New Wine Magazine - Issue 59

Issue 59

2013

Christy Wimber reflects on the true meaning of Kingdom ministry

p.23

Teaching

Stories

Culture

Put your hands together Jon Tyson speaks on one of the most important lessons he’s ever learnt p.26

Who cares?

Why Krish Kandiah believes that fostering and adoption will change the world p.38

Faith and politics: tackling the taboo Stephen Timms MP urges us to get on the political playing field p.48

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News Teaching Stories Culture

Issue 59

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0208 799 3765 advertising@new-wine.org The next edition will be published in March 2014.

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Editor Mark Melluish Magazine Manager Diana Mackie Commissioning Editors Lucy Williams James Dwyer Advertising & Classifieds Nicola Manwaring Creative Tom Morton Design www.tommortondesign.com Print Halcyon Get In Touch Find us: 4a Ridley Avenue Ealing London W13 9XW Phone us: 020 8567 6717 Email us: mag@new-wine.org Visit our website: www.new-wine.org facebook.com/newwineuk youtube.com/newwinetube twitter.com/newwineuk

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Promoting sustainable forest management. www.pefc.co.uk

What’s happening.

Learn together.

Our God at work.

Looking at our world.

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30

42

Christy Wimber on the ministry marathon

Discipling a deprived community: interview with Steve McGanity

A note from John Coles

Sacrificing individualism

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Worshippers of God. Rescuers of men

London & South East Region

Midlands Region

Welcome to our brand new region

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25

Delivered: out of Egypt into life

Rev Dr Mark Scarlata unpacks God’s rescue plan

Central & South West Region

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North & East Region Changed lives & extravagant banquets

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What did you say?

Feedback from Summer 13

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Malcolm Macdonald inspires us to get creative with outreach

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John Coles looks at where we’ve come from & where we’re going

School dinners for the holidays!

Matt Bird explores solutions to rapidly rising social needs

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Made for community

Who cares?

26

Put your hands together

Jon Tyson on cultivating a prayer culture

‘The God in my heart is bigger than your gun’

Lisa Pearce from Open Doors reports on God in Syria

A church about town

Partnering with God in the city

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Behind closed doors

Krish Kandiah on how to address the record numbers of children taken into care

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‘The Church should ditch the cultural baggage. We are a missional agency’ Interview with Ian Parkinson

Keeping the movement moving

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Faith and politics: tackling the taboo

Hear from the Rt Hon Stephen Timms, Shadow Minister for Employment

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Recommended Resources

Helpful material for you, your small group or church

NEWS

A note from John Coles Dear Friends ‘Thanks for a brilliant week at New Wine. Everyone from our church had a wonderful time and God spoke to us in lots of different ways.’

This sort of feedback – and the wonderful stories found on pages 14-19 – makes us think we need to keep on going! So after 25 Summer Conferences we are now planning our 26th. In 2014, we will have two National Gatherings rather than three regional Summer Conferences. We hope that being ‘United’ each week with people from around the country will give everyone a sense of being not only part of something significant in our regions, but also in the nation.

We live in an incredibly self-obsessed society. It’s evident everywhere – in language which speaks of ‘my rights’; the naming of technology products such as iPhones; and preached in some Christian circles as ‘claiming your inheritance’. In such an individualistic society, we need to remember Jesus’ words in Mark 8:35, that if we want to find our life we have to lose it – for his sake and the sake of the Kingdom. We need to be prepared to sacrifice our individualism to serve those Jesus joins us with and sends us to.

The well-being of the whole community is as important as our own. A strong commitment to our families or communities strengthens us by building our personal identity and sense of purpose. We discover the greater joy of not just living for our own fulfilment or kicks, but also of helping each other. I love being part of the New Wine family and making the blessing of others a focus for my life. In our local churches, whatever the circumstance of our lives, we are able to ‘weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice’ (Rom 12:15). But a church can find greater purpose when it looks beyond its own struggles, sees the work of God and the perseverance of faith in other churches, and prays for them as well.

In this edition you can read many accounts of how God touched people’s lives and churches at this year’s Summer Conferences. Whether you were there or not, if you receive this magazine you are part of New Wine’s community.

I hope you will be able to participate in the vision that God has given his whole Church to see our nation changed.

With very best wishes

John Coles Director of New Wine

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New Wine’s vision To see the nation changed through Christians experiencing the joy of worshipping God, the freedom of following Jesus, and the power of being filled with the Spirit.

To see churches renewed, strengthened and planted, living out the word of God in every aspect of life, serving God by reaching the lost, broken and poor, and demonstrating the good news of the kingdom of God to all.

New Wine’s values Continuity & Change – we want to be faithful guardians of an unchanging message about the person and work of Jesus, and the need for personal salvation and sanctification, while also adapting ways of worship, teaching, being church and doing mission according to culture and context.

Cross & Resurrection – we want to honour all that Jesus has done for us on the cross, and to embrace the way of the cross for ourselves, while also knowing the power of his resurrection to set us free.

Gracious & Truthful – we want to be kind and generous in the way we think and speak about others whether they agree or disagree with us, while also clearly communicating what we believe and why we believe it.

Leadership & Every-member Ministry – we want to train and deploy anointed, courageous and missional church leaders, while also equipping every Christian to serve like Jesus in their home, church, work and life-place.

Mission & Community – we want to see the church become a missionary movement to love and reach the lost, to care for the poor and to bring justice to our homes, neighbourhoods, workplaces and nations, while also being a gracefilled community in which people can find relationship, healing, faith, hope and love.

Natural & Supernatural – we want to see every Christian using all the natural reason, wisdom and skill that they can, while also learning to operate in the supernatural gifts of the Spirit to minister to others in love and power as Jesus did.

Now & Not yet of the Kingdom – we want to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God and to see that confirmed by miraculous signs and wonders, while also ministering grace to all, knowing that suffering will be part of life until Jesus returns and makes all things new.

Transcendence & Presence – we want to live lives that celebrate God’s awesome power, transcendent majesty and sovereign work, while at the same time experiencing his intimate presence as we encounter him in heartfelt worship.

Unity & Diversity – we want to work with everyone who holds these values in open, mutually accountable friendship, while also acknowledging and honouring differences in leadership style, church characteristics and denominational emphasis.

Word & Spirit – we want to derive all we believe, teach and do from the Bible as the written word of God, while also learning to hear and obey the voice of the Spirit speaking to us individually and collectively.

New Wine hosts a range of events and conferences, including local meetings arranged by New Wine network groups that are held all over the UK

UPCOMING EVENTS NOVEMBER 2013 Women & Leadership Conference 14-16 November Staverton Park, Daventry Men’s Day 23 November Audacious Church, Manchester What Jesus Started: New Wine Teaching Day 25 November Holy Trinity Leicester 26 November All Saints Woodford Wells

JANUARY 2014 Retreat to Advance for 18-30s 10 January Elveden Forest Center Parcs 17 January Sherwood Forest Center Parcs Men’s Day 18 January St Barnabas, Kensington

FEBRUARY 2014 Blaze Women’s Day 8 February Lighthouse, Poole

MARCH 2014 Blaze Women’s Day 1 March Westminster Central Hall, London 15 March Harrogate International Centre

APRIL 2014

LOCAL EVENTS

NOVEMBER 2013

Church Leaders Network Meetings 19 November Coventry & North Yorkshire 21 November Derby 26 November Bristol 27 November Worcestershire 28 November Scarborough Vision, values & the future of New Wine 29 November Woking (with Mark Melluish)

DECEMBER 2013 Church Leaders Network Meetings 16 January Bristol 21 January North Yorkshire 23 January Oxford 24 January Scarborough Men’s Day 25 January South West London

FEBRUARY 2014 Learning to Heal 1 February Wirral New Wine Celebration 2 February Lancaster (with John Coles) Church Leaders Network Meeting 3 February Preston (with John Coles) 13 February North London & East Kent 26 November Bristol 25 February Bristol

Worship Conference 5 April Trinity Cheltenham

A day of encouragement and refreshment for leaders 25 February Benfleet (with Mark Melluish)

JULY-AUGUST 2014

MARCH 2014

United National Gatherings Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet 26 July – 1 August Week 1 3-9 August Week 2

New Wine Celebration 9 March Birmingham

For further details see our website www.new-wine.org/events

Church Leaders Network Meeting 18 March North Yorkshire Learning to Heal (PART 1) 22 March Stranton Church Leaders Network Meeting 27 March Bristol

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NEWS

IN BRIEF

CHANGED LIVES, PENTECOST PARADES AND THE MOST HAPPENING APPS

New Wine children pray for Archbishop

WELL VERSED?

Use these (mildly cryptic) clues below to uncover the seven Bible verses – then find the link between them. Hint: Certain clues are for the abbreviated book title; Dan for Daniel, for example. Answers will be available on the website from December 2013.

1 Book number: Turtle doves Book: Big Ben tells it, without an ending Chapter: Press with shift for dollars Verse: Old enough to vote

At the 2013 London & South East Summer Conference, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby visited the Boulder Gang venue for children aged 10-11 years. After answering questions about smuggling Bibles and his journey into ministry, the children laid hands on the Archbishop and prayed for him to know God’s love, peace and grace.

To listen to a question and answer session with the Archbishop, visit www.new-wine.org/resource/1188

*** BIBLE BLOCKBUSTER *** Coming to Channel 5 this December is 10-hour mini-series THE BIBLE. Shot on location in Morocco, THE BIBLE tells the dramatic tales of faith and courage in some of the most famous stories ever written: from Noah’s Ark, the Exodus and Daniel in the lion’s den, to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Producer Mark Burnett is a four-time Emmy Award winner, whose global TV series include The Voice, The Apprentice and Survivor.

Broadcast in the USA in March 2013, THE BIBLE has been seen by more than 100 million viewers, and has received blockbuster ratings. Helen K Bond, Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Edinburgh, says ‘THE BIBLE series is an excellent dramatisation of the Bible. It is historically credible and put together with sensitivity and imagination. The producers have a wonderful ability to make you think about familiar scenes in an entirely new way.’

ONE TO WATCH Watch the official trailer for THE BIBLE online at http://youtu.be/1hThfoBzWxw

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2 Book: Once a partner Chapter: Blind mice Verse: 64’s square root 3

Book: Warm water, not hot Chapter: Freebies in a bogof Verse: Soixante-quatorze

4 Book number: Kelly’s eye Book: US government’s uncle Chapter: St Patrick’s march Verse: A normally hot body, in C degrees 5 Book number: Uncrowded company Book: Paul is paid, but who is robbed?

Chapter: Snooker’s yellow ball Verse: Nonagon sides 6 Book: The surface of your hand, with a pinch of salt Chapter: + to call a Dutch friend Verse: Me and you 7 Book: A 66-part prophet Chapter: XLVI in Roman times Verse: They were fantastic

NEWS

What we did last Summer – available to hear now!

The brand new Deeper albums, featuring live worship recorded at the 2013 Summer Conferences, are available to buy now from www.new-wine.org/worship/resources

Church quirks These CartoonChurch.com cartoons by Dave Walker originally appeared in the Church Times. View others at www.cartoonchurch.com

Featuring worship from Martin Smith, Rend Collective Experiment and Brian Doerksen, and tracks including God’s Great Dance Floor, The Greatest Love and This is Amazing Grace.

£11.99 EACH

£11.99 EACH

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

HOPE for the future Toilet Twinning milestone

HOPE 2014 launched on 18 October 2013 at the Festival of Life at London’s Excel centre. It was a night of prayer for 40,000 Christians hosted by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). HOPE is a catalyst which aims to bring churches together to transform communities, with the vision of seeing the whole church, reaching the whole nation, for a whole year. More than a million people will use HOPE’s Mission Prayer Focus, asking God to transform our nation. You can sign up to receive the prayers from www.ucb.co.uk/prayer.

Leaders across the country are already implementing mission plans from The Heartbeat of Mission, HOPE’s 224-page directory for churches that want to make a difference in their neighbourhoods. Churches are using the book’s 150 tried-and-tested mission ideas, resources and funding links to spark ideas for foodbanks, homeless shelters and debt counselling services. Find out more at www.hopetogether.org.uk

Earlier this year we reported how Toilet Twinning twinned their 10,000th toilet with the help of an exhibitor from last year’s New Wine Summer Conference. This year they reached the 15,000 mark with another New Wine delegate! Find out how you can help bring clean water and safe sanitation to the world’s poorest people by linking your loo with a latrine in Burundi or Cambodia at www.toilettwinning.org

GET IN TOUCH We love to hear your feedback and ideas of how we can improve the magazine, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with any stories, jokes, questions, tips or advice.

Email us at mag@new-wine.org

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Check out our YouTube page 7

NEWS

LSE REGIONAL NEWS

AREA FOCUS

THE POWER AND THE GLORY I can’t imagine what church life would be like without a commitment to seeking the power and presence of the Spirit. It is given to help us in our weakness when we pray; the Spirit brings the word of God to life; we advance the kingdom of God by using gifts given to us by the Spirit; and we are only changed into the likeness of Jesus by the Spirit.

Therefore, how can we not be as open as possible to him?

For this reason, we create space to hear prophetic words virtually every time we meet at St Mary’s, Bryanston Square, and offer ministry in the power of the Spirit after all our services – and sometimes in the middle of them too.

who lead All Saints’ Woodford Wells, to restate our shared model of ministry at the Third Person conferences. All are welcome at these events, and many use them to introduce friends who may not have had previous experience to the things of the Spirit.

This is also why we have felt called, together with Paul and Becky Harcourt,

For more information on future events, visit www.stmaryslondon.com.

John Peters John is Rector of St Mary’s, Bryanston Square, London.

After graduating in Law and then studying Theology John worked at several churches including St Aldates, Oxford and St Andrew’s, Chorleywood.

MAKING ALL THINGS NEW KXC was planted out of St Mary’s Bryanston Square three years ago.

At that time, the multi-million pound redevelopment behind King’s Cross station was at an early stage, but there was a sense that the arrival of a new business community (including Google’s new headquarters), a new student community (University of the Arts) and a new residential community presented a huge opportunity for mission. Add to this a number of very

deprived communities situated on the periphery of the redevelopment.

A team of us sent from St Mary’s began to pray and dream as to how we could, in partnership with the local churches already on the ground, serve what God was doing in King’s Cross and reach out to both the new communities emerging as well as the existing communities nearby. KXC began in February 2010 with a vision to ‘recklessly give ourselves away to God, each other, and the people of King’s Cross and beyond’, and that’s what we’ve spent the last three years trying to do.

A few months before we planted we did a prayer walk around the redevelopment. Argent, the developers of the site, had erected a huge billboard that read: ‘King’s Cross is being delivered’. It was their

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Want to go

Deeper?

Find holy rest Experience God’s peace on a Quiet Day at our retreat centre.

Be a reconciler promise to the local community that in a time of economic uncertainty, they would deliver on their promise to build a redevelopment that would capture the imagination and attention of people all across London, the UK, as well as Europe. But as I stood beneath the billboard I clearly sensed God say that the sign was a prophetic statement of what he was doing in the area. It was as if God was whispering to me that King’s Cross, historically known as a centre of prostitution, and still known for being an area with high crime rates and high levels of poverty, was in the process of being delivered and restored to the place it was always meant to be: a place of community, creativity, peace and fun; a place where the King sat on the throne, and his reign could be the reality of the area.

That prophetic word remains central to the life of our church.

The end of the biblical narrative, Revelation 21, describes the new Jerusalem (a metaphor for Heaven) coming down to the Earth and renewing things to how God intended them to be. The text then describes the King sat on his throne, proudly declaring, ‘See, I am making all things new’. And if that is how the narrative ends, with the

renewal of all things, and if that is what Jesus inaugurated through his life, death and resurrection, then that the must be ministry Jesus calls his Church to. So our job at KXC is to partner with God in making all things new in King’s Cross.

And if ‘making all things new’ describes the ‘what’ of our vision, the ‘recklessly giving ourselves away’ describes the ‘how’.

We want to be extravagantly generous to God in our worship, extravagantly generous to each other in community, and extravagantly generous to King’s Cross in mission, in the hope and belief that through God’s power made perfect in our weakness, we might see people come to faith in Jesus, liberated from addictions and sickness, lifted out of generational cycles of poverty, drafted into a loving community, and find the purpose they were created to live for.

Put very simply, we want to see the arrival of God’s kingdom in King’s Cross. Or in the language of Revelation 21, we want to partner with God in making all things new.

Pete Hughes Pete, together with his wife Bee, leads KXC, a church plant in central London. They also oversee New Wine’s work among the 18-30s, and were previously part of the leadership team at St Mary’s Bryanston Square.

Effective listening is at the heart of reconciliation.

Develop a listening attitude and skills through one of our listening courses.

Be mindful Practise the presence of God and live in the present on a Quiet Day.

Find wholeness Experience prayer ministry at a Deeper Healing Day.

Find details of these and other Acorn events at

www.acornchristian.org or email us at info@acornchristian.org 01420 478121 9

MID REGIONAL NEWS

NEWS

AREA FOCUS

CORE CONVICTIONS I am so excited to have been appointed as the director of the newly formed New Wine Midlands region, and to have the privilege of discovering all God is doing in our part of the country. It seems that God has prepared me for this role as I grew up in Norfolk, went to university in Birmingham, and now lead Holy Trinity in Leicester. As I have been meeting with people from as far east as Belton on the Norfolk Coast, and to Shrewsbury in the West, I have shared three core convictions about the significance of New Wine in our region. It has been exciting to discover others sharing these convictions, and I hope they will resonate with you too: 1. A belief in something bigger than my local church.

This ‘bigger Kingdom’ vision is at the heart of New Wine, but what encourages me in this new regional structure is that people want to develop a tangible expression of these Kingdom relationships locally. I want to see purposeful relationships grow across our region – rather than simply networks of people – in which we are released to develop relationships and gatherings that resource and transform our region.

2. A fresh desire to be on the cutting edge of all God is doing by his Spirit.

I meet this desire wherever I go and there are clear signs of this happening as people seek to live in the Lord’s presence and allow the Spirit to lead them. I loved what Robby Dawkins taught us at the Summer Conferences about how to pray for healing. The faith and practical model he gave us has led to us seeing an increase in physical healing in our church.

3. A recognition that God is calling the Church to recover its missionary purpose.

It is in the context of mission that the gifts and leading of the Spirit cease to be trophies or entertainment, and become the vital tools for finding out what God is doing and joining in. An understanding of how a community of people carrying God’s presence into the world has the potential to transform our communities.

This is a glimpse into why I believe New Wine remains significant in all that God wants to do in our nation – in the Midlands and beyond.

John McGinley John is the vicar of Holy Trinity Leicester and the Regional Director of the new Midlands region.

Change the world for Jesus’ sake!

We offer a range of full- and part-time courses on Bible, mission and ministry Nicola Willcocks admissions@trinity-bris.ac.uk 0117 968 0254 www.trinity-bris.ac.uk

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CSW REGIONAL NEWS

NEWS

AREA FOCUS

IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT in for their food parcels. A precious moment was during our weekly outreach to the homeless community, as we witnessed the care and compassion of some of our teenagers as they prayed, arms outstretched, for someone in a shop doorway.

Here at the Vineyard we’ve been encouraging the church family to press hard on the pedal of living out what it means to be naturally supernatural.

We want to be intentional about sharing the gospel, offering to pray for people, and listening and being obedient to the prophetic voice of God. We recently sent out teams of people to go ‘treasure hunting’ in our town.

Adults and young people alike were listening to God, then going out into the community following the clues he had revealed, sharing pictures and words of knowledge and offering to pray for the people we found. It was an exciting time as we stepped up and out in faith, allowing God to use us for his purposes.

We’ve also been stepping out to meet and pray regularly with people visiting the foodbank as they call

Galatians 5:25 tells us to ‘Make every effort to keep in step with the Spirit’. This challenges us to cast off anything that hinders, and to follow obediently and humbly as the Spirit leads, even in the seemingly small things. This could be praying for the supermarket cashier who seems downcast, or stopping to help the person whose car has broken down.

We’re learning that the small things are just as important as the big things.

When we extend love in the name of Jesus, even if it’s not seemingly well received, we may be the first link in the chain. God is in pursuit, and so we continue to step up and step out.

Paul Nation Paul leads the Bournemouth Vineyard, which has the strapline: ‘We are imperfect people, building a church where the imperfect are perfectly welcome’.

THE RULE OF LIFE RELOADED In Oxford we often come across people – who have travelled here from all over the world – who feel disconnected and disparate. We believe we have been made for community, and that having a ‘Rule of Life’ helps to form this connection. The one that marks the St Aldates community is that of the Moravians of old: Be true to Christ The extraordinary, ancient story and person of Jesus holds the key to the meaning of life. We want to be true to him in our lifestyle choices and in connection to him, experiencing his radical, life-changing presence through word and worship.

Be kind to people Kindness, honour, love and tenderness are costly commodities that need to be restored in our society. We encourage all members of our community to

commit to being part of pastorates where kindness and service can have a practical application. Beyond this, we live among the urban poor and want to be a place of kindness to the lonely, the marginalised and the dispossessed of our city, and seek justice for all.

Take the gospel to the nations Jesus loved children and he looked after the elderly, as well as everyone in between. People from every nation under the sun throng the streets, restaurants and student houses of Oxford, and St Aldates aims to be a place of welcome where all people can find a home from home.

Charlie Cleverly Charlie Cleverly has led St Aldates Oxford along with his wife Anita for the last 11 years. Their passion is that it becomes a ‘House of Prayer for all nations at the heart of Oxford’.

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N&E REGIONAL NEWS

NEWS

AREA FOCUS

HALIFAX: GIVING YOU EXTRA Five years ago, inside an old Methodist church and with a handful of volunteers, the Halifax Food and Support Drop In opened its doors. The aim was to offer practical help and show the love of Jesus to poor and vulnerable people in the town.

It has since grown to around 50 volunteers serving over 120 guests every week, with support from over 80 churches and organisations. Our aim is to build relationships while offering groceries, toiletries and prayer.

Very few of our guests have any experience of Church; many have been homeless, in prison, have experienced abuse, some have endured chronic illness, and most struggle with some form of addiction. So it’s not easy to accommodate them within the framework of a typical church service.

We needed somewhere more familiar – a trusted setting where existing relationships could deepen and people could begin to grow.

Following the New Wine Newark conference in 2012, where a group of us received a similar vision, Saturday Gathering was born. We meet in the same location as the drop in centre, share a home-cooked meal, teach about Jesus and the goodness of Father God, pray for each other, sing worship songs, and listen to stories of what Jesus has done in our lives during the week.

The glory of God is incredible. People are hungry to encounter him, and, in his faithfulness, God meets with us in very powerful, intimate ways.

Gareth was living on the streets a year ago. Now he lives in our Christian community, running his own painting and decorating business and raising money to help others. Tracy lived a life of addiction and prostitution and now has a passion to share dramatic stories of healing. Gareth and Tracy spoke at New Wine this year, sharing how God brought them from places of brokenness to freedom, restoration and joy.

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John and Bob also came with us to New Wine this year. From the first day they decided to believe in God for complete healing from their addictions.

Since our return, they remain free from addiction and are overjoyed at what God has been doing in their lives.

Here’s John’s story, in his own words: ‘I’ve been a Christian around 14 months. I have been struggling with alcohol addiction for years. At the lowest points I would start drinking when I woke up and wouldn’t stop until I went to sleep. Saturday Gathering offered me a place at New Wine this year. It was life changing. As well as receiving healing I felt a calling to heal others, in the name of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit. I had the chance to put this into practice at New Wine, and saw the miraculous happen! Since returning to Halifax, I feel at great peace. God continues to speak to me about people he wants healed. I get words of knowledge on buses, on the street, anywhere I go. I have enrolled at college to study health and social care so I can work with those who struggle with alcohol and drugs.’

We are seeing God’s kingdom increasing in abundance in our community; lives are transformed, hope planted, and the works of the enemy overturned. It hasn’t been without its trials, but we continue to seek intimacy with God, to whom we give all the glory. If you’re ever in the area, we would love you to come and join us, and meet our beautiful, rugged community!

Linda Maslen, David Fawcett and Cath Binns Linda, David and Cath co-lead Saturday Gathering, which takes place every Saturday from 7pm at New Ebenezer Centre in Halifax.

Linda and Cath are members of All Saints’ Halifax, and David is a member of Christ Church Pellon.

NEWS

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE...

During the summer, 150 local people enjoyed an impromptu Big Banquet at St Mark’s Church, Stockport. The food for the entirely free event was provided by local businesses and members of the church; a live band made the event fun, with lots of children’s entertainment and even a free of charge raffle.

We simply wanted to put on a spontaneous event for our parish which expressed the free and lavish nature of God’s love for us. The guests seemed genuinely amazed to have been invited to take part in the event, perhaps none more so than an elderly gentleman who was found sitting sadly outside a local chip shop, without enough money even to buy a portion of chips for himself. Imagine his delight when he arrived at the extravagant free banquet!

We were absolutely thrilled that so many people came along, and we enjoyed meeting and spending time with them. We hope that in some way we were able to communicate that God’s great banquet has begun and everyone is invited.

Andy Bull Andy is vicar at St Mark’s Church, Bredbury, in the diocese of Chester. He is married to Ruth and they have three girls.

This is a day to explore these questions, and discover what it means to abandon yourself to God’s cause and call on your life.

SATURDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2013 AUDACIOUS CHURCH, MANCHESTER

SATURDAY 18 JANUARY 2014 ST BARNABAS KENSINGTON, LONDON

EARLy BIRD pRICE £22 pER pERSON*

SPRING 2014 NORWICH – FURTHER DETAILS TBC

With speakers including: Mark Melluish, Carl Beech, Ken Costa, James Roberts and Major General Tim Cross CBE *See website for deadlines and to book.

Find out more and book online at www.new-wine.org

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NEWS

2013 SUMMER CONFERENCE

What did you sa y?

We love reading your encouraging emails, messages and tweets about the Deeper 2013 Summer Conferences – keep them coming!

Here’s a collection of your stories

We’ve got mail!

“

I worked on team with Rock Solid and it felt rather strange working with so many teenagers as a 52 year-old!

I had enormous doubts about coming and had considered cancelling. At the first worship session I was given a picture of pushing open the gates that hold me back from truly worshipping; things like fear, peer pressure, distractions, feelings of inadequacy, depression. I wrote down on a card that we were given that I wanted to receive freedom in worship. Six years ago our oldest son Tristan had a serious drug habit and was addicted to crack cocaine. One morning in February 2007 when I was at church, I was called out and told that he had been found dead in a flat in Gloucester; he had suffered a heart attack after an accidental overdose. During the conference I felt that God was prompting me to address ‘stuff’ regarding Tristan. I went to a worship session and had a profound experience of God taking hold of my life and telling me to make a new commitment, completely to him. I was sobbing and feeling extreme heart pain (not physical, but extremely distressing). As I prayed I knew the inner struggle and pain I felt and the inability to sing was part of the built up grief that I hadn’t let go of.

Afterwards I felt so much clearer, lighter and restored, and the worship in the evening confirmed this. The last time I was working with kids this age was before Tristan died. I thought I couldn’t do it again, but I know now that this week was prepared for me by God to return to it. To go back to the card we filled in at the beginning of the week, I did receive freedom in worship! [Karin]

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NEWS

“

It’s hard to pick highlights from a week where every speaker amazed me. Robby Dawkins blew my mind. Quite honestly, a loud American evangelist would usually have me running in the opposite direction, but his energy and powerful prayer was both incredible and captivating. One evening I received news that my very ill and elderly father had suffered a massive stroke, and was in a vegetative state.

Not knowing what to do, I asked God, and I felt him leading me to the Hungry venue. The Holy Spirit carried me through and gave me the strength to receive the news of his passing on the Friday, and that will remain with me always. [Luke Smith]

“

We have come back buzzing! At the end of a seminar, five of us prayed for a lady with a painful left arm, during which I asked whether she was an intercessor. She said yes, but said she had not been praying for some time. It was then that another man said he had a problem with his arm, so we asked this lady to pray for him. She gave him precise words of knowledge as she prayed for his arm. He was in tears. By the end, both had significant healing, physical and emotional. Isn’t our God great! [Patrick Mayfield]

“

This was the first time I have camped in the UK and I am 62! I thought I would love the fellowship but not the camping. God thought otherwise – I loved it! God has worked miracles this week, and I have been privileged to be with you all. [Joyce Trueman]

“

My husband is very anti religion. He never comes to church and when I became a Christian last year he said, ‘So you will be boring now...’ We have had a sometimes violent relationship and before we came to New Wine we were about to take a break for the second time in a year.

When I asked him to come he miraculously agreed. As the days progressed he went to a few seminars on his own and went for beers with some men from our camp and by the end of the conference he had agreed to come to an Alpha course and to come with me and my daughter to church every Sunday! He looks completely different. He has a spring in his step and he is far more vibrant. He hasn’t been grumpy or lost his temper with us (even putting down the tent!) and I feel like God is really pursuing him. I feel like I have a brand new husband! We will be back next year. [Louise Wood]

How was this Summer’s Conference for you? It’s not too late to share your story of God’s amazing work with us! stories@new-wine.org.

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NEWS

“

For many of the Our Place families, being able to come on holiday, camp and have their children included in activities is amazing. A young person who has grown up through Our Place, and has often struggled to engage and be included in mainstream kids’ venues, transitioned to Club One this year. He was calm and engaged, and was able to be included for all sessions. A child who has no speech, and uses an electronic communication aid to talk, prophesied over a team member, affirming thoughts she had been having about where to go next with her career. A young person who struggles to engage with any kind of worship or teaching was in the Our Place venue when Brian Doerksen came to visit. He was extremely moved by Brian’s worship, and spent the rest of the week talking about him and trying to locate his music. Another parent whose foster children were to be adopted after the conference was given a picture of caterpillars turning into butterflies. He felt that this was God saying that everything would be okay, and the children would thrive like the butterflies. The children came home from Our Place that morning with butterfly models!

[Our Place, our dedicated special needs venue]

“

This year was my first time on team. I was in Groundbreakers and had the most inspiring week of my life!

Before we arrived I was thinking of studying special and inclusive education. One evening, one of the leaders offered prayer for anyone wanting a career working with children.

Throughout that evening there were moments that sent shivers down my spine – I was absolutely amazed at how God was working in these five-year-olds, and how they were so open to receiving from the Spirit. I really feel God wants me to be in kids’ ministry, and he has given me a passion for helping young children experience God. As I was walking past another venue, I heard ‘Set a fire down in my soul that I can’t contain, that I can’t control’ blasting out. God has sent that fire. Thank you for a truly amazing week. [Emma Holland]

“

One of the dads from Gems heard his two-year-old daughter stirring during the night and thought she was scared and about to cry. He then realised she was singing 10,000 Reasons with her hand in the air. She had changed some of the words to ‘Jesus really really loves you.’ When she saw him she said, ‘Jesus really loves me daddy.’ He began to well up so she walked over to him, placed her hand on him and said, ‘Don’t worry daddy, Jesus loves you too.’

[Tish Bloomfield]

“

This was our first New Wine and we absolutely loved it! God moved right through our family and even softened the heart of my wife’s hatred of camping! So much so that she wants to stay for two weeks next year. We have so many testimonies of God’s Spirit at work and we feel that our faith has been reborn. Our nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter loved the kids clubs. We were so impressed with the clubs, the workers are a credit to New Wine. We put a short video together which we showed our church on our return (http://youtu.be/nLtRw_oeWQA). [The Dove Family]

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“

Our church from Hackney brought 70 people and God spoke to so many of us in lots of different ways. The most exciting is that one person gave their life to Jesus for the first time. The 9.15inHungry urban venue was so important for us as a church this year and God really used it to impact lives. It is good to have that sort of raw place, where communication, worship and just the setting is geared towards those who don’t necessarily feel completely comfortable in other settings. I found it particularly helpful in affirming what we are doing in the inner city and for those of us who have ‘buried’ ourselves there intentionally. [Keren Fisher]

NEWS

God news from the youth venues

“

I came to New Wine as a Christian, but not knowing the love of God, despite many people praying for me. During one prayer time I was given the word ‘adoption’ which didn’t mean anything at the time, but I went home and prayed on it and felt God saying that he was my father and that he has and will always be there. I didn’t fully believe it as no-one would want to adopt me as I have always done things that would have been bad and I know that would displease the Lord greatly.

The next day prayer was offered to people you hadn’t had a good relationship with their father, which I haven’t. My mum and dad divorced when I was five as my dad cheated. My dad is still with the girl he cheated with and she takes all my dad’s time, effort and attention. As I was being prayed for I felt a real sense of love. I was told to imagine a time when I felt most neglected. I imagined the time when I saved a place for my dad on the sofa but he told me to move so he could sit next to his girlfriend. Suddenly the Lord appeared in the place I saved for my dad. He was sat there holding my hand telling me everything will be all right. This is when I truly knew God loved me like the father I felt I never had, but he had been there all along. His love is greater than I could have ever imagined and I hope everyone will one day know that.

“

“

To say New Wine has been a revelation would underestimate the impact it has had on my life and on my faith. I have had belief and faith all my life, but it was at New Wine that I first felt the Holy Spirit, and it could not come at a more perfect time. My husband is seeking a life in the ministry and I have found this a challenge to come to terms with and all this will mean for our life in the future.

During the evening worship I was one of ten who walked forward to receive prayer. For me it was not conversion but a new and unexpected commitment. [Jenny]

I am a bi-sexual guy and just over a year and a half ago I was sexually abused by an 18-year-old, who has since tried to commit suicide. When people found out that he had abused me he got four years in prison. I then began to tell myself I was stupid, worthless and that no-one would ever love me (in any way). I became really depressed and started to slit my wrists. In short, I hated life and myself!

On Monday night I was prayed for by the most wonderful member of the Flava Café and when I went back to my caravan for the first time in a year and a half I felt truly happy. I felt set free and I felt loved!

“

For about nine years I’ve suffered with self-hate. I would always have a coat in front of me, and over this week I’ve had prayer and time alone with God and I’m not completely healed but I can now look at myself and say ‘I’m actually not that bad’. I feel there has been a release of negative thoughts about myself and feel lots more confidence.

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NEWS

A little birdie told me...

Judith Knight: We loved seeing some of our Boulder Gang children praying for Archbishop Justin Welby. How fantastic!

Tom Brazier: Just watched the Steve Morris Arena session.

Serious, challenging stuff on integrity, love and generosity.

Wendy Beech-Ward: 915inHungry is a venue not for the

faint hearted. Nearly 200 children released from poverty this morning!

Justin Welby: Many came for prayer last night as they considered ordination in different churches. Pray for them today for wise decisions.

Ken Costa: Thank you New Wine. Incredible evening. God

honoured. Lives changed. Loved being with you.

Tony Williams: ‘Jesus did not come to show us what he could

do, he came to show us what we could do...’ Robby Dawkins

Christy Wimber: So thankful. When God moves it should move us. I’ve been moved by faithfulness of God tonight.

Aidan Cowen: Putting teaching into practise this week and

stepping out in faith - blessings and strengthened faith as a result.

Laura McWilliams: Amazing time at New Wine! Praying for this nation as we seek his Kingdom! Let us go where others have not and light the fire!

Gavin Calver: Incredibly the teenagers have raised £4,173 for

other teens to be given an opportunity to go on residentials and hear about Jesus!

Pick of the posts Dave Kelly: God blessing my marriage since my return from CSW. AJ Harper: As I came back from New Wine with fire in my belly, my church family saw a big change and I have become massively involved in a few healings in Torquay, from a tooth ache gone to healing a knee - the person can now walk. It’s fabulous to be a child of God. Tom Mason: God really challenged me at New Wine to step out in faith, and I also believe that it was a pivotal moment for me in that it marked the end of one phase of training and the start of another. I’ve been much more willing and able to share the gospel.

Geoff Sherwood: Got home from CSW inspired, by Robby Dawkins in particular. Next day in church I made a bit of a ham-fisted attempt to pray for healing for a friend. This morning in church I learned she is on holiday this week, but before she left she had called a mutual friend to pass on the message that the pain in her leg was completely gone.

Mike Robins: Things have been going uphill since my return,

wishing New Wine was more than once a year.

Mj Joy: As a parent, big thanks to everyone on the kids teams

- your hard work is very much appreciated. My two small children are only Gems at the moment, but had so much fun.

Such a blessing to know they were looked after and team enjoyed hanging out with them. No tears or tantrums, just smiles. My two year old still asks to go to messy church!

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NEWS

Pete Blackwell: Thank you to all the volunteers, may the Lord bless you as you blessed us with your servant hearts.

2013 was the best New Wine yet.

Kimberley Jennings: Fantastic worship - rocked and worshipped all the way home to the Isle of Wight completely recharged and spirit filled - thank you New Wine for the best week of my life.

Eddie Fowler: Look out Shepton. The northern invasion is coming next year.

Jennifer Hebson: New Wine Newark was amazing! I was in Thirst and what an inspiration! All the talks were very thought provoking and the Spirit was there throughout, especially in the worship. Hope to be going to Shepton next year!

Ben Watson: New Wine CSW really spoke to me yet again, I am so grateful God has sent you all to give us a spiritual boost every year!

Tom Glenn: So on fire for my King.

Beccy Richards: Wow – the Archbishop was an inspiration!

So in touch, down to earth and very real and his humility is such an encouragement! Also love his sense of humour!

Sarah Bull: We have had an amazing time. Both our

boys came as sceptics (they are 10 and 12) and both are leaving as believers. The challenge is for me to keep this up at home!

Ruth Owen: Wonderful time at LSE. Can’t tell you how much God blesses our family at New Wine - thank you for all you do to make it happen - life changing stuff!

Lee Blakemore: First time coming this year and it was an amazing, life changing experience. Thank you to you all for the hard work and commitment. My whole family felt truly blessed by the Holy Spirit. Our God is truly an amazing God. Lorna Watts: An incredibly memorable week. So much to bring home and pass on.

Edward Foster: The most powerful worship I’ve experienced.

Fiona Dunn: Have had an amazing time stewarding and

cannot wait for next year for another two weeks, came home on Saturday and miss it already.

Hayley Nock: Had a fantastic time. Encouraging and

exciting to see people healed. Never seen a blind person see again, or deaf person hear! Wonderful sense of God’s presence. Inspiring challenging week.

Carol Bower: Had an amazing time at Newark. God really

blessed us. Shame it has to end but looking forward to Shepton Mallet instead!

Mahalia Purchase: I was so blessed and looking forward to next year. Healings galore - Praise God! Andy Moore: One word AWESOME...fired up raring to go...

what an amazing God we serve.

Neil Hunt: First day back at work today - wasn’t suffering from any sort of illness before I went to New Wine LSE but seem to have so much more strength and energy and enthusiasm for life. Roll on United 2014!

Lisa Buckley: I have witnessed many life changing things at Newark this year. I feel the way that God has spoken to me and the things he and the Holy Spirit have done this week have been mind blowing. I am truly blessed.

19

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TEACHING

WHAT PART SHOULD WE PLAY IN THE LIVES OF THOSE GOD HAS CALLED? CHRISTY WIMBER SHARES SOME HARD-LEARNED LEADERSHIP LESSONS

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Receiving the call

Sean and I had a similar conversation with Carol [Wimber] after we felt the Lord asking us to lead a church. Her first response was ‘Oh no!’ She then prayed over us and what we felt and experienced during that time was sobering.

We were reminded again about the difficulties that often accompany full-time ministry. It was clear that John and Carol didn’t want us to go through the rejection, pain and hardship that comes with the call; being a parent myself now, I can completely understand that.

So I learned early on that full-time ministry is not something we pick, it’s a calling from Almighty God. And when he calls, he also protects and provides what is needed to fulfil that call. And, of course, as well as times of rejection and hardship, there are also times of sheer ecstasy! Times of amazing breakthrough, where God uses us to reach the un-reachable and to move in great power, seeing miracles in people’s lives – physically, emotionally and spiritually. There is nothing like seeing a life transformed and knowing you have played a part in it.

‘ We serve a God that rescues and saves, but he is also a God who uses others to draw our attention to what matters most’ Too much too soon

But ministry is not just a calling, it’s a marathon. It requires a depth of security and humility. Unfortunately, the enticement of fame and success has crept into the Church, attracting those who are not yet ready to carry what ministry calls for. If I was doing what I’m doing now 20 years ago, I think I would do a lot of damage. Not on purpose, it’s just that it’s taken me years to develop a level of understanding that escaped me when I first began. And I’m still learning.

The lure of money, power and/or visibility has taken out many wonderful, gifted people over the years; those who God has anointed. Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.’ We are well aware of the threat of burnout or failure as leaders, but it is often success that we need rescuing from. Proverbs 27:21 says, ‘A man is tested by the praise he receives.’ About 20 years ago when I was working with Vineyard Music, we learned the hard way that just because someone writes an amazing song, it doesn’t mean they are ready to travel the world or handle the money that comes with such a gift. It’s an all-too-familiar picture of

TEACHING

M

y journey into full-time ministry started many years ago, on holiday with my husband Sean and his family. I remember talking to Sean’s dad, John, about some of the difficulties that often accompany those in full-time ministry, and him saying, ‘If you can do anything besides full-time ministry, go do it.’ (Later that day, John pulled Sean and me aside and added, ‘but you two have no choice!’).

people given too much too soon. They simply haven’t had the time to develop the maturity and humility needed to receive praise or recognition for how God is using them.

A pure gift

To desire affirmation is healthy, we all love to be liked, and we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. But to be led by this is deadly. I love Paul’s example in 2 Timothy 1 of how to believe in, train and encourage young, timid Timothy. Paul recognised what Timothy was anointed for: ‘Fan into flame the gift inside of you’ (2 Tim 1:6). But he also stressed the privilege of the call to share the gospel and, despite hardship or resistance, it’s worth it. Paul prayed often for Timothy, and not only trusted him, but was honest about the cost of being a leader entrusted with the gospel.

One of the most loving things I believe we can do as the Church is to not only recognise the anointing on people’s lives, but walk them through the depth of who they need to be in order to carry that anointing; to maintain a purity in the anointing that empowers, equips and encourages people for the long haul.

Truth and trust

I’ve had many different people speak into my life, but in recent years there are only a few that I trust explicitly.

People who clearly see what God has called me to, but love me more for who I am rather than what I do. I’ve made a rule that even if they tell me something I don’t see or understand, I still obey it. That doesn’t mean I always like it; in fact, there have been a few times when it’s really annoyed me! But, of course, they always end up being right.

There is safety in having people like this in our lives. People whose love for you is too great not to say what you need to hear. There is nothing more loving than this. We serve a God that rescues and saves, but he is also a God who uses others to draw our attention to what matters most.

Search and rescue

Kingdom ministry means giving our lives to people. John used to say, ‘We are worshippers of God and rescuers of men’. We don’t just go after those who have never met the Lord, but also those who have been saved, those who may have been in ministry for many years. We need each other. We need to love each other and put others before ourselves. We don’t use people for what we can get out of them, but rather love them into their anointing and maturity so it benefits all.

What loving decisions are we making daily? Are we willing to rescue people, even at our own expense?

Will we need rescuing at times? Of course!

Christy Wimber Christy is Senior Pastor of the Yorba Linda Vineyard Church in California. For 22 years she has travelled around the world teaching on the kingdom of God. She has also worked with the Christian Broadcasting Network hosting a television programme.

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richmond-holidays.com

G

TEACHING

Delivered: out of Egypt into life Old Testament scholar Dr Mark Scarlata traces God’s rescue plan for his people

od’s deliverance of his people from the oppression of the Egyptians is the single-most important event in the salvation history of Israel. Indeed, it is difficult to read the rest of the Old Testament without hearing some reference to the stories surrounding the deliverance from Egypt, the wandering in the wilderness, and the entrance into the Promised Land. So essential was the exodus that virtually all of Israelite worship throughout the year celebrated the events that took place, such as Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Booths. Before we look at how God’s plan to rescue his people was reinterpreted and fulfilled through Jesus in the New Testament, however, it will be beneficial to look back at some of the underlying themes of the original event to help in our understanding of why God chose to use the exodus from Egypt as the governing metaphor for how he saves his people.

Hear our cry It is easy sometimes to skip over verses in the Bible without recognising how central they are to understanding the character and actions of God. One of those passages is Exodus 3:7-8, where God hears the cries of his people and is concerned about their suffering.

What is difficult to perceive in the English ‘crying out’ (Ex 3:7) is that the verb in Hebrew is often associated with someone who cries out because they are experiencing some sort of injustice. God hears the cry of those who are oppressed and he responds. Rather than letting his people die in slavery he acts decisively by entering into history

to defeat Pharaoh and to set them free. At the heart of God’s plan of salvation is to deliver humanity from injustice and bondage to bring them into a place where they might dwell in peace to worship him. For we note that in the exodus the Israelites are not just set free from oppression in Egypt, but they are set free to worship their God (Ex 4:23). At the very heart of God’s rescue plan for his people, and for the world, is his desire to see people released from oppression (both physical and spiritual) so that they might worship and celebrate in covenant relationship with him.

‘ God continues to hear the cries of his people and responds with the gift of freedom and life’ Dwelling among us The final event in the book of Exodus is God’s glory filling the tabernacle as a sign of his continuing presence with his people. Not since Eden – when he walked in the garden with Adam and Eve – had God dwelled amid his people, but now the tabernacle (and later the temple) becomes another step in his rescue plan. It is no wonder that John, at the beginning of his gospel, speaks of Jesus ‘dwelling’ (or more literally, ‘tabernacling’) among us ( John 1:14) as if God’s presence in the tabernacle has

now been made manifest in the incarnation of Christ. And it is in Jesus that we begin to see the unfolding of a new exodus.

The rescue plan In Matthew’s gospel we find even more direct parallels between Jesus and the exodus. Matthew writes that Jesus, like Israel, has been called out of Egypt (Matt 2:15). He is then baptised at the beginning of his ministry (Matt 3:13-17), which is analogous to the crossing of the Red Sea (cf. 1 Cor 10:1-6). Jesus goes into the desert to be tested for 40 days like the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. He is tempted as they were, but where they failed he succeeded. During his life he heard the cries of the poor, the oppressed, the sick and the broken and he responded, like God the Father, with powerful miracles and deliverance. Yet his ultimate act would come on the cross during the festival of Passover where he would become the final sacrificial lamb who would rescue the world.

From ancient Egypt to the days when Jesus walked the earth and to our present time, God continues to hear the cries of his people and responds with the gift of freedom and life. His rescue plan has not changed and he now invites us to join him in the Holy Spirit to help bring about release from oppression, healing, and new life so that all might worship him and establish his Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Rev Dr Mark W Scarlata Rev Dr Mark W Scarlata is a Lecturer in the Old Testament at St Mellitus College, London.

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TEACHING

NEW YORK-BASED PASTOR JON TYSON SHARES HIS EXPERIENCE OF UNLOCKING THE PROMISES OF GOD IN THE CITY

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Gain clarity The key word in Barth’s quote is ‘beginning’. Most church planters want to begin with strategy, mission, outreach, contextualisation studies, theology or small groups. As necessary as these things are to the foundation and growth of the Church, the first step should always be prayer. In Colossians 4, Paul says, ‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.’

Over the past seven years of planting churches in New York City, I have tried to take this verse literally, striving to see our church built on prayer and not sheer human effort. Before even moving to New York, we made prayer the priority. For 40 days we fasted and prayed, asking God for clarity and confidence that this wasn’t just a good idea, a unique opportunity or our own ambition, but rather a joyful step of obedience. On the last day of the fast, I received a cheque in the post for $10,000 – an anonymous person felt led to give it to us so we could pay off any debt and move forward with what God had for us. Prayer gave clarity and confirmation.

‘ With a panoramic view over midtown Manhattan...we would worship, cry out to God, savour his goodness, and claim his promises over the city’ Create a culture of prayer Once in New York, I was keen to ensure that prayer was not only the origin of our church, but a regular part of our culture. Our team initially worked without an office space – partly for cost, but also for the chance to meet people. When we got an office, it wasn’t so we could ‘run our church’, it was to establish a base for intercessory prayer. We rented a small room near Times Square, and although we didn’t know it at the time, it was between two sex establishments: Lucky Massage on the first floor and Bra Tenders above us! It was as shady as you can imagine, but it was also a place to pray.

As the only full-time staff member, I would go to the office and spend whole days in prayer, fasting, worship and asking God to move in the city. The presence of God was often so tangible it seemed impossible. That place felt like a portal between Heaven and Earth, so we decided to invite others in and hosted half nights of prayer every Friday on the roof of our offices. The roof was incredible, with a panoramic view over midtown Manhattan. We would worship, cry out to God, savour his goodness, and claim his promises over the city. We saw some miraculous answers to those prayers, and it cultivated a deep sense of awe and faith that we were not on our own.

‘ The promises of God leapt out of the pages of the Bible and wrote themselves into the scripts of our lives’

TEACHING

S

wiss theologian Karl Barth once said, ‘To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of this world’. Of all the lessons I have learned, the most important, without question, is the priority of seeking God through prayer.

Get active Prayer has preceded each step of our ministry’s evolution.

Here are some examples of how we have actively cultivated a continued primacy of prayer: • During one season of Lent, we felt prompted to gather our pastors and spend three hours a day praying for spiritual breakthrough in our ministry. We broke the Lord’s Prayer into six 30-minute sections. It was completely impractical, tiring and amazing. One morning we prayed for one of our friends to come to Christ. He did that afternoon. One of our pastors needed $50,000 within a week. He got it six days later. It was one of those beautiful moments when the promises of God leapt out of the pages of the Bible and wrote themselves into the scripts of our lives.

• When we got ready to plant our Brooklyn church – Park Slope – the leadership community of our three existing churches in Manhattan gathered together, worshipped, took communion, and then walked the neighbourhood in small teams asking God for spiritual doors to open, for blessing on the community, and that God’s kingdom would come in Park Slope as it was in Heaven.

• I have regularly taken two hours a day to pray for various neighbourhoods, and to worship and declare the goodness and glory of God over the city. This prayer is more intercessory in nature than abiding. It is also a key tool to disciple leaders, as I can invite them to join me in prayer, and get to impart a heart and vision for prayer, seeking God, and claiming promises into their life.

• We have helped gather churches from across the city for nights dedicated to worship and prayer for our city, called Citywide Worship, to create a wider culture of prayer and seeking God across the church in New York.

• I have regularly devoted Tuesday afternoons to seasons of prayer. I ask God for more humility, spiritual power, insight into the scriptures, a heart for him, and the salvation of my unbelieving friends and neighbours.

Having a chunk of time to pray over my sermon, the city, and for salvation for others has been a source of deep joy and sustainability for me.

There are literally hundreds of amazing answers to prayer I could share from the last seven years, from salvation to healing, financial provision and so on. Prayer has always been the primary vehicle for our joy in partnering with God to renew his city.

Jon Tyson Jon is Pastor of Trinity Grace Church in New York City.

He is also on the board of directors of the Origins Movement, a church planting initiative committed to multiplying missional church communities in the major urban centres of the world.

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2013-14

18-24S: YOUR LIFE, HIS KINGDOM

If you haven’t yet heard about New Wine’s Discipleship Year, where have you been? It was launched in 2012 and offers 18-24 year-olds relevant biblical teaching in the context of a local church internship. The aim is for students to grow as followers of Jesus and as missional leaders to advance the kingdom of God. The 60-strong 2013 cohort kicked off in September, with a weekend away at the Action Pioneer Centre in Kidderminster. It was an opportunity for the students to get to know each other, receive some top-quality teaching from Zoe Hayes (Tearfund), Chris Fox (St Paul’s Ealing) and Gareth Dickinson (Trinity Cheltenham), and get stuck into team activities such as raft building, high ropes and abseiling.

As the course continues, students will receive core teaching on subjects such as the kingdom of God, mission and evangelism, and leadership and character development, and learn from some inspirational leaders from both the Church and business world.

They will also be growing key leadership skills in areas such as kids work, youth work, serving the poor, media, family ministries and evangelism, as they serve in local churches around the country.

In January 2014, the students will be heading off to the Retreat to Advance event at Center Parcs (see the New Wine website for details).

Lancaster Training Director, Nick Klein, reports back on their first month: ‘Our centre in Lancaster is run by two churches, and it is great to see them working

together to support the furthering of the Kingdom.

We have five interns – four that live and work in Lancaster, and one that travels to us from Preston.

‘It’s a great team, and I am already beginning to see how the course is impacting their lives, increasing their desire to learn more about God and his word.

I accompanied them on their weekend away, and it was a privilege to witness 60 young men and women making the decision to give a year of their lives to find out who they are in God.’ If you’re between 18 and 24, or you know someone in this age group, visit www.new-wine.org/dy and learn more about this exciting year of adventure and discovery. There are currently nine training centres – in Lancaster, Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Cheltenham, Northeast London, West London, Southeast London and Canterbury.

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STORIES

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS STEVE’S CHURCH IS IN THE TOP 5% OF DEPRIVED AREAS IN THE UK. SURROUNDED BY NEED OF EVERY KIND, HOW DOES HE STAY FOCUSSED ON GOD’S PRIORITIES?

Tell us about your local area, Clubmoor?

You can drive through Clubmoor and think it’s quite pleasant, but behind the closed doors is unemployment, poverty, poor education, poor health, crime. Lots of local people have either been in and out of rehab, or prison.

We constantly hear stories of people in dire need. A lady used our foodbank the other week. She had been a social worker six months ago, but decided to take redundancy.

Her husband left her with the kids, took all the money, and she was sobbing in our centre because she had nothing and didn’t know what to do.

What help can your church offer local people?

St Andrew’s Clubmoor provides debt advice, family support and a foodbank; we also do some work around mental health and wellbeing, and run a project to help people start their own businesses.

It’s a very big church and we punch above our weight, so we’re always stretched. There is just so much to do in our area and it’s heartbreaking when we come across things we don’t have the capacity to deal with.

We want to engage with marginalised people, especially those battling addiction. One of the things we’re about to start is a Christ-centred 12-step recovery programme.

Huge numbers of the people we see through debt advice, the foodbank or family support are addicted to something.

I hope in the next couple of years we’ll have a programme in place where we can walk with people from crisis to self sufficiency, and within that they can also discover the promise that Jesus gives.

Do people meet with God through these services?

People in our context, an area of high poverty, have complex needs. God seems to put his finger on just one of those needs. Someone comes to us needing debt advice, or food, or with mental health issues, or with problems finding work, and that opens doors to share the gospel.

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STORIES

We are not the rescuers, Jesus is. We can’t fix anyone.

Sometimes people come along, get a bit of support, especially over things like addiction, and then they wander off. We don’t go chasing after them, we just allow the spirit of God to work. It’s salvation in a way that’s best for that individual.

What is the next key challenge facing St Andrew’s?

It’s probably the same challenge facing every single church in the world: how do we properly disciple people? We want to see people become focussed on mission, focussed on the lost and able to disciple others, and not so concerned with their own needs.

How is this achievable?

Through relational discipleship. Jesus spent most of his time with people. With twelve, with three, with one. He shared life with them. In our area, courses don’t work.

If you live in an area where there is low educational attainment, who is going to go on a course? They’d rather spend time with someone.

At St Andrew’s it’s about trying to engage people with the real world. One of the things that you see the gangs and drug dealers do is ‘disciple’ people. We need to counter that with a different way of living; a different way of life.

It needs to be demonstrated, public; out there for everyone to see. We need to claim something more important, that is life giving, life affirming, life transforming.

I came across a phrase – theologically I would disagree with it but with the sentiment of it I agree entirely: ‘We need to die as a church and be reborn as a mission’.

We are still going through that ‘death’ process, from being the church we used to be to being the church we want to be; a church fully engaged with the mission that God has given us to preach the Gospel, to serve him and to be salt and light in our community. New Wine has been a huge influence on us because we’ve been able to learn from great practitioners.

‘ Gangs and drug dealers...disciple people. We need to counter that with a different way of living’ What is your hope for the local Church?

We need to make sure every church is fully focussed on mission. We get caught up with the warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of our stomach when the Holy Spirit comes and we want to stay in that place, but the encounter should always lead to mission. In 2008 we had an ordinary Sunday service; I preached a sermon, invited people to come forward to receive the Holy Spirit. Over half the church came forward and we saw the Spirit at work in a way we’ve never seen before, or since.

That was a turning point for us, and out of that came a heart for mission. It’s a true mark of encounter with God when you want others to experience what you’ve experienced. When Isaiah encountered God, God asked, ‘Who shall I send?’ Isaiah replied, ‘Send me’. I think we need to capture that again in charismatic circles; the Holy Spirit was given so we can be witnesses in the world.

Steve McGanity Steve lives in Liverpool and has been Vicar of St Andrew’s Clubmoor for 16 years. He and his wife Andrea are committed to seeing mission put back into the heart of the Church.

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ST MARY’S LOUGHTON IS A CHURCH WITH A VISION FOR REVIVAL. FIND OUT HOW GOD HAS INSPIRED THEM TO RELEASE HIS LOVE TO LOUGHTON AND BEYOND

O

ver the past few years, St Mary’s has run many well-known initiatives such as Healing on the Streets, Street Pastors and Alpha. We have also set up Café Hope, Job Club, Little Lambs pre-school, a youth club – which reaches out to many young people from broken families – and, more recently, Loughton Foodbank and the Christians Against Poverty CAP Money Course. These projects have been amazing, but we believe God has given us other creative outreach ideas. Here are three examples.

Love Loughton We want to put God’s kingdom at the heart of the community.

In 2013, Love Loughton brought thousands into contact with the church family. It was a five-day mission that included a free youth concert and a family fun day, with St Mary’s hosting local charities and businesses on our church site and the High Road. This has led to partnerships such as us working with Specsavers on our new foodbank, and a restaurant giving free meals to families in need. Love Loughton is about discipling the town. We engaged adults and youth, inside and

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outside church, for over 600 hours of social action. We simply sought to love the town in Jesus’ name.

The Sharing Project Last February we started a simple Facebook group aimed at promoting an Acts 2 community that had ‘everything in common’ (Acts 2:44).

The page can be used to lend or give things away and request things to keep or borrow. Over recent months, many hundreds of transactions have been made. The Project builds community. What starts in a virtual reality has to become reality because the stuff we are sharing is real and new friendships are formed. It gets even more exciting when we are able to bless people we know outside of our church community. Some of these people have begun coming to church.

‘ We simply sought to love the town in Jesus’ name’ One of our church members, who has very recently become a Christian, escaped a situation of abuse, and was rehoused with her children. But she had nothing to put in her house.

A friend of hers put the request out.

A few hours later there were 69 offers

of help – chairs, sofas, beds, toys, a table, a new washing machine, fridge, plates, cushion covers to be made in her favourite colour, curtains, an iron, the list goes on. This Facebook page means we can quickly and easily bless someone in real need. Every church needs a Sharing Project.

A Christmas Fayre, with a difference Lots of churches have a Christmas fayre, but not usually one where everything is totally free. We have all the usuals – crafts, games, face painting, gifts, books, toys, hairstyling, gift wrapping, family photos, nail bar, and lots of Christmas food – and all given away totally free! Alongside this the whole church family are blessing people with encouragements, psalm readings, healing prayer and sharing why we are doing this – ‘because God loves you!’ We have seen people come to faith who have come to the fayre for the first time. We have seen people weeping because they did not expect to be shown such love.

We believe God has called us outside of the church walls to release his Kingdom love in many different and creative ways, all of which proclaim Jesus in the love and power of the Spirit. If you want any further information on these initiatives, visit www.stmarysloughton.com.

Malcolm Macdonald Malcolm leads St Mary’s Loughton on the border of East London and Essex. His heart is to promote and expand a revival culture in the Church to see whole towns and communities saved, healed and set free.

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STORIES

WITH SOCIAL NEEDS CONTINUING TO INCREASE, LOCAL COUNCILS ARE SET TO REACH CRISIS POINT WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS. MATT BIRD EXPLAINS HOW WE CAN BECOME PART OF THE SOLUTION

T

he Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby recently visited Southall in West London. In conversation with a group of children he asked if they were looking forward to their holidays.

The answer surprised him because they said ‘No’. When he enquired as to why not they explained that during term time they receive free school dinners but during the holidays they go hungry. This is just one example of the many social needs in our communities, which include: • 1 .5 million children receive free school dinners during term time.

•O f 20,000 prisoners who are released from custody every year, 62 percent have reoffended within 12 months.

• 5 00,000 elderly people spend Christmas day alone and 5 million consider TV to be their main company.

• 400,000 young people are excluded from school every year.

• 2.5 million people are unemployed.

• 25 percent of children and young people took unprescribed drugs last year; in 1987 this figure was five percent.

• Personal debt has risen to £1.424 trillion.

• 6,437 people sleep rough in London alone.

• 9,000 children are waiting to be fostered or adopted.

Jaws of doom While the economy continues to struggle and state-based social welfare shrinks it is hard to believe that the worst social need is yet to come. In three years’ time, local councils are set to reach a crisis. In Birmingham – the largest local council in the country – the projected difference between income and expenditure in 2016/2017 is over £400 million.

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STORIES

My own council, the London Borough of Merton, which is one of the smallest local authorities in the country, is facing a 2016/2017 deficit of £40 million.

This is known as the ‘jaws of doom’ because of the way these income and expenditure figures look on a threeyear graph. So while social need continues to increase, local council provision will reduce to levels never previously imagined.

A moral obligation The Cinnamon Network is trying to make it as easy as possible for the average local church to make a transforming difference in its neighbourhood. There are three practical ways The Cinnamon Network can help your local church:

In one sense it is no surprise that one in five councils in England are already contracting with, or granting to, local churches to deliver community services. That 20 percent of councils working with churches is good news; however, it also begs the question about how we help the churches in the other 80 percent of councils to inspire their local authorities to work together.

2. Offer micro-grants of £2,000 to any local church, or group of local churches wanting to start a recognised project.

‘ We have a moral obligation and biblical mandate to care for the poor, needy and vulnerable in our society’ A moral obligation One of the discussions that I frequently engage in with churches and the media is, ‘Why should the Church fill in the gaps for the failing welfare state?’ This is really a question about who is responsible for those people most at need in the community. As a follower of Jesus I believe we have a moral obligation and biblical mandate to care for the poor, needy and vulnerable in our society.

Three years ago I founded The Cinnamon Network to help strengthen the muscles of local Church for community transformation. I believe the UK Church is facing a historical and unprecedented opportunity to step up and step out to help those people most at need in our communities. We have found that where the Church is working closely with the local authority the following features have proven to be very important: •A faith-based not faith-biased approach. We do what we do because of Jesus, but what we do is for people of all faiths and none.

• Local churches working in partnership across a community regardless of denomination.

• A single point of contact for the local authority with the local churches network.

• A track record of the Church being in the community and making a social impact.

• Willingness of churches to enter the conversation and be part of the answer.

• Openness to start small but over time think big to offer scale solutions.

1. Direct you to over 30 exemplary church-based community transformation projects.

3. Support local churches in your community to work in partnership with one another and their local council to deliver multiple social action projects.

Make lunch So coming back to where we began: what can you and I do to help children who go hungry during the school holidays? One of The Cinnamon Network-recognised projects is MakeLunch, which helps local churches provide meals during the school holidays for children who would otherwise go hungry. MakeLunch advises local churches about how to work with local schools to take referrals for those families who need support the most. It also provides sample menus, advice on food and hygiene policies and practices, as well as ideas for children’s activities post lunch. It enables parents to get hands-on experience of cooking nutritiously on a budget. MakeLunch also provides numerous ways for churches to connect with their local community, be it residents’ associations or local businesses, or through linking with schools, SureStart centres and local authorities in the delivery of their holiday play and learning provision.

Tackling root causes As well as dealing with the symptoms of poverty, we must also address the root causes. The Cinnamon Network focuses on areas of social breakdown such as addiction, debt, anti-social behaviour, family breakdown, vulnerable elderly and homelessness. It is powerful to put food in the hands of the hungry but how do you prevent them from needing that food in the first place? If you give someone a handout they’ll be back tomorrow. Give someone a hand up and tomorrow they could be helping someone else.

To find out about the 30-plus projects, to access support for your church and the £2,000 micro-grant, or to start MakeLunch in your church, visit www.cinnamonnetwork.co.uk.

Matt Bird Matt Bird lives in London with his wife Esther and their three young children. He is a businessman who has created Relationology (www.relationology.co.uk), which enables him to lead The Cinnamon Network (www.cinnamonnetwork.co.uk) in his spare time.

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STORIES

WhoCares?

HELPING A VULNERABLE CHILD WILL RADICALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE, YOUR CHURCH, AND OUR NATION, FOR THE BETTER. HOW?

A

few miles from my house, six girls aged between 11 and 15 years old were raped by a gang of men. The tragedy is that this did not just take place once, but repeatedly over a period of eight years with physical violence involving knives, baseball bats, meat cleavers and hard drugs. The girls were in the care system and, despite numerous cries for help, for a long time they were ignored. Like many children in care, they were seen as insignificant, irredeemable and inconsequential.

With record numbers of children being taken into care, the system is bursting at the seams, so stories like this are not unprecedented.

In response, the Evangelical Alliance, Care for the Family and The Churches Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS) have launched the Home for Good campaign.

Our prayer is that by asking churches to encourage, pray for and support more foster carers and adoptive families to step forward, more children will find homes where they are truly accepted, listened to, cared for and valued. Here are three ways that fostering and adoption will change the world: In the 1990s, frustrated with a system where aid recipients were becoming more dependent on external assistance rather than less, and with an awareness of the gap growing between local churches and their communities, the Pentecostal Assemblies of God church asked Tearfund for help and advice to promote sustainable development. A new programme was launched in local Pentecostal churches in Soroti, with the intention of training local facilitators to run the PEP programme.

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STORIES

1. Your world

We have only been foster carers for seven years but it changed our world from day one. Because we already had three birth children when we were approved to become carers, we thought we knew a few things about parenting. But our eyes were quickly opened to the challenges and trauma that children in care have had to face. As we heard the heartbreaking stories of addiction, chaos, abuse and neglect that children who have been cared for have experienced, there was something inside of us that made us want to do everything we could to show something of God’s perfect love and kindness to children who have suffered so much.

‘ Successful committed placements reduce the chance of scarred children turning to crime or drugs, or becoming homeless, sectioned or incarcerated’ We have learned the power of therapeutic parenting and the impact of helping children to rebuild trust and form meaningful attachments. This could have frustrated our birth children, but it has been a delight to see them grow in understanding and compassion through the experience of learning to care for foster siblings. Constantly juggling to meet everyone’s needs is hard work, but it has been an immense privilege to offer a loving home to some wonderful children. Taking a child to the beach or the cinema for the first time or treating them on their birthday, or just watching them develop physically, socially and emotionally, is incredibly rewarding for everyone involved. Yes, we have helped change the lives and futures of vulnerable children, but thanks to our foster children, our lives have also been changed and deeply enriched.

2. Your church

Like many churches, ours was predominantly middle class and we were used to praying for typical middle class concerns. But a growing passion for fostering and adoption has spread, and our small church now has two adoptive families and three fostering families. But this is the tip of the iceberg. Most of our church members express affection for, and interest in, the lives of the adopted and fostered children, and go the extra mile to help the families involved.

They have provided toys, clothes and practical support.

They have helped us access appropriate medical treatment.

They have laughed and cried with us. They have prayed for the wider issues around poverty, deprivation, mental health issues, rehabilitation and neglect. They have committed themselves to supporting struggling parents.

When we threw a farewell party for a little girl who had been with us for three years, half the church turned up and many were in tears by the end. Despite having never said a word due to her disabilities, she had deeply impacted everyone with

her loving nature, kind disposition and winning smile. Our church has become a more loving and caring community because of its encounter with vulnerable children.

3. Our nation

I am nervous every time I pick up the newspaper that I will come across yet another bad news story about the Church.

We have developed a reputation for being judgemental hypocrites, saying and doing the wrong things at the wrong time. Thanks to excellent initiatives like food banks, Street Pastors and Christians Against Poverty, things are beginning to change as our local communities begin to see the love of God demonstrated practically through our churches. Fostering and adoption have the potential to change our nation. Successful committed placements reduce the chance of scarred children turning to crime or drugs, or becoming homeless, sectioned or incarcerated later in life.

But we do not need to wait 18 years to make a national impact. Currently there are 4,600 children waiting to be adopted, and recruitment teams desperate to find 9,000 more foster families to keep up with the numbers of children coming into care on a daily basis. The Church can meet this entire national need. Through Care for the Family, CCPAS and the Evangelical Alliance, 15,000 churches are being asked to find one family in their congregation who can open their home for the good of vulnerable children, and wrap around that family with informed and committed encouragement and support. What better way of showing the unconditional, sacrificial compassion of God than to open our hearts and homes to these children? What a radical way to see change in ourselves, our churches, and our nation.

Get involved

You can get adoption and fostering on the map in your church by holding an Adoption Sunday: www.homeforgood.org.uk/adoptionsunday.

• Become a champion for vulnerable children in your church. Email m.colville@eauk.org to find out more.

• Invite the Home for Good team to your church or visit the website to find out more about how you could make your church a welcoming and supportive place for foster carers and adoptive families: www.homeforgood.org.uk

Krish Kandiah Krish is Executive Director of Churches in Mission and England at the Evangelical Alliance. He is also Associate Research Fellow at London School of Theology, and the author of several books, including Home for Good, published in March 2013.

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STORIES

‘ The Church should ditch the cultural baggage. We are a missional agency’ We are here at New Wine’s Summer Conference in Newark. What have you found special about the event?

This has been an interesting year for us.

Although it’s the last conference here for the time being, there hasn’t been a sense of an ending hanging over us; more a strong sense of being in God’s hands and of excitement about getting the New Wine family together for the National Gatherings in 2014.

There’s been a wonderful sense of the presence of God. The teaching has been of a high quality and I’ve been struck by seeing people set free during the ministry time. I think we’ve met with God very powerfully through the Bible teaching.

The Burn venue team, all in their late 20s or early 30s, have been exceptional. It thrills me to see younger leaders emerging, leading well and modelling for the rest of us what the Church might look like if it was serious about engaging with the 18-30s generation.

What is God calling you to do in New Wine’s North & East region?

NEW WINE MAGAZINE CATCHES UP WITH THE NEW WINE NORTH & EAST REGIONAL DIRECTOR. WE TALK TEXTBOOK LEADERSHIP, HOW GOD IS MOVING IN THE NORTH, AND THAT IT’S TIME FOR A NEW GENERATION TO TAKE UP THE MANTLE

I’m working with local leaders to look at how we can best resource the wider Church. We have the opportunity to invest energy in non-residential weekend gatherings in and around the regions.

Something for all ages which will again focus on encountering God in worship, teaching and ministry while equipping the Church to be a transformational agency in their own community.

For leaders, I’m excited at the buzz that’s around the networking in our region and the way in which different groups are being birthed or getting a fresh sense of vitality and focus.

What encouraging stories have you heard recently?

I’m encouraged to hear stories of new churches being planted. I was talking 40

STORIES

to someone who has been leading a fairly traditional church, and who is intimately connected with the New Wine family – to hear how over those two years the church has begun to completely change character; keen to embrace the work of the Spirit.

I’m hearing great stories of hope from some of the urban churches which are growing under good spiritual and courageous leaders. We long for more local churches to deliver opportunities for people to encounter God and be equipped for service in the world.

I prayed with somebody who’d given his life to Christ at the conference last year. It was lovely to hear his story about how his year had gone; now he’s serving God faithfully and effectively leading men’s ministry in his church. I met somebody today whom I prayed for ten years ago. She experienced significant physical healing; her leg was lengthened, having limped all her life.

I have also heard many ‘rescue’ stories. Rescue is at the very heart of Jesus’ ministry, coming to seek the lost.

One of your faith heroes and inspirations as a leader is Nehemiah. Could you explain why?

Nehemiah feels like an old friend. Whatever we go through in our own journey as Christians and as leaders, someone else has gone through it in the past. Nehemiah is the complete leader. I first began to pay attention to him when I accepted an invitation to go and lead a small, traditional and struggling church in the North East. A church rocked by a sex scandal concerning a former vicar, and experiencing brokenness. Nehemiah was raised up to bring new hope in a situation of brokenness to restore the Kingdom for the people of Israel. I read that book in the week I accepted the job; it spoke volumes to me and gave me hope and confidence.

Nehemiah is somebody who leads with vision. I learnt from him how to sew vision realistically. He blends practical wisdom with spiritual insight and dealt effectively with opposition. He is someone who always seeks to lead out of personal integrity. Nehemiah is one of my desert island Bible books and if I had half an hour to spend with any leader who’d ever lived, he’d be top of the list.

What’s next for you?

‘ I’m working with local leaders to look at how we can best resource the wider Church. We have the opportunity to invest energy in non-residential weekend gatherings in and around the regions’ Can you share any of these rescue stories?

For example, I was praying yesterday with a woman who was telling me about her rescue by Jesus from a life of addiction and prostitution. It’s wonderful to see people who have had profound turnarounds in their life as they have encountered Christ and been set free from things that have denied them their dignities as human beings.

On our trip with Tearfund to Uganda earlier this year, we met with people who through the ‘Change a Nation’ programme were experiencing a new level of rescue from physical, material and spiritual poverty. They were coming to faith in Christ and moving from the degradation of being defined as being HIV positive; being rescued and restored as human beings made in God’s image. That was a profound experience, seeing the power of Jesus not just to rescue individuals but also whole communities.

And in our own church it’s exciting seeing people experiencing more of Jesus’ power to free them from negative addictive lifestyles, from destructive patterns of behaviour, from the legacy of their past experience of life which often shapes them and not for good; to see people restored to real freedom and dignity.

One of the priorities for those of us who are established leaders is that we release younger leaders and also that we give them opportunity. I’m so impressed by the quality of many of the emerging leaders in their 20s. I love their passion and their teachability and I want to see that passion released in leadership in the Church and wider workplace. I want to do everything I can to release and encourage them.

I have a frustration with some aspects of institutional churches. The priority for the local Church and for Christian denominations should always be ‘how can we be better placed to reach lost people?’ My frustration is that we often pay far more attention to preserving the past, where we’ve come from, than defining the future.

British theologian Leslie Newbigin said there is a forward tilt to the Christian faith; we are defined by the finishing line, by the Kingdom coming – what we do now should be in anticipation of that. All too often we look back, and not to our founding DNA. The Church should ditch the cultural baggage. We are a missional agency; we need to be fit for purpose. We don’t any longer have the luxury of doing Church any other way.

Ian Parkinson Ian is the New Wine North & East Regional Director and Senior Pastor of All Saints’ Marple. Together with his wife Nadine, he has a passion to resource and encourage local churches and their leaders as they seek to reach communities with the gospel.

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CULTURE

Looking at the news from around the world, there are so many problems it’s hard to know where to start. What can we do to play our part?

Our founder Brother Andrew used to say that Christians should watch the news at night asking the question, ‘What does this mean for the Church?’ It is easy to be overwhelmed. Regular prayer and giving are the foundation stones, but every step of fellowship – every letter written to a martyr’s widow, every campaign action – is significant.

A great first step is to connect with a ministry which is involved on the ground in the key countries. Open Doors works in 58 ‘field’ countries, and we love to provide Christians in the UK with a free magazine and monthly prayer diary, email updates and easy ways to take one key campaign to your church each year.

Local churches have huge potential to make a difference.

How can they get involved?

We would love every church to pray regularly for the persecuted Church, for every church to consider providing for their persecuted family through their church giving, and for every church to appoint someone to be the link person with a ministry like Open Doors. There are already about 700 wonderful Open Doors church representatives who receive Open Doors materials and commit to bringing particularly urgent needs to the attention of the congregation.

The persecuted Church needs us to find thousands more.

What would you say to someone wanting to pray for the persecuted Church – as the Bible says we should – but is struggling?

Firstly I’d want to tell them they’re not alone! It is incredibly difficult to keep up momentum with general prayers where there’s little or no feedback, and yet our prayers are a mighty weapon, vital for the survival of many persecuted Christians. I encourage people to connect with a ministry which can provide them with simple, clear information about prayer needs, and which will spur them on with news about answered prayers. Our prayer diary has a short

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‘ God continues to hear the cries of his people and responds with the gift of freedom and life’ prayer request for each day, and many supporters tell us they read the back page first – which always carries a story of answered prayer.

The situation in Syria at the moment is particularly difficult.

What should we be praying for in this country?

This note and prayer request from one of the Syrian church leaders we’re working with can give you a better sense of how to pray than I can. He shared this with us last week:

‘They advise me to leave my country, to emigrate. But I’m staying for the Church of Jesus, that the message of Jesus may remain a light guiding those who are lost and afraid. I’m staying because the harvest is plentiful, and the suffering is huge. I’m staying to follow in the footsteps of my master.

I’m staying because I’m busy in the ministry of saving souls.’

He asks that we pray: • That the cup of war be taken away from Syria.

• That God would send the power of his Holy Spirit on his Church and that it may reach out to those suffering.

• That the Lord may enable us to speak with great boldness and that many wonders and signs be performed.

• That the Lord may send those who can help us build a centre for children affected by the war, that we may be able to take care of those who have lost their supporters, and enable them to get back on their feet.

• That God may send those who can help our children who are now disabled, and have special needs.

What stories have you got of God at work across the areas you work in?

I could tell you about the thousands becoming Christians through dreams in Middle Eastern countries and how they are changing their communities from the inside out; or about one of our workers visiting North Africa who had been writing to a secret believer ever since the man responded to our radio programmes and how the two of them met ‘accidentally’ only to discover they had been writing for years. Or I could tell you about the gangsters in Central Asia who have come to Christ and are now risking their lives to serve the Church.

But I’d like to tell you what a Syrian pastor shared with me when I met him close to the Syrian border a few months ago. A lady in his congregation wanted to cross a rebel roadblock because she felt God was asking her to take bread and encouragement to Christians in a church on the other side. She approached this group of rebel guards

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and asked them to let her through (not generally a wise move in Syria, given what is happening to Christian women there daily). They refused to let her pass but she wouldn’t go away. She said, ‘I’m not going until you let me through.’ Eventually she said, ‘I want to meet your leader.’ The men contacted their leader and, incredibly, he came down from the hills to meet her. She said to him, ‘You need to let me across this blockade, you need to let me across to get to the church and you need to come with me because when I get to the church, you need to sit next to me.’

Amazingly, this man did go with her to the church, and sat next to her. When they were there, she turned to him and said, ‘Don’t you ever think that I am afraid of you or your gun, because the God in my heart is bigger than your gun, he is the God of reconciliation.’

As she spoke, the rebel leader was mesmerised and tears began to roll down his cheeks. They went back to the roadblock together and he said to his men, ‘You need to facilitate the work of this woman. Let her through whenever she likes and when she is on our patch, you make sure she is safe.’

God is at work in the hearts of rebel leaders in Syria today!

There can be a sense that helping the persecuted church is something reserved for a few specific people. Is that the case?

I don’t think so. It won’t be the big passion of every church of course – but the Bible makes it clear that as the Body of Christ we are to function as one body, suffering when one part suffers, rejoicing when one part rejoices (1 Cor. 12).

That means we have to be connected with each other. It’s not a one-way street – seeing the incredible courage and faith of many persecuted Christians can remind us here that being disciples of Jesus really is worth everything, and it gives me a renewed determination to run my race well. Be warned – get involved with the persecuted Church and your faith will grow!

Lisa Pearce Lisa is Deputy CEO of Open Doors UK & Ireland.

For more information on the work of Open Doors, and how to get involved, visit www.opendoorsuk.org or call 01993 777300.

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A

fter 25 years of running Summer Conferences, it’s worth asking whether New Wine has made a difference and what happens next. Every year delegates from our Summer Conferences write telling us how they have met with God and how he has changed their lives. For some it’s deciding for the first time to commit their lives to following Jesus; for others it’s an encounter with the Holy Spirit bathing them in the love of God beyond anything they’ve known before. For others it’s been a healing of their body, their mind or their relationships; still others have gained a fresh reason for living and a greater confidence in God’s call on their lives. Each year we rejoice over such testimonies and thank God for the privilege of being involved in this great salvation story.

The increasing reach of these events can be measured by a number of things. Firstly, there has been amazing growth in attendance, from 2,800 in 1989 to an average of 27,000 over the last four years.

Literally hundreds of thousands of people have camped, caravanned, and met with God with us over the years. Secondly, the number of churches involved has steadily risen, from around 100 churches sending delegates in 1989 to 2,200 churches this summer (out of about 37,000 in England). Thirdly, the sadness over the closure of our Newark conference is a reflection of the power and significance of these events.

Changing times

However, 25 years on from our first New Wine, the church and the nation have changed significantly.

‘ What this generation is now praying and looking for is God to dramatically change the nation’ In 1980 regular church attendance in the UK stood at 11% with the average age of an attendee being 37. Today, around 6% regularly attend, with the average age being 51. Despite this, an opinion poll in 2010 reported that 37% of UK citizens believe there is a God, 33% believe there is some sort of spirit or life force, and only 25% answered, ‘I don’t believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force’ 1. This latent belief in God is further evidenced by a survey in 2007 suggesting that 42% of UK adults pray, with one in six doing so on a daily basis. Evidently a huge number of people ‘believe in God’ but almost never darken the doors of a church.

We believe this can and will be changed, if the Church is transformed by the Spirit of God and becomes again the living Church of the Acts of the Apostles. Churches like that – with vision and values similar to New Wine – are growing and making a difference to their communities.

In his book The Road to Growth, Bob Jackson reflects, ‘It is clear that New Wine-style churches are growing in attendance and membership and have younger congregations in contrast to the Church of England as a whole’. He cites the following significant features: ‘Worship centred on encounter with God, relational 1

46

community for all ages, and church planting’ and concludes, ‘If there is one single division between shrinking and growing churches this may be it – those trapped in Christendom mode are shrinking, those that have gone beyond it to mission mode for a post-Christian world are growing’.

Our vision remains the same: To see the nation changed through Christians being filled with the Spirit, and churches renewed, strengthened and planted demonstrating the good news of the kingdom of God to all.

All grown up

Looking back we have become aware that something else has changed too. A generation has now grown up within New Wine who have been absorbing our vision and values, yet are still only in their 20s and early 30s. These people don’t need to be led or persuaded into an experience of the Spirit; they don’t have to imagine what a ‘renewed’ church might look like because they have grown up in one. They don’t have to be forced into helping in a ministry because it’s been natural for them to serve on a team at a Summer Conference; nor do they have to be informed about compassionate incarnational mission because they have already been engaged in healing on the streets.

God has already given them a wealth of experience way beyond anything my generation had at their age.

I recently received a letter from a 20 year-old who had been to the past 12 Summer Conferences. He reflected on his journey as a member of the children’s groups to being a leader in them, and how at New Wine he had ‘met so many amazing people,

Eurostat Eurobarometer Opinion Poll 2010 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm

Providing a platform

At the close of the Old Testament there is a significant prophecy about the Jews longing for a similar breakthrough of the kingdom of God. It would come only when, ‘He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers’ (Mal 4:6). After 25 years we now have two generations whose hearts are in the same place – experiencing the presence and power of God together and having a heart for each other. I believe my generation now needs to learn to encourage the next generation to go beyond where we have got to, to be unconstrained by our constructs of church life and denomination, to live out their Christian lives outside our church buildings and meetings, to inhabit rather than just occasionally practise

Join us…

what Bob Jackson called ‘mission mode’, and to expect and experience signs and wonders to accompany their proclamation of the kingdom of God. For that to happen some of us will need to step down from our decision-making roles. We need to become more like empowering fathers to our now adult children, rejoicing more in their success than in striving for success ourselves, giving them platforms while we become effective and fervent prayers, recognising the joy of being coaches rather than just the joy of being players.

Passing the baton on

I once heard John Wimber talking about moments when God has brought significant renewal to his church and to society. His warning was that without appropriate change, a movement could

become a monument, a monument a museum, and a museum a mausoleum.

Denominations sadly often do that – church buildings once full now lie empty all around the country. We are all aware that nationally the missing generation in our churches is the 20 and 30 year-olds.

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learnt valuable lessons and skills’ and his involvement had ‘helped me stay being a Christian’. What this generation is now praying and looking for is God to dramatically change the nation.

If we salute what God has done in the children’s and youth work at our Summer Conferences and pass the baton on to those who have been living our values almost since they were born, our ceiling will be their floor.

The ‘missing generation’ will have the chance of hearing the gospel of God’s love in a fresh way from their peers, and we will press on with our vision of seeing the nation changed. Let’s enable the movement to keep moving!

John Coles John is the Director of New Wine.

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HOW CAN YOUR CHURCH SHAPE THE WAY THE COUNTRY IS RUN? THE RT HON STEPHEN TIMMS URGES US TO STEP UP AND TAKE OUR PLACE ON THE POLITICAL PLAYING FIELD

H

ave you ever said that you shouldn’t mix faith and politics? Many people take this view, believing that it is asking for trouble. I don’t agree. In fact, I take the opposite view; faith is a great starting point for politics. Moreover, faith is the source of the values which make politics work: responsibility, solidarity, patience, compassion, truthfulness and tolerance.

Injecting hope

I believe that to renew politics in Britain, we need to inject more hope.

And hope is at the heart of Christian faith. Tom Wright, former Bishop of Durham, put it like this: ‘People who believe in the resurrection, in God making a whole new world in which everything will be set right at last, are unstoppably motivated to work for that new world in the present’. If we can bring more of that into politics, it will be transformed – just as it was in our country’s history.

Around Britain today, in every community, we are seeing a new movement of social activism, for

which the starting point is faith in Jesus. It is rooted in worship.

It does not consist of activists with a background in Christianity. Rather, it has right at its centre the person of Jesus Christ and the activity of worship. That is what gives this movement its vitality.

‘ We are seeing a new movement of social activism, for which the starting point is faith in Jesus’ Food for thousands

The most dramatic example has been the growth of church-led foodbanks over the past three years.

The charity Trussell Trust started their first foodbank in 2001. By 2010 they were helping 30,000 households per year. The number has rocketed as a result of recent changes to the benefit system. Last year, 350,000 households were helped by Trussell Trust foodbanks,

FAITH AND TACKLING 48

In quite a short period, thousands of people have found they can no longer afford sufficient food for themselves and their families. Who can step forward to meet that need in modern, secular Britain? It turns out that the answer is: churches.

There are lots of other examples too. I am shadow minister for employment, and some of the best projects for helping unemployed people back to work are being delivered by church-based groups.

Networks of church-based initiatives are delivering very effective debt advice. Most of Britain’s youth work is being undertaken by churches. And church members have been largely responsible for persuading successive governments to commit to the UN target that we should contribute 0.7% of our Gross Domestic Product in international aid. Those who argued

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and the number has shot up again following the benefit cuts in April.

At the moment, a new foodbank is opening every day, and they are struggling to meet the need.

that churches don’t make much difference these days are having to think again.

Shaping the future

What is needed now is for people involved in this movement to take a step further, and to work alongside others inside political parties. I want the values I saw being instilled and inspired at the New Wine Summer Conferences to be shaping the way our communities are run, and the way our country is run.

Too often Christians have had the habit of vacating the political playing field and then complaining about the result. Or they have confined their interest to rather narrow, moral issues. Some argue that politics is now so debased that Christians should have nothing to do with it. But, if Christians have abandoned politics, whose fault is it if it isn’t working?

The movement of church-based social activism is one of the most hopeful things around. It’s touching every community, and I want to see it starting to shape our politics too.

POLITICS: THE TABOO The Rt Hon Stephen Timms The Rt Hon Stephen Timms is MP for East Ham and Shadow Minister for Employment. He held a number of posts under the previous Labour Government, including Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and is the Labour Party’s Faith Envoy.

49

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Jonny Patton is the Worship Director at All Saints Woodford Wells, and led worship at the New Wine Third Person stream this summer

Fabulously down to earth, honest, fun, biblical and enjoyable to read. What more could you want from a book? Single Minded is a timely piece of writing addressing issues that face singles in our world and church today. But not just for singles; it is an uplifting book whatever your marital status. At its core this book is about living a life that is so orientated towards God that all other aspects of our lives become secondary. It’s about radical discipleship, and I am grateful to Kate for raising the bar for my faith.

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There is something of ‘Mr Tumble’ from the BBC’s Something Special show about the singer Olly Goldenberg. Adults may think he is too much, but children seem to love him. The CD is divided into fast catchy tunes then a slower song, so in smaller sections, it can be used with groups. Everything I Need is in the Bible is fun and catchy; a few simple words in this song will have children singing along in no time. I Don’t Have to Feel Scared is great, easy for children to join in with. It’s a bit like the game In Grandma’s Chest; as the song progresses with new lines it then goes back to the beginning, like a memory game.

Tish Bloomfield leads the youth group at St Cuthbert’s church in Rye Park, Hoddesdon as well as the Gems ministry for 0-3 year olds at the New Wine Summer Conference

Life on the Frontline

London Institute for Contemporary Christianity

Our life group wanted a short, relevant study. This has been great in helping us think more about our ‘frontlines’, the day to day situations we find ourselves in and people we regularly come across. By encouraging us to feed back each week the study became practical rather than just something we talked about on a Wednesday. Though all ladies in our 20s and 30s, we have very different frontlines, from the school gates to offices. We saw the importance of being a witness to the people we meet every day – and realised that God can use you wherever you are.

Sarah Harrison is a life group leader and member of St James Church, Gerrards Cross

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Recommended Resources

Kate Wharton

Do What Jesus Did Robby Dawkins

If I’m honest, I get a bit bored of Christian books. But something came alive in me as I read this book. My heart caught fire as I sped through the story-filled pages. Robby Dawkins reminds us that mission with the Holy Spirit is unpredictable, creative and exhilarating. He also illuminates everything with practical examples. This is a tale of a man who has the audacity to live as though Jesus meant what he said. It is the best book I have read since Shane Claiborne’s Irresistible Revolution. In summary, this book encourages you to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk.

Luke Smith is Church Relations Manager at Fusion and on the leadership team of New Wine North & East

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Center ParCs elveden Forest Friday 10 – sunday 12 January 2014

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sPeakers inClude: Pete hughes - leader of KXC in central London, and previously part of the leadership team at St Mary’s Bryanston Square.

danielle strickland internationally recognised leader, speaker, writer, justice advocate, mission developer, worship leader and church planter – and an officer in The Salvation Army in Canada.

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worshiP led By tom eCCleshall and karen GillesPie From kXC, london.

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For the latest news and info, follow us on Twitter @newwineuk

‘This is a unique opportunity to be renewed in the presence and power of the Spirit and refreshed in the responsibility we carry in leadership.’

John coles