Travelling, Meetings and Writing!

The past few months seem to have been filled with travelling, meetings and writing.

Travelling
I have just returned from two weeks in the United States visiting key evangelism leaders in the states of Alabama, Florida and Virginia. As a result of my meetings with Dr Sammy Gilbreath in Alabama and Dr David Burton in Florida we are now purusing partnerships with the Alabama and Florida Baptist Conventions. The partnerships are around More to Life and we will be exploring ways that we can equip and resource the leaders and Christians to engage in faith sharing through the More to Life programme.

I then went onto Virginia, where I am working with the Baptist General Association of Virginia on a programme called ‘670’. This again has More to Life as a key part of its outreach philosophy. It was great to be able speak at the annual meetings of the BGAV as well as to spend time with Wayne Faison, the team leader for Courageous Churches and develop some strategy for the next few years. I was also able to meet with the Courageous Churches team and to form some really good relationships with them.

As a result of this trip I will be returning to the United States in February speaking at Evangelism Conferences in Alabama, Florida, Virginia and also Pennsylvania.

Writing
Whilst travelling where possible and when not meeting much of my time over the past few months has been spent writing. The major things I am writing at the moment are:

Seek Serve Follow
‘Seek Serve Follow’ is a discipleship course that we have been commissioned to produce by Girls’ Brigade England & Wales. This 8 session pack is being produced to help leaders of Girls’ Brigade across the country to become closer followers of Jesus thus enabling them to encourage the girls and young women they minister to, to become closer followers of Jesus.
I have been writing the teaching material for the 8 sessions as well as working with our media team on the DVD and journal content.

More to Life Enquirers Site
As a result of the expanding ministry of More to Life we have decided to produce a website specifically designed for people who have been encouraged to begin to question whether they could know God but are not ready for church. The More to Life DVD and whole approach to evangelism results in there being many people who are in this position.

This is now live!! If you would like to see it visit http://www.more-to-life.org/
As well as the meetings in the United States I have been involved in a number of key meetings in the UK. I recently met with Roger Batt, the Children’s Specialist for the Salvation Army to talk through the possibilities of Arise Ministries partnering with the Salvation Army to pioneer new children’s work across the UK. We had a very encouraging meeting and I plan to go back soon to meet with his team and explore possibilities.
I have also been involved in exciting meetings looking at the development of Solid a youth festival that Viz-A-Viz ministries runs in partnership with other key organisations in Essex (I am the spiritual director for this event). I have been involved in similar meetings regarding Leading Edge, the Baptist Union Summer bible week which is delivered in partnership with Viz-A-Viz ministries.

If I were to summarise what I have been doing in the last few months it feels as if God is up to something and I am just trying to keep up with it. I would appreciate your prayers

for wisdom as we explore partnerships and developments in all kinds of areas.

for patience, as even though God moves quickly I sometimes still want to rush ahead!

for my family, as I am spending time away and out of the country, please pray especially for my wife Lynn.