Spiritual Stamina

My marathon training continues. Last week I started a much more detailed 6-month programme that puts me through some shorter runs during the week, building up to a much longer one at the weekends which increases incrementally as the weeks go by: I plan to be running 15+ miles by January! Since May of this year I have been out running approximately 40 times. Although I have not lost lots of weight my body has changed; it has really toned up. All of this hard work is for one purpose alone: to help my body adjust to running longer and longer distances. Stamina is what I must develop if I am to successfully complete the London Marathon in April 2010. In recent days I have been reflecting on this essential quality for success and I think it has parallels for our Christian lives too.

It is no coincidence that Paul likens Church Leaders to oxen (1 Corinthians 9:9, 1 Timothy 5:18). These wily beasts have immense stamina to faithfully grind out the work of ploughing fields in preparation for sowing and harvesting. Their work is not glamorous or especially interesting. It can be monotonous, thankless and extremely intensive. Yet whatever the weather, whatever the season, whatever happens, they keep going up and down, up and down, up and down.

I have a tremendous admiration for Pastor John Piper; an immensely gifted teacher and prophet based in the United States. Recently, I read a letter that his Father wrote as a response when John felt the call of God to give up his lucrative lecturing and teaching post at a local seminary and apply for the post of Pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Have a look at the link yourself, it's about half way down the page... http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/10/14/30-years-ago-today-how-god-called-john-piper-to-become-a-pastor/

The content of this letter really reminded me again of the need for leaders with deep reservoirs of spiritual stamina. But it is not just for Leaders, it is for you too as we all seek to successfully run this race of faith. Pastor John (Maskell not Piper!) often says that it is not how we start that matters but how we finish. None of us will finish without spiritual stamina and I encourage you to pray and ask God to give you that stamina so you too will hear those precious words from Jesus Himself, "Well done, good and faithful servant".

I'm not in the Office tomorrow so I'll be back for more blogging next Monday. In the meantime don't forget the prayer meeting on Saturday morning from 7.30am and our Church meeting on Sunday from 10am. Have a great weekend.

It Takes Time

Today was our early morning prayer meeting. Despite getting up at 5.30am, it is always worth it; we really see God leading our prayers and I come away feeling like I've 'done business'. As we sat there earnestly praying to the Lord about a number of strategic, personal and important matters, I began to reflect on my life. I've been in BCC for the best part of 20 years. I remember those early days and who I was in God. I had hair then too.

Fast forward to 2009 and I can honestly see some tremendous fruit in my life. There is a richer anointing on me and I believe I am growing in wisdom and favour both with men and with God. My mind went to others in the Church who too have seen the faithfulness of God over years not just minutes and have been patient enough to wait in the right place (BCC) to see Him outwork those perfect plans for us all.

God's work takes a life time to outwork in our lives. He is outside time but we are not. Our finite perspective can often hinder us in really, truly seeing His hand working through our lives over the course of many, many years and even through generations. We want results in minutes; God delivers results in years. We live in the present; God lives in eternity. Anything of value takes time. Our problem is patience, or rather a lack of it; poor spiritual eyesight that means we never settle down into the plan God has for us now so we continually look for the 'next big thing' and begin to suffer with 'the grass is greener on the other side' syndrome.

Take a look at your life today. Look back to where you were even five years ago. Events like Faith Camp can be especially useful as they provide us with an annual 'benchmark' against which we can measure our lives and see our spiritual growth - hopefully! But here is a really important point: if we receive people where they were 10 years ago instead of where they are today then this can result in a lack of honour which robs us of the deeper, richer anointing in their lives.

This is a perennial problem for young people who have grown up in Church; they are still viewed as the "Son or Daughter of So and So" from years ago. Whilst this is factually true, spiritually their life paints a different picture; the young person has matured and grown up and a different anointing is on them now than in the past. Our failure to acknowledge and position them in our minds as that little boy or girl will result in us missing out on all that is in them. It can also be a challenge for people, like myself, who has been in the Church with the same people for a long time. Some of you may remember me when I first came along to BCC and started leading worship. Some of you will not only remember my mistakes, weakness and mess ups but you will have been on the receiving end of them! You may even remember me with hair! Yet, I am not the man I was; I have moved into a different place and honour is the key that unlocks this flow of deeper life and anointing into your own.

In summary, stay in the place where God positions you. Look back over the landscape of years that has shaped your life and see the hand of God behind it all, shaping and changing you through His sanctifying work. Ask the Lord to give you eyes to see how you have changed AND how those around you have also moved into a different anointing. Honour them and you too can receive that life into your own.

Back in Black(adder)

Last night I settled down with my Blackadder DVD Box Set. Any of you who lived through the 1980s will remember this tv programme; a fictional character called 'Edmund Blackadder' who lived during different times in history and who's cynical take on life was as razor sharp as some of his 'get rich quick', schemes. I remember watching this the first time around and laughing so hard at the jokes which would promptly be memorised and then repeated back ad nauseam in school the next day. I selected Season 2, set in the Elizabethan era and watched through a few episodes. Sadly, it was not as funny as I remembered it and I have been reflecting on our natural tendency to look back on previous seasons and times in our lives with the proverbial 'rose-tinted spectacles'.

Today in the Office, someone had found a stack of old photos from the earlier days of the Church and we were looking through them and, to be honest, laughing a lot at quite a few as some much younger and slimmer versions of today's older models were smiling back in these pictures. All the memories of the 'good old days' came flooding back but the truth be known; those days were no better than these days! Just recently, I was praying and felt God remind me again not to look back but continue to look forward. There are numerous references in the Bible about fixing our focus on the future and not allowing memories of the past to become idols (Isaiah 43:18-19, Luke 9:62, Philippians 3:13, Hebrews 12:2). A focus on the past will produce fruit that is neither relevant or real. Some people recount the same old stories of God's work that goes back years and yet have nothing from this week or even this year; they represent a 'good old days' mentality. Clearly, we thank God for all He does and we must remember what He has taught us about Himself through our life experiences in the past but we should have something fresh on our lips as God is always doing something fresh and new today.

Think about your own life today; are you harking back to the 'good old days' that weren't that good when you watch them through again? Have you set up altars to past works and moves of God but have forgotten that He is the same yesterday today and forever?

There is a 'today' dynamic that should be part of who we are in God NOW. Pray it through with the Lord and see what He brings to mind.

Sign on the Dotted Line

We had a great Harvest Festival yesterday morning. These things can so easily become a bit 'religious'; you know, a programme of things to get through that can lack spiritual life as people are focused on getting through the programme rather than on the Lord. Although we did have a very structured service yesterday, there was real life in what took place. I loved seeing the kids getting into the worship and really participating enthusiastically in the songs. The testimonies from young and old alike were excellent and added a spontaneous dynamic to the proceedings. Celebrating Pastor John and Linda's Wedding Anniversary was a very special moment too as marriage is so often denigrated and attacked in contemporary, post-modern culture. Many, many congratulations to them on 40 years of marriage! We love them and continue to thank God for them and their wonderful example to all of us, married and single, young and old.

It's official: I AM RUNNING THE LONDON MARATHON. I have just registered with them for my Golden Bond and there is no going back now! To be honest, I have been putting it off for a while: Bob sent me the email about this a few weeks ago. There is something very final about putting your name and details on a form and hitting the 'REGISTER' button. I know that this is not irrevocable; injury would mean that things would be postponed until 2011 but in my mind I have committed to this. There comes a time when we have to really commit to something...or someone.

Commitment is important. In fact, it reflects something of God's own nature and character; He is committed (the theological word is 'covenanted') to us. He never gives up on us. He proves Himself faithful time and time again even when we are not. Commitment is a precious commodity in the Kingdom of Heaven. It actually oils the wheels of spiritual progress; you can't expect to grow in God if you are not committed to God. Human relationships are similar (although vastly inferior to God's perfection) in so far as relationships (I include friendships as well as marriages) need the oil of commitment from the two (or more) parties concerned. Children need to be committed to their Parents. We need to be committed to our Churches. We should be committed to commitment.

The problem is that we can obfuscate and procrastinate, putting off the moment to 'sign on the dotted line'. It will be costly and time consuming. It will require perseverance, effort and energy. It will hurt. However, whatever it is that God is requiring you to commit to today; your husband and wife, a specific work God has asked you to do, a friendship, BCC or whatever it may be, I can guarantee that if you commit with God's commitment, it will be worth it in the end.

I'll keep you posted on the Marathon training too...

Harvest Time

This Sunday we will be having our first Harvest Festival Service in a very long time. I have vivid memories of Harvest Festival Assemblies at school when we all brought in tins of food for 'poor' people and listened to someone drone about nothing of significance. Thankfully, this Sunday's meeting will be very different! We will be taking up a special offering of non-perishable food to go in The Storehouse. This provides hampers of food to local women's refuges and Claire Morgan does a great job administrating it. Don't forget to bring along your contribution this Sunday! As we look forward to the meeting on Sunday let's remember two important things...

1. Kids Matter However we may feel about these very different services, the kids love them. Having an opportunity to come together as a whole Church for a whole meeting is extremely important for our children all of whom benefit from this corporate time together. They get to see us altogether as a spiritual family, having fun, worshipping God and receive a message that their presence and participation in the meeting is important to us and to God! It is also an excellent form of outreach for local families, many of whom would never attend Church otherwise and there is always a very special dynamic in these joint meetings which really impacts visitors to BCC.

It saddens me to think that we might view Family Services like this as 'miss able' and arrange to do other things instead. Are we suggesting that God is not present in these different sort of meetings? Are we implying that they are 'inferior' to our usual Sunday sessions? Clearly, there is nothing wrong in missing occasional meetings (I do not attend every Sunday meeting), instead I recommend we take an attitude check; are we deliberately missing a meeting because we think it will be 'second rate' or we 'won't get anything out of it'?

2. Jehovah Jireh This Old Testament name for God encapsulates one of the key themes running through the whole Bible: God provides all we need for life. The focus of a Harvest Festival Service traditionally centres (not surprisingly) on the successful reaping of the annual harvest and the provision of food for survival through the winter and into another year. It recognises hard work, sometimes against difficult odds and celebrates abundance that translates into improved finances, seed for next year and more. In 21st Century Britain, everyday is a harvest day as the supermarkets keep us well stocked with food and provisions and we never go hungry! However it is important to make every day a 'thank you day' as we remind ourselves that God always provides what we need, He never lets us down and even in the most difficult times we can truly trust in Him for all we need.

Come ready and expectant for an awesome time on Sunday morning! Bring your donations for The Store House and invite your friends and neighbours to join us at 10am this Sunday. Most importantly, take time today to thank God for all He has provided in your life, whether that be your health, friends, family, food, education, finance, answered prayers, kids and so on. We must be a people of praise! Have a great weekend and see you back here in Blog Land on Monday.

***DON'T FORGET: THE CLOCKS GO BACK ONE HOUR AT 2AM ON SUNDAY. ENJOY YOUR EXTRA HOUR IN BED!***

Sheep Shape

On Tuesday we had our usual ENERGY meeting. In the last few weeks the young people have been running workshop sessions of their own, looking at key issues relevant to Christian teenagers today. These have included evangelism, worship, running a Christian Union and more. This week, we were gathering all the 6th Formers together for a session on 'Life After School'. There has been an unprecedented explosion in the number of options now available to post18 year olds in the last 10 years and the previous 'established' route of A-Levels or some vocational apprenticeship followed by University or a 'proper job' is one of many baffling avenues that could be right for the individual concerned.

Of particular interest to me is the plethora of positive year out opportunities that have purpose and direction; I am not a big fan of 'bumming around' different places, just drifting in and out of things with no clear sense of conviction or purpose. Moreover, a cursory glance through any short-term/long-term missions directory will reveal hundreds of excellent ways a young person can dedicate a year of their lives in concentrated service to God at a time when they are unencumbered by more domestic responsibilities like having to work to pay a mortgage!

The 'Life After School' Session went really well and Nicky Summerhill (a Connexions Manager herself) provided some excellent input combining practical pointers with key Kingdom principles. I was praying very carefully about what to say to the dozen or so 6th Formers and God reminded me of Psalm 23. I felt God remind me to remind them that He is a Perfect Shepherd. One of the key things to remember about a Shepherd is that he sees the bigger picture. Most sheep cannot see past the end of their noses but the wonderful truth is that God sees the whole of our lives: beginning, middle and end. Allowing Him to lead us and guide us will ensure we get it right and enjoy His peace and protection whatever the weather.

As well as seeing the bigger picture, the Shepherd also uses His rod and staff to comforts us (Psalm 23:4). This comes in the shape of discipline and direction that will intervene in our lives if we are going down a wrong route. The mature Christian learns to hear God's voice and feel the 'check' of Holy Spirit in these matters. This is why making use of Godly counsel and advice is so important (Proverbs 13:20); it can literally save our (spiritual) lives!

Here are some of the pointers which came out of the session:

• Push some doors
• Take Godly advice and counsel (especially from Parents and Leaders)
• Pray / Keep God at the centre of it all
• Look for a sense of peace in any major decision
• Don't rush things
• Talk to others who are a bit further down the road
• Make use of services like Connexions
• Be excited about this brand new chapter of your life; you are growing up and leaving the teen years behind!
• Don't compare your own experience to others - one size does not fit all.
• Going to University is not compulsory!
• Consider the sort of things you enjoy and are good at e.g. God is probably not calling you to be an English teacher if you do not enjoy books./words/reading and so on.
• Learning to find God's direction in issues like these is an essential life skill for any Christian and the principles you learn through this will stand you in good stead for the future.
• Remember: God is Your Shepherd and He can do a much better job of leading your life than you can.

Have a good day. See you tomorrow.

May I Never Lose The Wonder of The Cross

Welcome to another Monday and another week. I hope you had a good weekend. I spent it visiting friends, having friends over for dinner and hanging out with other friends watching The X Factor Results Show (clearly the whole of Ireland are voting for the twins just to annoy everyone else!). I spent some of yesterday reflecting on the Sunday meeting. It had a different 'feel' to it as communion always changes the dynamic of what we are doing and the focus on the Cross and Jesus' death really helped set the scene for the message on the "True Nature of Divine Love".

At the heart of Christianity is the Cross and sometimes we do need to be reminded of this; unpopular as it may be. It is all to easy to forget what God has done and begin to think of ourselves more highly than we ought. We can look at ourselves and congratulate ourselves on our success, our works, our growth as Christians and so easily forget Who made it all possible in the first place and Who works in us and through us to achieve God's perfect will in our lives today. We do have a part to play in following Christ, of that there is no doubt, but I know how easy it is to begin to view my life of faith as some sort of 'self-improvement' programme using strategies and techniques more suited to the world of the cognitive-behavioural therapist rather than the Kingdom of God.

There were a number of 'holy moments' in yesterday's meeting as Holy Spirit came with the weight and presence of God. What really moved me was our time of Communion; I received a fresh revelation of my own need to participate in this death process. The Lord Jesus did not invite us to be spectators at His death but to be full participators in that death so we too can 'live for Christ'. I hear again His commands to take up my cross and follow Him, to fall to the ground and die like a grain of wheat so that in the place of my spiritual death His spiritual life can come. I am challenged by the cry of those devout, radical followers of God through the ages who cry out 'I must decrease and He must increase'. As I looked around the Bourne Chapel yesterday and saw my Brothers and Sisters in Christ taking the bread and wine; reaching out to one another for prayer, families reaffirming their covenants with one another and marriages being honoured before God, I was reminded again that we must never lose the wonder of the Cross.

It must always be the centrepiece of our Christian faith.

Pray the Word

A quick update for you from Zambia: Pastors John and Richard, accompanied by Bob are having a truly awesome time at the Solwesi Conference in the northern Copper Belt area. In a recent text, Pastor John said that they were having a "phenomenal time" and working under a "powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit"; at one point he had to stop as worship began to break out in the middle of the preach. Fresh revelation is pouring out of Pastor John and into the conference delegates and they are being truly blessed. Wow! Pastor Richard also commented that he has not seen Pastor John preach so powerfully for a long time and everyone is so receptive. What great news! We continue to pray and cover them with God's goodness.

As always, our Wednesday morning prayer meetings continue from 6am-7am and prove to be extremely fruitful. This week was no exception. Something which I am finding to be more and more effective in my own times of prayer is using the Word of God as prayers to God. On Wednesday morning we adopted this exact strategy as we dipped into Psalm 91 and allowed the Holy Spirit to highlight key words, phrases and concepts. We then deployed these Biblical truths into expressions of prayer to the Lord and the spiritual atmosphere really began to change; Holy Spirit loves God's Word and His attention is always drawn to those people linking up with the Word in this way.

One of the reasons for this is that the Word of God is powerful, active and a potent agent for change in the spiritual realms (Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17, 2 Timothy 3:16). Moreover, the Scriptures recalibrates our focus onto the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and I find that whenever I focus on Jesus and not on myself, my prayer life improves! That is not to say that bringing our own needs and requests to God is not Biblical; it is (1 Peter 5:7) but we should not stay there but move forward into a deeper communion with the Lord that supercedes our own earthly focus and human existence.

Learning to 'pray the Word' takes time and practice but, if we persevere and stick at it, letting Holy Spirit lead, guide and teach us how to pray (Luke 11:1, John 14:26) we will reap unprecedented spiritual dividends. I will be going into more detail about this at the Prayer Meeting tomorrow morning (Saturday 17 October) from 7.30am. If you want to 'get ahead' then have a read through Psalm 18 as this will form the basis of our discussion.

Otherwise have a great weekend and see you on Sunday morning for another encounter time with God. God Bless! xx

Worship Team Training Day Report

As promised, here is my take on last Saturday's BCC Worship Team Training Day. About 15-20 Musicians from the Church gathered for a day's training and team building. This is the first such event we have run and it proved to be highly successful. The programme consisted of a number of different parts. We started with two practical workshops led by Jon and Kat. Each person could choose which workshop they attended. Jon was looking at how we arrange songs and took Phil Wickham's song 'Because of Your Love', building around it lessons in layering, dynamics, creating musical space, variety and had different musicians mentoring other musicians. Kat ran a special session on developing vocal techniques and incorporated into this a strong emphasis on how to sing prophetically; picking a phrase, building confidence and knowing the right time to deliver it. Both these sessions were extremely well received and expertly facilitated. I saw again just how many talented people God has added into the Team, complimenting my weaknesses with their strengths. The anointed total of these constituent parts is truly inspiring to behold.

Just before we broke for lunch (thank to Fran for sorting out a lovely Ploughman's and Jamie for providing extra cakes!) I spoke briefly on our journey as a worship team using Psalm 136 as an example of seeing God at work through a whole lifetime. Knowing where we have come from, seeing God at work in our past and remembering these testimonies provide important spiritual stimulation to our faith for what God is going to do in the future: if He's done it before then He'll definitely do it again. It also helps newer members appreciate the price we have paid to be where we are and grounds us all in the reality of the limitless possibilities of a God who works outside of time constraints yet ironically can only be seen outworking His purposes and perfect character over the course of years rather than minutes.

Lunch followed.

After this I drew out attention to Romans 12:1, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." We broke into groups to consider what worship really involves and I then detailed this some more, identifying worship as being all about Jesus, being costly, being a daily act of devotion and requiring death to self in order that the life of Christ maybe demonstrated through us. It is more than singing a song. We concluded our day with a time of worship, prayer and communion.

What did I take away from this event? I saw how faithful God has been to us over many years. I was so very thankful to God for giving me a great team of very different and diverse characters, all of whom work together to serve Jesus by serving His Church in this ministry. Included in this are Jon and Kat, both of whom play a vital role in what God is doing through worship here in BCC. I also ate lots of cake.

What a great day :-) Thanks to all of you who came along, got involved and/or prayed for the event. Thanks also to the Worship Team for all their hard work. Thanks to those who helped make the day possible (including Fran and Peter Gossage) but most of all, thanks to God for all He is doing; He gets all the glory. See you tomorrow.

Get Back on the Horse

One of my favourite Scriptures is Proverbs 24:16 "Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again but the wicked are brought down by calamity". The NLT says, "They may trip seven times, but each time they will rise again. But one calamity is enough to lay the wicked low." It speaks of victory and tenacity; hope and perseverance; character amidst adversity. This morning I felt the Lord speak to me very clearly and He said, "Get back on the horse." This reminded me of the above Proverb and I share it with you today.

God always takes our failures and mistakes and teaches us brand new lessons so we might bear fresh fruit for Him. I'm not going to go into detail here (too personal) but I recently 'came off the horse.' I made a bit of a mistake and it knocked my confidence leaving me with a clutch of negative thoughts and an ambivalence about re-engaging with the issue in hand. This simple phrase really captured my attention and I have asked God to activate the truth of His word (Proverbs 24:16) in my life; enabling me to get up and get on!

It has also caused me to re-evaluate the true nature of God's Kingdom love; it has nothing to do with the sickly-sweet, 'God is my Daddy and I have cuddles with Jesus' nonsense that is becoming all too common in some theological circles. As a grown man, I have not had a desire to sit on my Daddy's lap and be cuddled by him for many, many years. No, this is a more mature, substantive understanding that love = discipline (Hebrews 12:5-13). I recognise that God the Father wants to teach us and train us to be more like His Son. This involves listening and learning from God when we make mistakes and getting back on the horse after we fall off. Ultimately, our goal should be to reduce the numbers of falls we have until we are established and accomplished in what God has called us to do.

Have you fallen off a horse that God has given you to ride? Do you need to re-engage with it and get back on there, learning lessons through the revelation of the Holy Spirit which can now be applied through further experience? Listen, once again, to the Bible (Hebrews 12:11), "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Get up and get on with all God wants to teach you!

It Takes Two...

It's been a busy weekend for us here at B.C.C. On Saturday, our prayer meeting kicked off at 7.30am as usual and we had a really powerful time. What really changed the spiritual atmosphere was the short time we spent speaking in tongues; this opened us up to finding God's agenda for the meeting and things took off. As well as that the Music Team got together for a special day's training which was both profitable and enjoyable (thanks to Esther and Samuel for bringing in the tin of Roses!). There'll be more on that in the Blog this week. That was not the end of it though: most of us will have attended yesterday's meeting and it was a very 'full' meeting. The prophetic emphasis seemed to centre in on the need to surrender everything to God and the spiritual life which flows from this place of spiritual death. Tim's message on worship, based on Psalm 29, was also an excellent summary of what we had just done and I was reminded once again that worship is 'alive'; by engaging with it we expose ourselves to the true nature of God Himself. Tim's message is available for download from itunes or from our website.

God is never stingy and He was still speaking to me on Sunday afternoon. As many of you will know, I am running the London Marathon in 2010 to raise money for the work of Aid International in the Zambian Orphanages based in Lusaka. Pastor Neil and Neil Taylor will also be running too and we hope to raise £1000s! The training continues. Yesterday afternoon Neil (Taylor) and I went out for a run together. Following one of my 6 mile routes, but starting at Neil's house instead of mine, we pounded the streets and arrived back soaked (it rained) and aching but in extremely good shape as I broke my own PB coming in at 49 minutes and 30 secs.

Neil is a lot fitter than I am (skinnier and younger too *sob*) and I know my pace was a lot slower than he was used to but he graciously followed my lead. This partnership was what made a difference in the way I ran and helped me achieve something with which I have been struggling for months: to break the 50 minute barrier. We know that it is not good for man (and woman!) to be alone and whilst this is often used as a universal endorsement for marriage I would like to suggest that it applies to everyone whether they are married or not; I have known a few lonely married people in my time. Having Neil run with me spurred me on. It helped me push myself a bit more and focus on someone else and not just my own needs. Two of us were able to achieve more than one.

With this in mind, apply the principle to your walk (run? lol) with God. The Lord has given all of us people with whom we need to run this race. At the point of new birth we are born again into a family of believers (the Church) and they are there to help. Drawing on these relationships provides us with some of the building blocks of fruitful Christianity; they keep us on the right path, they help us keep up when we are struggling and lagging behind, they point out weaknesses and problems which need improving, they model something which inspires us to do the same. I could go on but instead I leave you to ponder this tremendous picture and to ask this important question, "Where are the runners in my life?"

If you want to find out more about Neil's marathon training courtesy of his sparkling new blog then check out the link: http://www.neilsmarathon.com/nm/ You can even sponsor him if you like!

Making Beautiful Music Together

Tomorrow, about 20 B.C.C. musicians (and a couple of drummers lol) will gather for our first ever Saturday Training Session. I can't tell you how excited I am about this. I have always loved worshipping Jesus; that I can sing and play an instrument as an expression of this deep desire is something for which I thank Him every day of my life. I've written about this elsewhere on the blog (see Friday 18 September) so I'll not go on about it again here. Instead, I want to reflect on the significance of this gathering tomorrow and bring a testimony of God's faithfulness.

It would have been unthinkable to gather 20 musicians together for a day's training and equipping 10 years ago: we didn't have that many on the Team! What has been so amazing to watch in my tenure as Worship Team Leader is the transformation of this small group of committed people to what we have today: a strong, united team who don't just play worship songs but live worship lives. Not that many years ago we had no drummers and I took lessons and picked up the drum sticks myself! Now we have two extremely accomplished drummers who don't perform for an audience but play for the audience of One. There are more coming through as well. During one year I led worship every Sunday morning and every Sunday evening as there were no other worship leaders available to share the load. Today we have two highly gifted co-Leaders who have both recorded their own albums! Some of Jon's songs are used in the Church on a regular basis and really capture the prophetic spirit and heart of who we are and what we do.

But it's not just about numbers.

I have noticed a change in anointing on us. In the past I would plough through songs and leave very little room for anything else. Today, our worship is led by the Holy Spirit in a way that I have never seen or experienced before. We can practice 10 songs before a meeting and then do none of them in the meeting (sorry Video Projector Team)! No longer do we have to stick to the written music but can go 'off-piste' as we navigate the terrain of truly prophetic worship. Wednesday's Holy Spirit Night showed me once again just what God can do when we get out the way and let Him rule and reign. Even the songs we use have become far more Christ-centred which in turn releases a dynamic in worship that only comes when Jesus is positioned at the centre of it all. Visitors to the Church consistently identify worship as being a major influence in their decision to return. There are many testimonies from people who meet God and encounter Him in fresh ways as we worship together and even some long-standing members of the Team who also carry this panoramic view of our development can identify massive life-changing shifts in their own lives (see Chris' article in this month's Spotlight Magazine).

Why do I tell you all this? I do not boast in my own abilities. I only boast in Christ. God has warned me this week not to let self interest taint what He is doing in the worship team and through the Church as a whole. I dare not touch this holy work of God for fear of what might happen (2 Samuel 6). My desire is to see God take us even further. I thank God for what is happening and as we gather tomorrow, I will be looking at a living testimony of His grace, mercy, blessing and anointing upon BCC. Please pray for this session and stand with me as we continue to let the Lord take us forward in this exciting adventure of worship.

Zambia Watch

Tomorrow, Pastors John, Richard and Bob Hamer fly out to Zambia for a ten day ministry trip. Our relationship with Bishop Hudson Luwi and the growing number of Churches across Zambia and into Zimbabwe that relate to him in an apostolic manner, goes from strength to strength. Having been myself on two prior occasions, their spiritual growth and development is always evident from one year to the next. They are truly a spiritually rich group of people who matter very much to the Lord.

The majority of this trip will focus on the Solwezi Conference; a concentrated 5-day series of meetings based in this northern Copper-Belt location, quite close to the Congo border. Each day consists of worship (it is a great privilege to hear these saints worship God using their own language and songs) and teaching from our team (mainly Pastor John) as well as others from the Zambian connection.

Since last year's visit, a number of Churches have been planted in the Solwezi area and they are going from strength to strength. Bishop Hudson has set in place leadership teams to pastor and lead these fledgling Churches and now, courtesy of his new vehicle bought and paid for by BCC members' financial gifts, can visit them with minimum fuss and expense. As a result of this significant growth, they are expecting 250-300 conference delegates and there will be no shortage of signs, wonders and the presence of the Lord, such is their passion for Christ.

Despite some highly challenging conditions (basic sleeping accommodation, cooking on open fires, no running water or proper toilets, exposed to the elements (sand storms and torrential downpours are not uncommon in October) and limited medical facilities), the conference delegates come hungry for God and ready to receive absolutely everything He has for them. Sometimes they have attended the meetings with empty stomachs as sand storms blew out the fires on which their evening meal was being cooked. There are no showers or bathrooms yet they were impeccably turned out and greeted us with a genuine warmth and hospitality that would not have been out of place when greeting heads of state and other dignitaries.

This attitude of honour was and still is a great provocation to me.

In Apostolic Biblical Church, Colin Urquhart writes (p.9 emphasis added), "An apostolic people recognise their complete dependence on the Lord to accomplish His plans and purposes. They are a people of faith and authority. There is a keen sense of honouring the Lord and the anointing He gives, and of honouring those who carry that anointing. Those submitted to a greater anointing than they themselves carry can minister in the power of that anointing that is greater than their own. They are able to accomplish far more, therefore, than they would be able to accomplish on their own." As the Zambian Church honour both Pastor John and Bishop Hudson, this anointing is released into their lives and the Kingdom of God advances through them. This fruit of honour is often ignored but it is both Biblical (Hebrews 13:17) and essential for our ability to produce truly Christ-like fruit.

Pray for the Team as they travel and minister. Pray also for yourselves as these Zambian Christians have a far greater understanding of honour and submission than most in the West. They are reaping the spiritual benefits as a result.

Start Paddling!

On Saturday I went down to Putsborough Beach (near Croyde) for a spot of surfing. As a relative newcomer to this, I am still learning but I can stand up on a board (a big one!) and catch the waves nearer to shore. The surf was very messy (breaking unevenly) and coming in at different angles. The wind was also coming in from the sea which did not help! Anyway, enough nerd-talk. Whilst in the sea, I was talking to Nathan from BCC ( who is a keen and very capable surfer himself). He had watched me catch a wave and I asked him for a few pointers. Something he said really stuck with me and I realised God was teaching me something through this simple piece of practical surfing advice: as I was waiting for the wave, Nathan simply shouted, "START PADDLING!". I was just waiting for it and then paddling at the last minute.

To go longer, further and maximise the full power of the wave, it has to catch you as you are move forward at its pace. I still caught the wave but because I was not paddling enough to gain my own momentum, I was not harnessing its true power. God really spoke to me through this whole sequence of events. His Spirit is flowing all the time; He wants to fill us, flow out of us and carry us along into God's perfect will and purposes.

We have a job to do though: paddle.

Let me give you an illustration of this principle in practice. Yesterday morning the worship team gathered for our usual pre-meeting practice. I have done hundreds of these over the years and each one is always unique; some go well others do not. This one felt quite flat and laboured. I have learnt through experience not to try and drive things when this is happening; it is a spiritual matter and needs to be dealt with in the Spirit. I stopped the practice and we went to the back of the Bourne and started to pray. We began to paddle; building up in ourselves a desire to catch the wave of the Holy Spirit and find ourselves propelled forward by His life and power. We spoke in tongues. We began to thank God and praise Him for who He is and what He's done. We stirred up faith and the gifts God has placed in all of us. the spiritual atmosphere began to change and when we opened with 'Found in You', I felt so different as Holy Spirit began to pick us up and take us forward.

Make this a day when you paddle in the Spirit so you too can catch the fresh wave that will take you further, longer and deeper into His perfect purposes.

'One Way' KF Leaders' Conference Report

I'm back! As mentioned previously on this Blog, Pastors Richard, Neil and I headed for Horsham this week for Kingdom Faith's Leadership Conference. I'd forgotten how far away Horsham is! Despite the distance, it is always worth making the effort as God is doing some truly awesome work in and through these men and women. It is always difficult to encapsulate 2 days worth of intensive teaching and encounters with God into a pithy statement but I'll try and give you a flavour of what went on...

Monday Our journey down was pretty good. We arrived and immediately recognised a few familiar faces. Both Neil and I have been before and God has helped us form some 'connections' with some of the different leaders both in Horsham and beyond. As always the food and hospitality were done to a very high standard. The conference is organised around tables seating approximately 8 people. You remain with them for the day and then it's all change. It's rather like attending a continuous wedding reception! It always amazes me that the KF Team are quick to serve and support everyone attending their conferences; there is no 'top table' hosting the 'elite' leaders. No, everyone is treated the same and the attitude and approach of all the Staff is exemplary. They preach servant leadership and they model it!

Tuesday Today I was in a more reflective mood. The keynote sessions from Monday had been packed full of challenging, prophetic life and today was going to be no different. The main themes centred in on the 'Death-Life Principle'; the biblical teaching that we must die to ourselves in order that Christ may live in us. Other themes included the true nature of revival and that this is simply preaching and living The Gospel; when we 'get out of the way' and allow the fullness of Christ's work to dwell in us then revival breaks out. Other themes included the importance of authority and submission, unity at a leadership level and the example of these principles as demonstrated through the life of Moses and David. By the end of the day I was reeling from all that God was saying to me; I go to events such as these expecting one 'agenda' and find that God has other ideas! I'm still talking to the Lord about these more personal issues which need to be put to death and I thank Him that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 3:14).

Wednesday Both Clive and Colin Urquhart spoke during the morning session, providing some practical insight into how to apply all that had been developed through the Holy Spirit in the past couple of days. We have ordered all of the talks on CD and I'm sure they will be made available to any of you who would like to listen. The whole conference concluded with communion and then a buffet lunch! All in all, it was an extremely prophetic time from which much fruit will come in the weeks and months ahead. Thanks also to John and Claire Taylor for letting us stay at their home - I hope there is some Quality Street left!

Don't forget the Prayer Meeting tomorrow morning (7.30am) and keep praying for the 40 000 Students who have descended on Bristol in the last week or so. Remember, October is the month where we can expect some new faces turning up to check us out. Have a great weekend.