Phil Whittall, AKA the Simple Pastor, lives about 100 metres from my house.
Recently we had a brilliant weekend at the Newfrontiers younger leaders conference, catching up with him and Emma, and their son Noah. It was great.
It was then we realised just how long it was since we had last seen them properly: something like 5 months. 5 months = approx 150 days. That is about 67cm per day! I should be able to make it further than that!
He is in a different church (whatever that means!), and we are both very busy people in different ways, but even so? Those are excuses not reasons. I live just 100m away and I read his blog more than I see him, and I dare to call him a friend?
As I think about community, society, communications, social networking, it makes me wonder have I lost something? I will know what I have learned by how big Noah is the next time I see him. Hopefully it won't be long, and there won't be a Christmas Tree up either.
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
A prayer that blessed me...
I was at a leaders meeting of Mission Shrewsbury recently which represents a cross section of evangelical Churches in the town.
One of our local Anglican vicars started a prayer with this statement.
"Lord, thank you for Barnabas, and for the way it is a shining light in our town."
Unity is not reflected in a doctrinal statement or a forced co-operation, but a state of heart based on relationship, trust, and mutual appreciation.
One of our local Anglican vicars started a prayer with this statement.
"Lord, thank you for Barnabas, and for the way it is a shining light in our town."
Unity is not reflected in a doctrinal statement or a forced co-operation, but a state of heart based on relationship, trust, and mutual appreciation.
Sunday, 26 April 2009
An interesting picture
On Sunday morning in the prayer meeting before our Church service I saw the following picture.
I saw a blank canvas, stretching as far as the eye could see in either direction. It was almost infinite.
We had just been singing "One day every tongue will confess you are God, one day every knee will bow" from the song "Come, now is the time to worship".
I could see that scene way in the distance on the canvas ahead of us.
But the focus was on the here and now, and instead of painting with brush strokes it was almost as thought he painter (God) was not brushing paint but placing people.
It really felt as though as a painter mixes paints to make the shade he wants, and then spreads them to make the scene he wants, God was bringing together and mixing together people here to make something wonderful.
The canvas seemed to be God's plan through history for the salvation of mankind, with future glory mapped out ahead and this was a glimpse of the here and now, for us, that each individual person was being shaped and moulded into the scene together.
I saw a blank canvas, stretching as far as the eye could see in either direction. It was almost infinite.
We had just been singing "One day every tongue will confess you are God, one day every knee will bow" from the song "Come, now is the time to worship".
I could see that scene way in the distance on the canvas ahead of us.
But the focus was on the here and now, and instead of painting with brush strokes it was almost as thought he painter (God) was not brushing paint but placing people.
It really felt as though as a painter mixes paints to make the shade he wants, and then spreads them to make the scene he wants, God was bringing together and mixing together people here to make something wonderful.
The canvas seemed to be God's plan through history for the salvation of mankind, with future glory mapped out ahead and this was a glimpse of the here and now, for us, that each individual person was being shaped and moulded into the scene together.
Friday, 24 April 2009
Quiz Night
I love Quiz Nights
They are just such a good way for people from the Church to get together and for people to bring their friends. We had about 80 people there in 14 teams. There must have been about 20 guests, including neighbours, parents and work colleagues. Lots of different cell groups brought a team, and our cell group did all the catering and preparations as our way of bringing a positive event into the mission of the Church.
It was "sowing" from Sowing, reaping, keeping, in a way that really works for us.
Here is the quiz: how would you get on?
They are just such a good way for people from the Church to get together and for people to bring their friends. We had about 80 people there in 14 teams. There must have been about 20 guests, including neighbours, parents and work colleagues. Lots of different cell groups brought a team, and our cell group did all the catering and preparations as our way of bringing a positive event into the mission of the Church.
It was "sowing" from Sowing, reaping, keeping, in a way that really works for us.
Here is the quiz: how would you get on?
Quiz Night April 2009
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Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Exciting Job Opportunity
This was advertised on Sunday:
I am also thrilled our trustees are so full of faith they have pulled out all the stops to make it an attractive full time management post which is well worth moving to Shrewsbury for.
Barnabas Community Church, Shrewsbury, seeks a full time Church Manager to develop the practical requirements of the church, which has a growing congregation of around 300.I am really excited about the prospect of bringing in a new staff member to help us with the mammoth task of administering a thriving church centre and a growing Church.
The successful candidate will lead teams, manage facilities and support the eldership in their vision to grow a large regional resource Church.
Two key roles will be to facilitate the move to two Sunday services, and to develop the ministry of the Barnabas Centre, which hosts many Church projects and community groups every week.
For details and an application pack, please contact Dave Matthias
I am also thrilled our trustees are so full of faith they have pulled out all the stops to make it an attractive full time management post which is well worth moving to Shrewsbury for.
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