1st October: Just A ‘Child’? Equipping Event—Fullbridge Church, Maldon

8th October: Just A ‘Child’? Equipping Event—Kingswood Church, Basildon

October has seen the launch of our Just A ’Child’? Regional Equipping Events with the first in Maldon and the second in Basildon. Both were very different in terms of the people attending but both very good. Ed leads the sessions looking at reaching, releasing and discipling children in the church’s community. The day is relaxed and interactive and feedback has been very positive in that people feel equipped and inspired to head back to their church and either start up new ministry or develop existing ministry. My role is administration for the events as well as being there to chat to people. It’s a great opportunity to connect with churches and help them reach out to the children in their communities. It’s awesome to think of what God can and will do!

CONFIRMED 2012, Just A ‘Child’? Regional Equipping Events:

• 24th March –  Sandy, Bedfordshire
• 19th May – Plymouth, Devon
• 26th May – Croxley Green, Hertfordshire
• 2nd June – Southampton, Hampshire
• 13th October - Basildon, South Essex
• 10th November – East Sussex

TO BE CONFIRMED 2012, Just A ‘Child’? Regional Equipping Events:

• Suffolk
• West Yorkshire
• London

For more details on Just A ‘Child’? please visit www.ariseministries.org.uk or email info@ariseministries.org.uk

This past week my brother Russell had his induction service as Assistant Pastor at Yeovil Elim. I travelled down on the train and met Mum and Dad who had gone down a couple of days earlier. Spending a whirlwind 18 hours with my family was lovely, and I especially enjoyed being able to take Sam my 9 year old nephew to school. The induction service itself was great – a real sense of love and excitement from the church as they welcomed Russell, Becci, Chloe and Sam in (although they’ve already become very settled and active members of the church). I felt really proud of my brother and I know that they will be really happy at Yeovil Elim and God will use them all for amazing things. You can see one of Russell’s recent sermons here.

I have recently lead a couple of services back at my home church Elim Braintree. The 11.30 Young at Heart Service is an all age service incorporating songs, activities and stories designed to help children and adults engage together. It’s been a real privilege to be part of the life of my home church, giving something back after all the teaching and encouragement I’ve received over the years! With a wealth of Arise Ministries resources and ideas behind me I’ve been able to do things a little bit differently and have some fun while learning with the children and grown ups! Yesterday we were  thinking about Harvest and helping those in need and us young ones made this beautiful banner!

This week preparations are underway for our first Just A ‘Child’? Equipping Event of the new term – on Saturday 1st October at Fullbridge Church, Maldon. Really looking forward to sharing with people enthusiastic about children’s ministry and hopefully injecting some enthusiasm and vision for their ministry with children in the local area.

With the arrival of Viz-A-Viz Ministries’ new National Director comes lots of exciting plans, ideas, visions and things that will be happening over the coming months. To keep up to date with all that Viz-A-Viz Ministries is doing and planning, please sign up in whichever way suits you:

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>> In other news, Andy is preparing to move into his new place sometime this week so we’ve been busy painting his room and buying curtains! Please pray for a stress-free and easy move and that he will settle in quickly.

Last week I had lots of fun being ‘Laura The Lion Tamer’ at Kingswood Baptist‘s Holiday Club. Ed was running the ‘Knight’s Of Truth’ themed week and asked me to come along and help him present. This is the same theme that we did at the Baptist Assembly earlier on in the year so had some familiar set and activities. Andy came along to run tech and we were both made to feel very welcome by the Kingswood Baptist team.

The  club ran from 10-12 every morning and consisted of songs, drama, video clips, stories, crafts, games and challenges as we followed three knights on their quest to become ‘Knights Of Truth’. We were finding out about Jesus, helping the knights decode clues to give to the King on Sunday morning as we were invited to the King’s Castle at 10.30am! It was great fun working with a great team and spending time with around 65 kids, a proportion of whom were not known to the church already. The kids were fantastic; well behaved, enthusiatic and it was so exciting to see them understanding and applying the stories they had chatted about to the current riot situation, with no prompting from any of the grown ups!

This week I am in the office catching up on a few bits and pieces and tidying up ready to go on holiday at the end of the week! I’ve got that real end of term feeling!!

Following the cancellation of Leading Edge, an informal gathering of people was semi-organised on the site of Warwick School with around 150 people camping between Tuesday 2nd and Sunday 8th August. The event was nicknamed ‘Over The Edge’ which then merged into ‘Over The (H)Edge’! Viz-A-Viz Ministries agreed to offer 2 days of youth and children’s programme and so early – 5.30am to be precise –  on Wednesday morning Ed and I headed to Warwick to set up in the Pyne Room and provide a morning and evening programme on Wednesday and Thursday.

With the help of Hannah and Naomi Swift and Hannah Cresswell, we explored how God uses ordinary people like us to do extraordinary things. We had a Superhero Theme and used the song ‘Jesus You’re my superhero’ by Hillsong which got stuck in everyone’s heads and you could hear the children singing around site! We had a Superhero drama and Superhero games (Pin the eye patch on the superhero, super strength relay, Super villain skittles…), made our own clay Superhero and found out about lots of Superheroes in the Bible.  The children were very excitable and we had some great times of singing worship and jumping around as well as some quieter times thinking and praying in groups. It was such a privilege to spend a few hours with them and help them uncover truths about God and how He can use us despite our faults and fears.

Over The (H)Edge was also a great social time, catching up with some friends (Ben Read came back to join the youth team) and meeting new people. There was a really relaxed feel over the campsite and a great sense of community spirit as people invited each other to share drinks and nibbles in their section of camp.

Next Up…. Kingswood Baptist Holiday Club: The Knights Of Truth

Solid Festival 2011 – 8th-10th July.
‘For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.‘ 1 Peter 2:21

Wow, this time last week it was pouring with rain and a very dedicated team of wonderful people were setting up for Solid Festival 2011! (I was sat in a marquee making lanyards – I wasn’t going to get wet!). The youth festival ran from Friday Night til Sunday Lunchtime, and Junior Solid (for school years 3-6) ran all day Sunday. I had my normal role at the youth festival of ‘hostess’ – meeting and greeting visiting speakers/bands to the site. Then Sunday was where I got really busy – co-presenting with Ed in ‘The Hive’ for four, hour long sessions (The children are split into four groups and rotate around 4 different sessions including crazy games and outdoor activities) about what it means to follow Jesus and rounding off the day all together in the Big Top with the Junior Solid Roadshow.

The weekend had it’s hiccups, with bad weather meaning marquees were a mission to get up, delivery drivers getting to the end of their shifts and so not delivering our much needed radios, a few power issues…but actually it was an awesome weekend! I didn’t see too much of the main sessions in the Big Top but from the buzz on site and feedback from various people know that God moved awesomely in the over 700 young people that were there. Mark Ritchie returned for a second year, his comic style mixed with powerful teaching made him very popular – as well a site wide trend on twitter about Angry Poos (no I don’t know either!!). Worship was led by Jimmy Orr from Church.co.uk (married to Kat Orr, a previous Optimum Volunteer) and was a great mix of old and new songs. I especially enjoyed the mash up of Matt Redman’s ‘You Never Let Go’ with Eminem’s ‘I’m not afraid’. There was a fantastic time on Saturday night of young people coming forward to really commit themselves to following Jesus and their youth leaders were encouraged to pray for them, which from feedback they really appreciated the opportunity to do that, allowing them to know what went on at Solid and follow up their own young people afterwards.

Sunday was my first experience of a whole day of Junior Solid, having previously taken part in the Roadshow, but this year being on management meant I was a lot more involved! Ed had done most of the preparations for the Hive as I had been busy preparing the Roadshow and so I just stepped in to help lead. Much to my delight the ‘hilarious’ joke Ed has prepared and repeated non stop for the previous 2 weeks was a complete flop (Now i’ll know if he reads this because if he does he will try and protest!!) but fortunately the rest of the material wasn’t! Through interactive activities, video clips and teaching we looked at the fact we are all invited to follow Jesus but all need to make that choice to follow him. We were also privileged to have Big Fish Little Fish joining us to lead some singing fun! The feedback we got was great and the kids really engaged with what we were doing, even in the last session when they were all exhausted!

Then at the end of the day it was off to the Roadshow and 400 hundred tired but excited children with their leaders. We looked at the messages of making Wise Choices and Jesus giving us Second Chances through more songs with Big Fish Little Fish, some drama, video testimonies, teaching and a live interview testimony with Rosie, an 11 year old with an incredible passion for sharing Jesus with the people around her. It was sad when it was all over and exhausted we (well not me!) packed everything away, finally getting home at 9pm. Monday I was pretty dopey all day having suffered from a severe lack of sleep!!

So many people worked so incredibly hard during and leading up to Solid, Karen and Claire are definitely top of the list!! My Andy is also at the top, as co technical manager he started work at 7am and finished at 1pm, constantly on call and the first on and last off site. Well done you, I’m so proud!!

Despite the tiredness and occasional grouchiness, it was all so worth it, seeing young people and children connect with and worship God – such a great thing and a privilege to be involved with. Please join me and the rest of the team in praying for all who were there, that the buzz of Solid won’t be just that, but that they will be encouraged and inspired to make a difference and share Jesus with those around them.

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Next up: Liv’It Camp starts 23rd July so am preparing a talk for that. Also busy emailing out publicity for ‘Just A Child?’ equipping conferences in Essex and Sussex in the Autumn – ask me if you want details!