new leaders training

i spent the weekend away in doncaster, at new leaders training for all incoming cu postholders in the northeast region. good food, good company and above all, being reminded of God's goodness.

amazing grace

apart from participating in the training tracks for small group leaders, i learnt more about grace in the Bible during the main teaching sessions:

Hosea 11 - grace reaches lower than your worst mistake
Romans 3:21-31 - grace justifies us in Christ
Luke 15 - grace seeks the lost
Philippians 3:1-11 - grace leads to rejoicing

i also watched amazing grace, the story of william wilberforce and his parliamentary campaign to abolish the british slave trade. the church and the state must be kept separate, but not divided against each other.

famous last words

i remember sharing at the last kprbc prayer meeting before i left for the uk that i was going as a student, not a missionary. looking back, that was a rather limited definition of the word "missionary" (or "student", for that matter).

the cu is not merely a fellowship of believers, but more importantly the missionary arm of the church on campus. in fact, the church is not merely a fellowship of believers, but more importantly the missionary arm of the body of Christ on earth.

just as worship is not limited to worship services, missions is not limited to mission trips. whether we are in the worship ministry or missions department (or neither, or both), we are all worshippers and missionaries in Christ, and we are all students of God's Word.

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV)

green pastures

quiet waters

the doncaster countryside

smoking pipes

7 weeks to new word alive!