...And here we go...

When Jennie and I came up with our "Every day's an adventure" motto for family life once Amy arrived (it’s a mindset thing: how best to instil in Amy a life-affirming, positive, "carpe diem" attitude? By realising that we have a purpose in this life, a reason for living, and that leads to seeing the abundant life that Christ promises us; see Psalm 16:5-11 for starters… :-)), we had little idea how that would really be fulfilled. We’d simply hoped that Amy and ourselves might remember that each and every day we live contains opportunities to learn more, grow more, bless more, enjoy more, embrace more, love more, cry more, worship more… and so the list goes on. But little did we know what God had up His sleeves (and they’re BIG ones, believe me)...

Jennie and I have been so blessed by our family at City Church since we joined in ’99. They have been, and still are, amazing. They have been and will be family in every sense (luv ya xxx). Since then, God has been fulfilling His prophecy over me (as given by Chris McLean when He visited City in May ‘01, and supported since by prophetic words from the likes of Graham Hall and my great buddy Gustav) that I would have my “utility belt” equipped with various “tools” for ministry over time. Where I was a little pastoral, I would become very pastoral; where I was a little prophetic, I would become very prophetic; the same with organisational skills, and so on. It was very much about an all-round gifting in many ways and I was certainly grateful but still a little confused – not to mention frustrated - as to what that really meant: surely I’d just be a “Jack of all trades, master of none”? Where was my specific calling? My specific “that” for which Christ took hold of me (Phil 3.12)?

Well, THAT’s the point. THAT is my “that”, of course... and now it’s become clearer than a Hi-Def picture (I love my HD player… :-))...

God has unequivocally called us to be a part of Beacon Church in Herne Bay. He has spoken to Jennie and I in a powerful way to join the guys there (John and David are the elders at Beacon; great, Godly guys) in laying the foundations for something profoundly new. Since November, Jennie and I and the elders of Beacon & City (our very own Tom “Absolutely” Shaw has been so gracious and supportive; thank you so much, you’re a diamond), along with Graham Hall who oversees the East Kent network of New Frontiers churches, have been praying through and working out what God has been saying to us, and now we have a better understanding, if not yet of the finer details, of God’s dream for the town. Beacon Church itself is (currently!) small, and of a predominantly older demographic, but far outweighing that aspect is their desire for God to move, to bring growth, to reach out to the younger people in Herne Bay (an ever-increasingly younger community of over 35,000 people – a massive opportunity for God to do His usual amazing work), to see them added to the local church, and a dependence on the Holy Spirit for counsel, guidance and inspiration. This is truly exciting stuff.

The details and timing for our move are still to be thrashed out over the next few weeks, and we need to be subsequently patient in developing a God-founded, Christ-centred, Spirit-led vision and strategy for what God has prepared for Beacon Church and the local community. Either way, this is the true epitome of adventure: where we will see God’s hand at work, souls saved, the church added to, the sick healed, lives transformed and broken relationships restored (*), and Jesus Christ – the Answer to everything in this life and beyond – glorified throughout. Where my all-round gifting that God has been developing in me will make itself evident in His intentions. Where Jennie, Amy and myself will grow immensely. And where I HAVE to give Him all the glory – without Whom there would be no such giftings, no spiritual growth, no hope in a fallen world. And no adventure.

Thank You, Lord. Here we go...

(*) If you’re reading that list and think it all sounds a bit utopian, believe me, I’ve seen exactly those things happen on many occasions; even while I type this, names are already springing to mind on each and every one of those counts. This is real, not romance. Thank God :-)