Hi again. The series on faith has been completed, and I believe very much a word from God to me and our church. The six phases of faith God takes us all through are.- 1. He gives us a dream 2. We make a decision to go for the dream 3. Delays come in gaining the dream to teach us to wait for God 4. Followed by difficulties so our faith can be tried like gold is in the crucible 5. Dead ends where it all seems impossible are another phase and here only God can do the impossible 6. Finally comes God's deliverance. We all experience these phases many times in our lives, the challenge! Have faith in God.
Last week was Elisabeth and my wedding anniversary so we had the weekend in Brugge, great weather, food and chocolates. Super town, a must if you have never been. On the Sunday I preached for a friend who has ministered in Belgium for 25 years. He and his wife have four children and are returning to minister in the UK. It was a real priviledge to be with them and the church they have built on this significant day.
This Sunday night Elisabeth and I are speaking in London where one of our closest friends and his wife are being inducted into an Anglican Church. Again a great priviledge and an exciting time in their lives.
Thought for the blogg: Every person ought to make up their mind whether man or God is the measure of all things. If it is man we will be subject to multiple and ever changing standards. If God, He is one and there is only one truth. Let us then have faith in God.

30th August 2005

A couple of weeks ago I promised to update you on the faith series, one evening entailed looking at God's dream for our lives. A key part of believing God for the dream in your heart is articulating the dream so others can become part of it. That challenged me to fully share my dream with the church, it had a big impact and I was asked to blogg the dream, so here it is.

“ I have a dream that our Church, our Town, might be a safe place, an Ark, a great tree that is bursting with life; where the hurting, depressed, frustrated, confused, excited, full-of-vision, life-filled people can find love, acceptance, help, forgiveness, guidance and encouragement.

It’s a dream of sharing the Good News of Jesus with thousands of residents in Chelmsford and Essex.

It’s the dream of welcoming 5000 people into fellowship in God’s Family, loving and laughing, learning and living in harmony together.

It’s a dream of developing people into spiritually mature adults through studying the Scripture, Teaching, Retreats, and Small Groups. Laughing, eating, having fun. A Bible School for our own members.

It’s a dream of equipping every believer for significant ministry by helping them discover the gifts and talents that God gave them. And the same for the children; to laugh and play where no-one will abuse them, where we will do our best to be kind and open their lives up for them, and let them be children for as long as they possibly can.

It’s a dream for sending out hundreds of people serving the Lord, Church workers, around the world; empowering every member for personal life and mission life.

It’s a dream of sending out members by the thousands for short-term mission – we’ve got about 15 going out this summer – projects to every continent.

It’s a dream of starting at least one more church, and then to begin to move on out through Essex.

It’s a dream for about 10 acres of land, with a central worshipping point for Essex, with beautiful and efficient facilities, including a Worship Centre that will seat the 4 to 5 thousand people; with Counselling, Prayer Ministry, and classrooms designed to minister to the total person, spiritually, emotionally, physically and socially. All set in a peaceful and inspiring place with flowers, trees, water, fountains and streams, where people can come and enjoy, sit, read a book, and for families to come and enjoy and play.

Every city in Britain deserves a Centre like that, where there is a vision for God.”

Comments welcome

10th August 2005

Does anyone know if there is an audio blog out there for lazy people like me who hate writing.
I always live with the hope Church will be a little quieter in August, it never happens and this year we are busier than ever. The good news is Church is doing great. So many good things happening. Sunday mornings are different, we are using scripture Union's Landlubbers Bible week series. Our video team produced an awesome series of trailers climaxing with them invading the church during a Sunday morning service. I have to say their production is better than SU's so next year maybe we will produce our own.
Evenings we are doing a series on faith inspired by a moment at the communion table near the end of July. I quoted from memory a verse of an old Wesley Hymn, last vese
Faith mighty faith the promise sees
and looks to that alone.
Laughs at impossibilities
and cries it shall be done.
It was one of those moments and a series was born. More later

21st April 2005

Thanks for all the helpful comments and suggestions re being a princess, I could get a bad name. Someone suggested a list of blogs in Elim Express, let's have a try.
Time in the States and Canada was wonderful, not just because of what we saw and did, perhaps being given time is the greatest gift of all. Thanks for all the support and prayers. Elisabeth and I are away at Elims annual conference next week, it combines church business with a Bible week. Always a great time so pray people have time to encounter our Lord.
Currently reading three books, one on Esther for a new semon series; another on narrative preaching. Ann our youth worker keeps bullying me to combine storytelling with teaching, big ask for TOGS. My personal read is Abba's Child, Brennan Manning (Navipress); the theme is as the title, I know of no one who speaks to the hearts deepest longings quite like Brennan yet he leaves us not looking inside, rather out and upward at Jesus. The retreat with him Elisabeth and I attended in Washington State will I think prove to be a turning point in my life.
Pray for us as a Church we have prayer battles to fight for some wonderful members and are moving to two morning services May 8th. God is moving, look out for Him and Trust in Him.

Last night in Disneyland, Epcot 

Mike and Elisabeth in awesome Yosemite 

North Coast Church Vista California, pioneering video church. Very exciting idea 

Elisabeth and I in awesome Yosemite 

Hi From San Francisco

Those of you who prayed about the funeral in Alberta, thanks. Amazing and sad day, over 800 people turned out in -46C temperatures to be with the family and say thank you to an ordinary housewife for the impact she made on their lives. Astounding and challenging.
Now with our friends Lary and Robin in San Francisco. They live in the financial district 37 floors up, beautiful home, lovely people, fabulous view, life is tough. We have drunk coffee in Union Square, lunched at Hyde St pier, dinner at Fishermans Warf. Been to Church with our friends (Presbyterian), made contact with three pastors and am meeting one of them Saturday 22nd and preaching in his church in Sonora (Gold Rush Country) on Sunday 23rd. Today I went with Elisabeth to an Assembly of God wives of those in ministry conference, I know how to live. I also now know how to do my nails, make cookies and be a princess. Seriously the ministry was great as was the programme. Elisabeth took notes. Next week we are visiting churches in San Jose and Sacremento, I am looking forward to that very much.
Thanks for all the prayers and hi to all in the UK, especially Chelmsford Elim who we miss loads.

Hi from Freezing Alberta

Happy New Year from Freezing Alberta. We are expecting -28C tonight with a wind chill taking the temp to -46, ah!!!!! Having a great time with family. So far we have spent Christmas with Elisabeth's mother in Salem, Oregan, visited her father in southern Oregan, Driven to Seattle and Vancouver for new year with family and now we are with my sister in Alberta. We landed in a blizzard then drove 200 m south in the same weather, great fun. Almost home when we received a phone call telling my sister her best friend had been rushed into hospital. We drove to the hospital until she was air lifted to Calgary. Two days later we went to Calgary to be with the family, tragically she died. It has been a really sad time here for my family and the whole church, the funeral is wed 12th so those of you who pray please do. In so many ways this trip has been of God.

Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.

Three days to go before Christmas and for me the beginning of a 10 week sabbatical. My wife and I are planning to spend Christmas and new year with family, visit with pastors and churches to learn from their ideas and imagination. We are attending the national pastors conference in San Diego in Feb and then go on retreat with Brennan Manning. We are very excited and plan to blog a journal to keep you in touch.

We had a great Sunday in church on the 19th. The carol service in the evening was packed to the doors, incredible worship and music from the worship team, engineers and media team. The christmas readings were filmed and shown on the large screen, amazing impact. We used members of the church who now cannot attend thro' age or illness, young people and one of our nursery nures reading to the children complete with their interaction. Amazing connection.
Have a great Christmas everyone, if I could give you a gift it would be to adopt a genius, especially a christian one. You can learn from their ideas, lives and actions, then apply to living for God. What a rich, imaginative, creative new year you will have. Mike

Happy Christmas