Gift Day

On Sunday 27th September we had another remarkable and history making Sunday. We had a Gift Day towards the new Beacon Centre. We received £68,000 in gifts and pledges (including tax rebates) and £140,000 in interest free loans making a total for the day of £208,000. Amazing.
This reduces the gap to £500k needed within the year.
Apart from the humbling generosity of the people of God we are also investigating lenders in the event of not being able to raise it all ourselves - which would be preferable.
Personally, I am stirred by the example of the Macedonian church when the apostle Paul writes to them in the matter of giving: "Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it" (2 Cor 8:11) .
Let's thank God for Sunday and let's finish it!
Even as I am writing this - a single mother has popped in and given me a brown envelop with cash in it. "For the building", she says, "and they will be one like it every month"! Another amazing example of personal obedience, sacrifice and faith. Bless her Lord.

New challenges

The move into the new church offices has gone well. We are enjoying our new accommodation very much based at the Roman Catholic Church in town. They have been so welcoming and hospitable. Very humbling.
This Sunday sees the challenge of the Gift Day towards the remaining £7ook needed for the new Beacon Centre. The vision for the new centre is as a place to serve the church, serve the ministries, serve the community, serve Newfrontiers and serve the nations. The larger facility will give us more room to do so many things bigger and better. We will also have more room for the growing staff and a nicer venue for weddings and funerals!
I am reminded of the story in The Bible when Isaac is digging wells and the final one he calls "...Rehoboth, saying, now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish"(Genesis 26:22).

Remember what God has said

Whilst packing up the office today in readiness for the office move over the weekend to St Tars I came across The Prophecy File. This is a record of some of the prophetic words that have been given to us as a church over the years. I was particularly encouraged by those from outside the church who have brought encouragement to us over the years regarding God's prophetic purpose for us.
Many times in The Bible there is time for reflection - remembering what God has done or said - whole books like Deuteronomy are given over to remembering what God has done.
What has God said to you personally over the years? Do you have a record of prophetic words? Is it time to look again at those things God has promised you and refresh your faith?

Reasons to be thankful

As we pack up The Beacon this week before moving to St Tars on the weekend it is a good time to reflect on God's goodness to us as church. 14 years ago there was 25 of us meeting in The Beacon building - now there are 300 at Kings. 14 years ago the then Trustees of Berkshire Rd Evangelical Church handed over the premises for the new church - we are now multi-locational. We had a staff of one - me. Now we are five. We stand on the shoulders of those who have faithfully worked and prayed before us and now we embark on a brand new adventure of faith. A new chapter has begun. God has been good to us.

Dandelions in the wind

During this Week of Prayer God also seems to be speaking to us about Mission - "going". Our present circumstances mean that we are forced to "go" to other venues, schools and other churches for our meetings and ministries - to Kings School, to St Tars Church, to SPJ Church, to St.Martins Church etc. God spoke to us earlier in the year about Community Mission - this is another fulfilment of that. We are literally "going" into the Community, all over the town to be a blessing. We will also see 10 of our young people "go" to University in the coming days; others are thinking about "going" to the Basingstoke Church Plant.
Sometimes God speaks to us in pictures (mental images to help us understand things). One of those this week was of dandelion seeds being blown in the wind - some near, some far.
God also speaks to us in His Word, The Bible, and I am reminded of the story in 1. Chronicles 14 when God breaks out and the place becomes known as Baal Perezim - meaning God breaks out! That seems to be what we are doing as a church family.

New Wineskins

As is often the case during these Weeks of Prayer what I think we should be praying for becomes different from what the Lord seems to be impressing upon us! I still think it is good for us to pray about this important month for The Beacon: the building issues, the move to St Tars, the Gift Day, the need for £700k and the impact all this has upon the ministries and life of the church. This is part of the Challenge and Change we knew was coming.

During the prayer times this week however God also seems to be speaking to us about personal change - Him and us (not just us and buildings), us being His workmanship (Eph 2:10), new wine skins for the new wine (Mat 9:17), His Spirit and His Word challenging us to bring about God-directed change in us.

Week of Prayer 1

Personal Change.
The Week of Prayer has begun well with good attendance on Sunday evening and some very helpful prophetic words about "..uncharted waters... a new path...God being with us...His power at work in us .... "
I am also very encouraged by the way Roey lead us in considering Personal Change - "We are the clay, You are the potter" Is.64:8. Roey began by showing us the video "God's Chisel" which you can find on Youtube and http://www.tangle.com/. It is worth a look.