Last night Phil Hazelden invited me to meet some of the young people with whom they've been working. Phil, Marcelle and four lovely ladies regularly go out to meet young people who live in/near to the road they've adopted that's close to their church. They do so in great humility, not in their strength but The Lord's. They also go out in some trepidation, never quite knowing what will happen but going nevertheless and trusting The Lord to keep them safe and to guide them.
Even before we went out there was a ring at the church door where two young people were waiting. I could see that there was a clear relationship between them and the team. Although both of the young people were extremely exuberant and loud, they were at ease with the church team and keen to walk around the estate as a unit - shouting most of the way :o). The effect this had on me was interesting. Shirley will tell you that I'm probably the biggest fuddyduddy you'll ever meet. I've always believed kids and young people are best when they're well-behaved. I still have a preference for good behaviour, but last night taught me that just because they're noisy, they're not necessarily being intentionally annoying. There may be reasons for their behaviour and I suspect that these bear some relationship to wanting to be noticed. Is it perhaps the case that if you suffer deprivation of one kind or another that you might want to seek attention just so that others know you're alive? Very probably so. Phil and his team have clealy communicated to these young people that they actually like them. In some cases, this might be the first time that these young people might have heard this from someone outside of their own network.
We also met up with several other young people, amongst them a young lad and a young girl, each of whom is seriously challenged in ways that I won't go into in this blog. But I will ask you, please, to include them on your prayer list. God knows who they are and what's happening in their lives. One of them, the lad, appears to be seriously thinking about becoming a Christian. Listening to the gentle exchange between Phil and him, I'd say he's at least aware that there is a better way for him. I pray he won't lose sight of that and that he'll have Jesus to fall back on when life becomes tougher for him, as it probably will.
The team is due to take several of these young people on an adventure day on Saturday. Let's please pray for their safety and ask too that something of the love that Jesus has for these young people will be understood by them. This is a growing process. Thank God for the Team, thank God for the young people and thank God that they are open to the growing relationship that exists between them, which provides an ample foothold for the Holy Spirit. As George would say, they're ploughing the field.
Phil and his team are very keen to support me and others with me who want to go out to Horsell Common/Knaphill. They'll come out with me/us. The Team is due to meet soon (date to be advised) for a prayer marathon. These start at 8pm and finish when they're exhausted - expect 2pm, sometimes later, sometimes earlier - the clock doesn't really come into it. If you feel that you should be there then please email me at jndurrant@gmail.com and I'll let you have the date when I have it - you'd be welcome and they'd love the support.
They've also offered to come out with me/us on prayer-walks. This to my mind sounds a great idea. For me, the best off-the-cuff analogy I could think of last night was making the first cut into a piece of wood with a saw blade. If you're not terribly good at carpentry (which I'm not) chances are that the blade will skate across the surface of the wood until you succeed in denting its surface. It's only after that that the blade starts to cut deep and straight. If I were a carpenter I'm sure I'd be able to cut wood without thinking. If I were Billy Graham I'd be a great evangelist - but I'm neither, I feel like the least of you except that I've been challenged by God and I'm doing my best to rise to it.
Prayer-walking around the village therefore seems to me to be a great place to start. It's the thumb or pencil line, if you like, that keeps the saw blade/guides it straight until it starts to cut. If you've read this far, thanks very much - and please consider whether you would be able to come out with me on prayer walks both to Horsell Common and/or Knaphill. Phil's team always says that it's 60% prayer, 40% action. Patience therefore is hugely important so long as it doesn't become complete inaction - focus (keeping God in the cross-hairs) is totally essential but if you've a butterfly mind, as I have, actually not that easy. So please pray for me too, that I might be patient, true, and faithful.
Lastly I'll share with you that as I drove in my car yesterday morning I prayed aloud, as I often do, and hope that people who see me will think I'm talking hands-free (which I suppose I am, in a way). With complete seriousness I asked the flawed question, whether praying out loud was really more for my benefit than His. Was I, in other words, praying as a reminder to myself - in essence creating a to-do list of what needs to be thought about - or was God actually listening? I seriously have no doubts that God is there but I suddenly felt that, perhaps, (as I hadn't heard from Him recently) He was content and happy for me to remind myself of what I had to do. I can hear you all say 'That's stupid', and you'd be right a) because that would mean that I would be acting in my own strength and b) because Phil, after praying last night, said that he had felt The Lord saying to him that He IS listening to my prayers. I promise that I hadn't advertised that particular question/inner thought to the Team. Apart from anything else, that would have dishonoured them and what they're trying to do. I'd never do that and although I had never had any doubt about the challenge The Lord had set, I was still confused about His modus operandi. Now I'm not! :o) How GREAT HE IS!
Much love
John
Wednesday 23 April 2008
Sunday 13 April 2008
Another Step in the Journey
George invited me yesterday to visit his Church in St Johns where a group (17 yesterday) has started on a regular basis to go out into the village to tell people about the Gospel. To be honest, this seemed something of a challenge and not very British; but putting anxiety aside, I went along. Now, the very idea of walking up to people 'cold' and speaking to them about Jesus seemed very foreign to me. But, first we spent some time in prayer and we listened to a recording about a 'strange little white haired man' who stepped out of shop doorways and asked the question, 'Excuse me sir, are you saved? If you die tonight are you going to Heaven?'. The recording transcript and downloadable recording may be found here http://www.christianstogether.net/Publisher/Article.aspx?id=82079 and it's a wonderful story worth reading/listening to. This was good preparation and I was paired up with a young lady who'd been out before (the ideal pairing is a man and a woman [not too intimidating for whomever you meet]) and we went out at quite a pace. She was in a hurry!
We met several people in all, mostly they were with someone else, maybe wife/husband or partners. What interested me most was that the encounters were nothing like as gut-wrenching as I'd expected. In my tiny mind I'd built a picture of talking to people who'd think we were nuts, or would humour us (which would be worse). The reality was that we were having quite challenging conversations with people, two of whom were very much without a Christian faith but who were nevertheless prepared to talk!
The first of these was a man with a lady, an atheist but nevertheless a ‘good person’. Interestingly, my partner had only a few minutes earlier explained to me that her university degree was in anthropology, and this gentleman’s first line of attack was to quote Darwinism. Naturally my partner wasn’t slow to point out her background and to share how she nevertheless came to the conclusion two years ago, despite all her learning, that God was responsible for all creation, including us. I couldn’t help thinking that the Holy Spirit had had something to do with all that :o)
The second couple were a challenge also. The gentleman described himself as Romany, with a faith system that originated in Egypt. His ears seemed firmly closed although he also claimed to be a ‘good person’.
What was really interesting in both cases was that the ladies were relatively quiet but they both were prepared to accept the tracts that we gave them and one promised me faithfully that she’d read them. I pray that they both will do that and that they’ll share what they read with their partners.
Only God knows what might come of yesterday. What I know now is that going out and speaking to people about God isn’t as terrifying as I’d anticipated. If they think I’m mildly eccentric, then in itself that’s not a bad thing – it’s certainly a very British trait so I won’t be letting the side down :o) The experience has given me more courage to do the same again and I regard this as a building up by the Holy Spirit, toward going out to the young people who are drinking their lives away.
There was much in this morning’s talk by Jo Parsons that was encouraging. I’m not sure whether I’ve had my ears/mind/heart closed for the past twenty years or whether I’m a better listener than I was, but it seems that almost everything and everyone I’m hearing carries the same message, that going out to people is what God wants. I’ve therefore a choice: to be obedient, or disobedient. I don’t think it’ll be the latter
One of the apparent challenges is whether one, when speaking to young people, should share the Gospel straight away as we were doing yesterday, and as the white-haired man did; or do we share Jesus' love in practical ways first? This requires a LOT of prayer, please. It seems to me that I definitely know of people who have come to faith having had the Gospel shared with them - one of them was 13 when that happened, and with a troubled background. Another is someone who was brought to faith through that young man! Yet, I've had advice from good friends at church that doing things this way would lose the interest of young people on the streets. Please, therefore, make this your main prayer focus that God might give me/us the wisdom to understand precisely what he wants.
For His Glory
John
We met several people in all, mostly they were with someone else, maybe wife/husband or partners. What interested me most was that the encounters were nothing like as gut-wrenching as I'd expected. In my tiny mind I'd built a picture of talking to people who'd think we were nuts, or would humour us (which would be worse). The reality was that we were having quite challenging conversations with people, two of whom were very much without a Christian faith but who were nevertheless prepared to talk!
The first of these was a man with a lady, an atheist but nevertheless a ‘good person’. Interestingly, my partner had only a few minutes earlier explained to me that her university degree was in anthropology, and this gentleman’s first line of attack was to quote Darwinism. Naturally my partner wasn’t slow to point out her background and to share how she nevertheless came to the conclusion two years ago, despite all her learning, that God was responsible for all creation, including us. I couldn’t help thinking that the Holy Spirit had had something to do with all that :o)
The second couple were a challenge also. The gentleman described himself as Romany, with a faith system that originated in Egypt. His ears seemed firmly closed although he also claimed to be a ‘good person’.
What was really interesting in both cases was that the ladies were relatively quiet but they both were prepared to accept the tracts that we gave them and one promised me faithfully that she’d read them. I pray that they both will do that and that they’ll share what they read with their partners.
Only God knows what might come of yesterday. What I know now is that going out and speaking to people about God isn’t as terrifying as I’d anticipated. If they think I’m mildly eccentric, then in itself that’s not a bad thing – it’s certainly a very British trait so I won’t be letting the side down :o) The experience has given me more courage to do the same again and I regard this as a building up by the Holy Spirit, toward going out to the young people who are drinking their lives away.
There was much in this morning’s talk by Jo Parsons that was encouraging. I’m not sure whether I’ve had my ears/mind/heart closed for the past twenty years or whether I’m a better listener than I was, but it seems that almost everything and everyone I’m hearing carries the same message, that going out to people is what God wants. I’ve therefore a choice: to be obedient, or disobedient. I don’t think it’ll be the latter
One of the apparent challenges is whether one, when speaking to young people, should share the Gospel straight away as we were doing yesterday, and as the white-haired man did; or do we share Jesus' love in practical ways first? This requires a LOT of prayer, please. It seems to me that I definitely know of people who have come to faith having had the Gospel shared with them - one of them was 13 when that happened, and with a troubled background. Another is someone who was brought to faith through that young man! Yet, I've had advice from good friends at church that doing things this way would lose the interest of young people on the streets. Please, therefore, make this your main prayer focus that God might give me/us the wisdom to understand precisely what he wants.
For His Glory
John
Tuesday 8 April 2008
The Mist is Beginning to Clear
I wanted a take on what the local bobbies felt about drinking on the common so today I arranged to meet them at the Plough car park. I parked in the only available space, right next to a car that had just been broken into. The chap had been having his lunch and had had his satnav stolen. Don't know if this is significant to God's plans or not, but I've noted it here for future reference in case it'll become clear later why I turned up at that time.
The Police turned up, chatted to the chap then took me to a well-hidden spot where they occasionally meet drinkers. Apparently it had been a den, much like the ones that Ray Mears off the TV would construct; and when it had a roof, carpeting and solar lighting, it was apparently really hard to detect from the outside. Today it's just a hole in the ground with the remains of a fire and, of course, empty cans.
The Police seem unperturbed at the common being used as a place to drink. I think that from their point of view, this is a better place for young people to 'let off steam' than the village centre might be. In other words, the residents would probably give them grief were they to turf these kids off the common and back into residential areas.
Naturally I don't want there to be a heath fire, I don't want the common used for underage sex or drinking, but at the same time, the common is meant for recreation. The main issue for me is that those who use it for recreation, should do so in a responsible way [fire kills, so turning a complete blind eye isn't really a good idea, I think]. On another level though, so far I've met three lads who want to be accountants, one lad of 19 who lives in a large 5-bed house and isn't deprived financially, and another with a regular job as a window cleaner. NONE of these lads appeared to be running on empty. This was confusing because I really did have the sense that the greatest need is for someone to love the young people who are at the bottom of the heap. In other words, nobody I'd met so far fitted the profile. (Yep, I know this is a strange way of looking at it but it's the easiest way to explain my confusion).
At 6.30 I prayed to God to give me a hand. I reminded Him that I'm a total beginner and I confessed that I felt like a fraud - I stood at the front of the Church, twice, and shared my concerns - but I hadn't had our nation's future accountants in mind as my anticipated clients when I did that. (Interestingly David Gale on Sunday described perfectly how I felt when he said the he often felt like a fraud.) I asked God for the way forward. 7pm Phil Hazelden called and offered to come around, with his team, THIS EVENING! I, of course, was delighted.
Phil's group works in Old Woking with young people who are the types that get asked to leave youth groups, cause trouble, can be a pain. Their mission is to love them as Jesus does, and to help them find their way.
They've just left, and here's what they said: From their early days their vision and prayer has been that one day there might be other groups like theirs in Woking, who would support one another, meet, pray together and share ideas and resources. They also said that in their early days, they deliberately prayed more than taking action - in other words they spent 60% of their time in prayer and 40% taking action. I can see the logic in building up prayer defences and prayer offences. They were really good at providing pointers as to how to open up conversation with young people from a standing start. We prayed together and we asked for guidance for the future. For me (and indeed Phil's team), I think it's important to wait on The Lord. What seems like it might be a great opportunity to us at the moment might not be what He has in mind. SO - I really would appreciate your prayer about this in particular. Please ask God to confirm whether my focus should be on underage drinkers on Horsell Common or on those young people who are at the bottom of the pile in a more general local area. Please also pray for confirmation that Phil's group's prayer for a wider network of groups with similar aims is what God wants. And whether Knaphill/Horsell/Horsell Common might be the next one.
What I mustn't do is try to do anything in my own strength. It's essential for me that God lights the way forward. Phil said also that it's important that others who feel called to this work should feel strongly about it. He also said that he felt that God had wanted him to look at these young people and to ask himself how he'd feel if his own son had somehow been brought up in the environment and with the same disadvantages as some of them had. Would he love his own son as much as he does now? You know the answer to that question. My next action will be to pray - hard and long. If you can, I'd really appreciate you doing the same.
For His Glory
John
The Police turned up, chatted to the chap then took me to a well-hidden spot where they occasionally meet drinkers. Apparently it had been a den, much like the ones that Ray Mears off the TV would construct; and when it had a roof, carpeting and solar lighting, it was apparently really hard to detect from the outside. Today it's just a hole in the ground with the remains of a fire and, of course, empty cans.
The Police seem unperturbed at the common being used as a place to drink. I think that from their point of view, this is a better place for young people to 'let off steam' than the village centre might be. In other words, the residents would probably give them grief were they to turf these kids off the common and back into residential areas.
Naturally I don't want there to be a heath fire, I don't want the common used for underage sex or drinking, but at the same time, the common is meant for recreation. The main issue for me is that those who use it for recreation, should do so in a responsible way [fire kills, so turning a complete blind eye isn't really a good idea, I think]. On another level though, so far I've met three lads who want to be accountants, one lad of 19 who lives in a large 5-bed house and isn't deprived financially, and another with a regular job as a window cleaner. NONE of these lads appeared to be running on empty. This was confusing because I really did have the sense that the greatest need is for someone to love the young people who are at the bottom of the heap. In other words, nobody I'd met so far fitted the profile. (Yep, I know this is a strange way of looking at it but it's the easiest way to explain my confusion).
At 6.30 I prayed to God to give me a hand. I reminded Him that I'm a total beginner and I confessed that I felt like a fraud - I stood at the front of the Church, twice, and shared my concerns - but I hadn't had our nation's future accountants in mind as my anticipated clients when I did that. (Interestingly David Gale on Sunday described perfectly how I felt when he said the he often felt like a fraud.) I asked God for the way forward. 7pm Phil Hazelden called and offered to come around, with his team, THIS EVENING! I, of course, was delighted.
Phil's group works in Old Woking with young people who are the types that get asked to leave youth groups, cause trouble, can be a pain. Their mission is to love them as Jesus does, and to help them find their way.
They've just left, and here's what they said: From their early days their vision and prayer has been that one day there might be other groups like theirs in Woking, who would support one another, meet, pray together and share ideas and resources. They also said that in their early days, they deliberately prayed more than taking action - in other words they spent 60% of their time in prayer and 40% taking action. I can see the logic in building up prayer defences and prayer offences. They were really good at providing pointers as to how to open up conversation with young people from a standing start. We prayed together and we asked for guidance for the future. For me (and indeed Phil's team), I think it's important to wait on The Lord. What seems like it might be a great opportunity to us at the moment might not be what He has in mind. SO - I really would appreciate your prayer about this in particular. Please ask God to confirm whether my focus should be on underage drinkers on Horsell Common or on those young people who are at the bottom of the pile in a more general local area. Please also pray for confirmation that Phil's group's prayer for a wider network of groups with similar aims is what God wants. And whether Knaphill/Horsell/Horsell Common might be the next one.
What I mustn't do is try to do anything in my own strength. It's essential for me that God lights the way forward. Phil said also that it's important that others who feel called to this work should feel strongly about it. He also said that he felt that God had wanted him to look at these young people and to ask himself how he'd feel if his own son had somehow been brought up in the environment and with the same disadvantages as some of them had. Would he love his own son as much as he does now? You know the answer to that question. My next action will be to pray - hard and long. If you can, I'd really appreciate you doing the same.
For His Glory
John
Monday 7 April 2008
I'm Confused!
Following last night and not meeting any youths drinking on the common or those who has lost items there, I felt that it would be right to return what had been found, so I visited the houses of the two lads concerned. I have to say they were really pleasant and helpful.
The USB drive belongs to a lad of 19 who admits to having gone to the site 'once or twice' only. He nevertheless knows that the place gets used by big groups but usually after dark. I've given him my mobile number and asked that he calls me if he sees a group like that again. I also said I'd be walking around there on occasion after dark. I'm hoping therefore, not to find a big group with him in it - unless he's called me, of course.
For the second lad - who is 20, I put a note through his door saying I'd found the wallet. Again, he called me and couldn't have been more polite if he'd tried. His story, which I've no reason to disbelieve, was that he had been drinking in the skateboard park by Boundary Road and dropped his wallet. This was found by some older men, in their thirties. He told them to take the wallet and money rather than have any problem. Interestingly, he also said that he'd been to the area of common where the wallet was found. He'd seen South Africans pitching tents there, a Korean (apparently lived there for months) and others. He knew too that we were in the process of clearing the area ready to make it good for people to walk their dogs.
To be honest, I'm now really confused. I believed we were dealing with underage drinkers - which is supported by the fact that the chap who clears up has actually found young girls - 16 or so - at the site during the day. The girls have said that they meet 'older guys' there in the evening. But are these the 19 and 20-year olds or the men in their thirties?
I'm conscious too that you may be getting fed-up with these emails so I'll start writing a blog instead. For the unitiated this is just a web page that's a little like a diary - or we(b log). You'll be able to dip in, and out, whenever, if ever you want to. I'll look into how to do this and then send the link.
God Bless and please pray for guidance. I believe that God has started something, but as yet I don't actually know what - maybe it's not just the common but the streets, including those in Knaphill, that we should be covering. Please, if anyone has a Word then share it with me. I'm ready, willing and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, able. I know that George is too.
Love in God.
The USB drive belongs to a lad of 19 who admits to having gone to the site 'once or twice' only. He nevertheless knows that the place gets used by big groups but usually after dark. I've given him my mobile number and asked that he calls me if he sees a group like that again. I also said I'd be walking around there on occasion after dark. I'm hoping therefore, not to find a big group with him in it - unless he's called me, of course.
For the second lad - who is 20, I put a note through his door saying I'd found the wallet. Again, he called me and couldn't have been more polite if he'd tried. His story, which I've no reason to disbelieve, was that he had been drinking in the skateboard park by Boundary Road and dropped his wallet. This was found by some older men, in their thirties. He told them to take the wallet and money rather than have any problem. Interestingly, he also said that he'd been to the area of common where the wallet was found. He'd seen South Africans pitching tents there, a Korean (apparently lived there for months) and others. He knew too that we were in the process of clearing the area ready to make it good for people to walk their dogs.
To be honest, I'm now really confused. I believed we were dealing with underage drinkers - which is supported by the fact that the chap who clears up has actually found young girls - 16 or so - at the site during the day. The girls have said that they meet 'older guys' there in the evening. But are these the 19 and 20-year olds or the men in their thirties?
I'm conscious too that you may be getting fed-up with these emails so I'll start writing a blog instead. For the unitiated this is just a web page that's a little like a diary - or we(b log). You'll be able to dip in, and out, whenever, if ever you want to. I'll look into how to do this and then send the link.
God Bless and please pray for guidance. I believe that God has started something, but as yet I don't actually know what - maybe it's not just the common but the streets, including those in Knaphill, that we should be covering. Please, if anyone has a Word then share it with me. I'm ready, willing and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, able. I know that George is too.
Love in God.
First Visit to the Common
A brief update on this evening. George and I visited the common not knowing what to expect and we met up with three really nice lads - there because they'd broken up from school and fancied hanging out in the fresh air, by a fire. The fire was well away from where it might cause damage, so that wasn't a problem. They had no drink with them. They promised to put the fire out when they left.
I told them that I had a wallet and USB drive that had both been dropped there previously. I said who they belonged to and they knew both of the lads that had lost these items. George let it be known that we are Christians and that we are concerned about the people who had been hanging out there.
It's not always easy to know what God has in mind. Maybe this was an easy way in for us. As George said, at least now "it's out there that we're around!" So although the evening didn't go quite as I'd envisaged, why should I be surprised? Isn't that what God does?
At Malcolm Ramsay's suggestion I spoke earlier with Phil Hazelden who has been working with underage drinkers for the past two years. For a while now his team of five has been thinking that it would be good if there were other groups similar to the one they have in Westfield, to deal with other parts of Woking. Phil would like us to meet and see what we can do together.
This sounds like a plan, and the thought occurred that perhaps anyone else who is interested in going out to meet similar young people might like to come along too. I think it's important to say that if anyone feels that it isn't for them having come along for a meeting with Phil's group, then that's fine. God has to be in the centre of this calling and if anyone doesn't feel Him tugging at their heart then He probably isn't - nothing wrong in that. Neither can this be a 5-minute wonder.
Equally, it's possible that there will be some people who will help on occasions and not on others. I don't think that's a problem so long as there is a heart for these young people. That said, Phil was saying that his team now has earned the trust of several young people. I would imagine that once this happens, it'll be the kind of encouragement that will make it hard not to return.
So, if meeting up with Phil's team is interesting then please let me know and I'll try to put some dates together.
God Bless and thanks for your prayers. George and I both really appreciated them.
I told them that I had a wallet and USB drive that had both been dropped there previously. I said who they belonged to and they knew both of the lads that had lost these items. George let it be known that we are Christians and that we are concerned about the people who had been hanging out there.
It's not always easy to know what God has in mind. Maybe this was an easy way in for us. As George said, at least now "it's out there that we're around!" So although the evening didn't go quite as I'd envisaged, why should I be surprised? Isn't that what God does?
At Malcolm Ramsay's suggestion I spoke earlier with Phil Hazelden who has been working with underage drinkers for the past two years. For a while now his team of five has been thinking that it would be good if there were other groups similar to the one they have in Westfield, to deal with other parts of Woking. Phil would like us to meet and see what we can do together.
This sounds like a plan, and the thought occurred that perhaps anyone else who is interested in going out to meet similar young people might like to come along too. I think it's important to say that if anyone feels that it isn't for them having come along for a meeting with Phil's group, then that's fine. God has to be in the centre of this calling and if anyone doesn't feel Him tugging at their heart then He probably isn't - nothing wrong in that. Neither can this be a 5-minute wonder.
Equally, it's possible that there will be some people who will help on occasions and not on others. I don't think that's a problem so long as there is a heart for these young people. That said, Phil was saying that his team now has earned the trust of several young people. I would imagine that once this happens, it'll be the kind of encouragement that will make it hard not to return.
So, if meeting up with Phil's team is interesting then please let me know and I'll try to put some dates together.
God Bless and thanks for your prayers. George and I both really appreciated them.
More Prayer Needed and News of God's Guidance
George and I will meet tomorrow night for prayer at 7 and then I hope that we'll go out for the first time on to the common.
As a matter of interest Graeme, who tidies up after the kids, this week found a wallet there, with credit cards. There are three possibilities here 1) it was dropped by someone unrelated to the drinkers, 2) it was stolen by one of the drinkers and dropped there, 3) it belongs to one of those partying there. This is in addition to the CV that we already have on the USB drive!
Naturally my prayer is for the third possibility, as this would give us another great way in.
I've said to others that as I see God working on this project and the prayer support he's providing via you and others, I've gone from feeling burdened and quite anxious to being really excited and expectant. I'm looking forward to seeing how doors will open to us and how we will be able to access these kids. We really need for them to let us in. BUT we need to be able to remain responsible and not in any way condone any of their negative behaviour. So the trick is to be accepted by them as people worth listening to, but at the same time we must remain us. God's people.
So, prayers for the Holy Spirit to be with us lighting the way and our minds so that our words will be His words are absolutely critical. Only God know the reasons each of those young people are there drinking their lives away. We need to be able to touch a nerve with at least one of them, or preferably more. Please make this your main focus.
Thanks and God Bless You
John
PS
I take comfort from hearing what God said to one of those supporting us in prayer and I thank Him:
"Open your ears, open your eyes, open your heart. The light has come, it will not be quenched, it will burn bright. Reach out for it and carry it before and in you, for you are my lampstand"
I'm also seeing huge meaning in the Creed that we said in Church on Sunday and the song from the previous week - please see below:
We believe that God is present. In the darkness before the dawn, in the waiting and uncertainty. Where fear and courage join hands, conflict and caring link arms, and the sun rises over barbed wire.
We believe that God is with us. He comes to us in Jesus, and sits down in our midst To share our humanity We affirm faith in Jesus Christ, that takes us beyond safe places, into action, into our community, and makes us vulnerable.
We commit ourselves to work for change, and put ourselves on the line. To bear responsibility, take risks, live powerfully and face humiliation. To stand on the edge. To choose life and be used by the Spirit, for God's new community of hope.
Amen
Lord we have seen the rising sun, awakening the early dawn,
And we´re rising up to give you praise.
Lord we have seen the stars and moon, see how they shine,
They shine for you,
And You´re calling us to do the same.
So we rise up with a song, and we rise up with a cry
And we´re giving you our lives.
We will shine like stars in the universe,
Holding out
Your truth in the darkest place.
We´ll be living for
Your glory,Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.
We will burn so bright with Your praise O God,
And declare Your light to this broken world.
We´ll be living for Your glory,Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.
Like the sun so radiantly
Sending light for all to see,
Let your holy church arise
Exploding into life,
Like a supernova's light,
Set your holy church on fire;
We will shine.
As a matter of interest Graeme, who tidies up after the kids, this week found a wallet there, with credit cards. There are three possibilities here 1) it was dropped by someone unrelated to the drinkers, 2) it was stolen by one of the drinkers and dropped there, 3) it belongs to one of those partying there. This is in addition to the CV that we already have on the USB drive!
Naturally my prayer is for the third possibility, as this would give us another great way in.
I've said to others that as I see God working on this project and the prayer support he's providing via you and others, I've gone from feeling burdened and quite anxious to being really excited and expectant. I'm looking forward to seeing how doors will open to us and how we will be able to access these kids. We really need for them to let us in. BUT we need to be able to remain responsible and not in any way condone any of their negative behaviour. So the trick is to be accepted by them as people worth listening to, but at the same time we must remain us. God's people.
So, prayers for the Holy Spirit to be with us lighting the way and our minds so that our words will be His words are absolutely critical. Only God know the reasons each of those young people are there drinking their lives away. We need to be able to touch a nerve with at least one of them, or preferably more. Please make this your main focus.
Thanks and God Bless You
John
PS
I take comfort from hearing what God said to one of those supporting us in prayer and I thank Him:
"Open your ears, open your eyes, open your heart. The light has come, it will not be quenched, it will burn bright. Reach out for it and carry it before and in you, for you are my lampstand"
I'm also seeing huge meaning in the Creed that we said in Church on Sunday and the song from the previous week - please see below:
We believe that God is present. In the darkness before the dawn, in the waiting and uncertainty. Where fear and courage join hands, conflict and caring link arms, and the sun rises over barbed wire.
We believe that God is with us. He comes to us in Jesus, and sits down in our midst To share our humanity We affirm faith in Jesus Christ, that takes us beyond safe places, into action, into our community, and makes us vulnerable.
We commit ourselves to work for change, and put ourselves on the line. To bear responsibility, take risks, live powerfully and face humiliation. To stand on the edge. To choose life and be used by the Spirit, for God's new community of hope.
Amen
Lord we have seen the rising sun, awakening the early dawn,
And we´re rising up to give you praise.
Lord we have seen the stars and moon, see how they shine,
They shine for you,
And You´re calling us to do the same.
So we rise up with a song, and we rise up with a cry
And we´re giving you our lives.
We will shine like stars in the universe,
Holding out
Your truth in the darkest place.
We´ll be living for
Your glory,Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.
We will burn so bright with Your praise O God,
And declare Your light to this broken world.
We´ll be living for Your glory,Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.
Like the sun so radiantly
Sending light for all to see,
Let your holy church arise
Exploding into life,
Like a supernova's light,
Set your holy church on fire;
We will shine.
Young People Drinking - Prayer For Them Needed
The postings to date, including this one, are copies of emails that I've been using to update church family who have been providing prayer support.
"Sorry to trouble you again. I literally finished my email (sent to you a few minutes ago) and found one in my in-box, please see the extract below. It's from the gentleman that HCPS employs to clear up litter/flytip etc...
"Went over to Woodham Common East to clear beer bottles, spirit bottles as requested. When I arrived about 12 o/clock there were three girls over there who could not have been no more than 16 years old drinking reef (a vodka based alcho pop). I just asked them why they were not in school and they told me that they had 'home study' whatever that is. From what I could see they only thing they were studying was how many bottles it took to become drunk. I did not want to be confrontational so I just left it. Although they did say that it was an older group that were congregating there in the evenings. I did point out to them that this was the third time in as many weeks that I have been clearing up glass, tins, used condoms and it was just unacceptable and that Horsell Common had a no alcohol policy. Someone locally must be selling alcohol to under aged children. I know that this is an on going problem."
I think this nicely encapsulates the problem. The most obvious prayer that I missed off of the earlier request list, is for the kids themselves. Please will you pray with all your heart."
"Sorry to trouble you again. I literally finished my email (sent to you a few minutes ago) and found one in my in-box, please see the extract below. It's from the gentleman that HCPS employs to clear up litter/flytip etc...
"Went over to Woodham Common East to clear beer bottles, spirit bottles as requested. When I arrived about 12 o/clock there were three girls over there who could not have been no more than 16 years old drinking reef (a vodka based alcho pop). I just asked them why they were not in school and they told me that they had 'home study' whatever that is. From what I could see they only thing they were studying was how many bottles it took to become drunk. I did not want to be confrontational so I just left it. Although they did say that it was an older group that were congregating there in the evenings. I did point out to them that this was the third time in as many weeks that I have been clearing up glass, tins, used condoms and it was just unacceptable and that Horsell Common had a no alcohol policy. Someone locally must be selling alcohol to under aged children. I know that this is an on going problem."
I think this nicely encapsulates the problem. The most obvious prayer that I missed off of the earlier request list, is for the kids themselves. Please will you pray with all your heart."
Anointing The Common - I believe God did this to give us encouragement. Other encouragements also.
1) Malc and I went out on Good Friday at 6am to anoint the common. You might not have been awake at 5am that morning, but the weather was dreadful. There was a howling wind and very heavy rain. BUT, I know that there had been prayers in support of the expedition. Malc arrived on my doorstep at 6 sharp. We drove down to the first site and as we opened our bible to Psalm 24 v1 and vv7-10, the rain stopped. We went for a walk onto that part of the common and then the wind dropped. Within 20 or 30 minutes the sky was blue. At around 8am we anointed the stone outside of The Plough in Horsell, another trouble hotspot, and as we got back into Malc's van the rain started again - just a short shower this time but God's point was well made. We were both deeply encouraged.
2) I had a lovely message from another church member, who had been praying with a friend about this project. When they were doing that they had an unusual experience involving a flame and God shared a curious word with her, 'lampstand'. as well as some straightforward words.
3) One of my colleagues found on the common a usb hard drive with someone's CV on it. Interestingly this was found adjacent to the area where there had been drinking and a fire. It belongs to a young man of 19. If he's one of the drinkers (which is likely), it might be interesting to talk to him. However, his address isn't, as I suspected, one that's in a deprived area. Far from it. I still have to work out in my mind what this means. The fact that he's from a relatively privileged background doesn't mean that his life isn't empty.
4) Two weeks ago I met with Natural England to discuss public access over common land, which is another way of saying that we were talking about management of dogs close to sensitive areas. I felt at that meeting as though I should be asking them about funding for education. I wasn't obedient and didn't ask. I was a coward. I didn't want to explain the background. I was therefore amazed yesterday when another trustee, (the chap who has applied for most of our funding such as Higher Level Stewardship grants, SANGs grants and so on) told me that another organisation had already applied for a grant on the Monument Road Common, which is specifically for young people, those with disadvantage, ethnic groups and so on. I've yet to establish how this might be used, but I'm hoping that if appropriate, it might help fund a later project to keep these young people engaged in something positive.
5) Following the Parish Week-End away, other people from the church expressed their interest in helping out on the common. Friday evening, George (who looked after our youth on the week-end) and I will meet on and talk about the way forward. Following that I think it likely that I'll contact the other people who kindly said they might be interested in coming along when we go out to the common.
6) On a practical note, I've checked with the Police and apparently a CRB certificate is needed by anyone who is likely to have contact with/work with young people. I have a certificate, somewhere, because of my involvement with SPLAT. However the implication is that anyone else who is interested in this work might also need one. Not sure. I'm trying to look into this.
I think that's it for now. Broadly speaking, I'd very much appreciate prayers in connection with the above. Giving thanks for the brilliant response to prayer and the clear weather; thanks too for the word, 'lampstand' and asking for the wider meaning of that; what, if anything, to do with the USB drive - apart from returning it, of course; whether the prospect of money from Natural England is worth pursuing for this specific project - would that glorify God, in other words? And finally, how best to move forward with those who have kindly offered to help, and with getting to grips with CRB etc. Also, what have I missed? Please do let me know if you think I'm hurtling up the wrong track, so to speak. I'm always keen to listen to advice, especially if God is inspiring it.
I'd just like to thank you all. I feel greatly supported; God has given me so much encouragement through you all.
2) I had a lovely message from another church member, who had been praying with a friend about this project. When they were doing that they had an unusual experience involving a flame and God shared a curious word with her, 'lampstand'. as well as some straightforward words.
3) One of my colleagues found on the common a usb hard drive with someone's CV on it. Interestingly this was found adjacent to the area where there had been drinking and a fire. It belongs to a young man of 19. If he's one of the drinkers (which is likely), it might be interesting to talk to him. However, his address isn't, as I suspected, one that's in a deprived area. Far from it. I still have to work out in my mind what this means. The fact that he's from a relatively privileged background doesn't mean that his life isn't empty.
4) Two weeks ago I met with Natural England to discuss public access over common land, which is another way of saying that we were talking about management of dogs close to sensitive areas. I felt at that meeting as though I should be asking them about funding for education. I wasn't obedient and didn't ask. I was a coward. I didn't want to explain the background. I was therefore amazed yesterday when another trustee, (the chap who has applied for most of our funding such as Higher Level Stewardship grants, SANGs grants and so on) told me that another organisation had already applied for a grant on the Monument Road Common, which is specifically for young people, those with disadvantage, ethnic groups and so on. I've yet to establish how this might be used, but I'm hoping that if appropriate, it might help fund a later project to keep these young people engaged in something positive.
5) Following the Parish Week-End away, other people from the church expressed their interest in helping out on the common. Friday evening, George (who looked after our youth on the week-end) and I will meet on and talk about the way forward. Following that I think it likely that I'll contact the other people who kindly said they might be interested in coming along when we go out to the common.
6) On a practical note, I've checked with the Police and apparently a CRB certificate is needed by anyone who is likely to have contact with/work with young people. I have a certificate, somewhere, because of my involvement with SPLAT. However the implication is that anyone else who is interested in this work might also need one. Not sure. I'm trying to look into this.
I think that's it for now. Broadly speaking, I'd very much appreciate prayers in connection with the above. Giving thanks for the brilliant response to prayer and the clear weather; thanks too for the word, 'lampstand' and asking for the wider meaning of that; what, if anything, to do with the USB drive - apart from returning it, of course; whether the prospect of money from Natural England is worth pursuing for this specific project - would that glorify God, in other words? And finally, how best to move forward with those who have kindly offered to help, and with getting to grips with CRB etc. Also, what have I missed? Please do let me know if you think I'm hurtling up the wrong track, so to speak. I'm always keen to listen to advice, especially if God is inspiring it.
I'd just like to thank you all. I feel greatly supported; God has given me so much encouragement through you all.
The First Prayer List
At the church week-end away God changed my life and my outlook. Very briefly, he gave me a very deep concern for young people who drink on Horsell Common. Not unreasonably I had before the week-end been bothered about the mess they were creating - broken glass, fires and the like. As Chairman of the charitable trust that owns and manages the common, these were issues that I couldn't let go without a response. BUT what for me started as a crusade to protect the common, instead at the church week-end turned into the realisation that the young people who are doing the damage are actually the ones who should be getting my attention. I believe that God wants me to go out onto the common and engage with them. At the week-end I mentioned what I believed God was asking of me, and this struck a chord with several other church members, some of whom offered to come out too. This, therefore, appears to be the beginning of a mission -to share the love of Jesus with young people some of whom are, possibly, quite empty and looking to fill that emptiness with rubbish.
Underneath is the first list of prayers that I aked for.
1) The safety of those going out
2) The open-heartedness of those we're going to talk to
3) The Holy Spirit's words at the appropriate time
4) That some or all of the kids may be open to know something of the love of God whether now or at a later time
5) That the kids may come to think about the damage they do to their environment
6) That there will be the opportunity for action once contact has been made - in other words, we go and talk to them, they listen, then what? I think thats the crucial part of this exercise and I/we really need God's hand in this, His guidance and His unique ability to smooth the way
Underneath is the first list of prayers that I aked for.
1) The safety of those going out
2) The open-heartedness of those we're going to talk to
3) The Holy Spirit's words at the appropriate time
4) That some or all of the kids may be open to know something of the love of God whether now or at a later time
5) That the kids may come to think about the damage they do to their environment
6) That there will be the opportunity for action once contact has been made - in other words, we go and talk to them, they listen, then what? I think thats the crucial part of this exercise and I/we really need God's hand in this, His guidance and His unique ability to smooth the way
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