The Porn Storm Part 2

Today's news is full of comment and analysis of some startling new research commissioned by the Home Office which explores the 'oversexualisation of children' in 21st Century Britain. Of particular concern is the way boys and girls, being exposed to a steady 'drip drip' of soft porn imagery, are being sexualised at a far earlier age than in previous generations. Through so-called, 'Lads Mags', the growing use of sex and sexual imagery in advertising targeting teens and pre-teens, computer games and the sheer volume of explicit, easily-accessible hardcore porn on the internet via WAP phones and home pcs, we now have children and young people viewing porn as 'the norm'. The results for their lives and for our culture as a whole are extremely damaging.

"Young girls wear "porn star" T-shirts and it is possible to buy babies' bibs with the slogan: "All daddy wanted was a ****job", according to Dr. Linda Papadopoulos (a clinical psychologist at London Metropolitan University and author of the report), "taboos have been pushed back so far. They are taking their script directly from pornography."

At this point, I would like to simply present the Bible's teaching on sex. Yes, this has been openly mocked and ridiculed by 'experts' for years; dismissed as 'restrictive and prudish' by so many sections of our liberal society who still want to live in the sexual revolution of the 1960s and cling to their own naive notion that 'freedom of speech' justifies the exposure of teens and pre-teens to a highly damaging sexual philosophy, even if it means they have to suffer for it.

Firstly, God is PRO sex. He designed men and women to 'fit together'! (Genesis 1:27 / 2:18-25)
Secondly, sex is more than biology: it carries with it a spiritual dynamic (Genesis 2:24 / Matthew 19:4-6).
Thirdly, it is an expression of commitment (the theological word is 'covenant') and is only appropriate in the context of marriage (i.e. a 'covenant' between a man and a woman). This is the place where such an ultimate expression of physical, emotional and spiritual intimacy can be appropriately and safely expressed.
Fourthly, sex is a gift not a god and unless handled in a righteous way (i.e doing what the Bible says), it will quickly take over and rule a person. Like all things, it has a context and when taken out of that biblical context, it becomes something it was never intended to be.

As a Youth Leader, it is my job to teach Truth. For me, the Bible has all we need to live life God's way here on earth. Through my words and my actions, my prayer is that we can help show young people the way forward so they too can live sexually pure lives in a world that advocates a sexual philosophy that, according to their own research, does more harm than good.

Have a good weekend, I'll see you back here on Monday.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/clamp-down-on-lads-mags-to-avoid-pornification-of-society-says-study-1911324.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8537734.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/25/lads-magazines-restricted-home-office-study

Farewell Fran...

After 20 years of working for this Church, Fran is leaving. Along with her husband Gerry, Fran was one of the 'original' couples who moved over to set up, what is now BCC, back in 1985. The 'Office' (a very grand title for one person and a typewriter!) began in someone's living room and there it remained until the Church began to grow and we moved into the King's Centre and then again into our current premises here in Kingswood. Fran set up all of those early systems, upon which so much of the church's administrative life now depends and was instrumental in delivering the main building and development projects that so many of us now enjoy. Much of her early support and admin work in Castaways has now born much fruit and significantly contributed to the strong position from which it ministers to over 25 000 customers every year.

I have worked for BCC since 1995 and I still remember that first day in the Office and the subsequent weeks of 'finding my feet' which was made all the more easier by Fran's help, support and er...patience! I know it's hard to believe but I do have some grumpy moments and there are times when I can feel the weight and responsibility of my work in the Church. All the while Fran has extended towards me abundant amounts of support and generosity of spirit, even when I have not reciprocated in kind.

It is important to honour those people who faithfully serve God, especially when that work is of a sacrificial nature. I know Fran wants God's reward and acclaim, not ours but we have much to thank her for in her diligent and fruitful service of this Church. There are very few people who are willing to stick out a job for more than two decades even when it is clearly given to them by God; faithfulness and longevity are highly underrated in the world but are key qualities for those in the Kingdom of God. As you will know, we presented her with a superb gold watch at last Sunday's meeting and her final week in the Office has been punctuated with well wishers, flowers, cards, cakes (!!) and more. On Tuesday we enjoyed a meal together with all the BCC office staff and tonight we mark her final day with a smaller, more intimate gathering of colleagues and friends to wish her a final farewell and relieve her of the Office keys, change the door codes and escort her off the premises (joke).

God never allows us to get comfortable and it is time for Fran to move onto something fresh that will challenge her faith and move her into the next stage of her walk with Jesus. She is not leaving the Church but instead will find a new place and new role as God continues to bless her, Gerry and the family in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Thank you Fran for all your work, we really thank God for you and all you have contributed to the life of this Church over 20 years.

200th Post

This is my 200th post on the BCC BLOG! How time has flown since we kicked off this little written log of the life and times of Bristol Community Church back in January 2009. It has had over 4500 hits from the main website and combined with lots of readers via Face Book, you seem to like it! You never know who is watching? I've had comments from the official blogger at Covenant Eyes, a journalist from a Newquay newspaper and even a BBC Producer! Some of you have been kind enough to leave comments in that time and I do my best to publish them, even if they are a bit critical. Some don't make it through because they are just plain rude or silly!

All sorts of topics and issues have been covered in the previous 199 entries including some of the 'Over-2-u" sessions we did with the youth last Summer (the most read with nearly 300 hits), my thoughts on Newquay (another popular choice with nearly 100 hits), meeting summaries, book reviews, Faith Camp, Homegroups, Youth news and so much more.

As long as you want to read it, I'll keep doing it so thanks to all of you for your support and have a great day. Despite it being half term, we ARE meeting this Saturday morning for prayer (7.30am-9am in the Lounge) and our Sunday meeting begins at 10am as usual. I'll be back here in Blog Land on Monday. Until then...bye bye!

The Porn Storm

Porn is a problem. That's a FACT. In an article called The Porn Trap written by Wendy Maltz in this month's Therapy Today Journal, she sketches out a picture that is highly disturbing. This is no religious zealot from the George W. Bush School of Sex Education but "an internationally recognised psychotherapist, sex therapist and author of numerous books on sexuality." Ironically, her message is not dissimilar from the message taught and trumpeted by the Church: porn is wrong both morally, emotionally and mentally. Maltz makes some startling observations and I include a potted summary here...

-The US regards pornography addiction as "our newest and most challenging mental health problem".
-Worldwide annual porn and porn-related revenues are in excess of $100 billion.
-Porn is increasingly cited as a reason for divorce and relationship breakdown.
-"Over time, more of my clients experiencing the impact of porn in their lives began using words and phrases usually associated with hardcore drug addiction." (p.15)
-"I never wanted to be out beating the drum against pornography. In the beginning of my career [as a Sex Therapist], if anyone had suggested I'd be here now, I'd have laughed at them. But from my own clients, my research and my personal experience, I've come to the conclusion that pornography is moving from an individual and couples' problem to a public health problem, capable of deeply harming the emotional, sexual and relationship well being of millions of men, women and children." (p. 16 emphasis added)
-Research done in 2009 amongst 1000 13-16 year olds in the UK found they were spending an average of one hour and 40 minutes a week (87 hours a year) looking at porn.
-"Porn stimulates the reward and pleasure centres in the brain, instantly and dramatically increasing the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with both sexual arousal and drug highs." (p.17)
-Despite the legal and personal risks involved, 19% of all teenagers are 'sexting' one another i.e the act of sending and/or receiving sexually suggestive, nude or nearly nude photos through texts and/or emails.

Two years ago, we did a series of comprehensive teachings with our Young People called "The Sex Factor." Covering key topics relating to sex and sexuality we sought to give a biblical worldview of what God has to say on areas such as dating, pornography, being a virgin, Internet safety and so on. Theses sessions were recorded and placed on a special page on our website. It has had 874 hits since then and continue to be accessed by parents and teenagers alike.
http://www.bristolcommunitychurch.org/factor.asp

Porn is a real problem for Christians and non-Christians alike. It is poison to the soul and unless handled with firmness, zeal and wisdom it will consume you and displace Christ as the Lord of your life. There are some obvious practical strategies available to help people (mainly men) struggling in this area... for example Covenant Eyes Software, accountability partners, the Word of God and careful choices about what we look at and think about. Honest, caring and non-judgmental responses are needed from those who stand with people seeking to be free in this area. Personally, I do not have Internet access on my phone, nor do I have it at home. Although I have FreeSat, all the 'adult content' channels have been deleted. Internet access is through my Office computer ONLY which is monitored by Covenant Eyes with Pastor Neil as my Accountability Partner. Too many of us can compromise and 'flirt' with this sort of stuff. 1 Cor 6:18 says we should 'flee from sexual immorality'. Joseph simply RAN from Potiphar's wife when she tried to seduce him away from living the way God wanted him to; he did not stay and pray!

Today the world is finding out what God has already made clear through His Word for centuries. We have the answer to this problem: Jesus.

Holy Hug

Listen to these words form Psalm 13:5-6 (Message Version), "I've thrown myself headlong into Your arms - I'm celebrating your rescue. I'm singing at the top of my lungs, I'm so full of answered prayers." There are times when God simply embraces us with a holy hug. He grips us in His arms of love and simply enfolds us in the never-ending revelation of Who He is and what He's done for us through Christ.

His Holy Spirit reinforces this visceral encounter, Romans 8:15 (again from The Message Version) explains more, "This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa? God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children." An indulgent sugar daddy He is not, but we all need to know that touch of His presence in our lives, whatever our age, man and woman, boy and girl.

There have been moments when I can confirm the truth of this statement through the reality of my own life and walk with God. Sometimes, He ambushes me. I'm quietly minding my own business praying and worshipping, and then He suddenly breaks through and grips me with His love. When I became a Christian at 16 years old, standing at the front of Earl's Curt in London as Billy Graham preached the Gospel that I was flooded with Father love; He literally came down and embraced me in a tangible way.

Today I am a grown man. Yet I still need those Holy Hugs. I'm not advocating a silly, indulgent view of a Holy, Perfect God, but we must remember that we too, like the Psalmist, can throw ourselves headlong into the arms of God, knowing His love for us is both tangible, real and fuel for the fires of our faith. I'm not a great fan of meaningless, superficial hugs. Thankfully, neither is God and when He reaches down and embraces me, my soul sings once again and I am refreshed and ready to continue walking with Jesus.

Let Him do the same to you today.

Sounds of Silence

I have noisy neighbours. For a number of months I have had to deal with their comings and goings at unsociable hours of the night and it came to a head last week when I confronted them and asked...well told them to be quiet! Silence and quiet is a precious commodity and in our very busy 24-7, never-ending, frenetic western world, it is rare to simply sit in silence. .

The Bible seems to position silence as an important dynamic in the lives of Christians. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God". 1 Kings 19:11-12 shows us that God's voice was not in the earthquake or the fire but a 'gentle whisper'. Luke 5:16 says, "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Our souls are bombarded with different 'voices' all telling us what to believe, how to live and where to go. TV, Newspapers, Internet, Face Book, per groups, 'Experts', Radio, music and so on will brainwash us unless we wash our brains in the Word of God: The Truth. Without stillness and silence, it is virtually impossible to hear God through it all.

At Saturday morning's prayer meeting, we spent 10 minutes in total silence. It was an amazing time of encountering God and a flow of Holy Spirit life began to pour into the meeting. The prayers which followed were truly inspired. Yesterday, Pastor Neil continued this theme as we spent the first few minutes as a whole Church in silence. Despite my initial lack of faith, I soon realised he had caught hold of a true Holy Spirit moment as different sections of the Church began to sing and lift their hearts to God. This released a powerful flow of Holy Spirit into the meeting and as a result, the worship exploded with power; we went to new places of His Presence.

Make time to enjoy the sound of silence this week. Let the Holy Spirit encounter you and lead you into an intimate moment with God. Don't run into His presence and talk at Him, filling the air with the sound of your own voice, instead come and wait in silence and be with Him as He draws near to you.

Esther Alexander @ BCC

As you know, I’m running this year’s London Marathon to raise money for Zambian Orphans. I want to raise £2620 and I am excited that ESTHER ALEXANDER has agreed to come and do a charity gig on Friday 26 March 2010 from 19:30 to 21:30 at the Bourne Chapel, Waters Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 8BE.

Esther is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter and has worked with Sting’s producer Kipper and a host of internationally acclaimed performers including, LCGC, Ruby Turner, Steve Winwood and worship-leader Matt Redman.

She's kindly agreed to take to the stage for a special one-off, 'live and unplugged' concert and will be showcasing songs from her fourth mainstream album The Long Way Home, which combines the jazz / soul feel of Norah Jones and Beth Orton with a distinct pop twist that is gaining her increasing levels of attention in the music industry.

Esther said, “It’s just such a privilege to be involved in something that has huge potential to drastically improve innocent children’s lives… People can come and enjoy beautiful music knowing that they’re changing someone’s world.”

It should be a great evening so PLEASE COME ALONG AND SUPPORT THIS EVENT! Feel free to bring along any other friends and / or family. This is an ideal event for visitors too. Get in touch with me now via text/phone to get your tickets or email me: jhennah@hotmail.co.uk.

***Ticket prices: just £5 if bought in advance or £7.50 on the door and are available NOW!!***

For more information, check out:
http://joggerjames.blogspot.com/
http://www.aidinternational.net/
My Face Book group page (search ‘James Marathon 2010’)
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JamesH (you can donate online right NOW!)
http://www.myspace.com/estheralexandermusic
http://www.estheralexander.com/

The Forcefield of Faith

Yesterday I watched Independence Day. Have you seen it? The film appeared in 1996 and starred Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum. It is a slick, pro-American, humanity vs. the universe, alien shoot 'em up and whilst it presents the USA as the only true leaders of the known globe *starts chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A" etc* , there was an image in it that really got me thinking: the aliens cannot be harmed due to the protective force field surrounding their space ships. This poses all sorts of problems for us pesky humans who have to resort to more devious methods to vanquish our foes...

This is image of being in a protective 'bubble' stayed with me. As mentioned previously on this Blog, I'm starting to work my way through the Psalms. Yesterday, I got to Psalm 511-12. Using The Personalised Promise Bible, I re-read it in The Amplified Version:

"But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits. For You, Lord, will bless the [uncompromisingly] righteous [him who is upright and in right standing with You]; as with a shield, You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favour)"

Take a minute to let the truth of those verses sink in; no matter what is happening, you dwell within His protective 'force field' of grace and favour. Nothing and no-one can touch you that is not permitted by God or allowed in through your own lack of faith or belief in His Word. Faith in God brings a security, peace and joy in life, regardless of what we are going through. I love that fact that we can be in 'high spirits' if we activate the requirements of this verse and outwork it where we are through faith. As I have been meditating on these verses and speaking them over my life, it has strengthened me and I can feel that 'force field' around me. I have wanted to shout for joy, sing and manifest those 'high spirits' because of this amazing place of blessing and provision.

As we begin another weekend, review those verses again and let God carry you away on the waves of praise and joy, raising your spirits and filling you with peace, as those words are applied and outworked in your life.

A Psalm A Day Helps You Work, Rest and Pray

Reading is not cool. I've worked with teenagers for long enough to know that given a choice, most lads simply can't, won't or don't read for pleasure. Clearly, there is nothing wrong with going out, playing sport, being active and so on so please don't misunderstand what I am saying. What we must understand, however, is a generation of non-readers is fertile soil for spiritual deception and anaemic, lifeless Christianity. God has given us the Bible. It is His word to us and comes in the form of... a book. To access it you must read it.

Yes, there is a role for teaching, preaching, discipleship and more but foundational to a healthy, passionate, fulfilling Christian life is a sound grasp of and love for God's Word: The Bible. I have heard of testimonies from people who hate reading but once they become a Christian, they simply cannot get enough of the Bible; it comes to life in their hands as they sit down and read it, the words on the page seem to 'click' ins their minds and they understand what God is saying. I am a firm believer in praying and believing that young people with an antipathy towards reading whether that be from dyslexia, learning difficulties or just a basic lack of interest in books and words, can have their desires transformed and can experience a genuine love for the Bible. However, I also think we need to help with some practical strategies.

After spending four months in Numbers, this week I started reading through the Psalms. I love the Psalms; they are full of real, 'rubber-hits-the-road' faith experiences, finding God in the midst of darkness and difficulties and plenty of power praise and prayers exploding from within the hearts of the authors all wrapped up in a few short verses (mostly). I intend to read through a couple of Psalms a day and using both my ESV Study Bible, The Message version and my Personalised Promise Bible, soak in the revelation of these truly amazing faith songs. I know Pastor John is reading through a Psalm a day and it would be good to join with him in this excellent endeavour. During this week's Energy meeting I invited any young people wanting to be a bit more disciplined in their Bible readings to do the same: read a Psalm or two every day and use it as a springboard to spending time with God.

A religious activity this is not. No, it's a simple way to get the dust of your Bible and open up the cover. It's a practical first step in seeking to generate a deeper love for and commitment to His Word. Don't despise the day of small things! It may be that you would like to join in with this plan and commit to reading a couple of Psalms a day. If your children are in Energy, you may want to talk it through as a family and do it together. Don't get too legalistic about it, instead ask God to speak to you as you work your way through. I also encourage any of you out there who are not really readers to pray and ask God to change your desires in relation to His word. You don't have to become a bookwork, just ask Him to help you read the Bible. The results may change your life...

The God Squad

I was looking through some old school reports of mine from 1984 the other day. On the whole they were pretty positive really; good at the usual stuff, no surprises as I look at who I am as a person today, but my PE reports were always rather, well, average. Mr. Brown (quite a kindly PE Teacher who did his best to encourage me at the time) wrote, "James participates enthusiastically and energetically in all activities. He has shown some athletic ability but needs to concentrate on the acquisition of ball skills if he is to progress as a games player. Grade: C1" I have never been much of a footballer and I still remember the horrors of always being one of the last to be picked for the football teams.

After four months, I have finally completed my study of Numbers and I am now settling down to work my way through Psalms. I won't be using a commentary this time, I just want to read them as they are and see how God speaks to me. Yesterday I got to Psalm 4 and verse 3 really stood out to me as I pondered on those PE days, "Look at this: look who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him." This is from The Message version and the truth behind this verse sunk in deep. I have been chosen to be on God's Team. He looked at everyone else available and chose me. The Bible makes clear that we don't pick God, He chooses us and for good reason: to be chosen is an indicator of importance, to be chosen is an expression of value and commitment, to be chosen is also a reminder of Who is in charge.

Today, God chooses you. Thank God that even though you don't deserve it, He reaches out anyway and embraces you as a child and a fully qualified heir to His Kingdom. What a truly privileged position and what a wonderful God!

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.