Today was my long-awaited first day as Youth Minister at Spurgeon Baptist Church, Bletchley (my home Church for 18 years). Having completed my Degree in Youth and Community Work & Applied Theology at the Centre for Youth Ministry in June, I’ve had a relatively quiet summer whilst waiting to be appointed and then reach the start date. But I made…
During my Degree at the Centre for Youth Ministry I’ve collected a large number of related books, with thanks to the Central Baptist Association for a generous book grant. I expect I’ll make good use of them during the next few years, but would like to loan them out to others who may find them helpful. I couldn’t face compiling…
3 years 9 terms 20 modules 1 dissertation 18 assignments 24 reflective journals 12 directed tasks 106,000 words 18 fieldwork meetings 18 professional formation group meetings 108 journey’s to/from Oxford 12,024 miles countless laughs/tears/loving insults Feeling now it’s all done = PRICELESS!!
Today I started reading Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen for the Worship & Spirituality module at CYM. I’m half-way through which for me is a record (ok, it’s a short book and fairly big text) and so far I’ve found it really inspiring and challenging. I’m looking forward to getting my head around it when brain-capacity allows. I…
Last week as part of my end of term activities I took part in a retreat day at the Carmelite Priory at Boars Hill in Oxfordshire. The day was led by Ian Adams, one of the CYM Chaplains, who used the story of Elizabeth, Zechariah and Mary to introduce us to some meditative practices. I arrived early to avoid the…
Jesus was only ever able to seize the moment because He spent so much time in prayer and in the presence of His Father. Jesus spent hours every day in personal spiritual preparation. Then, when He had a relational encounter, He was spiritually aware enough to see straight into the heart of the situation and maximise that moment. The same…
“God isn’t looking for people of great faith, but for individuals ready to follow Him.”- Hudson Taylor – “It is the duty of every Christian to be Christ to his neighbour.”– Martin Luther – “It is not my ability, but my response to God’s ability, that counts.”– Corrie Ten Boom – “It seems that what is required of us is…
For my Culture, Society & Mission module I’m currently reading Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture by Michael Frost, and thoroughly enjoying it. I’m a slow reader and a quick forgetter – so here, partly for my own reference purspose, are some of the quotes which jumped out at me: “The Christian movement must be the living, breathing promise…
The title of this post is a phrase we frequently quote both during and between lectures – and is usually said with tongue firmly planted in cheek. The phrase was my first thought when I read the quote below: “I wanted a bike, and asked God to give me one. But then I realized God doesn’t work that way. So…
Stamina and material permitting, this is the start of a series of posts which will feature snippets of wisdom from many sources. Please feel free to comment below if you’d like to contribute your own wisdom.As I’m currently working hard towards the mid-year submission for the long-double Fieldwork module, the following couldn’t be more apt: Done is better than perfect.…
[Welcome to anyone visiting from MK Vineyard Church – please introduce yourself in the comments section below…] This morning, along with my Minster, I had the pleasure of giving a presentation to the MK Vineyard Church about our new Youth Project for Central Bletchley & Fenny Stratford, and inviting them to become partners in the project. We were made very…