Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Pulse Youth Ministry


Hey Guys well Pulse Youth Ministry started with a bang. Sorry Addison, well we had about 10 kids tonight for our start and it seemed to go ok. Apart one the kids was sick, well I am so sorry she is the church Admin persons daughter and I felt ever so bad. But hey you live and learn. So we had our first group and it went really well and I was happy with how it went and the kids seem to respond really well to what we tried to do.
We also had a launch lunch on the 26th a Sunday after church which I though went extremely well and we had about 30/40 kids and parents discussing the document we wrote and it was a great time of discussion and me sharing my story of the car crash and all.
So life has been really busy.. keep in touch and pray for all my kids they are the best!!!
ps. massive thank you to my favourite Welsh family the Tyler family for the Logo, its all for you Huw!!!

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Velvet Elvis


So I have started reading Rob Bell's book Velvet Elvis apart from loving the graphic work of it. I really like Rob Bell and love the analogies he uses. He speaks about stuff, I feel very strongly about, and issues in our faith that we need to address.
He gives a great challenge I wanted to get some thoughts on it. He says 'The challenge for Christians today is to live with great passion and conviction, remaining open and flexible, aware that this life is not the last'. Wow some challenge to a faith in apparent decline. Tell me what you think?

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Tough First's

So went to my first funeral, was a colleague ff whom I really like called Terri Bouma, her father died. This was my first ever funeral, wow wee the two kids Jenna (18) and Alyssa (14) were amazing. They held up alot better than I would have. An inward beauty shined from within them. I was cut deep by death and had alot to think about since then. What would happen if someone from home died? I just prayed Gods will over all my family and am grateful I know where they will be whatever happens, one day we will all be together in heaven. Rest of week has flown by. Had a weekend full of parties with good church foke. Its amazing hearing all there issues and knowing the world is full of problems and there not dis-similar all over the world. This year is going to teach me alot about my ministry and how I fits in with all I do in the future.

The Willoughby's have been in town this week which has been fun and great to have them. I really appreciate the issues they have had with moving country because now I am in there situation. It has made me think of all i miss from home the evenings me Ron and Dee would sit out on the deck and talk about the world and how we can do it all better. I love you all.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Another Update from Stateside

Well life is going well apart from what seems life a Johnson weakness in the guys. My knee has failed me yet again. It is improving but still quite painful. So layed me up for a couple of days but is fine now.

I have been really busy in writing and preparing the launch of a document called A Strategy for Change, this is this is own vision for the Youth Work of Cornerstone and how we are going to do about that. This has been really interesting for me, but is taking alot of time and thinking. I am so excited about the potential in this church. The launch of the document and logo is going to be on 25th August. This is going to be my first real communication test because me an my team will have to present the document to the whole church.

I am loving my time here and feel so at home with the Pearson's but I am missing the comforts of home both my amazing friends and family. But I am confident in Gods plans for me while I am here. He is Lord of my life and I thank him for this opportunity everyday.

A little thought......

Here is an article I wrote for a UK Magazine let me know what you think

The call to go…

In the bible Jesus says ‘therefore go and make disciples of all nations’. This call is massive because it affects all we do and could send us to all four corners of the world. Have you ever sat in the waiting lounge of an airport and watched the vast diversity of people, who come through that lounge; some really old, some young, people from all over the world; from all different religions and from all different walks of life. Jesus tells us to go and make all these people into disciples of His.

Sometimes this call can be overwhelming, all 6,602,224,175 people that live on this planet, with us. How can we reach them, with them all being so different, not even speaking the same language or understanding the language I speak how can I reach them? This big question is one many have pondered over. I recently pondered the very same question as I moved from England to America. Even though we supposedly speak the same language, it’s still a whole different culture and a whole different lifestyle. Reaching these people is a completely different challenge than in UK. But the challenge to ‘go and make disciples still applies and it’s not something you can run away from. In the bible Jonah was called by God to go to the city of Nineveh. Nineveh was renowned for its wickedness and its rejection of God (notice the similarity of some places in the world today), yet God had a great plan of redemption for this city and Jonah was part of that plan. Jonah however didn’t like the plan and did a runner but God had other plans for him and through the use of a whale took him right back to reconcile Nineveh.

Nineveh is not dissimilar to a lot of places in our world today, full of lies, greed, need for wealth, large gaps between the rich and the poor and unsatisfied people. What I have seen since being in America is people all over the world have similar traits or characteristics. They all want more whether it’s a new car, house, phone or the latest set of clothes. No-one is ever truly satisfied with what they have, they are always looking for more out of life and never look at what God has blessed them with. Jesus is the only thing can really satisfy anyone completely. This is the message we should go take a generation of people who seem unsatisfied with life, where ever they are from, whatever age, sex colour or religion they are from. This is the call Jesus places on our lives to go to the ends of earth with His good news, to the Nineveh’s and places which are just like that in our world.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Baltimore City


So I went to the city of Baltimore for the first time as with every city its so different, bigger than I exepected but was really nice to see. Here is a picture of the football staidum, the home of new favourite team the Baltimore Ravens. The city is nice and has a lovely habour area and seems like a nice city. I am loving being here yet I am starting to miss home, just a little, but I am really enjoying being here. The people are so lovely and the church is doing amazing things for me. Hope all is well in the UK and send me email or leave a post to say hello.