Got to Dance - The Final

Dance fever is beginning to grip the Landreth-Smith household again as Sunday approaches - the Got to Dance Final live on Sky 1. In case you missed my previous posting my nephew Nathan has a dance crew called Antics who have made it to the final. They are up against tough competition. Prodigy seem to be the judges favourites according to their appearance on BBC Breakfast this morning. But the public decide with a phone vote. The live show is on telly at 6.00pm
Not only that but Joseph L-S is rehearsing his dance crew this w\e for a music video and for a performance in London on 17th March.
Phoebe is also singing and dancing all w\e with rehearsals for the school production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Why do Child Protection and Safeguarding Training?

On Saturday we had a Child Protection\Safeguarding Training Day at The Beacon. I have done several such days in the past both in the church and as a school governor. I still learnt new things on Saturday. In part that is due to our new Trainer - Denise Freeman. Denise is very experienced, in fact she has trained CPLOs (Child Protection Liaison Officer)in 550 schools in Hampshire. I think she knows what she is doing. The group work was very helpful in considering real scenarios that can happen in the church.
The Beacon CPLO is Peter Wharrad with Sarah Cooper as deputy. Our aim is that every children's worker would be CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) cleared and every worker trained in Safeguarding. This is important not just for the Sunday mornings when a team member is on rota or duty because Safeguarding children and young people is for everyone, every week. Not only that, Safeguarding protects leaders and workers.

On being a School Governor.

Apart from being a husband, father and pastor - I am also a School Governor. This is both challenging and rewarding. Challenging in that I have to keep up with meetings, news, events, what's going on in the school and paper work! Decisions also have to be made. Some of those decisions are based on trust - i.e. trusting the professionals (teaching staff), whilst others require personal thought and judgement. The implications of some of those decisions can be far reaching - a child's education, finance, changing from a school to an academy or a curriculum change.
Being a governor is also a good way to mix with a completely different set of people and make new friends.
I am learning a lot from being a Governor and some of what I am learning is proving very useful in being a pastor too - the importance of staff appraisals, collection of data, how committee meetings are run, professionalism - all help me in running a church.

Powerful evening at Les Miserables

I have no excuse for making 14th February special - it is Beverley's birthday. This year I booked tickets for the West End show Les Miserables. Many people had told me how good it is. One friend has been to see it 3 times! Beverley and I had seen the film version 25 years ago so I remembered the Victor Hugo story line.
I have so say it was brilliant. The set, the lighting, the singing, the sound were all first class. What makes this show so compelling however is the story - without giving too much away - a man recently out from prison is shown an outrageous act of grace by a priest that dramatically changes his life. From then on he shows kindness and grace himself to one person after another, including adopting a dying prostitute's daughter.
The show is littered with Christian imagery - a dramatic change of heart, a turning to God, the relentless, hard task master of the law and religion compared to the liberty and joy of grace, unbelievable forgiveness and a wonderful prayer sang as a very moving solo. It is powerful. Les Mis is Les Grace.

Parenting Children through Romance

Each stage of Parenting has its own joys and challenges. Parenting older children is no less fun or demanding. One challenge we face is how to Parent our children through the ups and downs of dating and romance. I am still finding this a challenge. As a parent you want the best for your children, you do not want them to be hurt, you don't want them to get in trouble and yet they must learn and make decisions themselves.
Here are a few things I am still learning about children and romance:
- Be clear at what age they are free to date
- Take an interest in their choice of partner without being judgmental
- Include them in family life - have them round for a meal
- Be clear about boundaries and expectations e.g. time in the bedroom and sex
- Don't talk about it all the time
- Ask a few well-crafted and timely questions
- Be there for the potential break up without saying too much
- Share your own stories and mistakes
- Assure them of your love and that you are always there
- If it becomes serious talk about the Rules of Engagement (see blog post below)
- Pray!

Get in a good rhythm.

Having breakfast is a great joy. Normally I have a bowl of muesli. Regular good fuel is important for the body. Regular good fuel is important for the mind too - reading good material stimulates the mind and cultivates the soul.
One of the things I still read in the mornings is UCB Word for Today. It is a good start to the day - like my bowl of muesli. This compromises of a verse of scripture followed by some thoughts written by Bob Gass. I will usually follow that with some personal Bible reading and maybe a chapter of a book. Rather like a 3 course meal at the start of the day. I know others who have a morning, afternoon, evening rhythm - a chapter from the New Testament to start the day, a psalm or proverb at lunch and an Old Testament chapter at night.
Beverley likes to listen to UCB radio during the day to feed her soul.
www.ucb.co.uk/"
Whatever your routine or rhythm, regularly refuel your mind and refresh your soul.

Prayer and Fasting encouragement

Myself and some of the staff have been away to Prayer and Fasting this week. This is a three-times a year event for Newfrontiers UK pastors and leaders in Peterborough. It is a great time to catch up with friends, hear the news, but more importantly to be in the Presence of God and hear Him.
This week was once again amazing. I must confess to feeling a bit weary on my way to this one in the midst of an intense schedule. As it is turns out, of course, it was just what I needed - time with God, time in worship, time to have some important conversations and time to pray.
Hearing news from across the Newfrontiers international family was encouraging and challenging: old buildings in city centre church plants to meet in (Berlin, Paris, Den Haag...), a church plant in a prison, churches in very unfamiliar places with strange sounding names. It does not seem that long ago we were involved in just 3 nations, now I can not keep up with the dozens of nations and 100s of churches.
Oh yes - I came home hungry too!

Leaders Day refreshing

On Saturday we had our annual Leaders Day. It was great. The new Beacon Centre was a fitting venue as we looked back over the past year of God's goodness and looked forward together to what He has in store for us in 2012. Even with some Youth Leaders away at Newfrontiers training I am humbled by the number and high calibre of dedicated leaders we have who serve so faithfully week by week. What a Team. We are so blessed.
We spent some time considering some of the prophetic words so far this year and looking at the plans we have for the church diary. During the first worship session God's presence was very real which set the tone for the day. He spoke clearly to us about being in His presence and taking His presence where ever we go.
Emily's word from 2 weeks ago still resonates in my soul: "I will display my glory amongst you...in My presence...in miracles..in provision..."

Sushi on Wednesday

My enjoyment of the new church building knows no bounds. I am still thrilled each day to go to the new Beacon Centre and have a warm place to work with the staff - we used to have to wrap up in the winter to go to the old office. I am no longer apprehensive of another break in or damage to the (old) property. Every day there is some meeting, activity, party, going on - often several in a day. It is great to be in a warm, comfortable, secure building that is so alive and exciting.
On Wednesday my delight at being in the new building reached new heights when after a Cafe Craft Japanese food demonstration by Liz Teo I was offered Sushi for lunch! Occasionally I might manage a biscuit from Smarties (mother and toddlers), a cake from Golden Years(50+) but sushi from Cafe Craft!
Cafe Craft is just one of the new community initiatives in the building. It takes place on Wednesday afternoons at The Beacon and does what it says on the tin - a chance to do some craft with friends with tea and cakes (and sushi!).

Adrian Holloway

Sometimes it is just a pleasure to be with someone - do you know that feeling? It was a real pleasure being with Adrian Holloway on Sunday. First I should explain - Adrian Holloway is a well known speaker in the UK. Young people know him from the platform at New Day where he is part of the regular line-up speaking to 1,000s of young people. He is also the author of The Shock of the Your Life and Aftershock. He also travels widely helping churches.
Adrian was great on Sunday morning addressing the church - so encouraging about making friends and over time helping those friends in the process of coming to know Christ.
Most people see the great communicator Adrian but what most people do not see however is the gracious, loving, patient husband and the attentive, devoted diligent father. Adrian is definitely a family man - married to the lovely Julia with four delightful daughters.
He speaks - but more than that his life speaks.

Watching Handball in London

I watched Handball in London this week. Handball is like football in a sports hall. It is fast - very fast. It is also skillful and exhilarating. It is one of the ultimate team sports. Some of the top players in the country were there and I was seriously impressed. They were good. Very good. I felt like I was watching a herd of colourful gazelles in action. The change of pace, the speed of pass, the feint and dummy, the power, the practiced athleticism...
Phoebe also joined in and was quickly red of face and sore in hand!
I am often impressed with athletes who train hard and sacrifice a lot to be the best. I am similarly impressed with musicians, artists, dancers, singers who also practice, practice, practice. Anyone really who gives there all to their craft, art, skill, sport, parenting impresses me. I find it a joy to watch and a challenge.
What if we were all willing to give more, sacrifice more, go without more, focus more - how different would we be, how honed our skill, how different our body, how different our world...?

The Hebridean Revival

I have been reading about the Hebridean Revival recently. It took place in 1949. A Revival is when the people of God are revived and come alive to Him in a fresh way and when lots of people turn to God. There have been lots of Revivals through out history. Some are happening now in places like South Korea and Columbia when churches of tens of thousands are common - some meeting in football stadiums. I have had the privilege of visiting both countries to observe what God is doing. It truely is amazing.
One of the hallmarks of Revival is prayer. In both South Korea and Columbia the earnest prayer of the people of God is immensely challenging. One of the hall marks of the Hebridean Revival was prayer too - largely started by and attributed to Peggy and Christine Smith - 2 sisters, 82 and 84 years old. Both were infirm and both knew how to pray.
As Revival fire spread throughout the Hebredean Islands 100s would gather together, often spontaneously, to pray and get right with God - in churches, barns, schools, fields, homes - by day and night. What might God do in our locality if we followed Peggy and Christine's example?

Budget in the home budget in the church.

This week end is the church Big Budget Meeting. This is when the trustees sit down and work through the church budgets for the financial year 2012\13. It is an epic meeting which can take up to 5 hours as we diligently plough through each ministry area and scrutinise the budget applied for in the light of current and forcasted financial trends. Much the same principal applies to the home budget - we look at the income against the expenditure and make adjustments accordingly. In brief, as stewards of the resources God gives to us, at home, or in the church, can we afford it?
In recent months the finances of the church have been a challenge - as they have been with many households: pay for some church members has been frozen or in some cases reduced, whilst others have lost their jobs. This impacts the family purse and the church purse. From a church perspective we need to receive about £26k per month in order to cover all the church costs and break even. Added to this is the challenge of paying off the remaining debt of the building, our desire to add to the church staff and wanting to meet the unexpected needs of the poor when they arise. So big financial challenges ahead - at home and in the church.
Let's thank God for the resources He gives us - they are amazing, let's be good and faithful stewards of those resources and let's sow with joy into His purposes.

Got to Dance

The X-Factor might be over and Strictly finished for the time being but in our house we are definetly following Got to Dance on SKY 1 Sunday evenings.
The main reason for that is the dance crew Antics are lead by my nephew Nathan. Some of the shots of the crew rehearsing for the programme were from my sister's house (and garden). Antics have successfully got past round 1 but now the really tough competition starts. If you have no idea what I am talking about click on the link to see Antics in action from Sunday nights TV programme:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc-ej0-A_1Q

Wrappers Rappin

As well as looking forward to all that 2012 has in store I am still in the afterglow of Christmas. As a church we had a number of Christmas guest events from Carols by Candlelight to the Christmas Show. A vast number of people planned, rehearsed and took part. We had over 1,000 people through the doors (including some, like me, who went to everything); more than 100 of those were guests and visitors. Lots of people come and visit family at Christmas or just attend church because it is Christmas.
I realise too that some who would have liked to see the Show were themselves away. If then you would like to catch a glimpse of what went on click on the link below to see the Wrappers Rappin www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucg5vgo8hHM

from The Beacon Christmas Show 2011. A full cd of the show is available upon request from the church office.
Warning: contains rappin