New Wine Magazine - Issue 66 - February 2017

magazine

CONNECTING. EQUIPPING. GROWING.

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# 66

publication.

February 2017 New year, new hope?

Paul Harcourt encourages us to expect God to do wonderful things in 2017 p.19

Book Now! Week One 22 July –L28 July 2017 Speakers include: R. T. KE ND AL SAYB UR N Worship leaders include: CH RI S

Week Two 30 July – 5 August 2017

Speakers include: JOH N MA RK COM ER Worship leaders include: NIC K HER BER T

Uniting thousands to worship one

Royal Bath & West Showground Shepton Mallet

new-wine.org/summer

This is a New Wine England event

magazine Issue 66 Want FREE copies of the New Wine Magazine for your church? Email us at: info@new-wine.org Would you like to advertise?

020 8799 3771 advertising@new-wine.org The next edition will be published in October 2017.

A special edition will be available at United 17.

New Wine does not necessarily agree with all the views and practises of advertisers.

Managing Editor Lani Charlwood Commissioning Editors Lucy Avery & Lucy Williams Advertising Amy Tsang & Vanessa Hitchen Creative Jonny Taylor & Pete Coomber Print Halcyon

Get In Touch

Welcome The beginning of a new year can evoke a sense of possibility as well as uncertainty. Knowing that God walks with us through the highs and lows of life is a profound and powerful truth, not to be underestimated. My prayer for this edition is that you would find light in its pages. Be encouraged by Paul Harcourt’s message of hope for 2017 (pg 19), take comfort in understanding more about God’s presence in darkness (pg 15) and be inspired to investigate how your gifts can be used in the local church (pg 17).

The joy of seeing thousands gather to worship one is great motivation as we continue to prepare for United this summer. In Week 1 we will be welcoming RT Kendall as our main Bible speaker. In this issue, RT gives us a glimpse of what he’ll be speaking about, exploring how forgiveness, generosity, prayer and an anticipation of Jesus’ return can transform a church into a powerful instrument for God’s kingdom (pg 27).

This transformation is outworked beautifully through the New Wine family as churches and individuals connect and learn from one another. The importance of support and encouragement from one part of Christ’s body to another is unpacked throughout this magazine as we ask questions, share testimonies, teach and ‘spur one another on toward love and good deeds’ (Heb 10:24). I pray that God would use you well over the coming months, to be his light in the darkness and his feet in whatever mission field he places you.

Find us: 4a Ridley Avenue Ealing London W13 9XW

With every blessing,

Phone us: 020 8567 6717

Lani Charlwood Head of Marketing and Communications

Email us: mag@new-wine.org Visit our website: new-wine.org

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Inside the teenage brain –31

FEATURES

In God’s hands Anne Calver shares how she’s experienced God's guiding 11 United against poverty How CAP is tackling poverty through debt counselling 13 Global exploration Alpha are reaching wider with their Film Series and global campaign 14 Theology of darkness Tim Sudworth reminds us that God is present in dark places 15 Mutual understanding Charles Coker equips us to make sure we’re all using our gifts for the same goal 17 New year, new hope?

Paul Harcourt encourages us to prepare for a year of promise 19 Unlimited access Naomi Graham suggests 10 areas to address to allow everyone to participate 23

The anchor –37

Life interrupted Fiona Kirby-Smith shares the adventure of planting a missional community in a deprived ward 25

The anchor Find out about United 17 speaker Karl Martin and his vision for coaching young leaders 37

The Church God wants RT Kendall gives us the biblical picture of the Church we are meant to be 27

Capital mass Sharing what we’re doing to tackle poverty and inequality is vital 39

From goddess to God Thousands of girls trapped in ritual slavery are being set free 29 Inside the teenage brain Kate Middleton explains the pressures of adolescence 31 When life gives you lemons A rural vicar finds out about one church member’s significantly ordinary journey into faith 33 New Wine FM Radio broadcasts from United allow us to reach wider. Get the vision and get involved 35

The gospel of peace Stories of provision, hope and reconciliation in Burundi 43

FEATURES

Upcoming events What’s happening and when 7 Encounters with God Stories of blessing, healing and revelation at our recent events 8 Recommended Resources Books, albums and DVD series offering teaching, inspiration and encouragement 45

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Our Vision & Values NEW WINE’S VISION To see the nation changed through Christians experiencing the joy of worshipping God, the freedom of following Jesus, and the power of being filled with the Spirit.

To see churches renewed, strengthened and planted, living out the word of God in every aspect of life, serving God by reaching the lost, broken and poor, and demonstrating the good news of the kingdom of God to all.

NEW WINE’S VALUES CONTINUITY & CHANGE – we want to be faithful guardians of an unchanging message about the person and work of Jesus, and the need for personal salvation and sanctification, while also adapting ways of worship, teaching, being church and doing mission according to culture and context.

CROSS & RESURRECTION – we want to honour all that Jesus has done for us on the cross, and to embrace the way of the cross for ourselves, while also knowing the power of his resurrection to set us free.

GRACIOUS & TRUTHFUL – we want to be kind and generous in the way we think and speak about others whether they agree or disagree with us, while also clearly communicating what we believe and why we believe it.

LEADERSHIP & EVERY MEMBER MINISTRY– we want to train and deploy anointed, courageous and missional church leaders, while also equipping every Christian to serve like Jesus in their home, church, work and life-place.

MISSION & COMMUNITY – we want to see the church become a missionary movement to love and reach the lost, to care for the poor and to bring justice to our homes, neighbourhoods, workplaces and nations, while also being a grace-filled community in which people can find relationship, healing, faith, hope and love.

NATURAL & SUPERNATURAL – we want to see every Christian using all the natural reason, wisdom and skill that they can, while also learning to operate in the supernatural gifts of the Spirit to minister to others in love and power as Jesus did.

NOW & NOT YET OF THE KINGDOM – we want to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God and to see that confirmed by miraculous signs and wonders, while also ministering grace to all, knowing that suffering will be part of life until Jesus returns and makes all things new.

TRANSCENDENCE & PRESENCE – we want to live lives that celebrate God’s awesome power, transcendent majesty and sovereign work, while at the same time experiencing his intimate presence as we encounter him in heartfelt worship.

UNITY & DIVERSITY – we want to work with everyone who holds these values in open, mutually accountable friendship, while also acknowledging and honouring differences in leadership style, church characteristics and denominational emphasis.

WORD & SPIRIT – we want to derive all we believe, teach and do from the Bible as the written word of God, while also learning to hear and obey the voice of the Spirit speaking to us individually and collectively.

Welcome aboard We are delighted to welcome Chris Sayburn and Anne Calver to the New Wine team, both appointed at the end of 2016. Please join us in praying for Anne and Chris as they lean into God's leading for 2017.

CHRIS SAYBURN is heading up New Wine Worship, and has been part of the New Wine family for many years. He is serving his pioneer curacy under Gareth Robinson at Saint Philips Chapel Street as part of a new resource church. We have asked him to build a team across the country so that we can continue to invest into local churches. Chris is married to Cat and they have two children, Jacob and Bethany.

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ANNE CALVER is part of our National Leadership Team who work together to discern God’s leading for New Wine. She is well known to New Wine, and led New Wine Youth for several years. Anne is a minister as Stanmore Baptist Church, North London, an author and a speaker. She is married to Gavin and they have two children, Amelie and Daniel.

DO YOU HAVE A JOB VACANCY TO FILL?

THERE’S A SUCCESSFUL ‘FIND A JOB’ SERVICE ON THE NEW WINE WEBSITE. Find a Job gives churches (and other organisations) a quick and easy way to advertise jobs, with access to a large target audience.

LOOKING FOR YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT AFTER TRAINING IN A CHURCH WITH SIMILAR VISION AND VALUES TO YOU?

You can use this service to advertise church leaders’ appointments, as well as all other roles within the church (including worship, youth, children’s and community work, internships, managerial, administrators and other support roles).

LOOKING FOR A CANDIDATE JUST OUT OF TRAINING FOR YOUR CHURCH WITH SIMILAR VISION AND VALUES TO YOU?

new-wine.org/jobs

new-wine.org/firstappointment

Do you want to see your nation changed?

Join New Wine’s free, dynamic and growing network for all those in leadership.

new-wine.org/network

SATU R DAY 1 8 MA R C H 2 0 1 7 HARROGATE I N TE R N ATI O N A L C E N TR E WIT H G U EST S P EA K E R S RACHEL G A R D N E R & N I CO LA N EA L

Book now at new-wine.org

£20 early bird by 28 February 2017; £25 thereafter.

JOIN THE NEW WINE STAFF TEAM! FINANCE ASSISTANT ASSISTANT FINANCE Role: To proactively and energetically play your part supporting the finance team in the production of accurate and timely information for management and statutory purposes. The Finance team helps the charity manage its finances. It is responsible for administering the income received by the charity and managing all payments required, for preparing budgets, forecasts and overseeing the financial management at conferences.

Starting salary: £20,000 - £21,000, dependent on experience.

Closing date: 10 March 2017.

Further details

For each role, we are looking for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals, with a servant heart and the right skills, who take a professional approach to work within a relaxed, supportive environment.

Location: New Wine Trust, 4a Ridley Avenue, Ealing, London, W13 9XW. Hours: 35 per week; Monday to Friday 9am–5pm, ideally. Visit our website to download an application form, job description and person specification.

Apply now at new-wine.org/vacancies 6

Ever wondered what it would be like to work in an exciting, compassionate, faith-filled organisation?

New Wine continues to press into the presence of God with a vision to see local churches enabled in the ministry of the Holy Spirit with the expectation of the signs and wonders that go with being a disciple of Jesus. We are really excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and about the part we have to play in seeing local churches changing nations.

We currently have two vacancies:

EVENTS TEAM TEAM ADMINISTRATOR ADMINISTRATOR EVENTS Role: To provide service, administration and support relating to New Wine events held throughout the year, working with event delegates, on-site volunteers, team leaders, New Wine staff and external partners. In addition to the Events team member role, you will be providing support to the Leadership Network Manager (LNM), in maintaining and developing relationships with churches and leaders nationally. You will use the database to compile and maintain reports and provide key performance indicators that contribute to the development of the Leadership Network.

Starting salary: £19,500 - £21,500, dependent on experience.

Closing date: 20 February 2017.

Events

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Come and have your own fresh encounter with God at one of our 2017 events –there’s something for everyone!

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For more events in your region visit new-wine.org/events

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LONGING FOR MORE It was great to get back into events like this. I was on a night shift so missed much of the morning, but still well worth it and I long for more. We have had a very difficult family situation where my wife Josie and I are now guardians to our little grandson who was on child protection. At our time of life where we were looking towards retirement we now have a two-and-a-half-yearold boy to care for. He is an absolute joy. All this has meant that our time is very much taken up. I long to come closer to Jesus amid all the difficult family situations that at times overwhelm us.

MEN’S DAY, CULLOMPTON

EXCITED ABOUT GOD

I came to the Men’s Day in London feeling frustrated, tired and disappointed with God. I left refreshed, renewed and excited about my journey with my good father!

As a non ‘New Wine church’ goer I was surprised by the amount of men at the event. I feel there should be more like this to build up men in the UK Church at this time when we see so few joining the Church. Thank you for a great day.”

ENCOUNTERS WITH GOD

When we make space for God he meets with us. Here are just some of your stories of experiencing revelation, healing and blessing at our events.

TRUSTING HIM

“ God really spoke to me during the event: that his call – wherever that is – is the best thing and that I can trust him.”

MOVING PAST CRITICISM ‘I HAD COME OUT OF A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING WEEK WHERE I HAD TAKEN A TORRENT OF CRITICISM ABOUT A DECISION THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP HAD MADE. HAVING SPACE TO PRAY TOGETHER IN THE FIRST SESSION WAS SO GOOD. I ALSO WENT TO THE WORKSHOP ON HANDLING CRITICISM WHERE I HEARD SOME REALLY HELPFUL STORIES AND WAS ABLE TO PRAY ABOUT THE SITUATION AND THE INDIVIDUAL I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO. REALLY FELT GOD GIVING ME INSIGHT INTO HOW TO MOVE THE SITUATION FORWARD AND WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE INDIVIDUAL ON THE SUNDAY. I PRAYED WITH HER AND HER HUSBAND AND TOGETHER WE AGREED THAT DESPITE HER DISAGREEMENT WITH THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP WE WOULD STAND UNITED NOT LET DIVISIVENESS TAKE HOLD AND WE BLESSED EACH OTHER.’

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"Sharing life experiences of how God has worked in our lives is very uplifting and is one of life’s blessings given by God. I could have listened to Phil Emmerson all day – that’s taking nothing away from any of the other speakers, they were all excellent in their own right."

MEN’S DAY, HARROGATE

MEN’S DAY HARROGATE

MEN’S DAY, LONDON

WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP

THE BLESSING OF SHARING

REMEMBERING CALLING

“My story echoes that of the speaker Phil Emmerson and I grieved for the first time in 30 years, having had to be strong for my children. The message to ‘Remember your calling’ spoke deeply to me and has refreshed my walk with God.” MEN’S DAY, LONDON

TIME TO RECHARGE

LIGHTENING THE LOAD

‘I came with some baggage; grief from the struggles going on at our church. On the first evening I prayed with some sisters I’d just met and straightaway they said “It’s okay to cry” and I burst into tears. Through their prayers I could see that I had taken on some stuff God hadn’t asked me to carry and it was hampering my joy and rest. It was a wonderful relief, but I knew there was more work the Lord wanted to do in me.

I prayed for someone to talk to about the situation I was facing and the sadness I was feeling. The next day a lovely lady sat with us at lunch. Not only did she know all about the situation, she was kind and wise and we prayed together. I feel so much lighter and excited about going back to serve my family and in my church roles.’

WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP

‘ The fact that this event scheduled in time to chat, network and recharge was invaluable. There was enough to not get bored yet not too much that you didn’t have time to think.

The times of worship were also particularly valuable considering most children and youth leaders miss church due to working with the children. The opportunity to pray with people in similar situations was a blessing in so many ways.’

MEN’S DAY HARROGATE

JOY IN GOD’S PRESENCE

Working for churches in children’s and families work can often leave you tired and jaded with a sense of weariness.

After arriving at the Summit it wasn’t long before the wine and oil of blessing and anointing started to flow. We were encouraged that we weren’t just ordinary workers, but extraordinary individuals equipped to do amazing exploits, and that was just the beginning. For me, my dying flame was being fanned and re-ignited with the feeling of life and joy surging back through my veins. It was incredible, I really didn’t want it to end. It was so timely! I had an amazing sense of God’s presence!"

KIDS LEADERS SUMMIT

MEETING WITH JESUS

“God spoke to me about my future adventure. I’m not sure what shape it takes but he’s closed the door on a season of moaning and I’m walking into a new season.

I’ve been like the Israelites wandering in the desert but now I’m going into the Promised Land. I’ll always be his sheep with the protection of the shepherd but I can be a mighty warrior too as I ride on his back.

During the worship as we sang His banner over me is love it was as if God was unravelling black and grey banners that encircled me. Grief, sadness, depression, self-preservation, circumstances that had crushed me. As they unravelled I was able to reach out and touch his cloak, just like the woman who was bleeding (Matthew 9:20). Not only did he allow me to touch his cloak but he lifted it up and placed it on me. His cloak of righteousness, joy, love and peace.”

WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP

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IN GOD'S HANDS

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nne Calver joined our leadership team last year and will be speaking at United 17 Week 1. We asked her about God’s leading in her life.

When did you first meet God?

Somewhere deep in my guts I know that Jesus was always real to me. As a five-year-old I surrendered my life to Christ and knew, from then on, that he was not like Santa or the tooth fairy – his reality never faded. My experience of church was that it was dry, dull and boring and so I always believed for more. I vividly remember standing in the pew – with my head just peeping over the top – and wondering why everyone looked so sad and sang in a slow, melancholy way. Surely being a Christian was more than this monotony?

I spent my teenage years away from God trying to find the ‘more’ that I was longing for but never felt satisfied. As I turned 18 I was at a crossroads: I could give my whole life back to God or completely walk away – I decided to run into his arms. During my gap year with Exeter Vineyard Church and spending time with the poor and dying in India, I encountered the power of the Spirit, knowing instantly that he was the one I was longing for. Suddenly I knew I couldn’t return to my old life or pursue my own future, it was now in the hands of my Maker.

What has been your most memorable encounter with God?

After my gap year I returned home unclear what to do next. An Art Foundation year seemed suddenly unappealing and I wanted to understand more of God. I was helping out at an Alpha Holy Spirit weekend, ready to pray for those attending, when I remember the minister saying ‘I have a word for a young girl here and the Lord says to you, “It's Bible College, it’s definitely Bible College”’. At that moment I fell to my knees and was overcome with emotion.

My heart said, ‘That’s me Lord.’ I had honestly never heard of Bible college but I did know someone who I vaguely recalled was applying to college in London to do theology. We met up, looked at courses, applied, and the rest is history!

You led the youth group at United for many years.

What did God teach you through it?

So much. One of the greatest learning curves was getting out of the way for God to move – evidenced strongly when the Spirit powerfully healed many sick and broken bodies. One girl had forgotten her glasses and could only see a blur where the song words should have been. As the Lord ministered and as we worshipped, she prayed and began to see words forming. Eventually she was able to read every word with no problem at all.

The next day we were welcomed into the main venue with a handful of healed young people who shared their stories of personal transformation. They then proceeded to get down from the stage and pray in pairs, with the team, for the adults who needed to receive healing. God moved powerfully by his Spirit. As we returned to the youth warehouse I stood back in awe as the young people shared with their peers how the Lord had used them to heal the

adults. God is in the business of using those we don't intend, in ways we don’t expect, to move powerfully beyond our expectations.

We just have to move aside!

How did God call you into church leadership?

About two and a half years ago we were on holiday in North Wales.

I was sat on the bed, reading Acts 2:18 where Peter declares that the gift of the Holy Spirit is a fulfilment of the prophet Joel’s words: ‘Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.’ My body began to tingle from head to toe and I just knew the Lord was highlighting ‘and women’. ‘And you Anne.’ I was convinced that I had gone to Bible college to meet my husband Gavin and to raise a family, however in this moment I suddenly remembered my call to college to study theology and knew that Jesus was saying it was time for more. Soon after I explored ordination.

‘God is in the business of using those we don't intend, in ways we don’t expect, to move powerfully beyond our expectations. We just have to move aside!’

What’s God speaking to you about at the moment?

I have been feeling an increased sense of urgency. The Lord has kept drawing my attention to books and scriptures that highlight the need for the Church to ‘wake up’ and ‘get ready’. I have spent time asking him how we do that and wonder if there is a need for repentance and a call to continued personal transformation. I kept having a picture of a dirty, rotten branch and I knew that there was something that he needed to cut off in my life to become more fruitful in other areas (John 15).

I wonder if this is a season of saying ‘How can I grow holiness in my life?’ Rather than, ‘How close to the line is acceptable?’ We know that God is gracious and is calling us to humble ourselves and pray, and then he may come and heal our land. I long for that.

The wise and foolish virgins challenge me too (Matt 25: 1-13).

Have I got enough oil in my lamp? Are we aware of what the Spirit is saying to the Church? Lord don’t let your agenda pass us by.

I’m also praying and seeking the Lord for United 17, asking that God will use all of us to authentically share his truth, anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Anne Calver Anne Calver is a Baptist minister, author and speaker.

She is passionate about seeing Jesus transform lives and release people’s potential. She is married to Gavin and has two children, Amelie and Daniel.

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Join the movement Transform your community by opening a CAP service

CAP provides a service that has enabled us to shine a light of hope into people’s lives. I would recommend CAP to any church, it’s a fantastic ministry to offer to your community.

– Mark Melluish, Senior Pastor, St Paul’s Ealing

capuk.org/yourchurch 01274 760580 Registered Charity No. 1097217, Charity Registered in Scotland No. SC038776

UNITED AGAINST POVERTY

Our staff team celebrating 20 years’ work, enabling 6,000 clients to make a commitment to Christ.

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t United 16 an offering of more than £60,000 was raised for the work of Christians Against Poverty (CAP). They report back on how your giving has helped change lives.

It was such a privilege to spend time with you all at United 16 – it’s great to see a shared heart and desire to place the Church right at the forefront of social change, while keeping Christ at the core of all we do. We were so encouraged and hold firm to the belief that the local church is the best hope for changing this nation.

2016 success

We were blown away by your generosity through the offering and are already putting it to good use. In 2016, our 20th year, we helped 20,000 people across our services. We have helped well over 1,000 people back to work – a success rate of one in three – and have a success rate of one in five in tackling addictions and dependencies, and staying free.

Milestones

Perhaps most excitingly in 2016 we helped over 1,000 people to begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! This brings us to a huge milestone of enabling 6,000 people to make commitments to Christ. And these aren’t isolated commitments, they are decisions made connected to relationships, Christ-centred communities and opportunities for discipleship.

New partners

We have used your money to partner with new churches and reach new people, and a lot of that is down to many of you who took the message of CAP back to your churches, enabling us to open even more Debt Centres, Job Clubs, Release Groups and expand our brand new pilot, CAP Life Skills, across the UK.

Ordinary people

In 2016 we launched 175 new services in new communities, empowering the local church to engage with debt, unemployment, addiction and train their neighbourhoods with essential life skills.

All of this is tackling generational poverty and delivered in a way that people can experience and respond to the love of God. And, all of this is done by ordinary people, finding their purpose, expressing the best of Christ and his Church to those around them.

Thank you for making this possible.

Christians Against Poverty is a debt counselling charity passionate about releasing people in our nation from a life sentence of debt, poverty and its causes. Visit capuk.org, email info@capuk.org or phone 01274 760720.

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GLOBAL EXPLORATION Watching the Alpha Youth Film Series.

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t United 16 you gave more than £60,000 to Alpha. They report back on how your giving has enabled them to grow and encourage more people to explore faith.

Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. Over 29 million people have tried Alpha globally in 169 countries and it’s been translated into 112 languages. In 2015 the UK saw over 270,000 people participate in Alpha.

Your generous giving has enabled us to continue our investment in helping churches and organisations in the UK run Alpha, so they can see more people explore the Christian faith.

Going global

In September 2016 we launched our first ever global campaign, inviting the world to try Alpha. Fronted by adventurer Bear Grylls, we released banners, outdoor and digital advertising encouraging people to start the adventure of exploring faith.

We are excited to have launched our new product, the Alpha Film Series (AFS). Filmed around the world featuring interviews and stories, this is the familiar Alpha content reimagined for the next generation. Using this accessible and versatile resource, people are now running Alpha in new environments, such as in pubs, cafés and sports clubs.

Reaching young people

One of the areas where we have seen steady growth has been within the youth context. Last summer we were in touch with over 2,000 young people at festivals and events and this year we’ve seen them

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using the Alpha Youth Film Series to have conversations about faith with their friends. Our resources are being used in a range of settings, from classrooms to living rooms. Your support continues to help us work with more youth workers, as well as to develop our support for running Alpha in schools.

Inside prisons

Another area of exciting development is within the prison system.

Alpha is now being run by local church teams in almost half of prisons and young offender institutes in the UK. In 2016 we hosted training across the country and launched the Alpha Film Series in prisons. Providing these new training opportunities, coupled with the release of AFS on DVD, has led to significant growth of Alpha running in prisons all across the country and we expect to see even more prisoners try Alpha in 2017.

Young leaders

A key part of our strategy is to reach young leaders; by equipping them to run Alpha and by developing them in their leadership.

We work with churches across the UK to identify emerging leaders and offer training and support as they learn to be leaders in mission. ‘Run Alpha’ events, run both locally around the country and nationally in London, are places where emerging leaders can connect, be inspired and equipped as well as dream, plan and pray for their Alphas.

Alpha believe that everyone should have the chance to explore the Christian faith, ask questions and share their point of view; wherever they are in the world. Visit alpha.org

THEOLOGY OF DARKNESS

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eople often find themselves in a dark place at the beginning of a new year. Tim Sudworth looks to the Bible for a way out.

The start of a new year can be troubling for some people. We are often more aware of the passage of time – perhaps another year has passed without breakthrough in the difficult areas of our lives. We may be in debt induced by Christmas overspending, or experiencing loneliness exaggerated by long evenings and short days. Over the years I’ve spoken to and supported many people at this time of year and a common phrase I hear is: ‘I’m in a really dark place’. People feel weighed down and struggle to see their options, or to find a way through.

Dwelling in darkness

So what does the Bible say about darkness – araphel in Hebrew?

Throughout the Old Testament God is described as residing in darkness: ‘Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters’ (Gen 1:2). And this darkness where God resides is portrayed as a scary place: ‘As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him’ (Gen 15:12); ‘The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was’ (Ex 20:21); ‘You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness’ (Deut 4:11) Yet God speaks clearly through the darkness; it is seen as a reassuring sight in times of trouble: ‘He made darkness his canopy around him – the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth’ (2 Sam 22:12-13); a similar passage is found in Psalm 18:11-12.

He is light

Darkness also marks the arrival of his Kingdom: ‘The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and

thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne’ (Psalm 97:2).

And darkness is in the design of the Temple; the ‘Holy of Holies’ is a perfect cube and has no form of light in it – it is in complete darkness: ‘Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell for ever”’ (1 Kings 8:12).

There is no doubt that deep darkness is where God dwells; it is where his presence is – he does not need any light because he himself is light.

A way through

Although darkness is also seen as negative – ‘You bring darkness, it becomes night, and the beasts of the forest prowl’ (Psalm 104:20) and ‘May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm it’ (Job 3:5) – the resounding theme found in the Old Testament is that God speaks from and exists in great darkness.

So how does this help us in our season of darkness – at a time of year that has its own syndrome (Seasonal Affective Disorder) leading to lethargy, despair, overeating and oversleeping?

These scriptures remind us that God exists in our darkness. He speaks from this darkness when we are at our lowest. God is in it with us, and he is the light. As his people, we are also to be with others in their times of darkness. To walk with them as they struggle to find a way through; to sit with them at times of despair; to bring God into their darkness; to be his light.

Tim Sudworth Tim is Minister at Oak Tree Anglican Fellowship in Acton, West London. He plays rugby for Ealing and Surrey Vets and is an associate tutor at St Mellitus College.

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MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

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s families, churches and workplaces, how do we make sure that we’re using our gifts for the same goal? Charles Coker suggests it’s all about asking the right questions.

I met Boyd in a church-planting session last year. Several years earlier he had completed an 18-month course with one of the world’s largest church-planting organisations and was thoroughly schooled in the best practices of planting and growing a church.

He could tell you how to survey a community, identify the best type of location and cater to specific demographics better than anyone I had ever met. He told me how he and another pastor had planted a church and built it to over 300 people in two years.

At that point I asked Boyd why he was sitting in on this session.

He told me that he had hoped to find some answers, because in the past six to eight months his church had stopped growing, and people and staff were leaving. He was perplexed and frustrated, yet determined to find answers.

We’re all different

As we talked further, I discovered that the staff, elders and key members had begun trying to develop statements that defined their church community, but not everyone was on the same page.

Ideologically they were similar, but their personal needs and approach to a relationship with God were different. What had begun and thrived through ‘best practices’ hit the ‘people wall’ and appeared to be pulling all the good intentions of the past several years apart.

I tell this story because it is a common one in many church communities, but also in the workplace as well as in our families.

What it boils down to is people’s differences.

Three key questions

All of us would love to find a place where we can find answers to three questions:

1. Will you accept me as I am?

2. Is there something of value going on that is bigger than me?

3. How can I use my God-given talents to serve the greater cause?

The challenge we face in this process is that even if we all want the same results, each of us will go about achieving them differently.

How do we fix this issue? How do we answer the three questions and find a way to integrate our lives and goals effectively? The answer lies in becoming a bit more objective about who we are and how God has gifted us to serve each other.

Considering personalities

About 10 years ago I discovered a critical word in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. Paul used the Greek word sōphronizō eight times, which communicates bringing a person to his/her senses and duties through discipleship, admonishing and exhorting with ‘earnestness’.

Sōphronizō comes from sōphrōn, which indicates curbing an individual’s impulses by understanding their natural senses.

In today’s language, this means you must consider someone’s behaviour, attitude and motivation – personality – so that you

can understand how God has gifted them. By understanding your gifting, you can migrate to the relationships, work and ministry that God designed you for and avoid burning out or becoming disengaged from something that does not add value to your life and Kingdom work.

Getting to the heart

Simply ask questions such as: ‘How do you enjoy spending your time?’ or ‘What are your hobbies?’. Such questions cut through barriers and allow you to get right to a person’s heart – without offending them. After all, most people like to talk about things they value. Their answers will allow you to define the three areas that motivate and direct their attention:

A. How they like to approach a task or get things done.

B. How strongly their environment and people influence them.

C. What they believe about themselves and God. Analysing the answers

Mary answers: ‘I enjoy reading and gardening, especially when I’m at home. I also find it a good time to pray and enjoy meditating on the scripture.’ Reading (A) helps her learn about what interests her. A person who focuses on learning may not be highly efficient in their work, but will normally be very effective because they take learning seriously. We also see that her environment (B) is important to her, as her focus on gardening reflects her desire to make her world more beautiful. All her activities are done by herself, indicating a strong self-image (C) and desire to connect with God intimately. This type of person will want to minister either in small intimate groups or leading a team that ensures the beauty of the church, its grounds or community image.

John answers: ‘I love playing football with the guys or working with the maintenance group to ensure everything is working properly on the church grounds.’ His focus is on the practical (A) where he can see the results of his time investment. He wants to be efficient and effective. He is also much more a team player (B) and socially minded. He does not want to be a leader, but a participant (C) working for the overall good of the church.

Following gifting

The key to the process is listening objectively and with intent. Your spouse, children, co-workers and fellow church members need to follow their gifting, and this is based on how God has culturally developed them. People frequently join ministries because a friend is involved, but if this does not fit with their own gifting, they will get tired of the ministry. When they do, they often leave the church or their work. Sometimes they do not know how they want to serve. Your job is to ask questions and see how they are gifted, then guide them where they will flourish. Consider their behaviours and motivations to help them plan their course – God can then order their steps.

Charles Coker Charles retired in 2015 from Westminster Theological Centre where he taught Personal and Spiritual Formations. Today he consults with churches, ministries and companies to help in the organisational and people development processes.

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redictions, prophesies and prayers signal a year of promise, but are you ready? Paul Harcourt encourages us to prepare for a harvest.

I wonder what 2017 has in store for us. Trying to make predictions is always difficult. Last year made fools of experts and polls alike – whether in the field of sport, with Leicester City’s unlikely triumph in the Premier League, or in politics (on both sides of the Atlantic), it turned into a year of surprises. Only time will tell whether they were one-offs or indicate lasting change – in the cases of Brexit and the Trump presidency, the full implications may take years to become apparent. As austerity cuts continue to bite and the economic forecast is uncertain, no wonder commentators seem fearful for the year ahead.

Gloriously surprised

Yet we walk ‘by faith, not by sight’ (2 Cor 5: 7). That doesn’t mean we close our eyes to reality around us, but we see another picture.

We see something of what God is doing – and we’re excited! I have a growing sense that 2017 will be a year when we’ll be gloriously surprised by what God does. It’s easy to fall into hype and talk things up – and God will of course do wonderful things every year because that’s his nature – but my sense of expectation is fuelled by several things:

2017 prophecy

The prophetic voice is important to me and I’ve found it incredibly helpful in my leadership decisions. Prophecy obviously needs testing, but I believe that we’re seeing increasing maturity in this area of ministry. Many people see significance in the year ending in ‘7’ (often associated with God and perfection), especially since the Hebrew year is 5777. Others even point to the Chinese New Year being that of the Rooster, but hearing God speak through it, issuing a call for the Church to ‘wake up’ – although we wouldn’t want to give credence to superstition! I’ve heard others speak of a ‘thaw’ as the Church emerges from deep freeze into new life. May it be true.

‘With the Spirit leading us deeper into social action, evangelism, unity and prayer, my expectation is that the Kingdom will indeed come in power!’

Anniversaries

Another reason for heightened expectation is that 2017 marks several anniversaries. It’s the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation, where the Bible’s place in the Church was restored. It is also 70 years since a famous prophecy of revival was given, often attributed to Smith Wigglesworth, about what would happen ‘when the streams of Word and Spirit come together’.

And it’s 50 years since American evangelist Jean Darnell’s vision of spiritual fires spreading across the country and leaping over to the continent.

Unity

Most importantly though, we can see what God is already doing.

The Church has embraced social action in a new way, and linked it again, quite properly, to evangelism. There is a new movement of unity; we are living in a post-denominational era where labels are less relevant than relationship, and with greater links between different streams and ethnic groups. This year, New Wine is joining with many other evangelical groups to bless each other’s conferences and stand together under the banner ‘17:21 – that the world may believe’ (from John 17:21).

Kingdom come

Lastly, there has been an increase in prayer, spearheaded by the 24:7 movement and others. The Archbishops’ call to pray for the lost, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, has become an ecumenical and global initiative, and we will be praying again in the 10 days leading up to Pentecost. As Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has written, ‘This praying for the Spirit turns us from looking inwards to looking outwards, because it is the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who lived his life for others. The Spirit is not given primarily to bless us privately, but so that we can bless the world around us – primarily by witnessing to the life-transforming power of Jesus Christ.’ With the Spirit leading us deeper into social action, evangelism, unity and prayer, my expectation is that the Kingdom will indeed come in power!

Local churches changing nations

This is challenging, not just comforting. The measure of whether we really expect something is not complacency but preparation – it’s what differentiates between superficial hype and deep-rooted hope.

Our strapline in New Wine is ‘local churches changing nations’.

We’re absolutely committed to the renewal of the Church in the power of the Spirit. We believe that the nation can be changed and this is best achieved through the local church. It will be from vibrant local churches that new churches will be planted, new ministries bless their communities, individual Christians find motivation and vision to renew their workplaces, and the message about Jesus will make sense to seekers because they’ll be able to see it being lived out in relationships. As a family of churches across the nation, we can spread encouragement, share resources and stand together. In the coming year, our emphasis will be on training, preparing for ministry of many types, including as priorities both worship to lead us into God’s presence and prayer ministry to enable others to encounter his power.

Preparing for harvest

Many of you joined the new Nation Changers giving scheme last summer, so thank you for investing into this vision; we were overwhelmed by the response. Your gifts are helping us invest further in the renewal of the Church for mission, and you’ll hear more in the coming months about how they will enable us to support leaders practically and accelerate church planting. I hope that the recently released Impact Review (available at new-wine. org) will encourage you as much as it did me, but let’s raise our expectations for 2017 – and show that we believe by preparing for a harvest. Becky and I give thanks for the privilege of being part of this amazing work of God, and assure you of our prayers in the year ahead.

Paul Harcourt Paul is New Wine’s National Leader. He is married to Becky and is Vicar of All Saints’ Woodford Wells.

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HELP US CHANGE A NATION. We believe in the radical, transformational love of God and the power of his Holy Spirit to advance his Kingdom and change lives, communities and nations. Sign up to give regularly to New Wine and join a family of Christians with a vision to see local churches changing nations.

BCDO Full A4 Exact Dims.pdf

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THE BIG CHURCH DAY OUT 20

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Accessible Church TRAINING DAY

Saturday 4 March 2017, All Saints’ Woodford Wells A chance to share ideas, learn practical strategies and gain biblical insight into making church accessible for those with additional needs.

Practical seminars include storytelling, supporting parents/carers, prayer ministry and attachment and sensory processing.

All sessions will be led by experienced practitioners working alongside children, young people and adults with additional needs.

Book now at new-wine.org This is a New Wine England event.

The Discipleship Year is an opportunity for 18-24 year olds in England with a hunger to discover their calling and fulďŹ l their potential. It is a chance to be equipped, empowered and encouraged to advance the kingdom of God in the world today. It is about making disciple-making disciples, building solid foundations for a life of adventure following Jesus. For more information and to apply, visit new-wine.org/DY

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GROWING AS DISCIPLES OF JESUS FOR A LIFE OF ADVENTURE

21

UNLIMITED ACCESS

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ow accessible are your church services and activities for people with additional needs? Naomi Graham suggests 10 areas to think about in order to allow everyone to participate.

or ‘Rosie’s sister’, is invaluable. Gathering volunteers who can check-in with families and provide practical support is helpful. On a Sunday, supporting an individual with additional needs can give a necessary chance for a family member to participate themselves.

As we pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus and long to see his Kingdom come, we cannot ignore the need to welcome others as Christ has welcomed us (Rom 15:7), including those who we don’t easily understand.

SENSORY PROCESSING enables every individual to take

ATTITUDE so easily shapes our actions: we live in a culture in

which ‘me first’ seems to dominate. How would our churches be different if our attitude reflected Jesus’ command to ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Mark 12:31)? The attitude we have towards our neighbour, to the people we encounter both inside and outside our churches, shapes the way we build community. We can choose to base our attitude on knowing God has made each of us in his image, and loves us as his children.

‘Accessibility starts with making changes that enable everyone to access church from the moment they arrive…We need to be proactive not reactive’ CULTURE in which we are open, welcoming and inclusive can

be formed as our attitudes are refined by Jesus. We create a space where we make the effort to say hello. A community where we ask how others are doing or invite them for a coffee or a meal. A culture in which difference is inconsequential, and uniqueness is celebrated in a way which enables everyone to feel like they belong.

COMMUNITY is like belonging to a family. Being able to

bring your best and your worst, to be honest when you’re having a bad day, and to negotiate when things aren’t going to plan. Acts 4 talks about a community of believers who shared everything.

What do we share as part of our church family? Do we share our time in conversation with people who are hard to talk to? Do we share our home with the person on their own? Do we share our engineering skills to enable someone physical access? Do we share our administration skills to organise extra care for somebody? Do we lend an ear when people just need someone to listen?

ENVIRONMENTS that are easy to access are important.

Everyone has different preferences that make a space feel like ‘home’.

This starts with basic things: enabling someone to get in and out (by building ramps or lifts); enabling someone to communicate (by adding hearing loops or using sign language interpretation); enabling someone to see what is going on (by using large print words or printouts of key slides); enabling someone to understand (by using visual aids, pictures to support words or giving opportunity for questions). But the creation of ‘home’ usually goes beyond the basic.

SUPPORT is essential to the accessibility of church. Support for

families, carers and friends is as important as support for individuals with additional needs. Providing opportunity for parents and carers to be listened to, to be themselves, and not just ‘Tommy’s mum’

in, sort and respond to messages they receive to their brain. We process sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, movement and our body position. Everyone has different preferences that impact on the way they do things. Some people may seek out a lot of movement and go for a run each morning before they go to work. Some people may be sensitive to sound and sleep with ear plugs. These preferences have an impact upon the way we engage in church.

An individual with autism may have some sensitivities to touch and sound; they may benefit from using ear defenders so it’s not too noisy, and from having a space where people won’t bump into them. Some individuals may need the opportunity to move around or sit on a gym ball while they’re listening.

INVENTIVENESS is an essential part of making church

accessible. We can use our God-given creativity to shape the way we do church. Some individuals may need lots of breaks and short components to a service. Others may like to have an object to hold that enables them to tangibly engage with the talk. Practical responses such as blowing bubbles, creating a handprint or lighting a candle may enable more individuals to engage during ministry time.

BEFORE and after an individual with additional needs walks

through the door, changes need to happen. Accessibility starts with making changes that enable everyone to access church from the moment they arrive. If we are creating a culture in which everyone is welcome, we need to be proactive not reactive. We can do this by using some of the ideas above and through small steps such as letting families know on your website that your church welcomes everyone.

LANGUAGE and communication are essential for understanding.

The more clues we can give as to what we are communicating the easier it is to understand. It is generally much easier for you to follow a Bible reading if you’re reading the text at the same time.

For some it may be helpful to have pictures, signs, gestures and props that support what is being said. Part of being welcoming can involve taking time to have conversations with individuals who may be more difficult to communicate with, and being honest if you don’t understand.

EVERYONE has a part to play. I have had the honour of meeting

incredible individuals who in the world’s eyes have nothing to offer and need significant amounts of support to manage everyday life, yet have the most amazing connection with Jesus and reflect God’s presence in a way that is rare. Paul says, ‘Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable’ (1 Cor 12:22). As a community, we should learn to recognise and celebrate the part that everyone plays in God’s kingdom.

Visit new-wine.org or email naomi.graham@new-wine.org to find out more and book for the Accessible Church Training Day in March, or to be part of the Access team at United 17.

Naomi Graham Naomi oversees New Wine’s Accessible Church Ministry, seeking to enable those with additional needs to participate as much as possible within each New Wine event and their local church.

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LIFE INTERRUPTED

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t’s in places where there’s little hope that God’s love can shine the brightest. Fiona Kirby-Smith shares the adventure and privilege of seeing people discover it for themselves.

I’m part of a team planting a missional community in the urban priority area of Crosby in Scunthorpe. There are 15,000 homes in our ward and it is a very settled community with families having lived here for generations. It is a mixed community of people from all over the world, which can make for some interesting dynamics as people learn how to blend cultures. There is poverty here and some of the behaviour reflects that. It’s a result of people not knowing what is available to them; not having the skills to steward well what they have; addictions to alcohol, drugs, legal highs and unhealthy patterns of behaviour; lots of drug dealing, prostitution, homelessness and anti-social behaviour; and a high risk of sexual exploitation for young people.

‘We’re here to see God’s kingdom bring regeneration, to see the community thrive because of the tangible presence of the Spirit’ Called back home

It was 2013 when I relented to God’s call to move back to Scunthorpe, where I was born and grew up. I was 22 and had just completed the New Wine Discipleship Year at Glo Church in Stockport. I was full of excitement but was also a bag of nerves. I had so many questions. What were we going to do? Where would we start in a part of town that’s main religion is Islam? It was then that I clearly heard God speak about the identity of what we were building.

We’re here to see God’s kingdom bring regeneration, to see the community thrive because of the tangible presence of the Spirit.

Building relationships

A lot of people here get great support from all different agencies but we don’t want to be ‘just another service’. We’re called to tell people about Jesus. Sometimes that looks like providing a service, like our youth group, but always with the aim of building relationship.

The base is ‘Love the Lord your God’ and ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Luke 10:27). There have been so many instances where we have found ourselves not knowing if we are doing or saying the right things. In those times we have found Isaiah 58 helpful in understanding what it means to serve God and love people.

Creating a family

We invite the neighbours over often and have parties for the wider community. We do and store washing for homeless people, give away Bibles and run Faith Explored courses. We set up a youth programme and have had over 100 young people come through our door – and lots have stuck around. Some of them have chaos to contend with in their family home; we want to create a family

with Jesus at the centre. We join in with what the Spirit is doing in their lives and have seen God give people a beautiful revelation of who he is – while just sitting around our dinner table.

Growing in faith

God has been faithful in using our practical offering to build the foundations of people’s faith and we are excited to see it grow.

People are asking us to read the Bible with them and pray for them; we’re seeing people realise who Jesus is and the Bible come alive for them. People who had no concept of Jesus being anything other than a fairy story are now confessing he is Lord. Members of our team have sat on the street praying with a guy in a sleeping bag and talked of faith with a group of Muslim men over a game of pool. One day when we had not been here very long we went to visit a family who we’d given a Bible to two days earlier and found the woman reading it to her sister!

Rough terrain

The thing we hear most spoken over the people who have become family to us is ‘there is no hope for them’. What a lie! What a challenge to keep praying, loving and remembering God loves everyone. There is so much hope in these circumstances, so much room for God to do amazing things. It doesn’t mean that everyone has stopped unhelpful behaviours, laid aside their addictions or are attending church regularly, but we are on a journey. We have learned that even when everything seems to be tough and not what we expected, that ‘the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world’ (1 John 4:4). When we see restoration and the penny dropping for people it makes all the rough terrain worth it. Nothing is sweeter than when we see people start to turn their lives to him.

Living differently

We want to build a family where everyone is welcome, all of the time. We don’t ‘serve’ the poor, it’s just how we live. We want to spend ourselves on behalf of others knowing we can trust the Lord to restore and uphold us. A little while ago we had some family staying with us and some of our homeless friends turned up for dinner, completely unplanned. One had cut his arm. After a bit of first aid, prayer and a meal they left – until next time. I have had to learn to become comfortable with a life interrupted. It’s helped by the fact that it is in those interrupted moments that the Holy Spirit usually does something only he can. We take Jesus at his word and expect him to show up in situations that we are beyond ourselves in. We have constantly found that at the moment we step off the cliff into dependency on God’s will, something breath-taking happens.

Fiona is part of New Wine Invest, which gathers young leaders to live radical and reckless lives committed to the cause of God’s kingdom. Find out more at invest.new-wine.org

Fiona Kirby-Smith Fiona and her husband Paul live in Crosby, an urban priority area in Scunthorpe. They are passionate to see the church equipped to demonstrate to people the transforming love of Christ.

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THE CHURCH GOD WANTS

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T Kendall will be leading the Bible teaching in the Arena at Week 1 of United 17. Here he gives us an insight into what he’ll be teaching us.

How well do we know the scriptures? Do we truly believe in and welcome the power of the Holy Spirit? Do we forgive totally, give generously and pray earnestly? And how prepared are we for Jesus to return? I believe this is the Church that God wants us to be.

A Church that welcomes Word and Spirit

I believe there has been a silent divorce in the Church between the Word and the Spirit. Those on the ‘Word side’ emphasise earnestly contending for the ‘faith once and for all entrusted’ to the saints (Jude 3). The emphasis is on knowing your Bible, knowing doctrines such as justification by faith alone, and the sovereignty of God. And this is exactly right.

Those on the ‘Spirit side’ emphasise getting back to the Book of Acts, where there were signs, wonders and miracles. Get into Peter’s shadow and you are healed. Lie to the Holy Spirit and you are struck dead. Until we have power like that the honour of God’s name will not be restored. This emphasis is also exactly right. The problem is that the emphasis is often on one or the other, when what we need is both. The simultaneous combination of Word and Spirit will result in spontaneous combustion. The honour of God’s name will be restored and the world will respect the Church again.

‘The midnight cry will be a wake-up call that will result in the greatest move of the Holy Spirit since Pentecost’ A Church that embraces the gift of forgiveness

Embracing forgiveness means two things. First, welcoming the forgiveness that comes by faith in Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.

There are two theological words essential to our vocabulary: expiation (what the blood of Jesus does for us – atones for our sins) and propitiation (what the blood does for God – turns his wrath away). Some people are not too interested in ‘what’s in it for God’, but only ‘what’s in it for me’. Were it not for the satisfaction the Father receives from the blood of his Son there would be no forgiveness of sins.

Second, we welcome the responsibility of forgiving those who have hurt us. In one of the darkest hours of my life I was given this precious counsel from my friend Josef Tson (a Romanian Baptist pastor imprisoned for his faith under the communist regime): “You must totally forgive them, for until you totally forgive them you will be in chains.” His words changed my life, and I look forward to elaborating on this practical teaching this summer. The greater the suffering we experience, the greater the anointing we experience – if we have totally forgiven those who have hurt us.

A Church that has a heart of generosity

Many years ago I asked my publisher if I could write a book on tithing. They finally agreed on the condition I would purchase 1,000 copies! In the meantime, I got the endorsement of Billy Graham, John Stott, Sir Fred Catherwood and Lord Carey. The Gift of Giving has sold countless thousands of copies and been translated into several languages. It has changed lives. I have learned that people need to be taught to give – it’s not that they are stingy. They have not discovered either the joy of giving or the benefit of being generous. What starts out as a discipline ends up being almost selfish. This is not only because God loves a cheerful giver, it is because you cannot out-give the Lord. ‘Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously’ (2 Cor 9:6).

A Church that prays

What if God spells our love for him as T-I-M-E? We may have regrets over the way we spent our time when we stand before God at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10), but we will not regret the amount of time we spent with God. Praying is never wasted time – it’s how we get to know God’s ways. And when a church prays corporately the effect is incalculable, pertaining to our unity, bringing the blessing of the Holy Spirit and the respect of the world.

The world does not respect the Church anymore. Mary Queen of Scotts feared the prayers of John Knox more than an army of 10,000 men. But not today. One of the ways that will reverse this is a Church that spends much time in prayer.

A Church that is ready for the Second Coming

The Second Coming of Jesus is one of the clearest and strongest teachings of the New Testament. I fear that not many people think about this, much less are they expecting it. Yet, I believe the next thing to take place on God’s calendar is not the Second Coming of Jesus, but the midnight cry before the Second Coming (Matt 25:6). This is not a reference to midnight – there are three Greek words that mean ‘middle of night’ – it’s when the Church is in a deep sleep. Jesus gave us the parable of the ten virgins (Matt 25: 1-13) partly to show that the Church would be spiritually asleep in the very last days. Sadly, I cannot think of a more apt description of the Church today than this. The midnight cry will be a wake-up call that will result in the greatest move of the Holy Spirit since Pentecost. This is what will get us ready for the Second Coming.

It will be my privilege to lead the Bible teaching at United 17 this July, and I’m looking forward to sharing more about my vision to be the Church God wants us to be. Let’s get ready for the Second Coming!

Visit new-wine.org/united17 to book your place.

RT Kendall Born and raised in the USA, RT Kendall is a writer, speaker and teacher who pastored Westminster Chapel for 25 years. He has authored more than 50 books and speaks around the world.

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FREE A WOMAN through trafficking prevention and empowerment

FORCED INTO A LIFETIME OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE AS A JOGINI. If only Ashamma could find a place of safety.

With your help, she can.

In some parts of southern India, young Dalit girls from as young as five are still being illegally dedicated to a goddess, little realising that as soon as they reach puberty they will be expected to provide sexual favours for the men of their village.

Your gift will be used in our efforts to free women and girls like Ashamma.

Text FREE25 £5 to 70070 to donate £5 (or visit dfn.org.uk/freeawoman)

www.dfn.org.uk

/dfnuk

@dfnuk

Dalit Freedom Network UK is a working name of Freedom Network International. registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee (No 06256996) and charity No 1122937 (England and Wales). Registered office: 8 Hearn Court, Stafford ST17 9QN .

FROM GODDESS TO GOD This girl was once a Jogini (ritualised prostitute) but is now free.

F

ifty thousand women and girls have been illegally forced into sex slavery in the south Indian state of Telangana.

Bishop D’Souza, who will be speaking at United 17, shares how local Christians are helping to free them.

Can you tell us about your work in India?

Christians are a minority in India, but we are seeing God's spirit being poured on the people in an unusual way. We see Jesus revealing himself to the downtrodden, the marginalised, the poor and also to those in positions of power. As the Dalit Freedom Network we work among the Dalits (also known as ‘the untouchables’), the low castes and the women. In particular, we work with local government authorities to eradicate the ritualised prostitution system and free the women – known as Joginis – caught up in it. In one area of India we have seen many women break out of slavery through the power of God.

How do girls end up as ritualised prostitutes?

Girls are dedicated to a goddess from as young as five years old, and serve in the temple. When they reach puberty they become the ‘property of the village’ to be used sexually by any man, anywhere, anytime. Most are illiterate, uneducated and live in extreme poverty, at risk of ill health and abuse.

Can you share any stories of those who’ve found freedom?

When 14-year-old Yellamma was sexually assaulted in her room by a stranger, she felt violated, shocked and hurt. No-one came to her aid, even though she screamed all through the night. In the morning her mother tried to explain that, since she was dedicated as a Jogini, ‘This is your destiny; this is what you were born for: to serve the goddess’. Yellamma was filled with despair. She felt betrayed by her family, especially by her mother. She began to work in the fields as a day labourer while she would be used by the men of the village at night. Yellamma’s life changed when she

met some Christians in her village. They treated her with dignity and respect – something she had never experienced in her entire life. They cared for her and helped her to turn her life around.

Yellamma came to believe in Jesus for herself. Now she wants to help free thousands of others who are trapped in this ritual sex slavery and is part of a rural development programme stopping more girls being dedicated as Joginis.

‘In one area of India we have seen many women break out of slavery through the power of God’ How can we pray for Christians in India?

Please pray for wisdom to live and work in a hostile context, protection for those who are attacked for their faith, for the present religious freedom to continue and for the Dalits to find their emancipation from the discrimination of the caste system. A Dalit is up to 27 times more likely to be trafficked than anyone else.

What will you be sharing with us at United 17?

I think that the centre of the global Church has moved to the South and I will share how we have developed ministries that emphasise the gospel of the kingdom of God which embraces all of life here on earth.

Joseph D'Souza Joseph is the Bishop Moderator of the Good Shepherd Church of India and Founder of the Dalit Freedom Network (dfn.org.uk).

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INSIDE THE TEENAGE BRAIN

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ates of self-harm, eating disorders, depression and anxiety among teenagers have increased by as much as 70% in the last 25 years. Church leader and psychologist Kate Middleton explores the teenage brain to help us offer support.

Mental health is a topic dominating our media headlines with teenagers and young people being the greatest source of concern.

Why are teenagers so at risk of issues with their emotions? During adolescence body changes are very obvious, but what we can’t see is that the teenage brain is also undergoing dramatic and rapid development. Here are four challenges teenagers face due to the changes in their brains:

1 Emotions

Teenagers and young people experience emotions in a different way to adults. The frontal lobes of their brains are undergoing dramatic restructuring, and their emotions, particularly the more complex social emotions like jealousy and love, are changing.

Teenage emotions are more dramatic, changing quickly and without warning, and expressed much more powerfully than in adults. This means they experience more amazing highs – but it also leaves them at risk of more challenging lows, or of changing mood dramatically and without much warning. It also means they are more at risk of a phenomena called emotional hijack – where a powerful emotion effectively bypasses the conscious thinking mind and triggers a response and reaction before they’ve had a chance to think it through – and of turning to unhelpful or risky strategies like alcohol, drugs or self-harm to try to deal with their emotions.

2 Identity

As adults we have a good understanding of our identity – who we are, our strengths and weaknesses. Children are largely egocentric – their instinct is to view the world entirely from their own point of view. During adolescence the ability to appreciate other perspectives triggers the development of that sense of identity, and often an intense self-consciousness as they feel overwhelmed by their new awareness of what other people might think of them.

Teenagers wrestle with three different concepts: who they think they are, who they think other people think they are, and who they think they ought to be. Some can feel panicked by the sense of uncertainty, and teenagers often worry that they don’t know who they are, or that they feel they are different people in different contexts. Adolescence is about trying out those different versions of themselves, and developing a secure adult identity, but problems can develop particularly if there are high expectations that they do not feel they can accomplish.

3 Sexuality

Another feature of adolescence is the gradual awakening of an adult sexuality, combined with starting to gradually try out more intense/ significant friendships and relationships. Teenagers experience this in the midst of a culture which vies for their attention and throws continuous messages at them about sexuality and associated topics like body image and fashion. All of these are made more complex by social media, and issues like sexting and the easy availability of pornography. Meanwhile as society moves to a more fluid understanding of gender identity, young people find themselves in an increasingly complex world, with many options apparently open to them. Many struggle with anxieties over whether they are ‘normal’, particularly when they do experience intense feelings for their friends, and can feel under pressure to conform or live up to certain stereotypes or ideals.

4 Risk One of the last areas to develop in the teenage brain is associated with the understanding of motivation and risk – in particular to connect an action now with an impact or outcome in the future.

The changes taking place in this region result in two main issues: teenagers who struggle to motivate and organise themselves, and those who show a lot of risky behaviour, with no apparent awareness of the possible results. Teenagers can be very ‘tunnel visioned’ and struggle to think about the long term, often succumbing to things that offer a short-term gain, even if they carry a long-term risk. They may do this in spite of negative outcomes which seem obvious to the adults around them, and often get themselves into situations they would never have wanted to be in, without realising the risks they are taking.

Cultural pressure

We need to appreciate that our current culture means that today’s teenagers experience these changes in a context that places even more pressure on them. Family breakdown means increasingly complex home lives. Education changes increase anxiety and pressure. And meanwhile, the development of social media continues to transform the way we communicate and do relationships and challenge our most basic concepts of privacy and friendship, as well as raising the frequency and complexity of problems like bullying.

‘Teenagers wrestle with three different concepts: who they think they are, who they think other people think they are, and who they think they ought to be’ Awareness and understanding

So how can churches respond to this rising tide of mental health distress? Recognising the normal challenges of adolescence can help us support young people and help them build resilience and confidence. We need to identify those who are developing more serious emotional problems and help them find appropriate treatment. It’s vital that churches involved in youth and community work are aware of the common mental health conditions, and of the processes involved in getting help in their area. We must journey with those with a mental health problem and walk alongside them as they seek good treatment.

Speaking out

Our responsibility is to speak out where changes in our society are contributing to distress. We must present another way, growing the kingdom of God and introducing people to hope instead of fear. As Paul says: ‘Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving message into the night’ (Phil 2:14-15, The Message).

Dr Kate Middleton Kate is a psychologist and church leader, and Director of Mind and Soul, an organisation exploring christianity and mental health. Visit mindandsoul.info for information, advice and resources including the free Mental Health Access Pack for churches.

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WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS

I

nterview with a vicar: Helen urges us to pay attention to the seemingly insignificant details around us – watch, listen, taste and smell – and find our place in God’s kingdom.

When I speak to other church leaders about what they get most excited about in ministry, the answer is invariably connected to seeing transformation in people’s lives by the work of the Holy Spirit. But what does that actually look like? And what resources are needed to allow the Spirit to move in people’s and communities’ lives? My instinctive answer is to follow a simple recipe:

Faith + Love + Prayer + Listening + Watching = Spiritually significant result Notice that the formula doesn’t include staff, ministry teams, worship bands, re-ordering, or even a building.

We learn through Scripture that everything reverberates throughout eternity – our actions, thoughts and words all have eternal consequences. We can entertain angels with the smallest of hospitable acts, or lose out on our inheritance by letting our desire to eat a meal get the better of us (Heb 13:2). In God’s economy, the smallest things can sometimes have the greatest impact. So what if God were doing something awesome in the resource sapping, declining and seemingly insignificant rural church?

What follows is an interview with Helen McDonald, a member of one of the churches I lead. I hope her story inspires you to seek out your own spiritually significant ministry.

Helen, can you tell us about how you came into contact with the local church?

Both my children were baptised in the local church and we were then subsequently invited to bring them to Sunday School. So I did and would then pop into church. I liked the way the vicar would involve the children. Over time though, with my children coming to secondary school age, Sundays became busier and I stopped attending.

So what made you come back?

I was diagnosed with cancer – and so I began praying like anything.

I was scared that I wouldn’t get to see my children have their own children. My career as a teacher was coming to an end and because my children were at university and my husband still busy at work, I would often find myself feeling very lonely. It was then that I was invited to a coffee morning. It was great to meet and talk to people but I kept overhearing some of them saying “See you on Sunday at church”. It made me want to go! This also happened to be during an interregnum and the fact that there would be no vicar there strangely comforted me.

So how was it?

It was great. I was really touched by the way that the services were led by ordinary people, each using their different gifts. They were really warm hearted. When the new vicar arrived, I thought I’d give his services a go, and so I stayed.

At what point did you begin to get more involved in the life and ministry of the church?

I sent an email to the vicar about how we might offer some kind of refreshment after services, maybe once a month. The local church

I attended as a teenager used to have a monthly family breakfast in the church hall after communion – I remembered the smell of coffee and rolls – so I tentatively suggested we should offer something similar.

So what happened?

At the next service the vicar announced to the church that I would be overseeing coffee and cakes every week! It was just before I went on holiday and I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to do it that it completely ruined my holiday.

That sounds awful, what a dreadful vicar!

Yes, it was you Yann.

Sorry.

Hmm. So I got on with it despite my fears and found support from other members of the church each with their own gifts. One helped set up a rota, another was great at recruiting helpers, another gave me a recipe for lemon drizzle cake, which I got so many complements for it gave me a real boost. I got spiritual support too: one lady invited me to her home group; another shared her experience of the power of prayer. I became involved with other catering rotas – helping out with the village coffee morning and a church pre-school group called Gems; I also helped another village set up their own coffee morning. At Gems, the leaders would begin with a time of prayer, which I found slightly uncomfortable to begin with. But my views on prayer began to change as I heard different people’s testimonies to its power and importance in their lives and especially as we prayed for a particular child and saw our prayers dramatically answered.

So what is your experience of the Holy Spirit in your life today?

He guides me as I pray. Following the advice of one of my rota helpers, I lay everything before God now and he answers my prayers in everyday practical ways. My life is full of God-incidences, divine appointments, practical answers to my practical problems – I find God in the details of my life. He speaks to me in so many ways.

How would you encourage others who are part of village churches?

If you’ve got an idea, something that you can do or that others can be involved with that helps build community, do it. Express your ideas. Persevere, even when it all seems to go terribly wrong.

And listen. Listen to what God is saying – pay attention to the seemingly insignificant details around you.

It’s easy to see how God is using Helen’s gifts and personality in his overarching plans not only for her and her family, but in the life of the church, community and beyond. We are always entertaining visitors at our small church – many are young couples attending church so they can get married here. Of course, we hope they will leave us with wonderful memories of their special day, but I also hope we have planted other God-soaked memories. They all comment on the hospitality they receive – and they all mention the cake, especially the lemon drizzle.

Yann Dubreuil Yann is the vicar of three parishes on the Hampshire/ Surrey border – Bentley, Binsted and Froyle. He is married to Hannah and they have three children and a dog – all six enjoy Helen’s lemon drizzle cake.

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t i r i p eTa m S

Our United national gatherings couldn’t happen without more than 3,000 volunteers who serve on 30 different teams.

Could you be one of them at United 17?

‘I served on team with the most amazing people.

My faith was galvanised by them and I felt loved’ Site Services 2016

On Team you’ll grow spiritually, learn new skills, meet new people and get a free or discounted place and meals provided. Apply ASAP to join your chosen Team.

Team Spirit.indd 1

24/10/2016 14:48

RESTORED LIVES CONFERENCE 2017 Friday, 23 June 2017, 10:00 – 16:00 (GMT) HTB Church House, Brompton Road, Kensington, London, SW7 1JA Do you have a heart for helping people get through relationship breakdown or divorce?

Restored Lives is a 6 week course which supports and empowers people to move forward from relationship breakdown.

Come to the Restored Lives Conference and learn how to run the course near you.

We have a vision of restoring the lives of individuals impacted by relationship breakdown, giving people the confidence and knowledge of how to move forward successfully.

“This course offers love, support and guidance to anyone in need” Nicky Gumbel

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See restoredlives.org for more details

20/01/2017 15:39

N

ew Wine FM will be broadcasting live from United 17, so wherever you are you can listen to celebrations and teaching from the Arena, as well as seminars, interviews and music.

In 1994 a radio station was created to serve the New Wine summer gathering. It was the brainchild of Terry Thring who, with his wife Jean and the support of volunteers, faithfully served for 19 years.

When they retired, Mark4Media was born to run New Wine FM, along with radio team volunteers.

Mark4Media (made up of eight trustees) aim to evolve and develop while keeping to Terry and Jean’s vision of being Christ centred and inspired by the Holy Spirit. The name Mark4Media comes from The Parable of the Sower in Mark 4 and ‘broadcast’ can be defined as scattering seed over a large area. That’s the vision: to scatter seed through radio broadcasts.

We’ve been greatly encouraged by feedback from our listeners:

‘The highlight of United 16 for me was sitting in the communal part of my village, hearing the worship from the Arena, the teaching on the radio and just being in fellowship with God and my church.’

‘Thanks for a great service. I’ve really enjoyed listening to the coverage this week – I particularly like the way you pray for interviewees at the end of each interview.’

‘It’s great to listen to New Wine FM online from Switzerland.

Missed not coming over this year, so excited when we found the radio station online.’

‘I am so grateful that I can join you via the internet as I can’t be there due to physical disability.’

At United 17 this summer, in addition to listening on a radio in Shepton Mallet, you will be able to tune in to New Wine FM live online, through new-wine.org or through the UK Radioplayer app on your smartphone or tablet. And if you are on site, come and visit our studio overlooking the Sports Field – we would love to see you.

Twitter @NewWineFM | facebook /newwinefm | SMS: 07586 789 733 Want to join the radio team as a volunteer?

Apply at new-wine.org

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THE ANCHOR

U

nited 17 speaker Karl Martin is passionate about releasing people into God’s calling. We asked him about his life, leadership and vision for the church.

What is your most memorable encounter with God?

About five years into my time at Central in Edinburgh, God gave me a vision. I don’t often get visions, but this one was crystal clear.

I was being walked up the road by Jesus, as if I was blindfolded.

He was walking backwards, holding both of my hands, and yet I could see everything. It was a road I knew well and I kept seeing people I knew – the man in the supermarket, the lady who begs on the street. Jesus was being friendly, but wasn’t actually changing their situations – and I was getting annoyed with him. He asked if I wanted to go somewhere to eat. Without hesitating I said ‘Yes’. He took me to Costa and I asked ‘Who’s paying?’ Jesus said nothing, but produced haggis, Haagen-Dazs Pralines and Cream ice cream and red wine – three of my favourites. As I started to eat, the food multiplied – we could hardly move in the shop for food. I knew that I had to take this food to everyone outside. Jesus said to me, ‘Unless you eat, no one else gets to eat’. I asked Jesus, ‘Can we go on a roadtrip?’ He said ‘Yes’, and we went all over Scotland, eating and handing out food. We went to England and the food multiplied again, people got saved, lives got transformed and churches got planted. I asked if we could go to Ireland. He said ‘not yet’ and the vision stopped.

I have learned that before anybody else is the mission, I am the project. My pattern of devotion will dictate the fruitfulness of my ministry. I am to pursue faithfulness. His promise is fruitfulness.

‘The world is looking for… a path for life that makes sense and love that is not transactional.

It is looking for hope’ Who’s had the greatest influence on your ministry?

Those who are closest to me have taught me most. My children, biological and spiritual, are always teaching me about God and life – and me. Above all, my wife Niki has taught me more about God and leadership than anyone else. Her modelling of compassion for people and passion for God is inspirational, and her careful (and sometimes robust) encouragement to have faith, to run with the dream, to ignore the lies of the enemy and to grow has been the most significant influence on my life.

What’s the best thing about your job?

I am very fortunate in that God has brought many younger leaders into my life and offered me the opportunity to help them fulfil their call. I am privileged to have played a small part in developing them, by spending time, setting a framework of discipline, offering tools

of discipleship and giving opportunities to experiment, fail and succeed. Being catalyst and coach and challenger and champion is the greatest joy of my leadership life.

Can you share any examples of people you’ve coached on their journey to leadership?

Tim was a student in Edinburgh full of vision, passion and enthusiasm for the gospel and for ministry. He had an exciting ministry of his own among students – and much to teach me.

Coaching was a challenge because in many ways he was smarter than me, quick to learn, and I spent time intentionally holding him back because leadership muscles were growing but were young and unproven. Tim went from an apprentice to a staff member, and I watched him grow from a hesitant and awkward communicator to a confident and sophisticated preacher.

Hannah was a student at the University of Edinburgh, a passionate worshipper of Jesus. She was apprenticed in the church and I have had the wonderful privilege, not just of seeing her grow as a leader, but watching her discover prophetic gifting and grow a community in hearing from the Lord. Hannah is developing into an incredible communicator but, more than that, she has become a mature, centred and multiplying leader of God’s people.

What is God speaking to you about at the moment?

I believe that God is allowing an unprecedented shaking in our world – political upheaval, economic uncertainty, ethical and moral norms questioned and abandoned, political systems and ideologies challenged and found wanting – everywhere people are finding new ways to think, new ways to live and new opportunities for their lives. I am excited for the Church: there has never been a more important time to be the hands, feet and mouthpiece of Jesus. The world we live in is looking for an anchor for the soul, a path for life that makes sense and love that is not transactional. It is looking for hope. Our call is to be disciples who make disciples, to seek the kingdom of God and his restoring justice, and to love one another, really well.

And it starts with one thing: prayer. Seek his face, pursue his presence and be hungry for his Word and Spirit. He is worth it – and he will totally transform our perspectives, our lives and the world around us. People will be loved into faith, businesses will be started, churches will be planted – the like of which we have never seen and from the shaking there will come a shaping that will look an awful lot like the kingdom of God. To win a copy of Karl's book Lead, email the title to mag@new-wine.org before 20 March. One entry per person. Winners will be chosen at random and notified by 24 March 2017.

Karl Martin Karl is Lead Pastor of Central – a thriving church in Edinburgh – and author books Stand and Lead. He is married to Niki and has four daughters.

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CAPITAL MASS

C

hurches are addressing poverty and inequality in the UK in numerous vibrant and innovative ways. Andy Burns of Capital Mass encourages us to share what we’re doing.

I have the great privilege to run an organisation which sees compassion up close. London, like many areas across the UK, is a rich pool of inspiring churches engaging with their communities, but it’s also a little light in the area of awareness of all that’s going on. Due to the fact that life is so busy, news often doesn’t spread.

Without hearing the good news of churches’ engagement we can have a sense of discouragement that we’re losing the battle. Without hearing about the wide possibilities of how to engage we can have a sense that issues are unassailable. And without hearing about who’s doing what, we can start with great enthusiasm only to discover that a neighbouring church is already engaged and looking for partners and volunteers.

Willing to engage

I’m going to touch lightly on a few of the innovative ways churches are engaging to address poverty and inequality in the hope that it will encourage and inspire you. These ministries are only a snapshot of the many creative approaches that churches are taking and I know they’d be more than happy to help you consider replicating what they started.

The common theme across all the ministries is the humble way those involved communicate; ‘we’re just doing our little bit, ‘it’s better than sitting at home twiddling our thumbs’ and ‘it’s no effort really, all that’s needed is…’ are common replies to praise given.

This reflects people’s heart in service and the effective simplicity which makes their ministries so transformative.

Let me introduce you to some fantastic, under the radar and humble ministries:

Free legal advice

Having spent his working life practising law, Peter Thompson now spends his retired time offering free legal advice through St James Church Muswell Hill, with a team of volunteer legal assistants.

Together they see 500 cases per year and all you need to get started according to Peter is: one legal adviser, ideally an assistant, access to the internet, a table and chairs (they use the side chapel) and storage for papers. Do you have legal experience and space?

English conversation classes

St Michaels and All Angels Harrow Weald deliver English Conversation Classes with the aim to offer a safe space for those isolated through English not being their first language. ‘Building the Kingdom is about integration so all can flourish’, says Revd Jody Stowell. Having visited one of the classes in action, I’ve seen firsthand the power of hospitality offered and friendships found which leads people to being confident to engage with the community around them. Can you offer hospitality and friendship?

Clergy hosting

Clergy are opening up their homes to homeless migrants or refugees offering a place to stay for a weekend, a week or a few months, depending on circumstances. One clergy member said: ‘It’s been easier than I first imagined, because for me, life with people is at the heart of Christian vocation.’ Do you have a spare room?

Desert Island Discs

Last year I met a lady a who’s using the Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs to tackle isolation among the elderly. She’s drawing alongside isolated members in her community, creating the space for their story to be heard. The recording of their life breaks through the loneliness, highlighting lives full of highs and lows, successes and near misses and, for some, starts a journey towards fellowship into a local church. Do you have a recording device, a pair of ears, a love of tea and a few hours?

Ministry to sex workers

I’ll not mention the parish where this takes place for obvious reasons. The church becomes the hub where professional services can be accessed on a weekly basis, and pastoral care offered and received through church volunteers. It’s a ministry that creates a deep sense of community. Can you offer a hall and connections to professional agencies?

Snoring prayers

In the heart of London is St Martin in the Fields, a church with exceptional homelessness work. Yet one of the most moving moments I’ve encountered in my current role is the quietness of morning prayers mixed with the melody of snoring guests. After a cold night on the streets and with little sleep, St Martin offers warmth and safety in sanctuary with the normal flow of parish life going on around. Can you be welcoming and offer shelter?

Along with these grass roots initiatives, churches are also partnering with well established community franchises. It’s this rich blend of personalised and recognisable responses which enables churches to meet the needs of their communities in ways that suit their traditions, missional focus and capacity, and ultimately amplifies our collective compassionate presence in the world.

Tell your story

I want to encourage churches to speak up about areas of need they are addressing, not to boast but to celebrate what God is doing.

A great strength of the Church is the ‘roll up our sleeves and engage’ attitude, which seeks common good and not personal glory.

Yet our proactive silence hinders other churches from being inspired to engage. Telling your story invites others to join in with it.

Andy Burns Andy is the Executive Director of Capital Mass, a joint venture between the Church Urban Fund and the Diocese of London, aiming to engage and equip churches in tackling poverty and inequality. He has a passion to nurture people’s calling.

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THE GOSPEL OF PEACE Simon, DD and the New Generation team are uniting murderers and victims’ families in an agricultural project.

S

imon Guillebaud shares how the more than £60,000 you gave at United 16 has helped bring joy and healing to desperate people through the work of GLO in Burundi.

My plea at United 16 for you to give to GLO (Great Lakes Outreach) was along the lines that Burundi is the poorest, the hungriest, and the most miserable country in the world, according to reports by the World Bank and the United Nations. So Jesus of course wants us to go and be his representatives everywhere, but he really wants to bless the last, the lost and the least in beautiful but broken Burundi.

Healing past wounds

day, but added to that are school fees, uniforms, pens and books. GLO supports eight organisations with around 400 staff, with 1,500-plus children between them. Due to the worsening economic crisis, many simply couldn’t afford to send their kids back for the new term. These are people who love Jesus and serve him passionately. We simply had to intervene.

It was with great joy that we gave out £40 to all 400 families, which more than covered all those emergency needs, and which brought tears of joy to desperate parents whose faith was being tested but who yet again saw God’s hand of miraculous provision.

From misery to joy

The killers buried DD’s father – who was a respected community leader – alive, in a pit. The Burundian Civil War had kicked off, and it lasted a long time (1993-2006). Several hundred thousand people died. It meant DD never got the chance to go to university, but he started an organisation called New Generation, one of GLO’s partners. It was two decades before he was allowed to go to the site of his father’s death. But when he did, it was to preach arm-in-arm with one of his father’s murderers.

One friend of mine, who is a widower with six children, was in dire straits. We were able to step in. He wrote to another friend the following message: ‘Hallelujah, God is so good! The totally unimaginable has happened, so long hoped for, so long awaited.

God has just done it. I can pay all my debts, I can pay the costs to wrap up my degree, I can pay several months of rent and feed my children. Isn’t he wonderful? What an amazing grace. I am crying with joy!’

DD has now started an agricultural project, teaming up the murderers and their families with the families of the victims. The money you gave enabled them to buy seed to work the land together – Christians, Muslims and animists – seeing the gospel’s power permeate, transform and heal the community and the wounds of the past.

In the darkest places, the light shines brightest; and the above are just some of the ways we’ve empowered people you’ll one day get to meet in glory – and then they’ll thank you personally.

Seeing God provide September is always the hardest month of the year. Most families are already struggling to eat more than one meal a

Simon Guillebaud Simon is International Director for GLO (Great Lakes Outreach), which is bringing hope to Burundi, Africa. He resides in Burundi while operating on an international level in terms of preaching, networking and raising support. Visit greatlakesoutreach.org.

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Recommended resources Discover teaching, inspiration, encouragement and practical application for you, your ministry team or small group.

BOOKS Forty years a gambler

“This is a gem of a read! Reading this book re-ignites my longing for intimacy with God and my understanding of how to keep on maturing. There is more for all of us and this book could unlock more of that for you.”

JOHN COLES

CHAIR OF TRUSTEES, NEW WINE

Ian Bartlett

“A must read. Having ministered with Paul in conferences and in his church, I know that he writes from authentic and fruitful experience.”

Growing in circles

X-Cavate!

Paul Harcourt

Anna Martin

A new take on spiritual growth.

A series of resources for churches and kids’ groups. Pre-schoolers and KS1 out now; KS2 coming soon!

ROBBY DAWKINS

PASTOR, SPEAKER & BESTSELLING AUTHOR

“A great tool for anyone wanting to go deeper in their relationship with God and grow in their maturity as a believer.

I highly recommend it!”

NICOLA NEAL

FOUNDER & CEO, REVELATION LIFE

In Forty years a gambler Ian shares his incredible story with real honesty and bravery. His story of how his addiction stole so much from him is gripping, but his story of recovery is even more inspiring and should bring hope to anyone who has or is suffering from a destructive gambling habit.

A quick and easy read, but profound in depth, giving a deeper revelation of Jesus.

This book has really encouraged me to see the journey from intimacy to obedience as a continual cycle. It’s a growth tool that I really appreciate.

Justyn Rees Larcombe is an author, speaker and a problem gambling expert.

Mandy Muckett is on the leadership team of Oikos International in Basel, Switzerland.

Jesus promised that we would grow into fullness of life by His Spirit. Like many things in life, that growth is not linear, but happens in seasons and cycles. Neither is there simple set of steps to follow guaranteeing maturity – that would be too impersonal for a God who loves relationship. Instead, spiritual growth comes from understanding some basic spiritual truths more and more profoundly. We come back to the same places again and again, each time experiencing them more deeply. This simple, but profound approach to growing in God will reinvigorate your faith and answer many questions about how to develop a vibrant spiritual life.

About the Author Paul Harcourt leads All Saints’ Woodford Wells in NE London, with his wife, Becky, where they have served for 21 years. Paul is New Wine’s Regional Director for the London and East Region. Paul is involved in leadership training for renewed churches and regularly speaks at conferences in the UK and Europe.

ISBN 978-1-908393-63-0

WWW.RIVER-PUBLISHING.CO.UK

Anna Martin has produced resources that do all the thinking for you, weaving fun, biblical truth and Holy Spirit ministry into a curriculum that enables us to deliver an impacting session, day after day.

Rachel Turner is the Parenting for Faith Pioneer at the Bible Reading Fellowship.

Alabaster

Jairus’s Girl

Wisdom Road

Chris Aslan

L. R. Hay

Viv Thomas

Biblical fiction has a reputation for being relatively cheesy, so this book is a refreshing change of direction. It uses as its foundation a well known story from the Bible, which the author elaborates on in a beautiful and engaging way.

Alabaster helped me revisit this story from a completely different angle, and the setting and context (in particular the precise detail about daily life) helped paint a picture unlike any I have seen before. Sensitively written around a good plot and with a challenge to Christians and non-Christians alike, this book will make you think differently and encourage you in your walk with God. Highly recommended.

I read this with my daughter Ffion (aged 9) and we both loved it.

It centres on Tammie, the girl Jesus raised from the dead, but tells how he affects her whole hometown of Capernaum: a family friend is healed of fever, the local fishermen become disciples, and her best friend’s roof gets wrecked when he visits. Ffion says, “The characters feel as if they’re there in front of you – I like little Jake, he’s funny. And when Tammy goes for a walk with Jesus and talks to him, it makes me wish I could do that.”

James Dwyer is based at Wycliffe Hall where he is training for ministry within the Church of England.

Clare and Ffion Rogers are part of NewLife Church, Palmers Green, London.

We found it funny, imaginative and moving – definitely a recommended read for 8-13 year olds.

It's tempting to think the last time wisdom was current was 1st century Greece. We greedily consume knowledge without sparing a moment to pursue wisdom, yet this is the very thing for which our lives and times cry out. With trademark depth, simplicity and practical application, Viv challenges us to recover wisdom and put it to good use. Combining reflections on scripture and culture, thoughtful engagement with very real issues, Viv brings wisdom out of the attic and into the 21st century. Whether you are old, young, thriving or failing, this book will enrich you, anchor you and help you live well.

Madi Simpson is a Bible teacher, writer and parent, and part of Christ Church Chiswick, London.

Books Giveaway!

Simply email the title of any one of the above books to mag@new-wine.org before 20 March 2017 for your chance to win a copy. One entry per person. Winners will be chosen at random and notified by 24 March 2017.

45

ALBUMS SIMPLE PURSUIT

GOLD

Live worship from United 16; featuring Sam Bailey, Tim Hughes, Karen Gillespie & Chris Sayburn

A collection of tracks

by Sam Bailey to stand in the gap between Kingdom and culture

CARRY THE LIGHT The best of New Wine kids’ worship for 0s to 11s CARRY THE LIGHT_BOOKLET.indd 1

I love the creative flourishes on the new live album. Especially the first track, Hallowed be by Sam Bailey, which is like no other worship song I’ve ever heard! Also love the fresh arrangement of King of my heart, the Keane vibes on the spontaneous track Freedom, and Sam’s epic swirling Forgiven track too, with all its ebbs and flows.

Amazing!

A beautiful and intimate reflection on what it means to be in relationship with God. I've loved taking time out to listen to this album. The whole project is really coherent – from the vocals to the production, instrumentation, lyrics and the beautiful artwork. I’d be happy to recommend this to any and all of my friends – Christian or not.

This makes every car journey a time of worship for me and my kids (7 and 5)! The songs are catchy (but not annoying) and cool, and packed full of profound truths expressed in a fun way. It’s wonderful to hear them singing their hearts out: ‘You give me hope for my future. You smile over me’ (Smiling over me); ‘Thank you Father, you can speak to me. Thank you Daddy, I can speak to you’ (Hiya Dad)!

NEW WINE RESOURCES NEW WINE RESOURCES

STUDY GUIDES LEARNING TO HEAL

JOHN COLES

learning to heal

Jesus trained His disciples to do the things that He did – but He Himself said that He was doing only what He saw His Father doing (John 5:19). He wants us to learn how to see what He is doing and hear what He is saying, so that we can join in with Him.

A practical guide for every Christian

Hearing God is the birthright of all believers, but we need to learn and grow in our ability to hear Him, as part of developing a prophetic lifestyle. In this book, Mark Aldridge shows us...

learning to heal

Jesus trained His disciples to do the things that He did – but He Himself said that He was doing only what He saw His Father doing (John 5:19). He wants us to learn how to see what He is doing and hear what He is saying, so that we can join in with Him.

A practical guide for every Christian

Hearing God is the birthright of all believers, but we need to learn and grow in our ability to hear Him, as part of developing a prophetic lifestyle. In this book, Mark Aldridge shows us...

• How to hear God’s voice today

MARK ALDRIDGE

JOHN COLES

TALKS SUMMER TALKS

MARK ALDRIDGE

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learning to hear God’s voice

LEARNING TO A ‘best of NEW ’ album WINE RESOURCES HEAR GOD’S learning to NEW WINE RESOURCES featuring Spirit Fall, hear God’s voice VOICE Great is your learning to heal DVD series and Faithfulness and learning to heal learning to study guides MARK idealALDRIDGE for Oceans; from Matt Redman, Martin Smith, hear God’s voice learning to smallBOOK groups Sam Bailey and more BOOK | DVD | STUDY GUIDE | DVD hear God’s voice | STUDY GUIDE • How to use the gift wisely and sensitively

• Numerous examples and illustrations to help you practice and develop your gift in a safe setting

• How to hear God’s voice today

• How to use the gift wisely and sensitively

Jesus trained His disciples to do the things that He did – but He Himself said that He was doing only what He saw His Father doing (John 5:19). He wants us to learn how to see what He is doing and hear what He is saying, so that we can join in with Him.

• How to use the gift wisely and sensitively

NEW WINE

BOOK

| DVD

About the author: Mark Aldridge leads the Oak Tree Anglican Fellowship in Acton, London, and is the Head of Ministry for New Wine International.

He loves to teach on the prophetic, healing, the Kingdom of God and the mission of the Church.

Mark is married to Kate and they have four children and live in London.

| DVD

| STUDY GUIDE

All New Wine resources are available to buy from new-wine.org/resources

LTHGV-book-cover.indd 1

...and live a prophetic lifestyle

ISBN 978-1-000000-00-0

07/07/2015 14:54

| STUDY GUIDE

07/07/2015 14:54

NEW WINE

BOOK

LTHGV-book-cover.indd 1

| STUDY GUIDE MARK ALDRIDGE

www.new-wine.org/resources

46

• How to begin using the prophetic gift both inside and outside of the local church

• Numerous examples and illustrations to help you practice and develop your gift in a safe setting

LEARNING TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE

NEW WINE

| STUDY GUIDE

www.new-wine.org/resources

• How to hear God’s voice today

LTHGV-book-cover.indd 1

07/07/2015 14:54

ISBN 978-1-000000-00-0

www.new-wine.org

| DVD

...and live a prophetic lifestyle

MARK ALDRIDGE

When I think back| DVD through| STUDY these records www.new-wine.org/resources BOOK BOOK GUIDE | DVD I am reminded of all the fresh ways I encounteredwww.new-wine.org/resources God during New Wine events.

Matt Redman LTHGV-book-cover.indd 1

Hearing God is the birthright of all believers, but we need to learn and grow in our ability to hear Him, as part of developing a prophetic lifestyle. In this book, Mark Aldridge shows us...

A practical guide for every Christian

About the author: Mark Aldridge leads the Oak Tree Anglican Fellowship in Acton, London, and is the Head of Ministry for New Wine International.

He loves to teach on the prophetic, healing, the Kingdom of God and the mission of the Church.

Mark is married to Kate and they have four children and live in London.

MARK ALDRIDGE

www.new-wine.org

• How to begin using the prophetic gift both inside and outside of the local church

• Numerous examples and illustrations to help you practice and develop your gift in a safe setting

www.new-wine.org

BOOK

Jesus trained His disciples to do the things that He did – but He Himself said that He was doing only what He saw His Father doing (John 5:19). He wants us to learn how to see what He is doing and hear what He is saying, so that we can join in with Him.

• How to hear God’s voice today

• How to use the gift wisely and sensitively

ISBN 978-1-000000-00-0

...and live a prophetic lifestyle

ISBN 978-1-000000-00-0

JOHN COLES

Hearing God is the birthright of all believers, but we need to learn and grow in our ability to hear Him, as part of developing a prophetic lifestyle. In this book, Mark Aldridge shows us...

LEARNING TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE

Kingdom of God and the mission of the Church.

Mark is married to Kate and they have four children and live in London.

...and live a prophetic lifestyle MARK ALDRIDGE

About the author: Mark Aldridge leads the Oak Tree Anglican Fellowship in Acton, London, and is the Head of Ministry for New Wine International.

loves to on the prophetic, healing, the A practicalHeguide forteach every Christian

About the author: Mark Aldridge leads the Oak Tree Anglican Fellowship in Acton, London, and is the Head of Ministry for New Wine International.

He loves to teach on the prophetic, healing, the Kingdom of God and the mission of the Church.

Mark is married to Kate and they have four children and live in London.

NEW WINE

LEARNING TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE

• How to begin using the prophetic gift both inside and outside of the local church

• Numerous examples and illustrations to help you

practice JOHN COLES and develop your gift in a safe setting

LEARNING TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE

• How to begin using the prophetic gift both inside and outside of the local church

www.new-wine.org

BOOK

05/07/2016 11:55

MARK ALDRIDGE | DVD

| STUDY GUIDE 07/07/2015 14:54

Miss out on the talks from United 16? They're still available to buy online at: new-wine.org/resources

Transformed by Christy Wimber RRP £8.99 How do we address, deal with and encounter hardship? How do we take the Kingdom message which involves redemption and restoration but also help people feel safe? Safe to be honest.

How do we remove the stigma surrounding broken areas - areas where people aren’t healed - and address suffering? The book will take Romans 12:1-8 as its central text and each chapter will start with a verse. The theme of the book is “change”. True change doesn’t come about from a quick fix - in Charismatic circles that is generally through the laying on of hands - it takes sacrifice, sweat and suffering. This is the key to morality, integrity and longevity in the Christian faith.

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God is Stranger Krish Kandiah RRP £13.99 Our Price £10.99

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Are you called to one of the above roles and looking to join a Christian Community in welcoming thousands of guests who come to Lee Abbey and our Beacon Activity Centre?

We are seeking to enable and encourage children and young people in their walk towards Jesus, or to journey further with Him. We aim to live out our faith and through Community to share the love Jesus has for His people: the lost, last, least and little. We want those who come to be challenged, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, whilst out and about in God’s stunning creation. We want to push the boundaries of children’s and youth work, using the Beacon Activity Centre and adventurous activities like zip wire, crate stack, climbing and much more.

We aim to be cutting edge in the way we innovate, deliver and expose people to the Bible and its relevance to us today. Can you help us do that? for application packs contact: Personnel, Lee Abbey, Lynton, North Devon, EX35 6JJ. tel: 01598 754250 Email: personnel@leeabbey.org.uk

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the countryside and make holiday memories to treasure...(sleeps 2-8-14) Close to golden beaches, sand coves and Exmoor National park. www.bampfieldfarm.co.uk 01271 346566 lynda@bampfieldfarm.co.uk

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SOUTH-EAST CYPRUS 3 bedroom apartment near Protaras coast. Available year round. Good weather during English winter, better still in Spring. Modern, fully and luxuriously equipped.

Quiet location. Local shops and restaurants. For walking, cycling, beaches, scenery, archaeology. www.kronoscyprus.co.uk

farm sleeping 10 and 14. Can accommodate groups of up to 24.

Games room and play area. Easy reach of sea, moors and many local attractions. 01404 841238 www.westcottfarm.co.uk justin@westcottfarm.co.uk

NORTHUMBERLAND COTTAGE,

sleeps 4. Peaceful with amazing views. Visit Holy Island, Alnwick Castle etc. Further details: www.cottageguide.co.uk/ kypieview Phone: 0191 281 2309 CHRISTIAN BIKER?

Living in the Home Counties or Southeast you will be mature and available; sometimes Sundays and weekends. The work is exciting and occasionally dangerous.

Contact ‘Thumbs’ via bikercell.com or 07973364144.

3-bed bungalow for rent for holidays, sleeps 6, dogs welcome.

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Please contact 01278 760275 or email cromwell.gerry@gmail. com and see Facebook.com/ stockwoodholidays for details.

LLANDUDNO Beth Eden Christian Guest House. Superb views overlooking sea, Snowdonia mountains. Individuals, couples, families, groups up to 30.

Fellowship/Bible ministry.

Exceptional home cooking. www.betheden.co.uk 01492 877057

POLZEATH, CORNWALL

Quiet lovely 4 bedroom house with sea views, 250yards from beach and coastal path. Contact via www.ownersdirect.co.uk/ accommodation/p8160893

INDUCTION LOOPS

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Quarterly magazine for preachers DON’T MISS THESE GREAT ISSUES IN 2017!

PREACHING THROUGH ADVERSITY PREACHING AND PRAYER INTERACTIVE PREACHING PREACHING ACROSS CULTURES Articles from Steve Holmes, Malcolm Duncan, Lucy Peppiatt, Mark Tanner, Calvin Samuel and many more.

PLUS Interview with Pete Greig, founder of 24-7 prayer Sign up to receive Preach magazine online at

www.preachweb.org Preach resources are produced by The Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust (reg. charity no. 1107967)

M A N CH E STE R

13-15 March, St Philip’s Salford

LE ICE STE R

14-16 March, Holy Trinity Leicester

BR ISTOL

15-17 March, Woodlands Bristol

LON DON

14-16 March, City Gate Ilford

GUEST SPEAKERS INCLUDE

DEBBY WRIGHT, STUART BELL & DAVID STROUD

UNDER 30S SAVE £30 LEADERS IN TRAINING SAVE £15*!

New Wine has a growing commitment to identify, raise up and release young leaders to passionately pursue God’s call on their life. We want younger leaders to join those who will champion them in their God-given gifts and encourage them to advance the Kingdom, empowered by the Holy Spirit. * To take advantage of the discount, leaders in training need to be members of the Leadership Network; sign up for free at new-wine.org/leaders.

Gathering leaders to be equipped, encouraged and empowered to change churches, community and culture Book now at new-wine.org

This is a New Wine England event