Weekend Work Out

We had an excellent weekend with Greg Downes. He spoke at Contend on Friday evening and addressed the topic of 'Men And Work.' There were about 40-50 men present and we had an outstanding session as we learned more about the artificial divide between 'secular' and 'sacred' ministry and how this barrier needs to be broken down in our own minds. All work is for God and a form of ministry that goes beyond the view that Vicars / Pastors etc 'minister' whilst everyone else 'works'!

Saturday morning began as usual with our regular prayer meeting and then Greg facilitated a 'prophetic evangelism' session for about 25 people who had turned up, including some of the youth. He provided a sound biblical framework and offered practical tips and insight from his on experience. We prayed and asked for some words of knowledge and then headed out to Kingswood to see what God wanted to do. I think it would be fair to say that some of us were feeling a little bit apprehensive, but as Greg said, that's quite a healthy reaction when we move from the 'Comfort Zone' to the 'Kingdom Zone'. Quoting John Wimber, we were reminded that 'Faith' is spelt 'R-I-S-K' and off we went!

I had an amazing conversation with the first person I met and despite having a word of knowledge that turned out to be wrong (??!!), we still had an excellent conversation for 10 minutes and I prayed for her at the end! Things did not go so well in Sainsbury's as I tried to open a conversation with one of the checkout assistants and was greeted with a rather icy silence! As we reconvened after our 45 minute street session, there were many encouraging stories of how God's Kingdom had been breaking into Kingswood all through our simple obedience. One lady actually became a Christian on the streets and even though most other people did not see specific salvation encounters, we knew God's presence was working through us and impacting the lives of many; people just seemed to open and up and want to talk to us as we showed some care and interest in their lives.

Yesterday's meeting was another great time, full of amazing testimonies and the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. One testimony in particular really moved me as a BCC Member shared how he had struggled with his own childhood and school life only to see God's faithfulness to his daughter who secured a 7 year 70% scholarship to a top Bristol school. He was in tears at God's goodness. So were most of us.

Greg preached on the subject of 'What Does God Require of Us?" Using Luke 5:1-11, he explained that God requires us to follow Christ and this passage of Scripture contained four further pointers that developed this answer in a highly practical way: 1) Christ calls us to obedience (Luke 5:4-6), 2) Christ calls us to holiness (Luke 5:7-8), 3) Christ calls us to mission (Luke 5:9-10) and 4) Christ calls us to sacrifice (Luke 5:11). This point really came home to me as it resonated with something I'd been thinking about in the week: it's all about Jesus and not about me. Greg said, "Sacrifice is the missing ingredient of contemporary discipleship" and I flt Holy Spirit really challenge me again about the levels of sacrifice in my own life; not from obligation but devotion. Greg's message is available as a download from our website, click on the link at the bottom of this page.

It was a great joy and privilege to have Greg minister to us; he is a man with whom we can do Kingdom business and I received a great deal from his time with us. Thanks for coming Greg and thank you God for giving us such an excellent weekend.

http://www.bristolcommunitychurch.org/podcasts.asp

Get Downes On It

We are in for a treat this weekend: Greg Downes is coming. After studying for a degree in Social Policy and Administration, Greg did a PGCE in Religious Education at Cambridge before becoming the acting head of RE at the Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith. May 2009A brief stint followed as John Stott's study assistant before reading Theology at Oxford and being ordained as an Anglican priest. Since ordination Greg has been a curate in High Wycombe, Senior Chaplain of HMP & YOI Ashfield near Bristol, Tutor in Evangelism at the London School of Theology (during which time he was an associate minister at St. Andrew's Chorleywood) and a chaplain at Oxford University. He is now heads the Watford School of Leadership and invests a great deal of his life in teaching, training and modelling a truly prophetic, Kingdom-focused life in the UK and overseas.

Greg visited BCC back in 2009 and his own life and love for God resonated deeply with out own. We are delighted to welcome him for a full weekend of ministry:

Friday 5 February: Contend (BCC Men's Ministry). Greg will be speaking on "Men at Work". There will also be food of a different sort (curry), plus worship and a time to catch up with the other guys. Visitors and Guests are most welcome but let us know ASAP!

Saturday 6 February: Prophetic Evangelism Workshop from 10am - 12pm. Meet at the King;'s Rooms for a brief practical session before going into Kingswood to put it into practice! **Please note** The morning prayer meeting will run as usual from 7.30am to 9am.

Sunday 7 February: Greg will be preaching during our morning meeting so please make every effort to attend - it's going to be an excellent time.

The Miners of Kingswood

George Whitefield, one of the greatest preachers and evangelists ever, was regularly refused access to Churches; he was viewed as deceived, subversive and unorthodox. Instead, he would simply go and find big open spaces and begin to preach. It was not uncommon for 10 000+ people to be in attendance, many of whom would never grace the presence of their local Churches. In 1789, he came to Bristol and this is what happened...

"I hasted to Kingswood. At a moderate computation, there were above 10 000 people. The trees and hedges were full. All was hush when I began. The sun shone bright and God enabled me to preach with great power, and so loud, that all, I was told, could hear me...To behold such crowds standing together in such awful silence, and to hear the echo of their singing run from one end of them to the other was very solemn and striking...The gladness and eagerness with which these poor despised outcasts, who had never been in a church in their lives, received the truth, is beyond description! Having no righteousness of their own to renounce, they were glad to hear Jesus, who was the friend of publicans and came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The first discovery of their being affected was to see the white gutters made by their tears, which plentifully fell down their black faces; black as they came out of the coal-pits. Hundreds and hundreds of them were soon brought under deep conviction, which as the event proved, ended in a sound and thorough conversion." (Taken from The Life and Time of George Whitefield by Robert Philip p.103-104).

The Kingswood Miners were no friend of itinerant preachers; "the colliers were numerous and utterly uncultivated. They had no place of worship. Few ventured to walk even in their neighbourhood; and when provoked they were the terror of Bristol" (op. cit. p.101)

I loved reading about this for a number of reasons. Firstly, God has done it before and it reminds me He'll do it again. Secondly, true, anointed preaching DOES change lives. People who seek to undermine the role of proper preaching and teaching in our Churches and across the Nation should learn from the likes of Whitefield. We do not need to water down the true Gospel to accommodate people. We do not need to resort to silly story telling, homiletic gimmicks or life coaching lectures. No, anointed preachers will produce anointed preaching which, under the power of Holy Spirit will transform both the hearers and the Nation of which they are citizens. Finally, it challenges me to aim for more. Settling for second best is not an option when it comes to the salvation and discipleship of souls.

Skins and Sins

If you are a parent of children or teenagers, or plan on becoming one in the next few years, then I would recommend that you watch an episode of E4 teen drama, "SKINS". Now in its fourth series, this BAFTA Award winning 'soap' follows the lives of fictional teenagers attending a local college.

One of the main characters is called 'Freddie' and is played by the actor Luke Pasqualino. Interviewed recently on Channel 5, he was asked if SKINS was a true and accurate representation of teen life today. Although he acknowledged some of it has been 'glamorised' to make good tv, he agreed. I watched the first episode of the new series and I would agree with Pasqualino: SKINS does capture something of the zeitgeist of modern day teenagers and helps us understand the sort of culture in which they have to live in 21st Century Britain. We must not be naive and it concerns me that so many of us really have no idea what teens have to contend with today and most importantly, what our role is in equipping and supporting young men and women of God through whom the power of His Holy Spirit will flow, to save and disciple this next generation.

Be warned though, SKINS is not for the faint hearted and is peppered with expletives, full of drunkenness, casual drug abuse, aggression and sexual immorality. It will offend your spirit but you will be under no illusions about what young people are up against today and, in my view, will help you pray more strategically and with greater insight; we need to know our enemy (i.e. the devil, not young people).

Listen to what Paul writes in 2 Tim 3:1-5 (The Message), "Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust and allergic to God."

SKINS captures this perfectly.

This Blog entry is not designed to depress you nor produce fear in you. I believe that Jesus has defeated the enemy and we (including our teenage kids) can live in the fullness of that victory today. He is just as relevant to day as He was 2000 years ago and seeing these characters in SKINS act out lives that are not that dissimilar from most teens today, should spur us on to share this message and equip our own youth to do the same. I am a firm believer that the best evangelists for young people are young people! As society gets darker, the light of Christ will burn brighter and brighter in the lives of His true disciples and, as we know from the Bible, the power of His Gospel can and will make a difference that will be evident to all.

It's Our Party (And We'll Cry If We Want To)

*sings loudly* Happy 25th Anniversary to us, Happy 25th Anniversary to us, Happy 25th Anniversary Dear BCC, Happy Anniversary to us!" A truly excellent time was had by all on Saturday night as we donned our shoulder pads, heavy-duty makeup, leg warmers and flammable hairstyles (and that's just the men) for the 1980s extravaganza that was the er...80s Party. I went as the Karate Kid (see photo opposite - with thanks to one of the young people for that one) and it was so funny seeing everyone dressed up in assorted outfits ranging from Darth Vader to The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Crocodile Dundee to The Smurfs (!?). Lots of pictures are circulating on Face Book if you want to see more. The Team who put the whole event together (Paytons, Summerhills and Pucketts) did an awesome job - a massive thank you from all of us to all of you for doing so well and also to Chef Jamie (no - not that one) for the brilliant canapes and treats.

It was an important milestone in our life together as a Church. We were celebrating twenty five years of God's grace over BCC. From the very early days of our existence to today, we have seen so much, been through so much and grown together so much and one things we can say is, "God good". I was talking to one of the "original" members who came over from Bath in 1985 to plant what was then a brand new, fledgling congregation. As we spoke I was reminded that every generation pays a price so that the next generation can advance. New members to BCC today, as well as most of the young people have no idea of the price that has been paid and the sacrifices made by our predecessors so we can be where we are today. They are not looking for payment or praise but I wanted to honour those early pioneers who have given so much to the Church so we can enjoy such great riches and blessings today.

You know who you are. And so does God. Thank you.

You'll Never Walk Alone

You'll never walk alone. Something of an anthem for Liverpool Football Club and synonymous with both the highs and lows of their history. Celtic are partial to a bit of it too... Even I have stood on the terraces and sung along. However, it is much more than a rousing football anthem; it contains grains of truth that can speak to us in our walk with Jesus today. I have always loved music; it's featured a great deal in my life and as a musician and a worshipper, continually speaks to me, moves me and captures my mood in an audible form. It always has and always will play a big part in my life. God has wired me that way...

Sorry Reds but You'll Never Walk Alone did not originate with you. Originally, it was written by Rogers and Hammerstein in 1949 and featured as part of their musical Carousel. The song was sung to a wife grieving for her dead husband. Since then it has been recorded multiple times, starting with Frank Sinatra and was 'adopted' by Liverpool fans in the 1960s when the official DJ would play the top ten albums overt the recently installed tannoy system, prior to the match for the enjoyment of the fans. During one particular week, this song was number one and the following weeks was sung by the fans...the rest, as they say, is history. Let's remind ourselves of the words to this song...

When you walk through a storm hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown,
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And You'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone!

The sentiment expressed in this song is admirable and I suspect the writers were referring to the support and care offered by other people, in the midst of catastrophe and disaster. However, the Lord reminded me that I can never be alone because He is with me. It sounds so simple but the depth and implications of this truth will take a lifetime to fully comprehend, grasp and live out; God is with you. And He can walk with you because He knows what it is like to walk this earth in all his Deity but all His humanity as well. The hyper static union confirms that Jesus was both God AND Man simultaneously. How often we reflect on His Deity - the Son of God in whom all the fullness of God dwells. Yest He is also fully human and completely au fait with the difficulties, challenges and suffering of humanity.

You'll never walk alone because He is with you. Moreover, He is not some distant, ignorant God but Someone for Whom humanity has provided a covering for His own perfection. He understands and He knows and He will truly be the eternal companion through everything this world throws at us.

Walk on with hope in your heart today - a living hope: Jesus Christ.

Worship Central

Last night was a full worship team meeting. These occasional sessions bring together all those involved in the BCC worship ministry and are always very fruitful times. Despite some sickness keeping a few people away, there was a good turnout and our time of worship at the end brought us right into the throne room of God - His presence was tangible. As part of the evening I sketched out a few things for 2010. It is clear to me that God is doing something very powerful through the worship of His Saints at this time; every Sunday so far has been characterised by a completely unpredictable time of worship that has ranged from the powerful to the intimate, sometimes changing in a matter of seconds. There has been prophetic life and a deep desire from God's people to reach out and touch Him. On many occasions, this has taken the meeting in a totally fresh direction and acted as a springboard for ministry and further revelation.

I have been reading through Numbers in the last few months. It is now drawing to an end. In Numbers 28-29, Moses records a list of extremely important festivals which, essentially, represent different expressions of worship across the entire Israelite community. This year, I believe we can learn some valuable lessons about the nature of this new worship work in BCC through these passages of old...

1. Worship is positioned in Community
The first thing to note is the focus on corporate worship; a quiet, private quiet time this is not. It is about every believer coming together and expressing this belief through a group activity and in some of the offerings required through Chapters 28-29, it requires a holy gathering ('Holy Convocation' ESV); a coming together of all the individual parts as one. This year, God is calling us to focus on those corporate moments of worship together as a Church; something is going to emerge from that place of united devotion.

2. Worship is sacrificial
In every instance, their united expression of worship costs them something. Western Churches have forgotten that worship is not about what you get but what you give. As we come and offer God our praise and adoration, regardless of our circumstances, we will see and feel the force of faith released into our lives; our weakness is transformed into His strength. Worship is the catalyst for this spiritual process. At times, the force of praise emanating from the people has pushed things forward in our times of worship together. People come ready to make an offering; to rise above circumstances, feelings, disappointments and more in order to reach out to the Lord. In return, God never disappoints.

3. Worship is Centred on God
All through these Chapters, the central focus of worship is God. Today, some worship has become very man-focused. We look to ourselves and our own humanity, when the true nature of worship is Jesus, not us. This year, we are learning once again to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), to turn away from ourselves and to look exclusively to Him.

4. Worship will recapture the Spirit of David
In my prayers recently, I heard this simple phrase in my mind "there will be a release of the spirit of David in your worship". As you probably know, David was a man after God's own heart and "The Sweet Psalmist of Israel". He was given the blueprints for God's proper 'home' in the Old Testament, the Temple and David's deep, passionate, uncompromising, unremitting devotion to God characterised his entire life and ministry. My mind went to the moment when David celebrated return of God's ark (the place where He dwelt) to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6 especially verses 5 and 20-23). David loved God's presence and his worship was unrestrained and undignified. This year we will see that same spirit emerge once again into His Church, a deep, passionate, uncompromising, no-holes-barred expression of faith and love to the One and Only God of Love.

Don't go away!