r 2012 No. 115 | may – septe mbe
IN THIS ISSUE Leicester
open doors in the city
Japan
one year on
Earls Court
stories of love & grace
Get in the Games
Summer Outreach
on your marks…get set…GO!
Editorial|carl tinnion 2
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ELCOME to the latest issue of Advance. In this edition we will be looking at ministry in Leicester, Earls Court Community Project in London, and a story from British YWAMers in Japan, one year after a tsunami devastated the north.
I’m always being asked what YWAM is about. What do we do? It’s not always an easy question to answer because we seem to be involved in a wide array of projects and ministry foci. It has always been this way because our motto is ‘To Know God and Make Him Known’. We seek to ‘Know God’ more through the Discipleship Training School (DTS), and discipleship and character growth flows through YWAM as a high value for staff and students alike. But it’s the ‘Making Him Known’ bit that introduces such wide variety. We work with youth, government, asylum seekers, artists, the homeless, in schools, with families…the list is endless! “We’re a movement of Christ-centred people…” That’s why our motto is so helpful in describing us. We’re a movement of Christ-centred people who are passionate about communicating the undying truths of God’s character and His Kingdom. However there are a few areas that unite us as a YWAM family of ministries in this nation and beyond. First we firmly believe in England’s heritage and future mandate to be a missionary-sending nation.
Advance | May – Sept 2012
English history is full of world-changers that went out into all the nations carrying the seeds of the gospel. Many died in their attempts to bring change for the poor and to plant indigenous churches. This is what God called England to in the past and we believe He’s saying the same thing to us today! Our desire is that we would see upwards of 2,000 British missionaries working with YWAM overseas long term. We’ll do whatever we can to mobilise and equip people to work this out in practice. “We believe that Jesus makes the difference.” Another thing we’re passionate about is social transformation in our own nation. Our calling is to the broken-hearted, the poor, and all those who don’t know Jesus. National change and community transformation comes from the bottom up, not from the top down. Of course legislation makes some difference, but at the end of the day, it is Christians being Christians at the grass roots that really make the difference. (We believe that is you!) And for that reason, we’re determined to serve the Church as much as possible, as well as pioneering new models of mission that enable social change and increased Kingdom life. Can a nation be changed? We believe so. We also believe that Jesus makes the difference. Carl Tinnion YWAM England National Leader
02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editorial News from our national leader Carl Tinnion 03 . . . . . . . . Ways to get involved Be inspired by the difference you can make in the nations 04 . . . . . . . . . Japan, one year on Keeping our thoughts and prayers on a nation the news may have forgotten 06 . . . . . . . . . . . Olympics update What an opportunity… how YWAM is reaching the nations in the UK! 07. . . . . . . . . . Upcoming training Hear the call… get prepared… are you prepared to Just Go! 08 . . . . . . . YWAM England photos DTS Gathering in Coventry 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Earls Court Stories of how God’s love and grace touches lives 12 . . . . . . Open doors in Leicester Stories from a multi-cultural, inner city pioneering team 14. . . Team updates & staff profile Two bases seeing the power of a faithful God & one of our staff carries the Olympic torch 15 . . . . . . . . . Devotional & prayer Prayer, the key to revival in our nation The Advance Team: Nic Barella, Natalie Edwards, Lauren Nelson, Carl Tinnion. Photography: Nic Barella, John Somers-Harris, Samy Mansour, Paul Walland, Sharon Ellis. Advance is published by YWAM England. © Copyright exists on all material in Advance and nothing within it may be reproduced wholly or in part without written permission. Youth With A Mission England & Wales is a registered charity number 264078.
Act | get involved
Contents|in this issue
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WAM England cannot do the work alone. We need you! There are lots of ways to get involved in YWAM England by going, giving or praying.
Go! — Take six months to dive in deep with God, knowing him intimately and making him known throughout the world with a Discipleship Training School! There are also opportunities to join us on short-term outreaches during the summer with Circuit Riders, Just Go Camps, Go 4 Glory and Olympic outreach. For more information on DTS or any of these summer outreaches, visit our website at www.ywamengland.org Give! — We need your help to keep moving forward to make an impact in the nations. Even if you could support us just £10 a month it makes a huge difference. You can give to YWAM online at www.ywamengland.org/donate where a Gift Aid form can also be downloaded, or send a cheque to the address below. Pray! — Connect with other Christians to pray for the destiny of the UK in 2012 with Brick by Brick. Visit www.forever2012.com/brickbybrick to register for a slot in the 24/7 prayer wall. Want to stay connected with ways to pray for YWAM England? Send us your contact details through the form provided with this magazine, or e-mail them to enquiries@ywamengland.org to be added to the mailing list.
Contacts|stay in touch Write YWAM, Highfield Oval, Harpenden Herts, AL5 4BX, UK Tel 01582 463216 E-mail enquiries@ywamengland.org Web www.ywamengland.org Facebook facebook.com/ywamengland Twitter twitter.com/ywamengland
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Japan|one year after 4
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n 11 March, 2011, a magnitude 9 undersea megathrust earthquake occurred off the coast of Tohoku, Japan. One of the five most powerful earthquakes logged since records began, it shifted the earth on its axis and caused a tsunami which resulted in 17,000 deaths, vast structural damage, and meltdown at three nuclear reactors. British YWAMer Gary Seddon was many miles away in Tokyo. “People all around us were terrified and ran away from the buildings as they looked like they’d crumble. Earthquakes are common here, so their reactions scared me. We didn’t realise a tsunami had hit. We didn’t realise that thousands had just lost their lives.”
YWAM teams were quickly dispatched to help, together with other mission agencies. “C.R.A.S.H. Japan” (Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope) co-ordinated the efforts of local and foreign churches and mission agencies to serve the practical needs of many who had lost homes, livelihoods and family members. British YWAMer John Somers-Harris led a series of relief outreaches to the Tohoku area in the months that followed. With the help of visiting teams,
Advance | May – Sept 2012
they cleared homes and properties, and prepared food to serve to the many living long-term in evacuation centres. John wrote on his blog about the sites they passed: “We drove through the port area where huge damage was very evident. It was dark and we were not fully able to witness bay after bay of smashed houses, broken bridges, ruined possessions and destroyed farmland. I was thankful that I could not see everything — the impact of it would have been too much for me.” “Did that really happen? Did the fear, panic and shortages really happen?” Today, Judith Cassell, also from the UK, finds herself asking, “Did that really happen? Did the fear, panic and shortages really happen? Did I really experience so many quakes that I began to feel ‘earthquake sick’… and go into Iwaki City with supplies when others were fleeing because of radiation leaks… and sleep in an evacuation centre? Did I really see a mountain of destroyed cars piled on top of each other, and a boat hanging in trees?”
One year after the earthquake and tsunami, restoration and reconstruction is agonisingly slow. Excavators continue to clear wreckage along the Tohoku coastline. The long-term psychological effects of the disaster are only now coming to the surface. Counselling services are building up their presence in the region for fear of increased suicides and other mental health problems. “The disaster broke down divisions between denominations.”
Tohoku pastor Kazuyoshi said, “The disaster broke down divisions between denominations. Christians who had normally kept to themselves joined with their non-believing neighbours, crying and working together, and sharing their daily lives. The church was touched by the outpouring of prayer and support from the Church throughout the world.”
A predominantly Buddhist country, Japan has been called a “super power without a moral compass.” It is the nation with the fastest growing “The church was touched by the outpouring of prayer and support…” age discrepancy and lacks natural resources. The past few years have seen an increase in gangs, meaningless violence, and suicide. Continue to pray for more Japanese churches to be birthed after this historic tragedy, bringing hope where hope has gone.
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Mission agencies have joined with local students and church members to feed and befriend those who continue to reside in temporary housing (many of whom had lived near the nuclear plants) and to help with clearing of rubble. The Lord has placed believers in leadership of the nuclear plant and in government. CRASH Japan has linked the efforts of agencies together to optimise the effectiveness of resources and personnel. The longer the suffering of survivors, the greater the need of help and love from those who have eternal hope in Christ Jesus.
Is God calling you to play a part in His plan for the Japanese? Consider joining a short-term service team. Contact John Somers-Harris E-mail john@somers-harris.com
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|get in the games
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f you hadn’t noticed by now, this summer the world descends on London and the UK for the 2012 Olympic Games. With it comes a huge opportunity for the Church to reach people with the love of Jesus – and the great news is that the Church and YWAM are responding! On your marks… The YWAM England team coordinating YWAM’s Olympic outreach is called Forever. Although the YWAM Olympic outreach covers the whole of 2012, Forever’s core team is particularly preparing for the main outreach effort around the period of the Games. “More Than Gold… a massive outreach to the million visitors to the Games…” From 25 July–10 September, YWAM will join with other Christian organisations partnering with More Than Gold (the umbrella organisation helping the Church to engage with the opportunities created by the Olympics) for a massive outreach to the million visitors to the Games, and also to the communities of London and the six other Olympic hosting cities.
Get set… Although the main event is getting closer, it is not too late to get involved in one of three ways:
Join the Forever team short-term as it coordinates the YWAM Olympic outreach. Organise and bring an outreach team from your community, church or YWAM centre. Get your local church to host an outreach team or organise outreach events during the Games. You don’t have to be in an Olympic host city to run outreach events! Go! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be part of what promises to be one of the biggest outreaches ever!
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Advance | May – Sept 2012
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There are already thousands of churches signed up to be involved, and we are expecting many thousands of YWAMers to come from all corners of the earth to do outreach. This really will be a global outreach. Contact The Forever Team Write YWAM Harpenden, Highfield Oval, Harpenden, AL5 4BX Tel 01582 463322 E-mail info@forever2012.com Web www.forever2012.com
Upcoming|training courses
Carlisle—www.ywamcarlisle.com
Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012, Jan 2013 (9 months) Basic Leadership School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012 (18 months)
Derby—www.ywamderby.com
Urban Missions Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . September 2012 (9 months)
Harpenden—www.ywamharpenden.com
Circuit Riders (open to public) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012 (2 weeks + optional 2 week outreach) Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012, April & September 2013 (6 months) Sports Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 2013 (6 months) Foundations in Community Development . . . . . . . . . September 2012 (3 months) Humanities and International Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012 (3 months) School of Reconciliation and Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 2013 (3 months) School of Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 2013 (3 months) Teaching English as a Second Language . . . . . . . . . . April 2013 (6 weeks) Foundations of Intercultural Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2013 (3 months) Documentary Film School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2013 (3 months)
Holmsted Manor—www.ywamholmsted.org
Discipleship Training School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012, January & April 2013 (6 months)
The King’s Lodge—www.thekingslodge.com
Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept 2012, Jan, April and Sept 2013 (6 months) Mini Discipleship Training School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July and/or August 2012 (1–3 weeks) School of Biblical Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012 (9 months) Directed Reading in Biblical Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012 Principles in Child and Youth Ministries. . . . . . . . . . . January 2013 (3 months)
Leeds—www.ywamleeds.com
Arts and Justice Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . September 2012 (12 months)
London—www.ywamlondon.com
Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 2012 (6 months) Basic Leadership School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012, April 2013 (6 months)
s/y Next Wave—www.sy-nextwave.com
Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012 (6 months)
Wales—www.ywamwales.org
Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012 (10 months)
York—www.ywamyork.com
Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012 (9 months) Photography Discipleship Training School. . . . . . . . . April 2013 (6 months) Basic Leadership School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012 (12 months)
Things change all the time in YWAM so this list might not be complete. Check out the individual Websites for more information, or www.ywamengland.org and www.ywam.org
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Photos | dts gathering 8
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Evangeli
DTS Gathering Group photo in Coventry Advance | May – Sept 2012
Teaching students at the DTS Gathering
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Discipleship Training Schools from England, Norway and Italy came together in March for a week of evangelism in Coventry. The trainees received great teaching and had the opportunity to hit the streets sharing God’s love for the city.
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n y Photos by
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Streeatch Outre Ellis
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On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, ECCP opens as a coffee bar, where people come for tea and coffee, a hot meal, and an opportunity to socialise. For many people, these two afternoons form an important part of their social life. In 2011, over 200 meals a week were served at the two drop-ins.
the teaching. There is quite a mixture of views and ideas within all of the groups ECCP runs, so this is quite challenging at times! As a team, they felt that God has been leading them into a new season of evangelism and discipleship. Kaleidoscope, as well as a regular time of street evangelism on Friday mornings, have been the outworking of this vision.
“In 2011, over 200 meals a week were served at the two drop-ins.” A Friendship Club for women runs on Thursdays, where ladies come for a meal, and alternate between doing a craft activity and a Biblical reflection each week. This is a smaller, more intimate group, and provides great opportunities for building stronger relationships with those who come. A new addition to the work of ECCP is a Friday group called Kaleidoscope, which is explicitly for people who are following Jesus, or are interested in doing so. The current topic is the character and nature of God. Kaleidoscope is in its early stages, but the team has already had encouraging signs of a few people coming regularly, and engaging with
Advance | May – Sept 2012
The Earl’s Court team always welcomes new volunteers. Please pray for the people who use ECCP’s services to know God, that they would have the opportunity of growing in their knowledge and experience of His grace.
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Earls Court|loving the lonely 10
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ow in its 26th year of ministry, The Earls Court Community Project (ECCP) is running strong. The team based in West London reaches out to people who are vulnerable, lonely, and often homeless.
Write YWAM Earls Court, c/o St. Barnabas Church, 23 Addison Road, London W14 8LH Tel 0207 4717030 E-mail earlscourt@ywamlondon.com Web www.eccp-ywam.org.uk
www.ywamengland.org/training
Leicester|open doors 12
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aul and Vicky Walland write: when God spoke to us about leaving YWAM Harpenden in 2004, we knew only that it was to pioneer YWAM’s work in Leicester. At first we thought it might be to launch ECO (the English & Cultural Orientation programme) in the East Midlands, but it wasn’t. God spoke to us instead about turning our attention to unreached people in Leicester – to help bring them to a knowledge of God and of His love for them. Pioneering was tougher than we’d imagined it would be. We were quite unprepared for the challenges we faced.
Advance | May – Sept 2012
We often felt out of our depth and pushed to our limits financially. But God was with us. He gave us a really cheap house to rent in the Muslim neighbourhood of Highfields and when we didn’t “We were quite unprepared for the challenges we faced. We often felt out of our depth…” know where our next meal would come from, God would send someone to us with a bag of food. Those were hard, humbling days. After a few years of trying to find our place in the city, God began to open doors for us to have some
God has been good to us in other ways too. We worked on our own from home for our first few years in Leicester, but a couple of years ago a Brazilian friend decided she wanted to join us and three others quickly followed her. The challenges for YWAMers who come to minister in the UK from poorer countries are really considerable. Whilst language is one of these, it’s not the greatest. Visas aren’t even the biggest challenge. Finances are! We learned this in ECO, when we would hear of the struggles facing the young missionaries we opened our doors to from countries like Bangladesh, Bolivia and Cameroon. But God supported them in extraordinary ways and He’s done exactly the same for our Brazilian
co-workers, proving once again that where He calls, He provides. Two of them share a house with a Christian friend and pay probably a third of what they would have to pay elsewhere in Leicester, another has been blessed with her own house (something she could never afford in Brazil) and the other has been given free accommodation by the leaders of the church he’s attending. These doors only opened after they’d arrived – full of faith but with empty pockets! What does the future hold for us? We don’t know. A Bolivian girl has applied to join us. If this is God’s will, we’re expecting to see more financial miracles. We’re looking for other miracles too, like being gifted a House of Refuge so we can open doors to asylum seekers and refugees, the poor and the needy and those thirsty for a touch from God. Our God can do it!
Contact Paul & Vicky Walland, Write 60 Donnington Street, Leicester, LE2 0DD
“…we can open doors to asylum seekers and refugees, the poor and needy…”
Tel 0116 212 4131 E-mail ywamleicester@yahoo.com Web www.ywamleicester.org
lovely friendships with Muslims and Hindus, to find a church and to begin to develop compassion ministries. Our experience in ECO was useful and both of us were given opportunities to teach English in our home. We still do this, but most of our English classes now take place in a compassion centre a few blocks away. There’s no shortage of candidates for the courses and on Mondays and Fridays you can see the nations gathering there for their classes – Pakistanis, Ukrainians, Turks, Indians and others.
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Staff|stories
Base|news
YWAM York|news
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WAM York has officially opened the Barnabas Centre, a building which will serve as a gathering place for the local community. YWAM York hopes to use the building for a variety of functions, such as meetings and dance classes, as well as opening a café on the ground floor.
“It’s really exciting. This building has huge potential for how we can serve the community,” said base director Jennifer Locke. The building was purchased in September after five years of raising funds and negotiating to purchase the property. Surveyors and builders were then brought in to make the building fit for use. “Barnabas means: ‘Son of Encouragement’”, Jennifer said, “and the team at YWAM York hopes that the Barnabas Centre will be an encouragement to the community for years to come”.
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The King’s Lodge|news
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onstruction at The King’s Lodge in Nuneaton is nearly complete, providing a new hall for worship, prayer, training and a central venue in the UK for YWAM to gather.
The next stage is the electrical work, finishing the walls, ceiling and floors, and installing the media equipment. Attached to the core of the current building, an adjoined café and refitted reception area are the next projects on the list to complete this development. The funds have come from so many sources: anonymously, a generous donor who has matched raised funds, family, friends, big-hearted YWAMers, and King’s Lodge alumni. The King’s Lodge rejoices that this 200+ seat hall is a testimony to God’s faithful provision and to all He has taught them throughout this journey.
AMES SWABEY, who works with Oval Sports United at YWAM Harpenden, will be carrying the Olympic Torch as it makes its way around the United Kingdom before the Olympic Games. He told us a little bit more about how and why he was chosen for this honour.
So how did you get this opportunity to carry the Olympic Torch? “Kristy, a friend of mine at YWAM Holmsted Manor, got an e-mail from Coca-Cola asking for nominations of young people with inspiring stories in sport. She thought about me, and sent in my name. Coca-Cola got back to me and asked why I should carry the flame. I prayed about it, and I felt God said he wanted me to share truthfully my whole vision. So I told them that I have been working as a volunteer, and how I have been using sport to bring healing, love and transformation to communities with no hope.” “They e-mailed me again with an application then a couple of weeks ago when I was in Coventry for the DTS Gathering, they confirmed that I was an official torch-bearer. The announcement was made on the BBC News.”
Advance | May – Sept 2012
How did you feel when you received the news? “I was excited, and a little bit overwhelmed because I had been given an opportunity to participate in this sacred event. I have talked to a few people who also nominated themselves to carry the torch, and they didn’t get it. I’m just really grateful to God. It’s because of Him that I am doing this. Carrying the torch, which to me is a symbol of fire and revival, is so amazing.” What is your vision for sports in mission? “Sport is a great way of bringing people of all ages, all abilities, even some who are left out of community, together. It’s just a tool to bring people together to share the love of Jesus and bring God’s Kingdom to earth.”
Devotional
Faster|Higher|Stronger “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12: 1–2, ESV)
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ost of us have heard the Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius” even if we can’t remember it. The three Latin words, meaning Faster, Higher, Stronger, embody competition, which at its best inspires excellence and world-class performance in athletes. Few, however, know that de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, adopted a more informal motto for the Games after listening to a sermon in St. Paul’s Cathedral during the 1908 London
Olympics. The bishop’s sermon contained these words: “The most important thing in these Olympiads is not to win, but to take part.” I am competitive by nature, but the Christian race is not a solo event. We are all called to take part, and to “run with endurance.” Your gifts and mine are vital to this year of mobilisation. We will host, train and lead literally thousands of people in “We are called to take part and to ‘run with endurance.’” outreach this summer. In my human strength I can do nothing, but our God is definitely “Citius, Altius, Fortius”. Let’s run together with Him, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. If we turn up, and take part, He will do immeasurably more than all we can ask or think. He deserves all the honour! Let’s take part this summer! John Peachey YWAM Harpenden
Olympic Outreach — The 2012 Olympic Games draws ever closer. Serious preparations are underway to welcome teams who will minister to the world in London and Olympic cities throughout the UK. Pray that lives will be transformed as a result of encountering God this summer.
Pray
What’s next? — We believe this summer is a launching pad for new YWAM ministries. Pray for YWAM workers in the UK, volunteers who come to help and those who come to participate in the events, that God would begin speaking to them about pioneering new works in the UK and Europe. Central Europe — The recent Western European Leaders Consultation put a spotlight on Central Europe, and the leadership have agreed to support an initiative to see new bases planted in the region. Pray that God will draw people into this harvest field. Megacities initiative — YWAM Perth is right in the middle of the year-long focus on London, designed to support and strengthen local churches. Pray that teams would continue to be a blessing, and that more people would engage with Jesus through Megacities. British missionaries going out into the nations — We have just over 300 British missionaries working with YWAM overseas. We believe it is part of our calling to go out into the nations carrying the good news. Pray that this number would treble in the next 10 years.
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www.justgo2012.wordpress.com
22 July–4 August 2012
Whether you are a young person, a youth worker or leader, a group of teenagers, or a family with children, Just Go! is for you! Over two weeks, you will have an opportunity to reach out to the UK Olympic cities of London, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Coventry, Cardiff, and Weymouth & Portland. (We’ll train you up a bit before you go, so don’t worry about that.) Once you get to your location, there are loads of ways to serve the local community and show them God’s love — from children’s clubs to community events in the park, giving out water or tidying up after an event. Ready to make your mark? Just Go!