Made it through December - Yeah!

Happy New Year!!!

For all of you that know our family well, you will know that December is crazy without all the Christmas and end of year stuff thrown in the mix. We have had an amazing month! It was Fenella an my 20th wedding anniversary on the 1st, it was Holly and Hannah's 9th birthday on the 4th, it was my birthday on the 12th, it was Amy's 18th birthday on the 21st and today it is Fenella's birthday. On top of all this I'm sure Fenella commented that we have been to 15 various concerts and school services with the girls and Fenella's various orchestras and choirs. There was almost too much activity and not enough time to enjoy everything that was happening. This much I know, however, my five girls have made me so proud and as a result I have the joy of being their dad and husband.

This month was crazy and amazing all at the same time. There were times I was totally out of control and other times when it was obvious that God was the one in control. There was the time at Crimond School when Alex and I took their end of term assembly and just knew we were in God's hand as we connected with the kids and saw the Spirit fill the atmosphere. The staff and kids were great and the flow of the assembly was special. End of term stuff is a unique time, especially at this time of year. There was only one school I had heard that did not have some sort of "Nativity" focus during their Christmas concerts. And before we get all uptight about the whole Christmas not being the actual birth etc... I am really delighted about this time of year because there are so many families who HAVE to talk about the Christ because their children are coming home singing the carols and the songs for their concerts. There are loads of children and parents receiving a blessing as a result of this time of year - Fantastic!

In our classes we had good reason to be happy. We had our Christmas party for the Primary school age. It was so much fun and a fine way to see the year out. Everyone had a blast and as usual we never got through all the games we had planned, but that's OK because when time flies you know it is time well spent. On Wednesday we had a movie night to close out. We watched the Veggitales "Saint Nicholas." The kids enjoyed the message and the time of fellowship. We began meeting earlier on Wednesday nights to incorporate more Fellowship time. Since we started this it has been a great success and the kids are thriving around some "Old Fashioned" games like, Yahtzee, Draughts (Checkers), Dominoes, Snakes and Ladders etc... Wednesday nights are a joy and we are excited to continue this format into next year. Again we are reminded of the need for constant evaluation and change to make sure blessing can be found when the kids come into our care. On Friday we had a good last class. The worship time continues to be a challenge. Since we had an influx of younger teens it has changed the class. Although this is a trying time just now, I am confident things will move on as the "New" begin to understand and accept what we are about. In spite of some trials we still had some nuggets of gold. The message we wanted to get across was that we will only have content lives when we know we are prepared for what life throws at us. We challenged the group to write out something about themselves that they wanted to change and that would help their character be more like Christ. I have a stack of 25 statements of varied content from teens who want to improve their lives. Later in the new year we will visit these and evaluate. This lesson was on the tail of our last challenge for the group to be more prayerful and asking God's help to bring about blessing in their lives and also for someone else in the group. There are some trials ahead for this class, but God willing, they will be overcome with something good.

I have to be honest and share that this term has been tough. It is becoming so obvious that encouragement and support are essential. This break has been timely and refreshing. Please continue to pray for us.

God bless us all in 2010!

Following in their big sisters "Musical" Footsteps!

This was taken this morning at their School Christmas Service! They went on to play "Jingle Bells" but our camera ran out of battery - hence the rather abrupt end to the clip! The piano accompanist, who goes around all the schools, said they were the best he had heard. Fenella and I can't believe where all this talent comes from - certainly not me!

P.S. Holly and Hannah are the two red heads on the left!

Spirit willing - Flesh weak!

So much to say so little time to say it! It's late and I know it's been ages since my last update - so here goes! Hope my memory serves me well. There have been three big things and tons of regular stuff. My work in the schools has been so rich these past weeks - I have been amazed at the responses to the assembly talks. It is obvious that God is blessing many through the ministry of opportunity in the schools. This past round of talks I have shared a lesson based on Disney's interpretation of Dickens "A Christmas Carol." The kids describe the character of Scrooge as anything from grumpy and selfish to afraid and lonely. We talk about the absence of kindness and how that can make us unhappy. I challenged the children to stop twice each day and decide to do something kind for someone else. I told them that I don't want any of them turning into the kind of person Scrooge was. As the kids left the hall they shared what kind things they were going to do. I love being a channel of blessing! The lunchtime clubs and other school involvement is going great. I wish I could convey the relationships I have with the staff at the schools - it's all good stuff.

We had a good night this past Sunday. Alex and I organized a night of fellowship around the theme of "Deal or No Deal." We had a cup of tea and stuff when everyone arrived so that we were cosy and connected before getting together in worship. John Campbell led the singing and welcomed everyone. Alex and I shared the lesson time and presented lessons with "Deal or No Deal" as the theme. I challenged everyone from 2 Kings where God told the people to Dig Ditches in order to hold the blessing of rain that He was going to send. Unless we are anticipating and planning for God's blessing, our purpose and fullness will always be compromised - our ditches need to be big! And of course we finished with the obvious challenge of sharing Christ as God's part of the deal and asking the question will you accept or reject God's deal? After the meeting time we played the game with some added twists. We stuck some Quick Draw and Duel stars to some of the boxes so that there would be some competition. For the quick draw there were two bibles and the first to turn to the Book, Chapter and Verse - won. For the duels we had a putting contest. The night was fantastic! To top it all the last team to play actually finished up with the choice of the £5 or £250,000 boxes! They did not deal and ended up winning the £250,000! We were all in shock that this had actually worked out. (by the way there was no actual real money prizes).

To be continued....

Tiredness has got the best of me - God bless!

Things never stay the same!

We've had a very full past few weeks - hence the neglect of this blog! I know I am going to suffer while writing this one because the memories will have got a little dim. There are a few highlights I want to share in this entry. Firstly, preaching, I was blessed the last two weekends as I studied for the gospel two weeks ago and the morning exhortation last week. The gospel was focused on the statement, "He restores my soul..." For some reason that lay on my heart for the whole week leading up and became the motivation for the lesson. I simply talked about God's character seeking to Restore, His plan of Salvation seeking to Restore and our mission as the church must be to seek to Restore. Last Sunday morning, again there was an underlying thought in my mind that motivated the lesson, "Set free to do what?" I looked at 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 and went with three obvious purposes there - We are to, "... do all for the glory of God, "Seek the Good in others and Salvation for the Lost. I came across a cool quote in relation to seeking the good in others, "A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick up the backside, but is miles ahead in results!" I know I have been blessed in preparing these lessons.

The title of this blog, "Things never stay the same" is in response to the evidence being seen in our Friday night class with the teens. Before the October holidays we thought things were going well and the group were gelling nicely. However, a new influx of younger teens have totally changed the dynamic of the class. After reasoning things through with John and Alex over coffee yesterday, we concluded that it is a good thing. There is life and new faces who have accepted the invite to come and see. We have come up with a new plan that involves the older and more focused teens. We will cancel the fourth Friday night class in the month and have a class on the Thursday night especially for the older ones who need more specific and relevant stuff. We have reasoned that this will give the younger ones something to aspire to and the older ones evidence that we are taking their needs seriously. We are prayerful that this is the direction God is opening up to us and hopeful that His Spirit will have room in this new arena to work powerfully. Please keep this in your prayers!

I was invited to come and be a part of an impact planing committee to use the opportunity that is available to minister within the High School! I have been quietly desiring an opportunity like this to be able to minister in the Academy. Alex and I went to the meeting and were excited to be a part of the events. We are in a great place with our classes at the church for the academy age kids to reach and influence more. We will be invited into the academy to hold class discussion on Christian viewpoints and hold bigger scale assembly talks on things from a Godly perspective. The event will run in late January 2010 and already my heart is singing for joy. Again we need your prayers in light of this opportunity and how to wisely develop this into something more so that we can have a more regular and consistent influence in the Academy - incidentally there are 1,500 students attending Peterhead Academy!

Last Monday night we had an "Arty Party" with our younger class. We challenged them to come dressed up in colourful clothes. We had an amazing time with the kids! We organized a challenge where we stuck around 300 "Arty Party" posters all over the building walls and sent out 3 kids at a time to find as many as they could in 30 seconds. It was simple but hugely effective! We also had extreme ducking for apples, where we filled a paddling pool with water and had 4 kids at a time trying to get their apple out first. We made a simple change to the old classic "Chocolate Game" by having the kids pair up and get stuck into the huge bar of chocolate with one holding a fork in their left hand and the other a knife in their right hand. Rolling a six meant the kids ran up and put on the gloves wig and red nose before being let loose on the Big Bar of chocolate - Great fun!

I have had a good response in the schools with my latest assembly talks. I have been talking to the kids about the importance of having a good name. I lead with the movie "UP" and talk about the two promises Carl Fredrickson makes - one to his wife and one to Russell. His character depends on his keeping his word and having a good name. I talked about God loving the lips of the honest, but being disappointed with the mouths of the dis-honest. At the end of the assemblies, especially at Clerkhill, as the children left the hall many of them told me their names and what good things they had done recently. It was a lovely response to the lesson I had taught! God is great!

God bless!

Time Out!

Just some pictures from our time up in Aviemore near the Cairngorm mountains. The week away was just what was needed for ALL. We were able to enjoy some time together and wake up each morning with just us to think about and enjoy. We did a bunch of stuff. One of my highlights was fun mixed with a little bit of "Oh dear, how did we end up miles from shore?" One of the days Amy made the suggestion that we all go canoeing - sound like fun. Fenella and Beth decided to sit this one out and left me and Amy explore the beauty of Loch Insch. Amy took Hannah in her Canadian Canoe and I took Holly in mine. Anyway to cut a long story short... we ended up way out in the middle of the loch and drifting further and further from the shore. Amy didn't have the strength to get her boat turned because the current was so strong. Hannah was at the front of her canoe paddling like mad, with her paddle barely touching the water, but to no avail. We started to get a little bit panicked as we drifted all the more away from where we needed to be. In the end I had to tie both canoe's together and tow Amy's canoe home. By the time we reached the shore again we were wrecked! We walked in to see Fenella and Beth shaking from exhaustion.

I can't tell you how refreshing the time away with Fenella and the girls was! I would hardly say we were rested because we were on the go the whole time, but refreshed - absolutely! I love my family and thank God for last week.

A couple of things just in closing. My uncle Alex has had his surgery and ended up having a triple heart bypass. The first day and a half after the surgery were a bit shaky, but he is now home and slowly recovering. Last night we had the joy of witnessing a new creation as Shanni committed her life to Christ. We had a great time in fellowship afterward and shared in the joy of her salvation. Earlier last week Auntie Bett passed away. Bett was real character and lived a full and faithful life. Anyone who has visited Peterhead will have been touched by the gentleness and sweet spirited Auntie Bett! The church rejoices in her faith and hope, but will miss her greatly.

More soon - God bless!

UP and away!

Just a quick note about our outing with the younger kids who come to classes. We took a group of 27 through to Aberdeen. It was fantastic! I am exhausted and have a sore head, but I am so proud of the way the kids behaved and enjoyed the excitement of a night out. First we went to eat at burger king. I thought beforehand that if there was going to be stress it would be there, but no, nothing at all! Everyone went through the line, ordered their food and cleaned up afterwards. There was never a raised voice and never any hint of discipline needing to be handed out - what a joy! The movie we went to see was Disney's "UP" and it was great for everyone. The journey home was quiet, everyone was so tired there was peace - what more can I say? I can not say enough good things about the group and the night we had. I have to say a big thanks to John and Alex. We had two mini buses and a car to get everyone through. Angie and Donna were magic and added that much needed motherly touch to the evening. We had C.J. and Megan, J.P, Thomas and Rachel teen helpers who were all a great help - Thanks all! God is great and this was a great way to finish up this term and leave us all anticipating good things when classes start back in a fortnight's time.

I am away to my bed to flake out on my pillow and wake up ready for our week away to Aviemore - yippee!

God Bless!

Never a Dull Moment!

This has been a full week! It's the last week of term - hooray! On Saturday I get to spend a whole week with no distractions and hibernate with my family up in Aviemore. We are all excited and ready for a breather. Fenella has been working extra hours this past month to help out in the run up to December. Christmas, 5 of our 6 birthdays and our anniversary all land in December! Fenella is ready to get back to normal and today she has the day off - Yeah! We are going out for tea later this morning to Simpson's. Can't remember the last time we were able to do this, however I am just glad we can get out today. Fenella and Amy were involved in a concert with "HHCOS." Fenella was horrified that she was right on the front row, but by the second half was able to relax and enjoy the performance. They did really well and although the music choice in the 1st half was a bit over my head the second half was gorgeous and I was proud of my two girls singing their hearts out. The girls have had exciting times and are doing so well. Amy has just got the part as "Iolanthe" in her 1st proper opera! At the auditions she made the panel cry with her chosen piece. We are all delighted for her and can't wait till April next year to see her in action! Beth is doing well at Dyce and has seemingly got another natural talent in the area of conducting! Her class were given the task to conduct the group and Beth caught every ones attention. It just shows that Beth just oozes musicality (jeepers, almost sound as if I know what I am talking about). Holly and Hannah are so excited about their bikes! On Tuesday's after school we have been getting out and they have been cycling round the track not far from our house. Holly if off like a whippet! Hannah needs to be coaxed and encouraged till her confidence is up then she doesn't stop - she goes for distance, Holly goes for speed!

Right, this past week has really hit home the diversity within ministry. It really is a multi tasking role we are called to do. From working in the schools with youngsters and sharing time with teens to preaching with adults in mind. Counselling to help bring purpose and focus to a hospital visits and spending time with a family who had lost their father. When Paul said he had become all things to all men, I can catch a glimpse of what he was meaning. In these past days I have been blessed! Although the toll is high I know my life is richer as a result of sharing in so many others. I know, without a doubt, that I can't fill every role perfectly, but I am thankful to be an instrument for the kingdom.

Things have taken a refreshing turn for the good in all the classes this past 2 weeks. We have been praying for growth on Monday nights with the primary school age children and we have seen a significant increase. I was saying to Angie on the way home from the class on Monday, "Careful what you pray for!" and we had a chuckle to ourselves. The kids who are coming are the ones who most need to be there! It is great to be able to provide a class setting that shows care and encourages godly attitudes and behaviour. The same has been true of our Wednesday night class. We are encouraged by the growth and pray that we continue to have the strength and compassion to keep giving. On Friday night we are going on an outing to Aberdeen to see the movie "UP" with the primary school age kids. No doubt we will have a blast and be able to show God's love at the same time.

Our ministry with the teens is going well too. There is growth in this area as well. Last Friday night we had 4 new teens come and they loved the class. I asked them if the will be back next week and they looked at me as if I was crazy and said, "Off course we will be back!" Working with the teens is never easy! It is very rewarding, but very intense at the same time. Friday night was a perfect example of this. We had a great class and especially the worship time. The responses and involvement was great and after there was a lot of fun and happy people. However, as I started walking home I heard crying and behind a wall. Guess what? Two of the teens who come to class who were DATING had fallen out and now the aftermath. After some counselling and calming down, things were restored to some kind of normality, but that's teen life - one minute you think things are on the up and in the next step you see the down side of working with teens. After all is said and done I am glad to be able to minister to teens, because if we are not - Satan is!

To close I need to request prayers for my uncle Alex (Shoney) Strachan. He is having heart surgery this coming Monday. His spirits are good and the family are supportive. Pray that God takes care of him.
I also need your prayers for our ministry. We are still well short of our financial needs to make up the shortfall that takes effect at the end of this year. Get in touch if there is any way you can help. We have had three responses and we thank God for this! The Levy Church in N.Little Rock, AR, Foothills Church in Searcy, AR and a lovely family in Irving,TX - Thanks again!

God bless!

No Brakes!

This week has been manic! Fenella and I have seen very little of each other and it's just not good enough. I know there are times when there are the kinda weeks you are glad to see past. As always though there have been some gems. Last night we had our Teen class. What a joy! We needed to change to Thursday night because of conflicting use of the hall, but that did not effect the group who came to share in the class. We had around 20 there and apart from a couple of minor "drama" moments all was well. I am convinced that until teens are at least 16 they SHOULD NOT DATE! All the stress within the group comes from the younger teens and their inability to handle relationships. Anyway, enough about the negative. I finished up from last weeks lesson and showed the group the video of S.M. Lockridge - "He's My King." As a result of being at two funerals this week my mind had been influenced by the question, "If I had one thing to tell you before I die what would that be?" I talked about my hearts desire for them all to be safe! I talked plainly about the reality of being ready for either God's return or their time being up on this earth. The response was deep and the eye contact from the majority was fixed and focused. We finished up asking the question, "Is He YOUR King, if not Why not? Rather than play football I took time to visit with the group and spend some one on one time. I love where we are with this group! I pray that we are ready for growth! We talked about last Sunday night and everyone shared great memories from the night, both the young and the old! We are on the right track there and we just need to persevere in moving in the direction of fellowship as well as meetings. John Campbell continues to be a great role model for the group and whenever he is there I know the kids are blessed.

I spent some time this week with Thomas. He asked if we could meet up and talk, so we did. It was good to talk. We were able to be honest with each other and I pray I was able to council with Spirit filled advice to help him in his way to discovering God's purpose and will for his life. All things considered Thomas is growing and finding room to grow in his faith.

The ministries with the schools are going great! I had one of the best days on Wednesday at Anna Ritchie. It is not as regular as other schools that I get to share an assembly there, but when I do it is such a blessing! Anna Ritchie is our special needs school and when the whole school comes together for assembly it is beautiful. I was inspired to teach a lesson from something we did on Sunday night with the "Play Your Cards Right." I took the huge deck of playing cards and did the "Higher or Lower" game with the kids. They loved it and got really excited. I then talked about not always knowing what you are going to face when you come to school. We talked about what kind of "Cards" we should play when there are trying times or happy times. They were brilliant and I am glad to have got the balance right between fun and faith - God is good!

Well, this weekend Fenella and Amy are doing a performance with their Haddo Choral Group. Amy thinks it will be a piece of cake, but Fenella is not quite as confident. Fenella found out that she will be standing right in the front row of the choir! I am confident they will sound amazing and I am quietly looking forward to watching two of my girls shine.

We have managed (with a little help) to book a house up in Avemore for one of the weeks in October so we can get away as a family and enjoy a break. We are ALL looking forward to the time out. Amy and Beth have been going full tilt these past weeks and they are looking forward to some down time too. Holly and Hannah are going to be in charge of our "Schedule" and organise what we will do and see each day - FUN!

Please continue to pray for us. We are still a bit unsure as to how our money issues will be worked out, but are confident they just will be. Pray for our leadership and the direction we need to be going. These are challenging times!

God bless!

Look!

On Sunday night we had one of the best nights in ages! We had around 50 come to the meeting which in itself bucked the trend of struggling to have 30 there on a regular night. The most exciting element was the spread of ages represented - we had a good MIX! We challenged the teens on Friday night to come and many did. We had a family come too! It was refreshing and gives hope!

Alex and I have been planning and working behind the scenes for the past two weeks. We are committed to the idea that we need more fellowship and time to talk as the body and not simply come together for "Meetings." Rather than going straight into the meeting we started with a cup of tea and doughnuts. We wanted everyone to feel closer to one another before coming together to worship. When we began the service many commented about how good the singing was. Alex and I shared a 10 minute lesson each. We based the whole night around the theme of two games shows, "The price is right" and "Play your cards right." Alex took the "Price is right" and talked about God paying the ultimate price in order that our relationship with God might be restored and enjoyed. I took "Play your cards right" and talked about how we need to live life depending on God's unchanging promises and not live as if we have no control of what comes next. When the meeting was over we then stayed behind for some time enjoying good company and some fun. We had re-created some of the games from the shows. Cliffhanger, Hole in One, Ready-Aim-Fire and Higher or Lower. Everyone had a great time and it was especially encouraging to have such a spread of ages sharing the same time and space together!

As you can see from the photo's there were plenty of smiles all round! Alex did a fantastic job keeping things going and I got a surprise to discover how natural he was in the "Games show host" mode - he was brilliant! Everyone was game for a laugh which meant there was never a dull moment. I have no doubt MUCH good was done to bridge the gap from young to old.

I must make a closing comment about our Friday nights. The past two have been something special and I am confident the Spirit is active in bringing about what is best. The group have been a joy to teach and on the 1st Friday we shared the things we struggle with most. The group, anonymously, wrote their struggles on a piece of paper and I collected them in and as a group we discussed some at random. We talked for ages and the group were honest and real as they openly shared the reality of their worlds. In the end I pulled everything together with commenting on the fact that without Christ living in us we will always be dragged down by our failings and it's only when we have Christ that our focus can be set on something pure and powerful. This past Friday I put a slide up with all the sins the group had confessed the week before and in the following slide I put up the many things that Christ does and accomplishes for us and in us. The impact was good and I know the seeds are going deep - Praise God!

We have much to be thankful about and I ask for your continued prayers! It is because of prayer we are seeing these precious times.

God bless!

That sinking feeling again!

I know the title of this blog is a bit dramatic, but there is an element of truth in it all the same. We are beginning the process of having to raise funds to support my family in ministry again. Every now and again we have to stop and devote time to this "Hard" part of ministry. We have lost some support and need to try and replace $1,250 a month. This is a huge part of our support and we are well aware of the implications this causes my family. This is our 10th year in ministry since leaving the physical fishing nets for the spiritual ones. We have been in this position before and God has always provided! This gives me hope and assurance that He will again come to our aid - if He is willing. I know that my God is "able to do immeasurably more" and I put my trust in His people to see the usefulness of our ministry here in Peterhead, Scotland. Anyone who has stood where I am standing knows the path ahead. In my experience it has never been an easy path, but it has always been a blessed one. I am continually amazed by the direction this journey takes and the people and families I have come to know and love as a result of previous journeys. Setting out with the purpose of finding churches or individuals to invest in the work of the kingdom is not always as simple as you might imagine. For me is is one of the hardest things I have to overcome. I find it tough to sell myself, which although misses the point of my ministry altogether, I have to do in order to be able to stand before churches and missions teams to share what God is doing through me and many here in Peterhead. I know this is a stab in the dark, but I also know that behind these words is an awesome God, so I might be underestimating His plans even as I write this. If you are in a position to help get my appeal to the right people or in fact are moved to help yourself, please help me in this journey. Either leave a comment or e-mail me at bfstrachan@aol.com if you can help. If you have minute or two please lift a petition to our Father on our behalf - God bless!

This is not my usual style, but the times call for action and I will use whatever means I have to make sure I can continue to serve in this place of lost souls. I have a responsibility to Fenella and my girls first and I need to know as a father that they are provided for. I pray that God finds us useful and that this weight is lifted soon.

God bless!

Over the past couple of weeks we have been non stop and I hate to think the miles we have covered getting to and from events and venues. I need to start off with the Aberdeen Youth Weekend! Alex, Angie and I took a group of 17 teens, all of whom have varying depths of faith and commitment to God, through to Aberdeen for the weekend. Before leaving with the group I had asked many to be praying for us and I myself had spent much time wrestling in prayer to determine whether it was wise and safe to be taking this group away and to be responsible for them. Most of the group I had zero concern, but there were a couple I had some worries about and thus the reason for wrestling in prayer. I need to say at this point how blessed we were and how well everyone responded to the tone of the weekend. It was great to be able to spend so much time and give so much more attention to relationship than we are accustomed to. I know everyone received their fill and some to overflowing with the living water. There was only the one occasion that I had reason to be concerned and in the end it was simply a cry for attention. There was one in the group that was obviously not ready to be in my care away from home and who gave reason for me not to trust him, but even he showed promise and evidence that the seed is taking root.

We had our traditional marathon football match and this year did not disappoint! Having such a big group through with us meant that from the beginning there was a great game going and as others arrived things just kept getting better till there was so many you didn't know who was on your team. I love Aberdeen Youth Weekend! There is something about this event and the anticipation of great things is so obvious! All the teens are together in one place the whole time and having the use of the YMCA building is brilliant! There are so many options and ways to create little fellowships, whether it's around the snooker tables or in the hall playing football or in the chill out rooms - there is just so much potential for good. Ian Cameron from East Kilbride took the lessons on the theme of "Heroes of the Faith" and did a fantastic job. My personal favorite was his exploration into Samson's life. I had the joy of leading one of the discussion groups. I had most of our older boys and Robert Philips too. Our group was amazing! It was so easy to get the guys to open up and share where they are in their "Faith" and the struggles they face as a result.

I know Angie and Alex were encouraged as a result of the weekend. It goes without saying that we were all exhausted from lack of sleep and abnormally high activity levels! In all the weekend gave us another pointer as to where some of the teens are in their journey to find God and to accept Christ. I have to say that I am hopeful and although the road is often times tough, there is evidence that, yes of course, God is active, but that the group are responding to His call.

This past week I have taken 5 school assemblies. What a JOY! We stumbled across a great lesson during our Monday night class with the younger kids. We were supposed to be talking about some of the things Jesus is, but for some reason the kids diverted the path and we had an amazing lesson talking about some evidences of God's design from the Giraffe and Bombardier Beetle. I had studied this stuff a few years ago in prep for teaching at camp Tayside and for some reason this was so relevant for this Monday night's class. When I saw how engrossed the group were on Monday I thought hmmm... So these past assemblies I have been sharing how amazing God's design is in His creation. I have loved presenting this stuff and the kids are responding sooo well, it's a great blessing all round!

School clubs are going really well too! Anna Ritchie on Friday Afternoon continues to inspire me. I have started teaching Volleyball at Central school and this too is going great. I have made the decision to have most of my school clubs at lunch times rather than after school. Crimond school on a Monday is the only "After School Club" I have. So it's Tuesday, Thursday and Friday lunch times and Monday and Friday Afternoons I get to play with the school kids! There is no doubt that God continues to bless me so that I in turn can bless many.

This past weekend we were up in Buckie to encourage the church there. The truth continues to be, however, that we are the ones being encouraged! We left the house in a frantic blur trying to leave in time to make the trip up in time for the worship. After being reminded that driving aggressively can be dangerous I resolved in my heart to drive safely and if God would make sure the roads were quiet - the deal was struck. Amazingly, no providentially, we arrived in Buckie at the appointed time. The roads were quiet and there was no need to push the limits! Anyway, I had the morning and evening meetings and preached two encouraging lessons. If I were a boxer Bill Pirrie would have to be in my corner with me! He is such an encourager! Both he and Elenor would have to be in my personal Hebrews 11. We spent the day with Hunter and Elaine, Louise and her twin girls Courtney and Teegan, Samantha, and Alan and Grace Johnstone. We had a great day - plenty fellowship and encouragement all round. We love going up to Buckie!

More soon - God bless!

Prayers needed

This past week has been great! We got all the classes up and running again for the new term and most of the school stuff is up and running too - amazing! On Friday night with the teens we sat for a while and talked about our summer. I asked the kids, "Did you take time to notice God at any point through the summer?" I wanted to try to gauge if the kids were thinking godly things when they are away from classes and out there on their own. We had some good responses one of the most obvious was Thomas' comments about watching his mum recover from serious illness and how his mum would always confirm it was because of God that she came through it all. We talked about this coming term and what we needed to get from the class. We are excited about this coming Friday when 17 of us will spend the weekend at the Aberdeen Youth Weekend. Alex, Angie and myself will take a group of 14 teens through! I am for the most part excited about taking the group, however I am praying that one or two respond well to being in a healthy setting and away from their "Normal" unhealthy surroundings. I am confident, and have shared with the group my faith in them, that they will thrive in the company at Aberdeen. We have a bunch of older teens now who are really beginning to stabilise the group and are proving to be sound examples for the rest to follow. In light of the weekend I ask for you all to be in prayer for us. I know God has plans for our group and this weekend will play a huge part in the continual watering of their faith and their desire to find Christ. I continue to have faith that God will do great things in and through these young lives and I ask for your support in prayer.

On Sunday it was my joy to preach in the morning. I was sooo encouraged and challenged as I prepared the message. My heart finally rested in John 12:1-11 when Mary comes to Christ and shows her unreserved devotion and love to her Lord. I was challenged to ask the question, "Do I approach Christ in this same way?" The contrast between Mary's beautiful worship and Judas' shock at what he was witnessing made for a great lesson. I was humbled to consider whether I come to lavish my gift on Christ or whether like Judas I come wondering what will be in it for me! The church responded well to the message and I pray we were challenged to be more like Mary in her devotion to Christ.

Yesterday I had a great time in the morning meeting with Angie and Alex as we talked about what we wanted to do with the Monday night class for the primary school kids. The time was well spent! I am grateful to God for the obvious concern and love expressed for the kids and our desire to share good things with them. We came up with some ideas for Angie to take a group of kids at the start of the class and make some cards. The cards were to let some kids who came a while ago, but no longer come, that we miss them and would love to see them back. Angie will also work on some crafts and cool things to make up a goody box in time for Christmas. The class last night was fantastic! Time seemed to fly. I asked Alex what time it was and it was 7.40! We had so much fun with the kids and they all left very happy and influenced for good!

I mentioned that the school ministries are up and running too. I must try to share some of the joy I receive at the beginning of a new term. I will be out and about and my mobile will ring, on the phone will be a school inviting me to take assemblies and giving me the dates for the term! It is such an encouragement to know that God is being invited to school and I get the joy of bringing Him to the kids! Alex and I have already enjoyed the first session back at Anna Ritchie school. In a way it is fitting that they were the first because I have to admit I have a special place in my heart for our ministry there. We play football every Friday afternoon and the head teacher is always one of the first to call at the beginning of term to make sure we are coming! We have about 15+ kids and the joy that is given and received is priceless - God is great! Anyway, this week sees the start of most of our school activities, so again I ask for your prayers in this amazing opportunity we have to work with the schools.

I will finish with some family news. I have to say that I am delighted to be the father of four beautiful girls! Each has given me great joy and reason to be proud. Amy has started a new job at a shoe store. Shaun and Andrew Main's mum called and asked if Amy wanted a job! She knew Amy would be reliable and asked for her specifically. Amy has so much maturity and sense of responsibility. Amy has also taken on two music students and is teaching piano, again this was due to her piano teacher recommending Amy to families who had been on her waiting list for a while and rather that them loosing interest asked if Amy would take them on as students! These are healthy signs but I am most encouraged by witnessing Amy take a lead in spiritual things. I watched her along with Shireen and Danielle come up with some service ideas that will do much good for our church. Well, Beth too is maturing fast! She continues to thrive at her new school and loves music! Fenella shared something with me last night that brought a lump to my heart. Beth had been commenting how that there were no Christians that she knew of at the new school and had decided to devote some of her study time to the bible and her prayer journal. It's one thing for Fenella and I to encourage this kind of thing, but quite something else when it is freely give through choice. We do miss Beth, big time, through the week and we know it is hard for her sometimes to be away from her family. She phones in the morning before jumping on the school bus and it lights up our start to the day.

Holly and Hannah have started in the junior orchestra! They play the violin and this past Saturday morning was their first time to rehearsals. They enjoyed it and were excited that at their first concert they will be playing one of their favorite pieces, that Amy and Beth played with their orchestras, "The Lord of the dance." They are enjoying their P5 class and their new teacher, Mrs McRory. Both are very excited about their projects for this term, Holly has "Roald Dhal" and Hannah has "The Royal Family." Both are putting together Power Points and telling me that they need memory sticks for school to get their files too and from school - sign of the times eh! Like their big sisters, Holly and Hannah enjoy their classes at church. They are very active on Monday and Wednesday nights and already show a keen desire and depth for their faith.

Fenella and I are muddling through. We have all the strains and concerns that are common to any family - like where is the money going to come from for University and the constant search for money to cover that extra lessons or books the girls need as they add to their abilities and stretch their gifts. When everything is said and done I would not change a thing! Fenella continues to be the wind in my sails. When I get to stressing and worrying, Fenella fills my sails with the needed breezes to keep me going. I am reminded of my facebook status which is, "Love is all around me!"

God bless and keep us in your prayers.

Can't believe Summers Over!

The summer has flown in and I can't believe we were dropping Beth off at Dyce on Monday and taking Holly and Hannah to school yesterday! We had a full summer, but got everything done we needed to. I suppose you could say we had a "budget" summer, since the finances are tight just now. Our highlight of the summer was camp! The girls had a fabulous time and as ever the whole camp atmosphere and focus fed all our souls. Fenella had the toughest time, being in the kitchen all week and missing out on a lot of the Assembly and Devotional time. The truth is that camp this year proved to be a timely tonic for my soul. We had Dan Langdon and Russell Hill over because it was the 20th anniversary of camp and the lessons they taught energised my spirit. I arrived at camp ready to serve and found myself receiving all the time. The discussion group I was responsible for was again a source of joy and hope. The group of 14-16 year olds were beautiful! Their insight and vision for the kingdom was inspiring for me to listen to. It was a true joy to join in discussion about the kingdom and where we need to focus our efforts and impact our communities. I had Aaron Moyes from Kircaldy in our group and again I was encouraged to share in some good, deep spiritual talks that helped and inspired the whole group. When the week was over it was tough to leave after having received so much - good times!

We took the chance to do some work at the church building since the classes were on a break for the summer, and re-did the youth/fellowship hall. The reason for this was simple - to stop kids knocking holes in the walls. I am now delighted that the hall is safe and that the kids will feel no more shame or embarrassment when a shoulder or a knee goes through the wall. We had one wall in particular which was incredibly soft and every class we anticipated more damage. Fenella's dad (Jacky) and myself did all the joinery work and we had Alex helping out too. We covered the whole hall in 12mm MDF sheets 6ft high. This has significantly strengthened the walls and most importantly we have no worries when we have the kids doing active stuff. The work took us fully two weeks to complete and now that the painting and finishing's are done the hall looks great.

This summer has been a good time to step back a reflect on how things are going. I know there are things I need to improve on and having occasion to think and plan has given me a clearer picture on how to get some of this done. My main concern is not taking enough care of my own soul. I am shocked at how empty I can allow myself to run before I make a conscious effort to fuel myself and not fill myself with what everyone else needs. So, this term I hope to be more conscious of my personal spiritual well-being. This summer has also given cause to see again just how powerfully God continues to provide the opportunity for us to serve and influence. I look at the amount of schools that are open to inviting me in to share God and to help influence the kids for good, and I am still overwhelmed - richly blessed!

We had some precious time with Chrissy and Robin Vick, who were over for David and Dani's wedding and were able to spend a couple of days with us. Chrissy and Robin are two people we have shared so many life and kingdom experiences with, that we are woven together in kingdom fabric. We talked into the small hours and shared vision and hopes for God's kingdom. We anticipate their return early next year and know God has plans for their willingness and their passion for the lost.

We have been really encouraged by Shireen and Danielle these past weeks. In spite of some hard circumstances they are living by faith and have been a source of joy to Fenella and I. I am excited about the term ahead and pray that God will use them and their abilities to influence others for the good of the kingdom. We are also encouraged by Thomas and like with the girls I look forward to his influence and help this coming term.

Amy was pretty busy through the summer with the National Youth Choir of Scotland. We were traveling a fair bit to get her to rehearsals and concerts in Glasgow, Sterling and Perth. We are so blessed to be able to go and hear the Choir! At the concert in Perth and I will never forget the sound and the power of all 200+ gifted voices exploding into the song "Zadok the Priest!" The whole summer I have been humming and thinking about the songs they sung - they have lifted my spirits - thanks Amy!

Well, my head is sore from trying to remember everything, so that's it for now. In closing please keep our efforts in your prayers. We are at the begining of a new term and as always we want to be following in the footprints of the Spirit. Thank God for the opportunities we have and that we bring Christ in through the doors.

God bless!

Sprint's over - time for a breather

There were times during the last couple of weeks when I didn't know if I was coming or going, but in the end had a magic end of term with the schools and finished up the classes on a high too. There are too many highlights to mention! From watching Crimond school perform "Oliver" to having so many "Thank You Teas" it was all great. I may have overdosed a little on Strawberry tarts, in fact we joked and started comparing each school's and found Crimond to be have the best Strawberry tarts. It is always so nice to be invited to all the schools and share in their end of term stuff. It is always a bitter sweet time, although it is a great time of connection and encouragement it is also the time we say goodbye to the P7's who move on up to the high school after the summer. Central School is always the toughest and this year was no different. I went armed with my marker pen in ready for the "traditional" jersey signing. I love making up Be... phrases for each of them - Be ... Amazing, Be ... Outstanding, Be Phenomenal etc... It was also my joy to be able to take part in a few end of term services when I am invited to share a message in the presence of the full school body and staff along with the parents - fantastic seed planting time!!!



We have spent some time taking our youth group on some outings. With the teens we went and spent a night in Aberdeen, leaving at 3.30 and getting home around midnight. The night was fantastic! We split up for the first part - some went to an fun-fair and some went to play football (soccer) in a big indoor sports hall. We met up and had supper at Pizza Hut and then went to the movies, again half went to "My Sisters Keeper" and half went to "Transformers." There were 21 of us went through and it was a great way to finish up after the school term had finished. With the younger kids we took them through to see "Ice Age 3." Like with the teens we had as blast. There were 13 of us went trough and great to spend time together.



On the Saturday we had our church picnic. The weather was amazing and if anything it may have been too hot! Can't believe I'm saying that - but it's true. There must have been about 50 of us, half youth and half congregation. The day was magic! We changed the venue this year and took the kids to Stuartfield instead of Aden Park. This turned out to be a good choice and having a tennis court there was a constant stream of competitions going since everyone was following the events of Wimbledon.

Looking forward to camp tayside next week!

God bless!

JEEPERS!

The past week has been very busy. It is getting to the end of the school term and this time of year is always an amazing time to minister in the schools. I have three schools who have invited me to take a part in their end of term services - Fantastic! I have numerous other events that I have been asked to support. I have to judge a talent show at one of the schools, I have been invited to a performance of "Oliver" at another and will be helping on trips at Central school. Although I am excited about all the opportunities ahead, I know by the end of next week we will all be on our knees! I have two trips organised for the kids who come to classes, one for the younger kids to the movies in Aberdeen and a second for the teens again into Aberdeen for some fun, supper and a movie. We have visitors coming from Norway over to spend time with Amy and Beth. We have Robert coming from East Kilbride for the same week to Shadow and help out with my work. JEEPERS!!!

This past weekend we had our Friday night class with the teens which was great for 90% of the time and some drama queens making some fuss which left me a little stressed for the last 30 minutes of the class - that's teenagers for you! The singing and lesson time was fine and the response to the lesson was good. A few of the group have started dating each other and we are now entering un-chartered waters with the group. This is great, but when there are break-ups, it has an effect on the balance of the group as a whole. Anyway, next Friday I will take some time to set things straight and set out some new boundaries!

I was responsible for this past Sunday night, which was our 3rd Sunday in the month. We had a good bunch there. I preached on "The Day of Atonement." I loved the preparation for this one. I went on a journey from initially thinking I would preach on the finality of Jesus "Sitting" at God's right hand against the Priest continually standing offering sacrifice for sin (Heb 10:11-12). However, once I got into the Leviticus 16 chapter my mind was captivated and the lesson then became Jesus as our "Atoning" sacrifice.

Well, a couple of days ago I found out that I have a fractured rib. I have had it for a couple of weeks, since jumping off sand dunes with the Harding Campaign group, but simply passed it of as a sore side. Everything change when I sneezed one morning and nearly passed out with the pain! I went straight to the doctor who did some checks compressing my rib cage, again causing me to nearly pass out, and confirmed the fractured rib. I gave Fenella a shock when I went through to the Physio Dept. to tell her the news. So, the end result is, yet again, I've been told to take things easy and slow down - I think I will start paying attention this time!

A couple of family things to finish with. Amy has been accepted to join the "Scottish Opera Connect!" This is a great starting point in her desire to becoming an opera singer. Amy went down to Glasgow to audition for the place and was informed she has been successful and will start the 7 month course in September! Beth is currently in Belgium with the school on a WW1 history trip! She is loving all the war sites and memorials they have seen and has been impacted by her time there. Beth has settled in amazingly well at her new school and loves it!

Well, enough for today - God bless!

Around the Campfire

For our Friday Night Teen Class we went out to John and Michelle's house. They have a good scelp of land around their house and it was the ideal setting for having a time around the campfire. At the beginning of the night the weather was beautiful, but it was not long after that the mist rolled in from the sea and the temperature dropped considerably. The night was fabulous and a good mixture of football, volleyball, good food and a fine time in worship around the campfire meant that everyone left with their cups running over.

During the campfire as I was teaching and looking for some responses to the question, "Why do you enjoy coming to God centred stuff?" One heart warming thing was that in the afternoon I had talked with the Harding group and filled them in on what I would be doing around the campfire and to be ready with some responses in the event that our teens are reluctant. However, when the time came for responses it was our teens who were stepping up and sharing why they enjoyed coming and being together in God focused ways. The responses ranged from knowing that the atmosphere was encouraging and you were accepted to wanting to know and believe more about God. The time was hugely encouraging for me to hear the teens share and express what they thought of church and the night gave us an insight into the fact that we are going in the right direction with the group and that their faith is deepening.

The night was also huge because our teens got to spend time and be around the Harding students who were a little older that they are and who are devoted to God's ways. The week before at our regular Friday night class we had the Harding group share some personal challenges and give testimony for why they have made the choice to follow Christ. All of this, I am confident, is helping to shape the way our "young" youth group are thinking about their commitment to following God and committing their lives to Christ. So many seeds have been planted and will continue to be watered waiting for God's timing to bring the increase!

Scavenger Hunt!

Every year it has become a tradition to hold a scavenger hunt for the kids during the Harding Campaign and this year was no different. We has six stations, five of which were in the town centre and one at a playing field. We had been praying for good weather and we were blessed with a gorgeous day! The hunt was themed "Food Fight" and based on the Fruit of the Spirit. Before arriving at the "Love" Station we gave the teams a huge bag of candy and asked them to make a choice. We had one team member from each team come out and the choice the team had to make was whether they would sacrifice their bag of candy to have their team mate back. In the end all teams made the choice to sacrifice their candy. After the Love station they were sent out to find the next four on their "Menu." At the "Kindness" station the team were given three big inflatable toys and were challenged to give them away. They had to give one to someone under the age of 10, one to someone between 20 - 40 and one to someone over 60. The team had to get the people sign as proof they had received their gift. At the "Self Control" station we had the team each hold on to a loop in a rope chain and their mission was to buy as many things with £1 as they could. They got every ones attention as they snaked in and out of shops! Next up was the "Gentleness" station. We had a big table with eight handles made and the kids had to keep as many balls from rolling off the top of the table as possible. They had to be gentle in their movements if they wanted to succeed! At the "Patience" station we had the kids run a relay race. They had to fill a sponge with water and get as much of the water into a bucket at the end. We finished up at the park for the last event "Faithfulness," which was a team race on special skis we had made to hold 5 people! This was such a laugh watching the team try to work together and move forward. The day was finished off back at the building and the kids each got something to take away that would remind them of the scavenger Hunt. Of the four teams the Chocolate, Pizza, Hot dogs and the Banana's - the Banana's were the winning team and each received a little trophy.

Again a great day and great memories!

Other Campaign Stuff - Scottish Night

This year we wanted to give our visitors a true taste of Scottish culture and so we organised a Scottish night! On the night we had some "Ceilidh Dancing" along with some games and singing and of course food! What was really neat this year was that John Campbell who put everything together for the night organised some practice classes leading up to the night. We had so much fun learning all the dances from "Strip the willows" to the "Highland barn dance," I think we learned eight in all. On the night we had a bunch of visitors and a great mix of all generations.

The real reason for holding the event was for the sole purpose of fellowship and getting all age together for some good clean fun. The evening was a huge success and those who were there are still talking about it yet. You can see from the photos that there are smiles and happiness everywhere. I think John said we had 63 come to the Scottish Night.

Great Memories!