“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2: 4-5
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TONI’s REPORT HELEDD JOB - UNCUT FESTIVE HIT BARCELONA! ON THE ROAD... NATIONAL PRAYER NEWS
Festive Office: 16 Crugan Avenue Kinmel Bay RHYL LL18 5DG
I don’t want to say much more except a big thank you to Claire Povey for all the work she has done over the last three years. She started building on Steph Bushell’s great foundation and has overseen the expansion of the work from 2 days a week to 2 people working 3 days a week and still there is more that could be done if there were more time and resources. Thank you Claire for the re-shaping of Festive News, the termly programmes and the special events’ material, but most of all thank you for your dedication to pray for the work and see young people sharing the Good News of Jesus with their friends.
So here is a first for Festive – maternity leave for Claire from September – but before you wonder how we will manage let me tell you that Martin will take over from his wife for a little while. Martin is completing his time with Bishop Hannington Church and starting as an evangelist with the Association of Evangelists from the 1st September 2011. (For more details visit: www.associationofevangelists.org) There is much work to be done improving Festive’s evangelism resources, so in his new role Martin will do some work for Festive both in helping CUs with their outreach and writing up resources. So join with me in wishing Martin and Claire every blessing for their future and especially for the safe arrival of their little one and their own new adventure of parenthood.
Toni Coulton Director
01 FESTIVE NEWS TONI’s REPORT
t: 01745 350107 e: info@festive.org.uk w: www.festive.org.uk
It is four years on 26th August since a few of us gathered at my home fellowship at Kinmel Bay Church to pray for the launch of Festive. We had little idea where this would take us – a bit like Abram who set out and went where the Lord took him (Genesis 12 v 1-3). This June we held some end of academic year team days when we saw that God prepares good works in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2 v 10). I know as you read this Festive News you will see how God has led us into the good works He has prepared for us.
HELEDD JOB - UNCUT
02 FESTIVE NEWS HELEDD JOB - UNCUT
Claire interviews Heledd Job about her time spent translating Festive resources for the new Welsh language section of the website Claire: Heledd, Croeso i Festive News! Heledd: Thank you Claire: Could you explain how your connection with Festive first began? Heledd: I’ve grown up in Bangor, went to Uni in Aberystwyth and have since worked with CUs in Universities and Colleges in Swansea and Portugal. I’m now back in Bangor doing an MA in translation studies. I first came across Festive through my work with CUs here in Wales. Claire: Over the last few months, you’ve been translating some of our student resources into Welsh! Why do you think it is necessary that we provide resources in both the Welsh and English languages? Heledd: I’m someone who’s grown up in a Welsh speaking home, a Welsh speaking church with Welsh speaking friends. As a student I obviously spoke English but was much more used to reading and chatting about the bible in Welsh and I don’t think I’d ever prayed in English before. Also if I wanted to speak to my friends about Jesus, or bring them to an evangelistic event, to do that in English would have been weird and would have put up an unnecessary barrier to the gospel. I think there are many students like me in colleges around Wales but there are also many students who
don’t speak Welsh. So I think if CUs want to be effective in reaching both Welsh speaking and English speaking students, they need to be able to function and have resources in both languages. Claire: Could you share how God used your translating to get unbelievers thinking about Jesus? Heledd: Like I said, I’m doing an MA this year and I have been able to use some of my translation for Festive in my course work. We’ve spent some time in class this last term discussing each other’s work so it’s been great seeing my tutor and fellow class mates discussing Mark bible studies. My tutor even spent some time looking at different bible translations. Who knows how God could use that! Claire: We think your translation skills are an incredible gift that God has given you! How do you hope to use this skill in the future? Heledd: To be honest I’m not sure. I’m hopefully moving to Slovakia in October. I’m m going to be working with C CUs Us Us e there so will be trying to use my language skills slightly differently to learn a new language and serve students ents there. I’m grateful God has as given me this opportunity to study this year and I’m grateful for the chances I’ve ve had to chat to my course mates about Jesus as well as use translation to serve other students in Wales.
Whether God wants me to use translation in the future, I guess I’ll have to wait and see. Claire: Thank you so much for all you have done to support Christian Unions meeting in Welsh speaking Colleges! How can our prayer supporters pray for you at the moment? Heledd: I still have a couple of months left of my MA so it’d be great if you could pray that I finish that well and continue to make the most of any opportunities that come up to speak about Jesus. I would also love you to pray for students in Slovakia and for me as I prepare to go and work there. The vision is the same as Festive’s - to see students loving Jesus and living and speaking for him where they study. So please pray that God would be at work there. Visit www.festive.org.uk/cymraeg to check out the new section of the website for Welsh speakers! p
The Stories Behind The Headlines! Each year Festive, like all other charities, has to submit its accounts to the Charity Commission for scrutiny – and right and proper that is too! But the raw statistics can never tell the human stories that underlie some of the donations. The grandmother who gives because her grand-daughter has been so blessed by our resources in her CU; the individual who discovered we were hoping to send staff to Soul Survivor this summer and covered the cost of attendance; the person who bought an item at a collectors’ fair, sold it on at a large profit and donated what they’d made! So we praise God for all who support us – and that includes the pray-ers and those who love and support us in other ways as well! Not everyone can give financially! But for all of you who encourage and bless us so much, we know the Lord will also encourage and bless you as you stand with us. Eric Coulton. (Asst. Treasurer)
FESTIVE HIT BARCELONA!
A l ook at our team day s - 28th & 29th June It’s 30 degrees and the Festive Team is packed into a classroom at ‘IBSTE’ (Instituto Biblico y Seminario Teológico de España) waiting to hear what God has to say to us through His word. We’re joined by some of the local GBU team (the Spanish IFES - affiliated student movement) and Huw Williams (former Church Planter and ongoing Evangelist) opens up Ephesians 2. As we heard about ‘Sin’s work against us’, ‘God’s work for us’ and
Enjoying fellowship at the Bible College! Left to Right: Huw and Elizabeth Williams, Dorcas Gonzalez (GBU team leader), Sian and Joseph George, Toni Coulton, Martin and Claire Povey, Karen and Gavin Jones, Jonathan Skipper (GBU – a Brit!), Joel Forster (GBU worker – a Spaniard!)
‘God’s work in us’ we were blown away once more by what we were and the riches of mercy that made us alive. We couldn’t help but respond in thanksgiving and prayer as the Spirit of God had clearly opened our eyes to see more of Jesus. The encouragements continued as the Festive Team shared what God had been doing in the UK and the GBU team shared about
The Festive Team takes a break at ‘Placa Real’!
God’s power at work in them in Catalunya. It was striking to see the similarities between our ministries – though GBU is working in Universities, the Christian Union groups are incredibly small in number and the mission field is tough! It was so encouraging to hear how God was working in these small groups despite the challenges, just like He has been working in the CUs we support in the UK! Other highlights included ‘Pedro’s Paella’, an evening by ‘the Olympic Fountains’ and the best Tapas we had ever tasted! Please thank God for such an encouraging and enjoyable time away. Praise God for GBU and pray for all the regional teams heading to Granada to support a mission this October (15th – 23rd)!
03 FESTIVE NEWS FESTIVE HIT BARCELONA!
FROM THE TREASURER’S DEPARTMENT
ON THE ROAD...
Please pray for Claire, due to give birth 21st September and Martin as he starts overhauling the evangelism web material for Festive!
It has been a busy summer supporting throughout the for Karen as she has zipped year face to face. The new up and down the country CU leader from Bilborough representing Festive at College was very excited to various festivals and youth hear that supporters around conferences. Toni and Karen the UK had prayed for their showcased mission week! the ‘ALIVE’ It was also a project at the great time Pentecost of meeting Festival in those students June. Toni just about to is reported start College to have or Sixth Form. unashamedly At the time danced of writing, the along to next stop is Gavin working hard at Soul Survivor the fantastic Cheltenham live music while Karen hid Racecourse. Karen will behind the banner! Good be joined by Lyndsey and conversations were had John and Cathy Williams for with College Staff. August Greenbelt (Aug 26th-29th!) saw Karen and her husband Praise God for sustaining following the tractors through Karen & Co throughout such Somerset for Soul Survivor a busy summer – and for weeks B and C. Based in ‘the the fruit already seen! Karen toolshed’ (a giant cow-shed!) would love you to pray that they were able to engage she is able to respond well to with 100s of 16-19s. Highlights the higher volume of emails included meeting students coming in off the back of her that Festive had been travels!
Inter-Faith Week: November 21st – 25th! Please pray that the Lord would open many doors for staff and students to talk about Jesus! Pray for creative ideas and wisdom in how they can take part as Christians.
Evangelistic Gift Book for College leavers! Please pray for Steph Bushell and 10ofthose.com producing evangelistic material that can be given away as a ‘gift book’ to 2nd years leaving College! …More details to follow!
EQUIPPED
04 FESTIVE NEWS ON THE ROAD...
Claire & Martin Povey: Baby due September!
Septem ber 23r d – 25th!
A weekend aimed at equipping 13-18s to lead their Christian Unions! Pray for… - Dave Fenton (the main speaker) - Ben & Andy (leading the week-end and running seminars) - Karen (running a Festive seminar stream for FE CU students) – Students coming (for safe travel and that they’d be blown away by Jesus’ love and mission for them! Pray they would leave feeling ‘equipped’!)
FESTIVE NEWS NATIONAL PRAYER
SUSSEX Varndean College CU: Thank God for Tim Wells starting his teacher training this term just as Christian teacher Brenda retires. Pray for Tim and students Rachel, Nathan and Sam to continue their powerful witness as a CU! - especially as they plan a mission week. NEW CU in East Sussex: Thank God that a Christian teacher has boldly asked permission to facilitate a CU where she works… please pray that she would be granted permission and that students would come! Sixth Form CU, Brighton & Hove: Student Dan writes, “Thank God that we met last year. Please ask God for enthusiasm & courage in running the CU this year – that everyone would be committed to coming weekly and that we’d maintain good relations with the Catholic chaplaincy.”
HAMPSHIRE Andover College CU – Student Vikki writes, “Alpha was really good and running it was really fun. As I have now left college, one of the people that was helping me last year with the CU is now going to run it in September! If you could pray for him that would be great! His name is Russell.”
DERBY Derby College (The Joseph Wright Centre) - Thank God for enabling the CU to start last year. Please pray for yr 12s to come along as half the CU left College last term! Student Matthew Knott writes, “I want to focus on non believers instead of it just being a bible study for Christians, so I need to think carefully about topics, the structure and content of the meetings”
LINCOLNSHIRE New College Stamford CU - Student Joseph gives thanks for a great year of meetings and events. He asks you to pray for Ian & Margot (Volunteer Chaplains from Salvation Army Stamford) as they take over leading CU. Please pray for fresh energy and ideas and that both Christians and non Christians would be aware of the group and want to find out more!
CHESHIRE MID–CHESHIRE COLLEGE CU – Member of Staff David writes, “Thank God for the small CU which met last year; pray that new members will join in September.”
BEDFORDSHIRE Luton Sixth Form College CU - Student Chermagne asks you to pray that the leaders will be able to work together this term and may be guided in leading!
HEREFORDSHIRE HEREFORD SIXTH FORM COLLEGE CU would like you to thank God for all the people who regularly came to CU last year and for so many Gospels given out! Please pray CU carries on growing this year and that the leaders would go out and serve the College and not just keep to themselves!
FESTIVE NEWS NATIONAL PRAYER NEWS
“Thank you for praying for me and the team as we represented Festive at so many different events this summer! This month - please be praying that the Holy Spirit would fill young believers with courage as many will be starting College and will face the choice of ‘whether to stand out as children of God’. I would love prayer for wisdom as I seek to support them and returning students, and prayer as work changes this term with Claire on maternity leave!” Karen (Advice & Communications)
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