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Tuesday, 4 April 2017

How do you measure wealth?

The Uk teenager in school scorns the girl who is yet to own her first iPhone. Her family must be really poor right? The city family can't get their head around why their rural relations only have an old car, and broadband speeds that make a snail look like Usain Bolt. The big new mega-church looks at the little "tin" chapel (that has been there for three generations), and sneers at it in perplexity... "is it worth keeping going?", "how can it keep going in such a little, humble, building?"

In reality we all make decisions based on our own value systems. We chose to do things on the basis of whether we think they will be worth it? In our consumeristic society we do things on the basis of what they will give us back. Sadly the truth in the UK is that we have lost the value of many things which really are worth something. Little things like; the family, marriage, compassion, faithfulness, gentleness, contentment, trustworthy friends, community, in reality - make a huge difference to our lives. 

You may dismiss this as my value system (which is different to yours), however the timeless truth of the bible speaks to every age and value system and exposes the reality. What we sometimes invest everything into turns out not to deliver in the final analysis. Conversely, things which seem worthless to us now can turn out to be priceless. 

When the equals sign is drawn at the end of your life, will it amount to much ?
How will it be valued ? Will you be the one to decide the value of your life? 
Will you be that bothered about your bank balance or your golf handicap when you breath your last breath ?

The bible speaks a lot about what and who, we give our affections to. It tells us to "guard our hearts knowing that it is is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23) This priority message about our affections is one of love, from a God who not only knows the true value of all things, but remarkably ... values us. Ultimately that is what is so unimaginably, incomprehensibly, beautiful about the cross of Jesus Christ. In a place of rejection outside a city, is one who is rejected as worthless in order that you and me might be received as priceless. Even though we have treated God as worthless, we are given the gift of greatest eternal value. We cannot earn a relationship with God, Jesus Christ is a gift . He alone, transforms the lives of people with a daily and eternal payout of unconditional love we don't deserve. We don't bring any thing "of worth" to him. 

How do you think God views those who don't yet have a family? Those children who have never experienced compassion, gentleness, or faithful friends who speak the truth in love and stick with us closer than a brother? I believe from what I read in the bible that His heart beats loudly for such children, teenagers and churches who value such things. The truth is that a local church has to value those to whom this world says... "you are the weakest link ... goodbye!". Yes, in a moral, relational, and beneficial to himself sense, God has every right to dismiss us out of hand... but he doesn't! Therefore  the church must not only invest in God and what is precious to Him (and not our own idolatrous value system), but also those who are precious to Him. Those our world has rejected are very precious to God.

The work of Grace Baptist church in Odessa and across Ukraine is one which goes out of their way to offer unconditional love to children and teenagers who need faithfulness and family. It is a beautiful work. It is from God and for God, and is characterised  by His love and faithfulness. Many may yet dismiss it as worthless, maybe not even worth time, attention or money. After all, what would we get back from supporting such a thing, when all we have to show for it is a bunch of grown up teenagers who grow up to move on and find their own way in life? I would suggest to you it is one of the wisest moves I've have ever seen a church make. 

It is a privilege to support this project, one that we don't deserve to be part of. It has given us far more than we have ever given to it. It is such a valuable and joy-filled thing when you know that you are investing in something which God is smiling on.

If you are fully spent up on time, energy and money at the moment, we do hope that what you have spent on turns out to be wise and a good payout. If however you are skint, feeling worthless, occasionally useless, but still looking to invest your time in something  worthwhile... (like us)... we would love you either to come with us or be our hands back in the uk. We need people to help us to gather stuff which will equip people, churches and projects for good, we need people to pray faithfully for us and with us. 

This is the way our team sees things at the moment...

  • Our money is loaned to us from God. 
  • Our time is a gift we want to use wisely. 
  • Our evaluation is that this is a great project. 
  • We love "Grace Church", it's leaders and all the community stands for. 
  • This family has become our family, and so we want to love them with all we have. 
  • They are priceless to us. 

Thank you all those who support us and value what we are trying to do. Individuals, church leaders and church families you know who you are and you mean more to us than you can know.

  



Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Update to Woodgreen

Woodgreen Evangelical Church Sunday evening service

It was really good to be invited to give an update on how the work is going at Transition House, to the folk at the evening service at Woodgreen on Sunday

John was able to show a short video about the project and talk with PowerPoint slides about how things were progressing, particularly the exiting development of converting the basement for use in ministry.

The latest team are ready and waiting to go out at the end of April, to continue the work on the building. Places are still available on the team for any men interested in going.

Saturday, 18 March 2017

Very successful car wash & breakfast

Many thanks to everyone who came this morning to our car wash & breakfast

It was great to see so many people out this morning, particularly those who were new to this event. You were all very welcome.


It was good too see so many people stay around and take the opportunity to chat



Image may contain: 10 people, people sitting, people eating, table, food and indoor

Thanks to our amazing team of volunteers, in the kitchen who prepared, cooked and served 70 breakfasts and car washers who washed and dried 47 cars.

We raised over £900, which we will take with us to buy materials, when we go to Odessa at the end of April.


Friday, 17 March 2017

Car Wash & Breakfast


Don't forget to come to our car wash & breakfast

 TOMORROW(Saturday 18th)

at

Woodgreen Evangelical Church

Hastings Drive

Worcester

WR4 0SR



Tuesday, 14 March 2017

COUNTDOWN TO TAKE-OFF

It is ...
  • 4,060,800 seconds
  • 67,680 minutes
  • 1128 hours
  • 47 days
  • 6 weeks and 5 days
...until  a group of men walk onto a plane in the hope that they can encourage a group of brilliant people to not grow weary in doing good. Our mission is to help convert a basement for a community of young people who will be cared for and encouraged in order to see their lives changed for good.

At this moment we have a good team of wonderful guys booked and ready to go 30th April to 13th May. Some for the duration and some for part of the time. Many of them have been numerous times (some7 /8 times) However, this is such a critical time for the project that we really are praying that the team will be larger for this trip. Why ? Well there is another countdown happeneing simultaneously, the time it takes before the building is ready enough for a group of young people to move in and make this their home. We cannot use the entire building until the big basement project is finished for community space, even though the rest of the building and the living quarters are nearing completion, and will be quickly filled with people who need this place of refuge to be finished..

There are relatively few things in life that I have got involved in that without reservation I can say entiusiastically  "it has been without doubt one of the best things I've ever done". This is how I feel about these trips and the folks who work so hard in Odessa to bring hope to children and young people and honour to Jesus Christ.

Maybe you are thinking right now... "well it can't be for me... certainly not  when there are only 4,060,800 seconds left !!!"  It may help you to know some things...
1) One of the guys who has been out most frequently and is loved most by the kids in Odessa was a late decider to join in on his first trip. Obviously he didnt regret it, and their love for him is pretty obvious. Looking forward to catching up with you Emlyn, you star!
2) If you are thinking "But...It is too complex a thing to organise." Tell us you want to join in and we will do all we can to help.
3) If you are thinking  "But...I don't have any skills that will be helpful. " If you can hold a screwdriver the right way, or carry bits and bobs to the right place, you have enough skill. The only qualifications are a willing attitude, a loving heart and a desire to fit in to get this done for the honour of Jesus Christ. 
I am booking more tickets over the next few days, so why not just make the decision at least to chat with us about if you can help. I'm pretty sure you would be massively helpful.

During the countdown, please pray.
1) That more will join the team and the big job will make extra big progress.
2) That the Woodgreen Odessa carwash will be a great success and an encouragement to the guys from Worcester who are preparing to come out.
3) That folks will provide the little gifts and funds needed to encourage the work

We'll keep you posted as the countdown continues, hopefully for someone the countdown will end with you walking onto the plane with us.
Thank you for all your support and encouragement.

P (on behalf of the guys counting down)








Sunday, 1 January 2017

The whole of Heaven is behind us ... we can be confident going into 2017

There are times when big projects seem insurmountable. There are times when we wonder if it is ever worth bothering to start because the journey will be so uphill. 

Thank God that he is never apathetic or pessimistic about resources. In fact the good news of the bible is that God has not only given us His best in Jesus Christ, but has done so in such a way that all heaven (and earths')  resources are under the control of the risen Christ. God does not give up!!!... even on you and me. He promises us that although we are far from the people we want to be, and should be, that if our trust is in him, one day the Job will be complete, and we will be like Christ in his character. Paul confidently puts it this way in Philippians... 
 "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

There are times at the beginning of every new year when my optimism is hit with a dose of reality...
1) I know that there are still many. many things God still needs to work on in my life.
2) I watch the news and see the world we live in is very broken, both in human relationships and geologically. 
3) I look at the size of transition house and wonder if it is ever going to be finished.

So where is our confidence at the beginning of 2017?
 It is summed up in these amazing words of 2 Cor 9:8

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, 
so that in all things at all times
having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

I am confident that we will see transition house finished and God-willing be full of up to 60 young people, who experience the love of Jesus Christ. The reason I believe this vision will become a reality is that God himself has driven this project with his own heart and people for a broken world. The whole of heaven is rooting for this project to succeed and for the Glory to go to Jesus Christ who is in the business of change for the better.

Make no mistake, the seasonal dose of reality tells me there is still a huge amount to do... A basement that in some measure is still less than a bare shell, kitchens that still need white goods and fixtures, communal rooms which need chairs (and lights, light switches and blinds / curtains etc. etc.) ...But I believe with all my heart that God has all the resources available to see the Job done, and will supply our need. This has been the story all along the way so far, and I'm in no position to doubt the consistency of a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. 

Therefore 2017 may well indeed be the most exciting year yet for Transition House. Could this year be when we see a whole load of young people move in, and see their lives changed for the better? I think so. The context of 2 Cor 9:8 is that God has given his son, and therefore our hope is in the resources of God, showered on us in Christ. Our right response therefore is to respond with all we've got. I'm so excited about doing this...
  • 1) Because we have a God of overwhelming generosity.
  • 2) Because we have the only hope for our broken world in 2017, the good news of Jesus Christ. (All other suggestions have not made this world a better place... if this is heaven ... I want something better.)
  • 3) Because God is rooting for us to live in such a way that will bring Him Glory.
  • 4) Because God has no shortage of power or recourse to make all this happen.

So in 2017 we look to God in eager optimism, and trusting faith. We believe...I hope you do too. Whatever you are doing for God, do it with all your heart and give everything to the one who makes life worth living, and gives life to the full (John 10:10). He can do way more than we can think or imagine, so pray big prayers and attempt big things for God, knowing that the whole of heaven is behind you. 

Happy new year to all the team and our increasingly wonderful supporters who pray and give. We see you as a wonderful gift from heaven because you are.   
We are looking to get as many folks and materials out in spring. 
Come with us! Go on!