Well today was first Opti-Weds, Optimum Training. This happens every Wednesday and you attend each one that you are able (i.e. not out on tour!)
Optimum Training is held at the Barn so Lindsay picked me, Matt, Sam La Roche and Ollie up and we went straight there.
Here’s how the day worked…:
9.30-9.45: Coffee and Chat
9.45-9.55: Notices, general intro to how training works, the forms we need to fill in each week, the scriptures we need to memorise for the next week
9.55-10.40: Personal Time. This is to be used for prayer, Bible study etc. Today Emma and I went for a walk around the grounds just to have a chat and pray about stuff which I found really useful and really enjoyed her company. I think we are going to be good friends 
There are loads of random sculptures in the grounds which are really cool!
10.40-10.50: More coffee!
10.50-11.50: Share and pray: We were in groups of 4 and each person talked about their week, what they are happy about/struggling with and we prayed.
11.50-12.30: Lunch
12.30-1.00: Worship – Each person will be leading a worship section over the coming sessions so we had a hcance to think about what we might want to do for that, and actually what worship is, not just singing but other expressions.
1.00ish-2.30ish: Bible Study: Discussing what the meanings are of disciple/discipline/discipleship. We looked at our devotional lives, how we can apply the Lords Prayer to our own prayers, and the follwing statement: ‘The comparative affluence of many Christians today, especially those in the West, almost certainly is a stumbling-block to effective and radical discipleship.’ (Watson)
We then tidied up and left.
We went to Wetherspoons in Billericay where i got ID’d when I tried to buy an orange and lemonade, didn’t have any ID on me so therefore had to leave. Sillyness. So i walked home!
Rang Lewis to have a whinge/chat while he should have been working….
Then went out, walked round to Rachels for about 6.15 for dinner. David O’Brien (my team leader) was there so it gave myself and Ollie an oppurtunity to meet him before working with him. Claire, Rachel, David, Ollie and Me had a jump about on their trampoline….fabulous fun!!!! After fabulously yummy food, we had a chat over the plans for the year and then watched the muscial episode of Scrubs, was so funny!!
Came home about 10, had a quick chat to Beth and Stephen and now off to bed!