An encouragement to share food.....There are Lonely People in Your Church

Over the past few years I have become increasingly aware of how many lonely, lost and isolated people are in our churches. And im not talking about the unsaved! All to often we look outside the church and get involved in community projects to express the love of the church that we completely miss the hurting and lonely people sitting around us on a Sunday. From the old lady who has been coming for years, the couple with kids who don\'t know anyone, to the single mum who struggles with her kids, these people need you to invite them around to your house after church, to call them in the week.
Even people who appear to be ok, they to, can feel isolated.

In the first few years, after moving down south, back in 2003, we had so many people around for dinner but what was strange was the number of times we were invited back. After 8 years we can still count on one hand the number of times! For whatever reason the practicalities of being in a family of believers has been lost.

Why?

Is this a southern thing or a sign of the economic times where people are busier than ever? Or is it that we have lost the basic principles of expressing Love and fellowship to each other?
There are so many examples where Jesus got off his backside and sat down with people in their homes, sharing a meal.

From the Pharisee leader to Zaccaeus, Jesus expressed love and fellowship by the very simple act of sharing a meal.

I simply encourage you to invite someone new to your house on Sunday, someone outside of your clique.
If you are have been in church for over 20 years, stop for a minute – are you hanging around with the same people as 20 years ago – they will be from the same mould and you need to kick yourself into gear – you are probably not being inclusive….do you walk pass people without acknowledging them?

Sharing a meal, ivitting them to your house, says alot, it says im interested in you, it says you are worth somthing.

Lonely people don’t stick around for to long, listen to their hearts all they need is friendship and love. If we don’t address this fundamental need, Love in the church, all we are is a clanging bell. We may be great at sharing love outside the church but neglect the people that are inside the building.
Over the past few years, Just before Christmas my wife Vicki has arranged collections of food so we could make up hampers for people in need in church and people in the community. What was truly amazing was the responses back from people even in the church. “No one has ever thought of me.”, “I am not used to getting anything”

There are lonely people in your church! what ae you going to do about it?

Fresh Leadership

Check out this video for information on the Fresh leadership http://vimeo.com/44932060
for 15-21 year olds go to www.sharejesusinternational.com/fresh
I have the pleasure to speak at a seminar on Business which I am really excited about...,

Billabong Pro JBay2012

The Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay started 9th July Our friends at CS South Africa will be there serving in many capacities.

On top of this they will be providing coverage of the event, showcasing many behind the scenes happenings at the event, specifically from a Christian perspective and the ways they are able to serve the event organisers from set-up to media to chaplaincy.

They have launched a website at http://www.christiansurfers.co.za/jbay12/ which will feature daily updates, photos and videos over the coming days.

Make sure to check it out and share it with your groups! They have kicked off the content with a great testimony from Kelvin Zemke previously filmed for their 'When a Surfer Gets Saved' series. Kelvin is a wildcard entry to the event and is very involved with CS South Africa with his wife Stephanie managing the office there. 

Short-Term Mission Opportunities

Churches often find it a struggle to find opportunities to send their people on short term mission trips,

I have GREAT news!!

I am pleased to say i have a few you may be able to share with them!!!

Christian Surfers host many short-term mission opportunities. Most of these are managed nationally with restrictions on those who can join from outside the Christian Surfers organisation.

Click here for a list of all CS affiliates.

Christian Surfers International Short-Term Outreaches

• Surfing Missions is an extension of CS El Salvador that organises and hosts mission trips to El Salvador. Under a surf and serve concept, this family operated agency offer several ministry opportunities and take care of your local transportation, lodging and meals. You'll stay in a private and safe beach villa, just steps from great surf. Visit Surfing Missions for more info.
• After a successful first year, Joyo's Surf Camp in G-Land are keen to host chaplains again for the coming season. This year they cannot afford to host for free, but will offer a discount on accommodation. We are looking for people to stay for one month at a time for each month of the surf season and be a direct presence and witness in the surf camp. Contact Tim Hartnett for more info.
• CS Florianopolis in Brazil run a Surf House, which they would love to have people visit. It's in a beautiful area with great surf and they are running a wonderful outreach ministry. Visit their website for more info and watch this video to see the exciting things they have going there.

The following are not dedicated CS opportunities but are surfer friendly opportunities

• Walking on Water have a variety of mission opportunites throughout the year. Visit their website for more info.
• Surfing the Nations. Honolulu, Hawaii. Year round discipling and missions courses. Visit their website for more info.
• PI Indonesia. Special surfer mission trips are provided for islands off Bali with another established mission organization. Visit Shemah Tours for more info.

CSUK NATIONAL CONFERENCE

ONLY ONE WEEK TO GO

With only one week to go till the CSUK National Conference it's time to get your booking in!

This year is lining up to be a really exciting year, with Matt Timms from CS Newquay, confirmed as our guest speaker and the European premiere of the latest Walking on Water film, 'Promised Land' being screened on the Saturday night.

The CSUK National Conference is a great way to meet CS members from all over the UK, catch up with what God is doing through CS around the UK and beyond. It's also a great chance to see how you can get involved in the work of CSUK this year.

For those of you who have not attended a National Conference before, it’s a surf camp combined with a conference. It will be an informal weekend, which we hope will inspire you to continue to outreach to your local surf communities.

If you are still thinking of coming, please book your place ASAP so we can cater for everyone. You can book online at www.christiansurfers.co.uk/register

With only one week to go till the CSUK National Conference it's time to get your booking in!

This year is lining up to be a really exciting year, with Matt Timms from CS Newquay, confirmed as our guest speaker and the European premiere of the latest Walking on Water film, 'Promised Land' being screened on the Saturday night.

The CSUK National Conference is a great way to meet CS members from all over the UK, catch up with what God is doing through CS around the UK and beyond. It's also a great chance to see how you can get involved in the work of CSUK this year.

For those of you who have not attended a National Conference before, it’s a surf camp combined with a conference. It will be an informal weekend, which we hope will inspire you to continue to outreach to your local surf communities.

If you are still thinking of coming, please book your place ASAP so we can cater for everyone. You can book online at www.christiansurfers.co.uk/register

More than Gold

More than Gold – Creative & Performing Arts

SJI is the lead agency for the Creative and Performing Arts activities that will be part of More than Gold, the UK Church’s response for the London 2012 Olympics.

The 2012 Olympics gives the UK church an unprecedented opportunity to engage with contemporary culture. More than Gold aims to harness the creativity of the Church, to connect with people around the 2012 Games.
The Creative and Performing Arts team will give local churches and national Christian arts groups an opportunity to serve in the context of mission initiatives including Community festivals and Hospitality Centres.

How can performers and artists get involved?

More Than Gold is producing a list of performers and artists for local churches to book. Those who would like to be included should contact joydacosta@morethangold.org.uk
We are also working on a booking process for international performers. Artists who want to know when this process is ready should contact joydacosta@morethangold.org.uk

How your church can use performers or artists

The ways you can use creative arts to engage with your community include:

1. Buy tickets for the following events

• Saltmine Theatre Company will tour with  In Their Shoes – a collaboration with a Muslim Theatre Company. The theme is it’s possible to get along with others in spite of our differences. And focuses on a pair of sports trainers the Muslim (Stripe) and Christian (Spot) that neighbours are fighting over. Ideal for primary schools and all age community events. Details at Saltmine Theatre Company
• Lantern Arts Centre will tour with their version of Dangerous Jouney. In celebration of 2012 Games, the team has revised the classic Bunyan play based on one man’s race. With music by Paul Field, this production is relevant for all ages. Details at Lantern Arts Centre
• Riding Lights tour nationally between March and June 2012 with Monsieur de Coubertin’s Magnificent Opymlic© Feat! It goes back to the roots of the modern Games, bringing together the company’s church-linked audience with a new audience of people passionate about sport. Do download full details on a PDF click here. Those interesting in hosting should contact mailto:jessica.lawson@rltc.org?subject=Riding%20Lights%20-%20Monsieur%20de%20Coubertin%E2%80%99s%20Magnificent%20Opymlic%C2%A9%20Feat!
• Act 4 have Star Citizen 2012, a record breaking interactive games show for primary schools, community groups and churches. It connects with the 2012 Games by encouraging children to reach for their potential. Details at Act 4

2. Book artists for local events
Click here for the a list of musicians, comedians and theatre groups you could book for your local events in the UK
3. Book international artists
Up to 1,000 performers may be coming from overseas to serve churches free of charge. Priority will be given to churches in host cities and towns including those with official Live Sites.
Churches interested in hosting international guests should contact joydacosta@morethangold.org.uk

Pentecost Festival - 18-27th May

http://www.pentecostfestival.co.uk/programme-now-available/ 

Pentecost Festival is a Christian led festival based in London. It is co-coordinated by registered charity, Share Jesus International(SJI) in partnership with Christian Aid and various churches and Christian organisations across the UK. Pentecost Festival is the largest Christian led festival in London and will be running from the 18^th-27^th May 2012 across central London venues. It attracts thousands of people and showcases what the Church in the UK is all about.

Previous highlights of Pentecost Festival have included; a BBC1 live Pentecost service broadcast at All Saints church Peckham viewed by over a million, a live music stage in Leicester Square for three consecutive years and 16,000 people attending an evening of worship in the O2 arena hosted by Jesus House church, Holy Trinity Brompton Church and Hilsong Church.

In short Pentecost Festival is…..

…arts, music and drama, it’s comedy, sport and film, it’s debates and discussions. Its a celebration of the diverse communities in London and an opportunity for people to discover more about Jesus. It offers something for everyone and everyone is invited regardless of age, faith or cultural background so come along, bring your friends, your congregation and your family and get involved!

What is Pentecost? 
Pentecost is an important event in the Christian calendar that signifies the birth of the Christian church and the coming together of people from various cultural backgrounds to be united by one language and faith.  Pentecost Festival celebrates Pentecost by:

• Highlighting Pentecost and celebrating the Church’s birthday
• Representing the multiculturalism and diversity of the Christian faith
• Taking the Church out of it’s buildings and onto the streets and public places of London
• Demonstrating God’s priority for justice and compassion

Promised Land

PROMISED LAND TO BE PREMIERED AT CSUK NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Latest news on the CSUK National Conference, being held 15 - 17 June near Woolacombe, is that we are going to be showing the European Premiere of Promised Land, the latest film from Walking on Water.

The film is shot in Israel and features Tom Curran, Al Merrick and Pat O'Connell. We are also hoping to have Todd Morehead at the premiere, who also features in the film, to present it and take any questions about the film and surfing in Israel.

You can check out the film trailer at http://promisedlandthemovie.com/

Remember to book before your place at the CSUK National Conference before 16 May to take advantage of the early bird discount!

You can book online at http://www.christiansurfers.co.uk/register/

Overcoming Cynicism

Most of us at some stage in life have said we don’t want to grow old and cynical.

When we were younger most of us probably observed older people and commented how cynical or bitter they are towards life. We vowed we would never end up like them.

Some of us probably have parents that have become like this, it may express itself as constant negativity with simple comments like – “you can’t have a slate floor, everything you drop will break” or they may constantly make judgements on the church you attend “The people that go there are so pretentious and fake”  

For me, i used to be rather negative about the Church and Christians and if I was to put a label on it I would say I beame rather cynical, i am glad this has changed recently! Others may become cynical about Faith itself, they may have been a Christian all their lives but now face an illness and been prayed for and healing hasn’t come and so they question their faith and ultimately whether God exists at all.  

Even as Christians we can find ourselves saying "Why bother?"  or "There's no use trying” This is just the way it is."  You see, when hope fades, cynicism is often waiting in the wings and it is something we all need to deal with before it takes over our lives and we lose our passion, joy and sense of wonder.  One person put it like this "Cynicism is cancer of the spirit. The bad cells of sarcasm attack the good cells of hope and, if undiagnosed, will eventually destroy them."

So what has this got to do with you? Well as an  individually I want to encourage you to keep running the race for which God has called us to with hope.  This hope is anchored and rooted in Faith and rests in God and God's promises, even if we don’t see the visible signs today.

You have to remind yourself that we are all human and work in progress, 'At all times,' Jesus declared, 'we should pray' and not 'lose heart,'

God will complete the work that has been started in you. In Him we have everything we need. We need to replace the cynicism in our lives with hope, faith and love.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So if you find yourself been cynical – read the word.

 

Priorities in Life

Have you ever had someone explain to you how life can be represented as a 24 hour clock?

Basically you add up all the hours you spend doing essential things like sleeping, eating, going to school and even grooming and from that you start to understand how little time we all have.

Even by the age of 25 you will have lived 213,600 hours but taking out school, sleeping and eating you will only of had 6.2 years ‘spare time’!!!

The average life expectancy of a man in the UK is 77.7 years, and if you represent that life as a 24 hour clock spare time only accounts for 4 hours! 

So the question is what are you going to do with your 4 hours?

You know it’s never too late to start doing something new.

At the age of 93 Theodore Francis Green retired from the U.S. Senate. At that time, he was the oldest senator in the history of the institution.

At the age of 93 P.G. Wodehouse worked on his 97th novel, got knighted, and then died.

Strom Thurmond, the longest-serving senator in U.S. history, won re-election after promising not to run again at age 99.

At the age of 85 Caleb in the Bible said – Give me my mountain!

It’s also never too late to start again if trials have hit you,. Simon Cowell was bankrupted at 35! And look at him now.

What will you do with your 4 hours??