Read the full article here

I’ve just added two new articles to the Newfrontiers Uk Church Planting website. We’ll be adding two a week for the next couple of months and commissioning more articles too…

March 2010 Update
Mission is much more meaningful when done with dear friends. Many years of “relational mission” in the East of England is now bearing significant fruit in Scandinavia and the Baltics.

We have great works emerging in those nations. God is speaking about businessmen relocating to plant churches in Northern European cities and starburst rockets being launched that will open up regions in a number of nations.

We have a history in Copenhagen, over many years. Under the supervision of Goff Hope from Norwich, Copenhagen is emerging as a significant hub of operations to model our values. We will be using their new building as a gathering and training base for emerging leaders across Northern Europe. It will also be a base from which we can strike out across Scandinavia and the Baltics.

There are a growing number of small works in several nations: Malmo and Rockneby in Sweden, Smiltene in Latvia and Valga in Estonia. While they are not large strategic cities to break into new nations, they are proving strategic to model relational mission in cultural contexts where very few such models exist.

Early last year, Keith Hazell prophesied a Starburst of church plants. “The picture is of a starburst rocket and it went up and then it burst and there were stars falling all around on the ground around and I believe God says there are some starbursts rockets that he wants to release in the whole area that are going to cause attention to come to that area. I believe that you are sitting at the gateway of another instalment. It’s like God has been closing one chapter and God is opening a new chapter to you and that chapter has new churches in it and new visions in it… and I’m convinced that even as you start, you begin to catch a vision for another wave of church planting, that God is going to send you people who want to stand alongside you to do the job.”

As a consequence, we are seeking to develop multiple-church planting initiatives from a number of hubs in different nations across North Europe. Part of that will be a number of strategic cities in Scandinavia and North Europe that God is putting on the hearts of different people. We will be working over the next year or two to gather interested people and shape strategy for planting into Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm, Riga and beyond. If you are interested in hearing more about any of these plants, please contact Mike Betts (mbetts@lcc-lowestoft.co.uk).

God has also spoken about business being the door through which we may enter a number of cities in Northern Europe. If you are relocating for business, or would like to do so, in order to be part of a fresh church planting initiative, please let us know!

Please pray for
Copenhagen Community Church building to emerge as a significant base for training and church planting.
Our current churches and plants in Sweden, Latvia and Estonia to grow significantly.
For teams to emerge to plant into Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm and Riga.

Article written by me for Newfrontiers Newsletter

In many ways, he handled conflict well , getting 6 out of 7 steps right – He acknowledged it with clarity and passion. He took initiative quickly. He didn’t talk behind my back to other motorists. He spoke to no one but me. His summary was direct – there was no confusion of what he thought or felt. But he missed the last important step.

Jesus said “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and show them their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”

Firstly “If…”. To be alive means occasional conflict which needs dealing with rather than running away from. Secondly Jesus says “you”. Whether the problem is your fault or the other person, as soon as you become aware of it, Jesus expects YOU to take responsibility for resolving it.

Thirdly “go” – approach, don’t avoid them. Avoiding conflict destroys friendships, marriages and families. Go straight away – although if you are getting madder and madder, don’t be like Jim Carrey –and get dumb and dumber. Cool off and then go! Ask yourself “Why am I angry?” and “what do I want?”

Fourthly no third parties, no phone a friend, no gossip. Go directly to the person involved and fifthly use sensitivity. Jesus said “between the two of you” – don’t embarrass them in public. Listen and talk to them the way you would like them to talk to you. Six is “show them” – be direct. Tell them what is wrong, how it made you feel and what you would like to see changed for the better of both of you.

Unfortunately, the driver that confronted me missed this last step – aim at reconciliation. “If he listens to you, you have won him over”. Aim to restore the relationship – rarely simple and never quick, but always worth it.

I wrote that article for our local newspaper’s thought for the week. It is basically a condense of a chapter from John Ortberg’s excellent “Everybody’s normal until you get to know them“

What a great God! He sends His presence, He changes lives, He loves His people and rejoices over them. His love is breathtakingly amazing and He sings over us.

Bring it on!

Listen to Nicky Stanyard of Kings Arms Church in Bedford being interviewed about her experience treasure hunting in King’s Lynn – 7 healings in one encounter!!!mp3

You can also read Wendy’s storywhich I was part of too

We are doing as much as we can to make sure the whole of the town knows!

This is our branding…

We reckon a man with a child says men are welcome and families are welcome too!

We have had 20,000 A6 postcards printed, pvc banners to go up in various parts of town, car window stickers, balloons and t-shirts done too.

On Sat 19th we are hosting a "hit the streets" when we want to saturate the town centre with T-shirt wearing Christians handing out balloons and flyers and doing questionnaires and treasure hunting – can you come? www.thegatewaychurch.info/hitthestreets has the information.

For other Church planters we got some good deals on publicity material…

Making a big splash for the launch is really important. It is one of those times when you can grow quickly and so it is worth investing well!

I notice Graham Pyman has the same image, we have used, embedded in his new church website too! www.stockexpert.com – is a great paid for image site (www.sxc.hu it’s free cousin)

We have had the pvc banner made by kwikprint@fsmail.net. We originally found them on ebay and they have given great service over the years. They are lovely Christians too.

For the 20,000 A6 flyers for every home – we used http://www.relevantmedia.co.uk/ this time as the cheapest quote. To be honest I prefer http://www.uprint.me.uk/, who are are better quality but relevant media gave us a super price!

We also had car window stickers done by a firm on ebay and balloons printed, again from ebay

Saving money too

While I was spending money on publicity I decided to save money on our gas and electricity using www.uswitch.com . The trick is to look at two bills a year apart and then enter actual consumption to work out genuine savings – that done and I will save an amazing £371!

I also got a cracking mobile deal from Mobiles.co.uk – Half price rental on Vodafone for 15months with 100 mins, 500 texts and mobile internet £7.50pm (after redemption). That link would give me a referral reward – all the other links on this post aren’t. I’m just pleased with their service and happy to recommend them!

Do pray for our Sunday morning launch and come and help us on the 19th if you can

Want Biblical experience of Church life and the Spirit

Acts 3:1-10

Story

Man crippled from birth, begging outside the “GateBeautiful” tall ornate gold gate

Relying on religious conscience of religious people andthe Christians who went past for prayer

Peter & John going to pray

Confidently and boldly heal him in a very public place.

“Silver and gold I don’t have, but what I do I give to you. Get up andwalk”

What they didn’t have

Money

Not necessarily poor.

Common purse – pool the money and give it to the leasttrustworthy person!

No cash on them

Their confidence wasn’t in money. Often our is!

Education

V13 Unschooled and ordinary men

Rely on education and letters after the name

Peter and John subsistence fisherman fromGalilee – the place where Israelites who have told Irish jokes about.

Ordinary men – rely on the pastor or the big names to do thestuff.

Most of us write ourselves of with “Wish I…”

Was brighter, had more money, not had such awful roots, notmade so many mistakes, been abused so much, wasn’t depressed, trodden on, moregifted, more useful, didn’t get so nervous.

Don’t think like that! Those things do not qualify you!

What did they have?

Confidence!

Video clip/Bill Johnson story

Confidence in the power of Jesus name

There is power in the name of Jesus!

In John 14 Jesus tells his followers “Whateveryou ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in theSon.“

There is no other name by which we can be saved. Act 4:12

In Phil 4 we learn why Jesus name is so powerful “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becomingobedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highlyexalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every other name, sothat at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and underthe earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory ofGod the Father”.

When we pray, we pray confidently in the name of Jesus.

When we cast out demons, we cast them out in the name ofJesus.

When we heal the sick, we heal them in the name of Jesus.

Because we know Jesus and are getting close, we learn toknow his voice and when to do those things. The Seven Sons of Sceva got a goodkicking by some demons, because they used the name of Jesus without knowingJesus.

Grow in the confidence of the name of Jesus – by pursuingHim and His presence!

Confidence in the anointing of the Spirit of God

Jesus came as 100% God and 100% man, but he operated in thepower of the Holy Spirit on the earth

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord has anointed me…”

Power to do miracles

Luke 5 On one of those days, as he wasteaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had comefrom every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power ofthe Lord was with him to heal.

Acts1:8 Jesus promised the same power to the disciples and us. We are called tobring the kingdom of God and we do that when we lead people to Christ, when weheal, when we cast out demons and one day I would love to raise someone fromthe dead!

Adoption as Sons – not justtheoretically, actually are a son

Romans 8 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery tofall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, bywhom we cry “Abba! Father”. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spiritthat we are children of God, and if children then heirs – heirs of God andfellow heirs with Christ…”

Boldness – not a spirit offear, but of power, love and self discipline.

2 Tim 1:7 “For God gave us not aspirit of fear but of power, love and self-control“

At the end of Acts 4 the church experienced that in a prayermeeting when God shook the room and filled them with boldness!

What is in you comes out

Overflow of the heart Matt 12:34

Tongue and interpretation – lot of anger and un-impressed

“In the name of Jesus get up and walk” – Power

“Took him by the hand” – Love and compassion

What is in your heart?

Where’s your confidence?

End of chapter 4 consequences of the healing: the church grows by 2000, threats by the authorities.

So they pray and are filled with the Spirit again forboldness

Ministry – power, adoption, boldness.