him for all he has said.
I spoke to someone this morning; they had experienced just this week considerable healing both physically and spiritually. Bring it on!
Reflecting on a week in the life of LCC. I am struck by the fact so much goes on; in fact more goes on than is known by any of us.
Reverb unplugged was from all accounts a great night with nearly 50 youth and some new emerging talent.
Showcase Sunday was outstanding. The high quality of the presentation on ‘what is a Christian?’ built around a school audience was notable.
The clubs, the cells, new faces every week, Sunday meetings open to God. People becoming Christians. About 8 at the ‘klub’ weekend away last week alone. More reports of people being healed and set free. Especially notable is the ministry of Greg and Angela Kemm in this regard. They come to us each year for a week or two and equip and help catch us all up in being able to pray for people with illness or bondages and see results. We need to see much more but we are seeing more than we did – we must press in. God has promised.
In the business of life it is often possible not to notice when God is at work. He is at work here. We are seeing increased momentum. His grace is upon us. There are a growing numbers of people willing to serve. Acts of kindness slip by almost daily without any great fanfare.
We live in troubled times. Our nation is desperate. Our Town is in great need. The nations of Europe are like a dessert spiritually.
Within the Christian world waves of thought come and go. The atonement is dismissed as an awful theory akin to ‘cosmic child abuse’. Extra Biblical teaching on all sorts of spiritual mysticism is absorbed without anyone commenting or questioning, or being criticised if they do. How we need Churches of Word and Spirit. How we need to ask God to be merciful to us and use us even though we are weak and frail and not in any position of ourselves to commend ourselves.
I love seeing what God is doing amongst us. I love it that he for some reason wants to bless us – why? I am privileged to be surrounded with many godly people. I am genuinely humbled when I see some folk whom I know who have lived with considerable suffering and trials and yet they a radiant with God and his Spirit. That we might be a community drenched in God is the longing of my heart. That God would catch us up more in prayer has got to be a goal. We need God to act according to his promise. Praise him for all he is doing, but call on him for all he has said.
I spoke to someone this morning; they had experienced just this week considerable healing both physically and spiritually. Bring it on!
Sunday, 18 May 2008
What do I make of the Lakeland Florida meetings?
What Do I make of the Lakeland outpouring?
The events unfolding in Lakeland Florida are gaining visibility in the Christian world and increasingly in the secular press. So it seems appropriate to pass on a few thoughts of my own on it as most people will have an opinion.
I was preaching on Romans 11 today where Paul grapples with some of the great themes of election and human responsibility. At the end his cry is ‘O the depth of the wisdom and riches of God’, He also says ‘how unsearchable his paths’. Paul found that theology (study of God) leads to Doxology (Worship of God).
I believe in Word and Spirit. I believe we need theology if we are to handle the moving of the Spirit in a sustainable way that will build the church and keep the fruit of movement of God.
Doxology without theology leads to a wandering from the path of orthodoxy. People may get excited but when asked why they are excited they have no idea!
I have watched some of the meetings from Lakeland and observe a few things from what I have seen and read and heard.
1- I do believe what we are seeing is the power of God in the meetings
2- The people that are getting healed seem to me to be very ordinary people who have been invaded by the wonderful healing power of Jesus Christ. They are almost shocked and surprised they at not ‘crazy people’
3- The platform party do seem to have a genuine love for Jesus and for people
4- The theology of those on the platform seems to me to be very questionable.
5- There does not seem to be any Bible present anywhere on the platform or any reference to Scripture
6- There is a lot of reference of Angles, Open heaven, prophecy and other terms that are quoted without any reference to exposition of the word
7- I believe this might prove to be something that transmits across many nations as we saw with the Toronto outpouring
8- Just because the power of God is being poured out does not mean the theology or message being preached is right. God blesses with power as a gift. We are responsible for what we say publically.
9- My concern is that people will see the power and assume it has come because of the message. This in my view would be a big error
10- We must be open in our churches to the anointing that is breaking out especially in healing
11- We must be even more diligent in our churches to teach accurately the word of God so the outpouring of the Spirit is rightly handled
12- If folk can go or catch from this power of course do so. But do not throw your Brain away or your Bible.
13- If something is not built on the word of God it will end in disaster even if it is God pouring out his Spirit.
14- Paul spent much of his time in his letter correcting error as he saw that if left unattended it would ultimately do a lot of damage
15- We must pray for the outpouring to be brought onto good solid lines of scripture and teach people to be discerning over what they see and hear.
The events unfolding in Lakeland Florida are gaining visibility in the Christian world and increasingly in the secular press. So it seems appropriate to pass on a few thoughts of my own on it as most people will have an opinion.
I was preaching on Romans 11 today where Paul grapples with some of the great themes of election and human responsibility. At the end his cry is ‘O the depth of the wisdom and riches of God’, He also says ‘how unsearchable his paths’. Paul found that theology (study of God) leads to Doxology (Worship of God).
I believe in Word and Spirit. I believe we need theology if we are to handle the moving of the Spirit in a sustainable way that will build the church and keep the fruit of movement of God.
Doxology without theology leads to a wandering from the path of orthodoxy. People may get excited but when asked why they are excited they have no idea!
I have watched some of the meetings from Lakeland and observe a few things from what I have seen and read and heard.
1- I do believe what we are seeing is the power of God in the meetings
2- The people that are getting healed seem to me to be very ordinary people who have been invaded by the wonderful healing power of Jesus Christ. They are almost shocked and surprised they at not ‘crazy people’
3- The platform party do seem to have a genuine love for Jesus and for people
4- The theology of those on the platform seems to me to be very questionable.
5- There does not seem to be any Bible present anywhere on the platform or any reference to Scripture
6- There is a lot of reference of Angles, Open heaven, prophecy and other terms that are quoted without any reference to exposition of the word
7- I believe this might prove to be something that transmits across many nations as we saw with the Toronto outpouring
8- Just because the power of God is being poured out does not mean the theology or message being preached is right. God blesses with power as a gift. We are responsible for what we say publically.
9- My concern is that people will see the power and assume it has come because of the message. This in my view would be a big error
10- We must be open in our churches to the anointing that is breaking out especially in healing
11- We must be even more diligent in our churches to teach accurately the word of God so the outpouring of the Spirit is rightly handled
12- If folk can go or catch from this power of course do so. But do not throw your Brain away or your Bible.
13- If something is not built on the word of God it will end in disaster even if it is God pouring out his Spirit.
14- Paul spent much of his time in his letter correcting error as he saw that if left unattended it would ultimately do a lot of damage
15- We must pray for the outpouring to be brought onto good solid lines of scripture and teach people to be discerning over what they see and hear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
