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BlogHere are the thoughts and news of the people in our community. Leave a comment as you wish. If you want to join the blogging ask Mark.
Saturday, February 28, 2004Hey all, After last nights (Friday) xcell, Rhoda and I were left wondering "what just happened". I don't know how much many of you know about the all new xcell format so I will start with a few insights. Xcell came from Rhoda and I putting our heads together and getting nits, errrrrrr... I mean deciding we wanted to do something with youth where we can discuss issues and promote a moral life. This started over a year ago and soon grew beyond either of our imaginations until we had around 60 young people on the books and anything between 30 and 40 youths attending each week. As great as this was, it did not come with out its trouble, so with a few bits of damage to the Arbours School and an increasing feeling that we were just in over our heads, we managed to make it to the end of the term and broke for the summer hols. We used this time to reassess with Mark Hill and Michele who had joined the xcell team. On Feb 6th we relaunched xcell at the Farm, (the building next to the Arbours Primary School) with only a selected handful of young people. The new format means that we are limited to only have 20 young people on any one night and we run from 7:30 until 9:00pm with a kinda' chilled out, layed back, pool playin', music listnin', film watchin', tuck eatin', pop drinkin' atmosphere. From 9:00 till 9:30pm we run a issue based discussion group with some of the young people who choose to stay. This is where last night Rhoda and I were pleasantly surprised. Last nights discussion was loosely based around the Bruce Almighty film and how God was portrayed in the film, so the question asked was: What or Who is God to you? I must say that when Rhoda and I chatted about this before hand I really had trouble because God is so many things and yet it is hard to put these into words, go on you have a go! Well the young people had a field day with this question and we had all sorts of answers from "a practical joker, who turns the computer on to make you a little freaked out" to "someone who is there to tell you off when you have done something wrong" we also had "someone who wants the best for you" So once again what or who is God to you? We would also like to ask for your help! while talking about this topic we chatted a little about hell because if there is a heaven then someone said there must be a hell, this prompted one of the youths to talk about Ouija boards, this prompted a bigger discussion that last night there wasn't the time or the place for. However we do feel this may be something that we would like to address and we feel that we would like your ideas or views on! so please please please leave a comment on anything you see here. Hope this isn't too long and your not board, looking forward to your comments. Col on behalf of xcell team. Posted by: Anonymous | 11:30 pm |
Thursday, February 26, 2004Well, we are off the the Salt and Light Leaders conference now. Should be interesting and fun [did I say fun?] I mean 'stimulating'! Hope you can cope without us for a few days ;-). There are a couple if PC's at the conference people can use, so I will try to drop you a line!! If you want to see the programme, take a look here. I am really looking forward to hearing Tom Wright again. He is a bit of a hero!! You should read some of the stuff on the link. Catch you soon. Posted by: Mark | 10:19 am |
Wednesday, February 25, 2004The Passion of the Christ The film is out now in the states and here is an interesting review in a US paper: THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST / **** (R). You will note that the film has been given an 18 cert in the UK. What do you think about that? Posted by: Mark | 5:44 pm |
Tuesday, February 24, 2004Funding Round 1 Well, interesting development has taken place this morning. I have just received a call from the county council informing us that we have been successfull in our grant application that we submitted for the running of excel. Wow!! That is a turn up for the books! All the running around, getting laptops locked in cupboards etc that Colin did was all worthwhile. I have to say I thought it was a 'hit and hope', but it has worked! it is under a fifth of what we need for the 'empower' project as a whole [school, lunchtime clubs, JFC, excel, trips, fundays etc], but it is huge step forward! God is gracious! so anyone know what we should do with £4250? Can you spot us here? Posted by: Mark | 2:23 pm |
Individualism "Our failure to contest Enlightenment individualism, for instance, has landed us in ludicrous heresies. Luther's classic doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is a case in point. It has been corrupted into the heretical and essentially Gnostic idea of the priesthood of the solitary believer. Instead of serving as priests to each other in obedience to our one High Priest (and thus engage in the radically communal life of the church), each individual is supposed to become his own priest." Wow - that needs unpacking... Posted by: Mark | 12:12 am |
Friday, February 13, 2004Holidays I like holidays! Half-term is here and we are off to Wales in our new car! Praise God! It is amazing, you know that we got a new car in time. You have to believe that God's timing is good! I know the Knotts are aware of that with Kev's new job. So often it looks like God's timing is way off, or that "God has now left the building". It is at those moments that our faithful trust in God shows its true face. Anyway I digress. I wonder what your idea of an *ideal* holiday is? To be honest 7 adults and 8 kids under 5 isn't *ideal*. But it should be a lot of fun! I'll take a book in case I get bored.... Posted by: Mark | 1:24 pm |
Thursday, February 12, 2004Changing County, Changing Church? Last Tuesday I went to a day conference at King's Park. The purpose was to discuss the huge building work that will go on in our county over the next 30 years, and how the church should respond. To put it in real terms they reckon that there will 26,400 new homes in Northampton alone in 20 years time. In terms of people, that could be around 52,000. Which if my maths is any way correct [no comments, Mica!] then the population of Northampton will go up by 25% over the next 20 years. The highlight of the day was hearing Stuart Murray Williams, CHurch planting guru, talking about church planting [funnily enough!]. He did an overview of the church planting movement over the 90's and into the last couple of years. It was fascinating. He reckons that around 1900 churches were planted in the 90's, but around 2700 closed. One lesson being that church planting "did not reverse the decline or stimulate overall church growth". Wow! Why not? Unrealistic goals, short term planning, not rethinking church or mission in the way that was needed. The rethinking of church and mission was high on the agenda for the day. "How do we create mission-shaped churches". What I would call "missional communities". Even the Anglical Synod was meeting to discuss it. What was clear to me was that the established churches are being more experimental than "new churches" in this area. Home Churches are [should be] missional communities. How? Posted by: Mark | 1:13 pm |
Thursday, February 05, 2004Well we have bought a car!! You wait 'til you see the colour! Posted by: Mark | 10:04 am |
Wednesday, February 04, 2004Ground Hog Day I stumbled on the film Ground Hog day on the tv on Monday night. I hadn't watched it for ages. It kinda tricked me and sucked me in! Bizarre. I think it was 'cos of this line that was said pretty much as I flicked over: "What do you do when your actions have no meaning; when what you do has no consequence" Suddenly I saw the film in a whole new light! This day that Phil Conners repeated over and over (for months if not years of 'days') had no meaning, it had no purpose to it. The only thing that changed day after day as that clock flicked over to 6:00am was Phil Conners himself. That, we find, was the only meaning to this day: the "Formation" [if you like] of Phil. Would he or would he not change. There is a simple progression: First he goes Hedonistic - just enjoy yourself, break the law, use other people to your own ends of pleasure; Second he discovers a person he can't manipulate for his own pleasure - hedonism runs out of steam; Third commit suicide, end it all 'cos life ain't worth living - but even that doesn't work, despite numerous attempts, what do you do when even life-after-death loses meaning?; Fourth face the reality of who he is - selfish, self-centred, the world revolves around him; Fifth allow someone else to be the centre, love them for the sake of them, allow them to change you, remove yourself from the centre of your life, get turned 'inside-out'. Forgive me for being slow on this old film, or maybe it is me, but I saw something of the result of meaning and purpose, combined with a loss of focus on life after death. Phil Conners had to find meaning in 'today', as if that was the only day that mattered. This often results in a hedonistic existentialism, but even that is shown to be meaningless. The ending is cheesy, I don't really like it. But I like the fact that meaning can be found in re-centering life around God and others and allowing yourself to be changed by them. Posted by: Mark | 1:58 pm |
Maddy and I are desparately trying to buy a new car by the half term. But it is looming! We test drove a car on Monday. We had been waiting for a week for it to come in to the showroom. We were fairly hopeful that it was what we wanted. The test drive went well. It wenty well and felt good. That was until it blew up! Yeah that's right BLEW UP! The engine went pop, black smoke out the back. No power. Left by the side of the road. Possibly not the 'one'!! MADDY was driving by the way ;). Posted by: Mark | 10:51 am |
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