Investing in the future!

Deb and I are attending a Large Church Forum (that's a forum for large churches, not a gathering of thousands of church people!...) just north of Nottingham this week. We see this opportunity to fellowship with some of the leaders of large churches from different church streams across the UK as a real privilege and look forward to learning from the wide range of experience that will be represented there. Attending such an event is all part of investing in the future of King's!

I would also value your prayers as I will be involved in a meeting this week to discuss future developments in Newfrontiers - as in our church, so within our movement, there are important decisions to be made in order that we might achieve in our generation the goals that we believe that God has laid before us. We depend on His grace and power!

I am looking forward to hearing the result of our Pledge and Gift Days; we will announce the outcome next Sunday (14th Feb). If you have still to return a pledge form please send it in to the King's Office or hand it in at the Information Desk. Each commitment made is a valuable addition toward the acquisition of the new building!

King's... and Downham

I have spent this week in preparation and in team meetings with a number of our key staff. Deb and I both enjoyed speaking at the first week of the Marriage Course, which reminds me... Valentine's Day next week! Come on, guys! Never let it be said that the men of King's don't know how to show a little romance to their wives or girlfriends. It's a win-win situation!

Now I am looking forward to this coming Sunday and the second of our Gift Days. If you have yet to complete a pledge form, it would extremely helpful to know how much you plan to give over the next 3 years, as we look to purchase our new building. Please be assured that every contribution matters! The Elders and I know that, like us, you see this as an amazing kingdom opportunity - and if you are able to commit to giving a few pounds extra - or many! - each month for the next three years then we shall see the project advance speedily to the glory of God!

Martin and Ruth Alley and Deb and I will be with our friends at Downham Way Family Church this Sunday; we would value your prayers that God will bless that fellowship and the morning we spend together.

Multi-site church

At our three meetings today I spoke on our plans to move to becoming a multi-site church. Following a decade of growth we have run out of space! This presents us with remarkable opportunities and challenges. Just think! We have worked out that four meetings on two sites will require us to have seven worship bands! And other leaders of ministries are already engaging with this issue and praying and planning for similar expansion in their teams. Are you ready to consider what this might mean for you?

Next Sunday I will be speaking at Downham Way Family Church on ‘Building a Missionary Church'. Please continue pray that God's leading to us all will be clear as we consider the church at Downham joining our multi-site church. This coming together would mean that we could have 5 meetings on 3 sites in the near future.

Thank You to all of you who took part in the offering today, giving prayerfully and generously! We will not know the full total until we complete our pledge process at the second Gift Day next Sunday (7th Feb) - if you are yet to participate please come prepared then.

Deb and I now look forward to speaking at the first week of the Marriage Course on Tuesday evening (2nd Feb). I hear we have a couple of places left so on this occasion if you decide that you would like to join the course you can just turn up at 7.00pm on that evening and register!

Confidence in the face of challenge

Following hard on the heels of the weekend at Bognor, I should have been at Prayer & Fasting on Tuesday and Wednesday but my plans were suddenly interrupted with a sickness bug which has taken me out for most of the week ... so I've had some time at home preparing for this next important Sunday at King's, which I am looking forward to!

How are you feeling about the Gift and Pledge days? Are you excited? Are you full of faith? Are you prepared?

One of the challenges of leading a church is to know whose counsel to listen to. During the last few months some have said, ‘We will reach our target of £750k a year for 3 years - easily!' Others have expressed concern that we are overstretching ourselves. Sometimes it is difficult to genuinely assess the spiritual health of a church community - or the ownership of a vision to reach thousands of people for Christ. One of many indicators is the level of giving! The next two weeks will show how far we have come on this spiritual indicator for all to see - and also how far we have yet to go.

I remain confident that God has led us to this point - and that together in faith we will step into the future that He has planned for us, for our blessing and the blessing of so many who do not yet know Jesus!

See you Sunday!

From Bognor (and Catford) to the ends of the earth...!

Just returned from a brilliant few days away at our ‘Together @ Butlins' weekend! Great worship and I enjoyed hearing Dave Stroud and Dave Devenish bring encouraging messages to our mission! I realised afresh that we are a part of a family of churches who are passionate about presenting Jesus to our nation and - as David Devenish so effectively communicated - to the ends of the earth!

It's also just fun to hang out with people and renew contact with old friends from other churches!

My week starts with two days of Prayer & Fasting in Peterborough, gathering with Newfrontiers leaders from across the UK to pray for our nation. I could not think of a better thing to be doing in the light of all that we face together here at King's, not least with our Gift and Pledge days over the next two Sundays. Can I encourage us all to participate - we will only carry this huge opportunity if we stand together.

Together @ Butlins!

I am now very much looking forward to our Butlin's weekend. It will be exciting to gather with 3000 Christians from Newfrontiers churches across the south of England to worship God together!

Please pray for Phil Varley and the musicians and singers as they lead worship at the sessions, and I would value your prayers as I speak on the first night and lead the weekend. If you aren't going to Bognor then please remember that we are only having morning meetings here at King's this Sunday (9.30am and 11.30am only).

I'm delighted that a good number have booked into the Marriage Course, which starts on Tuesday 2nd February. There are still a few spaces left on this excellent course which many have found so helpful - and it's also fun! Whether you have been married two months or two decades, I guarantee that you will learn something and it will be enjoyable!! Registration forms are available at the Information desk on Sunday.

Looking beyond our own shores and interests, please join in praying for the nation of Haiti in their desperate need. We are also sending a gift from King's church to Tearfund - the Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund - which has partners who were already working in the country and who will be able to place aid where it can really help.