having never written a talk in my life...

... i have 4 to write in the next 3 weeks.

first, a talk on 2 Kings 5 for Mini Kids (4-7 year olds) next Friday (21st)... i don't even know the story, must get on with this. I guess this one is slightly easier as it's just a case of getting the story and the point across, it's not like Justin Mote is watching over me to critique my theology and application. Praise God for that! (hehe) that said, I need to do it right.

second, my North West Partnership talk (Thurs 27th), which is on 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. I'm systematically trying to work my way through the "tools" we've been given for working out what it's saying and also how to write the talk. I'm so glad we got all this teaching before we had to write the talks! I'd have completely had no idea. Anyway my current position is that I get what it's saying, but I'm not sure of the application and I can't think of any relavant illustrations. They'll come, we assume. On the same theme as before, I'm glad I'm not a boy and therefore Justin Mote isn't critiquing me. I'm not scared of him or anything, it's just his brain is BIG. I'm sure the lady who leads our group's brain is also big, but she's very smiley and says criticising in a very kind way. I can deal with that.

third, i'm doing a seminar at Liverpool City CU's houseparty (Sat 29th) on living with non-Christians. I'm a little happier about this, or at least the content. I just need to get that bizarre combination of Bible study and talk that a seminar requires. I've done some work on this, it just needs padding out. It's weird being asked to lead a seminar. I only "left" CU like 5 months ago.

and fourthly, i'm speaking briefly (10 mins or so) at the Widowers group at Bridge (3rd Dec). Haven't decided what to speak on yet, it's more of a thought for the day than a full on talk, but needs to be relevant and sensative. Considering something about God never leaving us... Dunno yet.

So... nothing like everything coming at once!

the start of a big adventure

so much recently i've felt like i'm at the start of something really big... like God is going to do something i'm not expecting.

it's scary, but i'm okay with being scared. i feel secure despite feeling scared.

i recently qualified as an occupational therapist, i have a career and everything - more than most at 21, esp those who decide to take a gap year. i'm doing a year in ministry training because... well i dont have a specific career plan with it, i just wanted to know more about God and feel more equipped to serve Him and reach others - it's certainly going to help me with that.

but that all so popular question, what next?

well, like i say, i have a career. guess i should go with that. i somedays find myself with absolutely no enthusiasm for being an OT... i cant be faffed with the NHS. other days, working in a hospital really excites me, and helping people drives me. most days i still feel God lead me to do that degree and i know that was for a reason, but know also that God is sometimes less straightforward than me doing that degree in order to do that job. if only God was so straight forward - i dont really wish that. boring or what?!

today i really want to be a doctor.... but i think i only want the mental stimulation, power, excitement, responsibility, respect, and my ever increasing lust for financial stability (something i find myself repenting of so much at the moment and yet constantly falling into the temptation of thinking my decisions should revolve around security in money)

i dont really want to be a doctor, and i certainly dont want to be a medical student. or at least i dont think i do.

when i really search my soul, i want to be a vicar. i want to teach people about Jesus and I want to spend all my time visiting people and being nice to people and praying for people. But then all these people around me think i shouldn't be a vicar, Biblically... and somedays i dont think i should be either. then other days i think it'd be okay.

so... what? NHS? some kind of non-dog collor, Biblically justified (tsh!) church job? married-children-no career-housewife forever? meh.

i'm so glad God has my life sorted. I'm so glad it's a case of seeking His will and not deciding what I think is best. I am so excited to be at the start of an adventure. I want to keep up the excitment of the big unknown adventure.... and not shrink back into security in being fearful of the unknown.

and you know, any prayers you have for a bit of guidance.... always welcomed!

evangelism of the elderly

this is something i've been thinking a lot about recently... its somewhat my soap box infact.

i've always loved elderly people, and i've always felt like we dont treat our elderly people very well. yeah, we care for them. but we dont give them the respect they're due - most of the christian elderly people in our churches have 40, 50, 60 even years of Christian experience behind them - they've been thru wars, losing their long loved spouse - these people know what it means to trust God through tough times. I find there is a wealth of experience and a massive enthusiasm to share it with us, and yet often we don't bother seeking them out to listen.

but my biggest issue is that of evangelism of the elderly. i went to a seminar at the Northern Evangelists Conference last week called "grey grace" (sounds amazing in a Yorkshire accent) - and i sat there with my heart racing all the way thru! i love it when God puts a burden on my heart for a set of people or a cause, and i really feel this is the area i feel called to, and now i'm in the classic position where i have no idea where to go with it now.

the seminar discussed some of the issues encountered when trying to reach elderly people with the Gospel, by that I mean reaching those elderly people outside of our churches... some being:

• elderly people are massively set in their ways; if you think students have preconcieved ideas, elderly people do too, and with 60 years experience of consolodating them
• many elderly people believe in "God", but have no relationship with Jesus - making them see the importance of Jesus means changing years of what they have considered their religion
• elderly people feel its too late for them to turn to Jesus for forgiveness, as they feel guilty that they can't serve God with their failing bodies and often, failing minds
• many people are housebound, or in residential homes, and have no contact with Christians or way of accessing a church, or any events. this means the classic 'evangelistic luncheon club' idea doesn't reach everyone. door to door knocking is unfair on frail elderly people, in my opinion, it puts them in a position that i never would have wanted my grandma to be in, inviting a total stranger into their home...
• elderly people think church is something they had to do when they were younger, therefore have no regard for choosing to do it now
• elderly people expect the 'vicar' to do everything - if a vicar with a dog collor came to see them, they'd stop and talk. if a random younger person from the church came, they aren't interested

on the final point, this is where the seminar pointed was the biggest problem with evangelism of the elderly. elderly people in our church don't know the importance or effectiveness of relational evangelism. they think the vicar, pastor, elder, whoever... does that kind of thing, they invite their friends to luncheon club, are glad they listen to a Gospel talk, but don't see it as their place to do the follow up. of course i'm vastly generalising here, and know that actually, people in my church here in Liverpool often don't have this attitude. but generally, especially my experience in my church at home, and other churches with a large population of elderly people, older people don't know how to talk to their friends about Jesus.

having spent 3 years very involved in the university Christian Union, i'm slowly realising that its just the same issues as with students. Christian cliques, lack of boldness, not knowing how to share the Gospel with their friends on a one to one level, hoping that bringing friends to events and letting someone else do the work is enough to win people for Christ (obviously sometimes it is, but often it isn't - follow up is always the key)... Maybe the first step to reaching elderly people is training Christian elderly people to see the importance of evangelism and have the tools in which to do it. The seminar leaders called their outreach to elderly people "each one, reach one"... I like. It seems that, as with the CU, training people is the key. You can put on as many events as you like, but unless people are willing to get alongside their peers, evangelism often doesn't work.

so i dont know what this all means practically, but there's my ideas and my thoughts. i guess it's about praying and seeing where God leads me....

here we go again

i used to write a blog, but i couldn't resist it being like some kind of teenagers diary about my day's events, my homesickness, or ranting about people in a not so subtle way... hardly edifying.

so i got rid of it.

i'm going to try again, and this time not fel any pressure to update it every day, but rather just jot down some thoughts and see what people think. or see what people don't think... or realise again that no one thinks as much as me and i need to chill out a little?!

life is somewhat hectic at the moment. i'm doing a church apprenticeship in Liverpool, its busy, but it's good busy. it's not theres-a-deadline-looming-and-a-scary-lecturer-will-get-you-if-you-dont-hand-the-essay-in busy, its more, 'i want to do everything but the day doesn't hold enough hours' busy. that's okay, i reckon God will let me sleep in Heaven for a bit if i tire myself out. that said, tired means grumpy, and grumpy isnt fair on other people, so i need to learn the art of prioritising and having some time out. i'll get there.

well, there's my first post... i shall consider updating when i'm next thinking something shareable...