Goodness just seen its been couple of months since I've posted anything! let me just check back in the diary to remind myself what I've done...! June started with the joint Church community event IMPACT which was a great success. A first for me was joining the worship team, singing in front of people - hopefully in tune! The 3 days finished with about1000 people attending the free family fun day.

Since then there has been ongoing planning for a holiday Bible Club coming up at the end of July amongst the preparation for my regular groups. I did take a week off mid month to visit family and friends which was well needed.

The beginning of July I helped lead a retreat day for the year 8's of a local school. The day focused on choices, consequences and change. These guys are about to move schools after the holidays so the aim of the retreat is to get them to think about the choices they make and how to best handle change.This is done within a structure of Christian values without actually 'preaching' at them as this wouldn't be acceptable in a school situation.

So bit of an update for now... I'll try not to leave it so long next time. God Bless x

So last Sunday evening my youth bible study group was just great. I was so encouraged to hear the some of them giving great advice to those younger than themselves. It really revealed just how much God has and is growing their faith. The advice... keep talking to God whenever and about whatever, just keep talking to Him. Good advice for us all. For me, at the moment I'm talking to Him about future stuff and asking for clear guidance. Coming up in June we have a joint church community event called IMPACT, then in July a Holiday Bible Club, but before that at the end of May I'm planning and leading a service on Pentecost and of course there's all the usual day to day stuff. Oh and the picture... well you'll need your imagination... this is a Junior Church class trying to spell out the word PEACE...squint and you might get it...!

My Easter was just lovely... with a visit to Leiden, Holland, The Netherlands (I'm still not sure what the correct term is!) I time spent with good friends who made me feel so at home, it was just what I needed. After the business of previous weeks, that included fighting a bad head cold (yuk!)

The Lent study course finished well. I hope it helped people to remember what Christ has done for us. At the end of the Easter break (& after my Holiday) we had our first Family FUN Fest event at church. I'd written to over 40 families to invite them to join in with fun, games and craft. the idea being the church family spend time getting to know other families that perhaps they've not met before. it was a bit of an unknown and I was nervous that no one would come & that it would just be the volunteer's taking advantage of the bouncy castle! But prayer was answered, people came and we made new contacts with possibly 2 new families looking to join our regular Toddler group. So thank you Lord, great stuff.

the Sun's shinning in through my lounge windows and its lovely. I'm at home catching up on some reading and prep for the coming week. Wednesday eve will be the 2nd of our Lent study series. We're using the BBC's The Passion, so this morning I've watched episode 2 and now need to get to grips with the questions set by the Bible Society. Hopefully this way I'll sound like I know a little something when I come to facilitate discussion. I was really pleased last week when 3 of my youth group joined us. It's not often the generations of this church mix like this, so I'm hoping it'll be a blessing all round.

I know someone who can put an exact day & year to events (scarily!). My brain just doesn't work that way so I was amazed to find that it's 25 years this year that I committed my life to Christ... cool huh. I happened to catch BBC Songs of Praise this week which was focusing on the Anniversary of Mission England when Dr Billy Graham was on tour in the UK telling the Good News of Jesus. To cut a long story short I was at the Ipswich football ground event when God clearly spoke to me and I went forward to publicly show I had decided to follow Jesus. I have to say as I look back I realise that God has always been with me through great times and the not so great and I know and trust him for whatever comes next... for he's promised he has a plan for me, one to prosper me, not to harm me and to give me hope and a future. This is my prayer for you all, that you too will know that same assurance.

So this morning I've been typing up an idea for a holiday club event. I've got the idea and the place to hold it what I just need is the volunteers... I've written to folk asking if they can help, so guess I'll just have to wait and see... and pray of cause! One answer to prayer lately is our 'Story Tots' group which finally got off the ground last week with 5 little ones turning up. i guess the next test is to see if they come again this week...?

I'm reading a great book at the moment 'IT' How churches and church leaders can get it and keep it, by Craig Groeschel. I've been thinking alot lately about church and how some feel like they 'work' really well and others don't, well this guy is way ahead of me and has some great insights.

Well on with the rest of my day... tonight is the Youth Worship event MADE to Worship and one of my youth group tells me they're hoping a mate of theirs is coming for the first time, which'd be great. hope you have fun evening too. God Bless

It's January already how did that happen...? There I was enjoying some quality time with my family, meeting up with friends for coffee & a natter, opening pressies etc and whoosh... I find myself back at my desk. It was great (while it lasted) my break over Christmas & New Year, just what I needed. I hope you all had a great time too. I'll write more soon when I've finished compiling my first 'to do' list of 2009...