We are not alone...

Time for an update :)

In a nutshell most of my time has been spent trying to build up! It is first thing on Monday morning and I have come down to the coffee shop for a half hours peace and quiet to get some thoughts put down. This past weekend we were away to Loch Lomond with a group of teens and young adults. The weekend was organised by the Cumbernauld church and I have to take my hat off to them for hosting a fine event in one of the most gorgeous locations on the planet! The youth hostel we stayed in was right on the "bonnie banks of Loch Lomond!" Although physically I am a wreck, I am refreshed in spirit :) There were over 70 present for the weekend and any time you have a group of young people coming together for fellowship/worship the outcome is always going to be good.

As ever you can rule out and sensible idea of sleep - Youth don't seem to need the stuff! Anyway, that's just me showing my age. The good stuff - I loved the discussion we were able to engage in over the weekend. I was so encouraged to listen and share with youth who have an appetite for kingdom thinking. How refreshing to be surrounded by minds and hearts that are hungry for The Lord and for His ways! It was kinda special because we had 4 in our group for whom this was their 1st youth weekend. I was chuffed to be bringing Holly and Hannah for the first time and also Beth Mackie and Megan Cowie :)

On the Saturday afternoon I had the joy of getting outside and exploring this beautiful setting with Shaun Main and David Cope. We climbed part of the mountain and had a blast for a couple of hours. We did get spooked for a time as we explored and suddenly realised how far we had come and how easily we could be lost in this exposed and unforgiving habitat. It was beautiful and rugged and inspiring, but humbling at the same time. It was one of my highlights of the weekend and memories I will cherish :) it was good to talk and council and appreciate the unguarded openness of expressing godly things as if that was 'normal' and the distractions of the World seemed to be so muted and absent - so refreshing!

 I must mention our pit-stop on the way home. We were invited to pop in past Forfar and see Aubrey and Sara Boynes. They had made pizza and laid out snacks for us - most appreciated! It was a joy to see how at ease our group was in their home. I am not surprised in the least because that is just what happens when you step into a Christian Home! Thank you Aubrey and Sara :)

Sitting down this morning and thinking about the weekend and the bigger picture for our youth I am encouraged that we were part of this and that we saw groups just like us who are trying to stand out from the crowd and step up to the call of Christ. There is no doubt that we are the tiny minority in a culture that is increasingly turning from the truth of God's plan and purpose, but we do not shrink back or shy away from the reality that we are all His creation made in His image to do good for His glory.

We had a night for our over 60's in January. We had a Burn's supper - Haggis, neeps and tattles etc. What a beautiful night it turned out to be! The under 60's did all the cooking, decorating and entertainment. My responsibility was for the entertainment! It was obvious from the start that everyone was out to enjoy the evening and upon reflection the mix of good food and even better company meant it was memorable for all the right reasons.

The two stand out moments, which were spontaneous and heart felt, came from Betty Hepburn and Elizabeth Buchan ( Ronnie's Lizbeth). Betty got everyone's attention and shared the importance of a life spent in service to God and not forgetting the importance of fellowship. Elizabeth also shared her thanks and love for the church in light of her recent struggles and hard circumstances both she and Ronnie are facing. Both women instantly had the ear of all who were listening because they have both spent their lives in faithful service to our king. They provided the depth that made the evening memorable!

On a lighter note... I have to mention John Youngson! John is Jackie and Joyces' son. I think his name should be John 'the stomach' Youngson! John likes his food and after two bowls of soup, two main courses and 5 plates of trifle he finally called it a day!

For the entertainment I had worked on a slide show quiz that had all the members family tartans on the screen and in teams they had to link the various tartans with the family names. The second instalment was something Fenella came across on you-tube and was a "Doric Fish Quiz." What a laugh! There was a right good atmosphere and everyone was in the mood to enjoy themselves. Everything worked together to make this an unforgettable night :)

The classes are a work in progress at the moment. We are going through a period of testing. It is never easy when a new bunch come into the group and go through the process of finding their feet. Learning where the boundaries are and being exposed to teaching that goes against the grain to what they have grown up with will always mean times of friction, but in time can begin to produce fruit according to the Spirit. I never grow tired of those moments when you catch a glimpse in the face of one of the new-comers  when their face is totally engaged and focused on the lesson and you know their thinking and world is being touched by God. I need to balance this out with the other reality that highlights the immaturity that comes from reaching out to youth with little appetite for godliness. On numerous occasions I have found myself teaching and leading discussion to the point that you know the Word is active, only to be stopped in your tracks by mindless stupidity and attention seeking antics that throw me and test my patience to the limit! Anyone who says that working with youth is "child's play" has never been there! However, in spite of the testing it hit me again last night as we were circled up in class. Looking at all the faces and loving the fact that they are there, this continues to fill me with wonder and anticipation. I have been thinking a lot lately about the fact that the faces sat across from me in class are the lives that we have been blessed to instruct and share Christ with. It may not be clear why some of the lives are there in light of the constant challenges they present, but I am reminded that the lives most in need are the lives needing to be touched by Christ.

I find myself being reminded of one date daily as I plan for the days ahead. I was talking to the youth group last night about the upcoming East Kilbride Youth Weekend on the 29th March and was instantly flooded with thoughts that, God willing, Jr, Daisha, Gideon and Naomi Sheets will be here in Peterhead! Every time I think of an event or am asked to take part in something I am thinking, that's before they get here or that's after they arrive. We are prayerful that as they are applying for visa's and making the final preparations for their move over that God's hand will steady their feet and cause them to walk by faith. I was reminded of the journey we have been on from the first encounter of God's providence way back when we had just come out of a leadership meeting and we had highlighted our need for a family to come and join our efforts here in Peterhead. The following morning I was sitting reading an e-mail, out of the blue, from the Sheets expressing a pull to come over to Scotland and work with the church! How things have moved and fallen into place from then until now can only be credited to our Father's hand - I am confident that He will bring this good thing to fruition :)

My day to day ministry is full of lesson preparation, visiting members of the congregation, meeting up with the youth for coffee, keeping in contact with the local schools doing assembly talks and some football coaching and making sure the various classes at the church building are organised and providing a caring and godly environment. God continues to give the strength and the encouragement needed to keep giving.

He is able to do immeasurably more...

Looking Forward...

Happy 2013 everyone! There is always something refreshing about entering into a new year. It almost gives us a chance to draw a line under the previous year and muster a whole new perspective for the year ahead. There is a real sense of effort and change amongst many of the youth group and although much of it may well dwindle over the coming weeks, it is still a joy to see them with renewed purpose and opportunity for growth. I have come to realise that any time a soul makes a conscious choice to renew their focus toward godliness is an opportunity for them to deepen their relationship with their Father.

This is our second week of classes being back since the Christmas break. The early signs are good and as ever cause us to sit down and consider how we can best accommodate the development of faith in the group as a whole. This is always a bit of a head scratcher with the limited help and the vast array of ages and faith! Last night was the perfect example. There were around 30 kids there from 6.15 to 8.00 pm. The age range was between 5 and 20, funnily enough so are the attention spans! This term we have the same skeleton crew of teachers who have to balance the needs of kids with hunger for spiritual things against the needs of the kids who have hunger for attention. Funny, as I am writing this I am getting flashbacks to the fact that this is not a new issue :) Yes, in an ideal world we would love to have more helpers who love kids and allow us the ability to cater for a more tailored needs based program, but that is not where we are. The opportunity we have is beautiful and it causes us to rely heavily in the provision of God, rather than in our own strength or ability. Yes, there are times we are tested to the extreme. Yes, there are times a lesson does not impact the way I had thought because of attention seeking outbursts. Yes, there are times we question if real growth is occurring. In spite of all this I am reminded DAILY that God brings about the increase in His time. There are times we sit and struggle over individuals who, in our thinking, we would be better off without. However, we know that their lives are in chaos because too few people sit and struggle over their well being. So, is ministry easy? Yes, it can be, if we choose not to reach out to the lost and the broken.

We had a lovely Christmas holidays! Fenella and I have often looked at each other, since Amy and Beth have gone back to Uni, and know we miss them sorely. It was complete JOY to have the house full of family! Of course, we are delighted with their choices and the direction their lives are now heading, but we now know what it feels like to live with and without them. Holly and Hannah had their big sisters home and made the most of every day! There were few nights when the four of them didn't find their way into the same bedroom for sleepovers and movies. Fenella too would deliberately go up to bed early and shout down stairs for one of the girls to come up and keep her company till I would come up and thank them for making my side of the bed nice and toastie. It is God who brings peace and love into a home.

We have much to be thankful for and in spite of some challenges that will follow us into this new year, we are able to say with confidence, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

The days ahead a already getting busy and the list of events and commitments are growing. One of our priorities is getting our older teens and young adults to enjoy Christianity and to find real joy in their lives. Even though this world is screaming in their ears our prayer is that they will listen to the still quiet voice that whispers to their hearts. We will be taking a group to a retreat in mid February which will be on the banks of Loch Lomond, hosted by the Cumbernauld Church of Christ. This is good timing for some focused time with the group away from the noise and into the stillness of fellowship with godly people.

I am allowing myself to get excited about the arrival of JR and Daisha Sheets! For a while we have prayed and anticipated their arrival, but it always seemed to be away in the distant future, but now it is almost time! The 21st of March is the date everything is pointing too for the move over here. Please be praying for this. They are now going through the process of applying for their visa's and we need this to go smoothly for them. God's plan has been obvious and His hand has and will carry this through to fruition. Although this is just the start of a new chapter we have seen so many twists and turns through out this partnership that it has been a story in itself getting to this point :)

Much of my daytime ministry is taken up with visitation and meeting up with young Christians to encourage and help out in any way I can. I am still active with schools, but I have cut back on the amount of my time spent within the schools. It became clear a while ago that working in large group settings is good but there has to be a balance and time devoted to building more one on one relationships. Again in an ideal world it would be great to have more like indeed people to share in outreach opportunities like these, but I must prioritise and have a more rounded outlook to developing our youth and encouraging the struggling.

It has been a welcome change to have Fenella back to her 3 1/2 days a week rather than the full time hours she was doing the months leading up to Christmas. I know that I function better knowing on Wednesday's we get to spend the day doing something together. It usually means a simple trip down to Simpsons Tea Room, but it's sometimes the simple things in life that are the best :)

Home for Christmas :)

Hannah's new rabbit - Hazel.

Christmas in their "onesies"

Grace...

About time I put some comments up on here! Where to begin??? Let's start out with an overview and see where things go from there. Although it has been August since my last post the reason for my inactivity has been too much activity! Thankfully in the past few weeks I have been able to look through new eyes with a different set of priorities and, God willing, the outcome will mean more beneficial ministry. There were times over the past months I have been such a control freak and without it being my intention, I was not giving God much room to bring about His will. My mind would constantly be thinking and anxious about many things - mainly older teens. I felt like I was responsible for the well-being of their souls, needless to say this was a burden I could not bear! God has been teaching me over the past weeks that my best efforts no matter how noble mean little if they are not married to the Spirit and leaving room for His will. Since the summer we have seen a group of older teens stop coming to church and this has been a hard lesson. It brings home the realities of things out-with my control - the realities of an individuals choice, the pull of this World, the need to understand God's timing and not knowing when the seeds of faith will produce Life. As I am typing this and I have the time to think clearly about the past events, I am thankful to God for the clarity and insight this affords me.

Although my opening comments are a bit on the melancholy side, I am still in awe of what God continues to bring about in His church! Over the same period we have seen growth in other areas and reason to be excited about the coming years ahead. Both our Wednesday night and Friday night classes have seen significant growth. Friday night is where the journey begins again! We may have lost a few for a time, but we have gained much more! I must take a couple of sentences to mention the influence and encouragement that Dylan Sutherland has been to me. Dylan is 15 and in the past couple of months has been responsible for around 6 or 7 of his friends finding their way to Friday nights at church! Dylan has always been an extraordinary young man and it is my joy to have him in our group at this time. Just last week he lost his mum pretty suddenly. I am thankful to be able to be there for him and because of his interest in God over the years it helps. Please, when you have a moment, share a prayer for Dylan and his family - Brian (dad), Shantelle (sister), Angelo, Troy and Vernon (brothers).

I must express my penned up excitement for the beginning of a new chapter in our Church's journey.  JR, Daisha, Gideon and Naomi Sheets, God willing, will be here in March 2013! The best things in life are seldom easy to come by and the story being unfolded with JR and Daisha is no exception. We have much to be thankful for in light of their coming to work with us. God's timing is proving once again to be right! Yes, it would have been lovely to have had them here six months ago, but that would have meant we would have been all the poorer for it. We have been blessed to come to know and appreciate the Fairfax Church of Christ in Virginia. JR and the family are spending time with them in preparation for their move over here next year. Fairfax are hugely involved in this partnership and only God knows what this relationship will produce in the coming years as we deepen our relationships. We have already begun working towards a campaign in July 2013. Fairfax will be sending a group of 23 to work with us. This will be a first for us in the sense that the group are primarily teens with 5 adults. We are hopeful that the connections  that have already begun via Facebook, will bring both groups together and cause relationship in light of the Kingdom. Again, we ask that you pray with us in light of the good work that God has begun, but more importantly what He will bring to fruition :)  These comments do not do justice to what's in our hearts as we dream of what God has in store.

I mentioned at the beginning that sometimes God re-arranges our priorities in order to bring us into closer relationship with Him. One of our top priorities these past months has become Fenella's mum and dad -  Jack and Alexa. They have had quite a time of illness and much of it has left them housebound. With Fenella being their only child, the joy of caring for them fall primarily with us. Fenella takes care of all the more serious stuff and I am the message boy :) I make sure they have what they need when they need it. I have got to know the routine and what to bring on the said day. Even though they are family and it is what we do, it is still nice to have this avenue to do good deeds. I am growing to appreciate what God is teaching me through Jack and Alexa. They are so thankful for any help given - it humbles me. Alexa is slowly getting stronger and is able to get out and about more. She has been able to be at church these past couple of weeks and true to form is able to encourage everyone simply because she is there and brings her gentle spirit and warm smiles. Jack is showing signs of improving, but has still a distance to go. His blood is still being monitored closely due to blood clots in his lungs and while on the blood thinning medication he must wait till Feb/March next year to have a small surgery to repair some damage. However, God willing, this will give him the ability to enjoy more freedom in the not too distant future. Your prayers would be lovely  :)

In this section I will not be specific with those involved, but I will be on the impact it has had on my life. In a word it is "GRACE." I don't think there is a time in my life where I have learned or appreciated the beauty and power that is contained within the concept of grace. This term has led me to spend time with many who are struggling with sin and got themselves tangled up in it's consequences.In the process I am learning that it is impossible to minister without Grace. Yes, we can council and inspire, but in order for love to be the motive, we must be seasoned by grace. It is a joy to witness the evidence of God's grace beginning to defeat the ravages of sin - Thank God for His Church!

We have been involved in a bunch of activities with the youth since the summer. One of the highlights was the Aberdeen Youth Weekend. We took a big group through and enjoyed the weekend together. We had a couple of "growing" times with some of the group. I have come to learn that these times are necessary and in fact have led to healing most of the time. It was good to catch up with some good friends and getting to mingle in that atmosphere is one of my favourite things to do :)  It was my joy to stand in for Richard Harp, who was down to preach on the Sunday morning. Richard was taken to hospital pretty suddenly and spent some time on his back very ill just before the weekend. Thankfully, he has recovered now :)

A couple of weekends ago it was my time to travel up to Buckie and preach there. It turned out to be a cracking day, thanks to Jordan coming for the day with me. The journey there and back passed so quickly as we talked and shared. We were able to encourage the church and in the afternoon I took Jordan to visit a dear friend up in Cullen - Avril Bowie and Calum her son. It was so good to visit and talk! Off course, we nipped in for some ice cream while we were there in Cullen. The day was long, but it was such a blessing.

We have done some stuff with our young adults on Sunday nights - mostly going out to places of interest where we can enjoy the company. We have explored castles, walked around Bullers O' Buchan, done Aden Park a couple of times, Bowling, Movies and chilled out at McDonald's.

December will be a busy month! Our family will share in Holly and Hannah's 12th birthday, Amy's 21st, my 45th and Fenella's birthday at the end of the month. It will be our 23rd anniversary on the 1st and then there's Christmas to top things off! We have pretty much got the youth group outings and carol singing dates sorted. The schools are in till the 21st, so when the 22nd comes around we will breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy time with the family at home - bliss!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the Power of His might."

Holly and Hannah's first day at Academy (High School)

Beth getting settled in her Glasgow halls

Bowling night out - Ethian, Jordan, Donald, Megan and C.J.

Fun - ducking for apples :)

Chalk and Cheese!

Family Update Summer 2012

Thought I would update everyone about what is happening with our family. Let me start by saying we are all doing well. The summer has seen Beth home for most of it, but Amy has been coming and going like a yo-yo! However, on the occasions when we have all been at home together - they have been priceless! We sometimes think that Holly and Hannah are missing out a bit not getting the benefit of having their big sisters around all the time. We are happy that the four girls are close and any time the family is complete - there is joy. Well, the summer is gone and I don't know where to begin! I think I want to get stuck into our time in London. There is no doubt that this was a once in a lifetime event! I commented in my last family update about both Amy and Beth getting the honor to play during the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. This made for a frantic period leading up to the performances as we tried to find reasonably priced accommodation around the London area during the time when the Olympics were on! We settled on Hemmel Hempstead, which was about half and hour outside London by train. We decided to drive down breaking the journey at Newcastle. We enjoyed 6 days down south and although we all had sore feet for most of the time we did find time to relax and unwind some too. We took Holly and Hannah to the Harry Potter Studio Tour and they loved it! (You may have noticed Fenella's facebook profile picture was taken there on Hagrid's motor bike :)  We spent three hours looking at the props and buildings from the movies and even tried a cup of "Butter Beer." If you are a Harry Potter fan this is a must see and the last room you enter is really quite stunning and takes your breath away! I won't spoil the secret in case you visit at a later date. Anyway, getting to the good stuff - Amy was first to perform with The National Youth Choir of Scotland. We arrived at the Albert Hall and took a moment to admire and take in the atmosphere and setting - it was a wee bit overwhelming thinking that our two daughters would be performing here! My mum was with us and she couldn't contain her joy saying, "I Canna believe we are here!" We got to our seats and for the next three hours we beamed as we sat listening to some of the most beautiful voices you will hear and of course we were beaming inside knowing that Amy was part of this beauty. As if that was not enough we were back again just four days later as Beth took to the stage with the National  Youth Orchestra of Scotland. As with Amy it is quite something to know your girl has the privilege to be a part of something so good. The concert was gorgeous and they had the double honor of having the violin soloist, Nicola Benedetti play with them. It was definitely a "wow" week in our lives! After Beth's concert we drove all the way back home and was pretty well done by the time we got through the front door. What a summer!!!

We have been preparing for Beth going off to Glasgow in September to begin her further studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she will continue to perfect her performance and music skill playing her oboe. Amy was up and down the road to Edinburgh securing a flat for this coming year and found a nice one that she is sharing with her friend Julie. The house will be empty again come September and rather than the six of us there will only be four :(  Holly and Hannah have crossed another milestone as they moved up to the Academy last Wednesday! They are doing great and have both adapted very well to life in the big school. They are in separate classes and have both got their own bunch of friends. With our house just a stones throw from the Academy they are fortunate that they can come and go in no time at all. 
Fenella is just about managing to juggle everything. Between work and family, both of which she does amazingly well, Fenella has a full load. Alexa, Fenella's mum is doing better and was strong enough to be at church this past Sunday for the first time. In everything like most families we have our stresses and struggles and there are always things that could have been done better. We are thankful for all four of our girls and we pray that we are ready to meet the next stages in their growth and development. 

God is good!  

Bringing in the Changes

Finally! It is not that I have been putting off updating my blog, but the time has come to finally sit down and think back over the past weeks and remember what God continues to bring about. Like most seasons we have had some memorable times for all the right reasons and some growing pains too. It seems we made a lot of choices this past weeks that has reshaped what our ministry will look like from this point forward. A few weeks into the changes in some areas and the story so far is good. I am always taken aback when I consider how things don't stay the same and equally made aware that ministry must be a team effort. Just before the summer break we began a new class for the young adults. We kept this class going throughout the summer break and have had some very memorable times together. The class is on Sunday nights incorporating the Gospel meeting and then fellowship. Things are certainly moving in the right direction as far as trying to get the youth and the congregation together. Having the young adults meet on Sunday nights means we are together during the meeting times and just last Sunday we made a decision to have the kids and adults meet together for the first part of Wednesday night bible class! This is great news and having the kids and congregation sing and pray together will be good. We tried to mix the classes a long time back, but the timing was not right. God willing this is the right time. We know there will be some give and take in order for the time to be a benefit to all, but we know for the future growth of the church there has to be more mixing and community between all. 

The summer weeks have been refreshing! It's not until you slow down that you realise the pace you were going. The more I am beginning to understand what is needed for a relationship with God the more I am confident that this "world" is conditioned against it! One thing I needed to learn and was made aware of is that it is God who restores our souls. Unless we are led to the green pastures and the still waters there is no place for God to bring restoration to our spirits. This world does not allow for peace and stillness, but it values business and activity! So, one thing I need to  discipline myself to do this term is to make time for stillness - away from ministry and study and alone with God. 

We have done our fare share of counselling and listening over the summer weeks. As our youth group move from teenage to young adult we are being challenged in keeping things focused and helping some struggle through the tough choices that come as the world mounts it's assault on their will and their devotion. With all this in mind I need to talk a bit about our campaign in July. This year we invited four young adults, Aubrey and Sara Boyns, David Cope and Sarah Ormsby, to come and help for ten days. Our main focus was to encourage and give our teens and young adults an avenue to serve. The results of the campaign were remarkable! From the weeks leading up to and the campaign itself, we had a committed and focused group who put on an outstanding VBS. I  wish I could recount everything that was excellent about the VBS, but there was too many to share. The involvement and creativity, the shared joy and enthusiasm, the smiles and the contact was beautiful! Our theme for the VBS was "Aiming High!" We had sketches staring Moses who didn't think he was good enough to compete, Abraham who was ready to compete, but was told he must go and compete in another event and Peter who was encouraged to  throw with his other hand and found miraculous distance! We had three movie clip bible lesson/discussion times featuring "Brave" and the need to be strong and courageous, "Up" and the challenge not to conform, but to transform and "Chitty, Chitty, Bang Bang" with the message that with God all things are possible! We had some active events outside that were sooo much fun and brought so much laughter and fellowship! There was no doubt that the children who came were blessed and I know the many who chose to be servants and look to the needs and enjoyment of the kids were also blessed. The campaign was indeed a time of building. There were numerous times we were together either preparing for VBS, or out in the evenings enjoying the company, or sitting in Symposium with a cup of coffee talking - in everything, at various times, Christ could be seen! To Aubrey, Sara, David and Sarah thank you for "Shining like stars in the universe" and for your devotion to the King's work. To our youth - the times you come together for good, you truly are beautiful!

While I am putting this post together I am still a little "groggy" from  the Aberdeen Youth Weekend! This past weekend it was my joy took a group of 15 through for what is always a highlight for our group. Yes - there was all  the usual niggles like not getting to sleep till 4.00am the first night and having to battle intense feelings of wanting to throttle the Cumbernauld boys! In light of the good that was done these little niggles are  easily forgotten. To climb aboard the minibus and look back at a sea of faces excited about being together and wanting to spend the weekend away from home and in the company of Christian's - praise God! Yes, I know there are varying degrees of desiring God and commitment to His praise, but I know everyone in the group has a heart that is open to the seed of God's goodness and that their lives will be receiving a blessing from some element of the weekend. It is so important for our group to be in the presence of other young Christians and adults who enjoy their stage in life! One of the key verses used throughout the lessons was Hebrews 12:1 and the sense of our group being surrounded by godly people will inspire and spur them in the direction of God. The weekend was excellent and even the couple of times when one or two needed to be counselled  the outcome and the healing far out-weighed the pain. The one disappointment was not being able to see Richard Harp, who had to spend the weekend recovering from surgery after having his appendix removed and having to battle post surgery infection. Richard was one of the invited speakers and in light of his surgery I was asked to fill in at the last moment and take the Sunday morning lesson. I had the joy of covering the topic, "Receiving the Reward." We explored Paul's teaching in Philippians 3 and focused on the phrase, "Forgetting what is behind and Straining for what is ahead." The core thought of the lesson was whether there was evidence in our lives that we are indeed "Straining" toward knowing Christ and becoming like Him and that we are forgetting and leaving behind the desires of the flesh and the distractions of this world - quite a challenge! I am excited to see everyone on Wednesday night, now that we have had a couple of days to  come recover.  

Last night saw the first class of the new term with the primary age group. It was lovely to see the children. The class was a treat and although there is a huge gap now that the gang of P7's are no longer there on Monday night, we still have a good core to build upon. Now that the P7's are in High School they will be part of our Friday nights and we will begin the challenge of integrating this group of 11 into  a more focused and "grown-up" setting. The younger kids last night were missing the older ones, but were looking forward to Wednesday nights when all the age groups are together and can catch up. We are dealing with some of the biggest changes we have ever made as far as the structure of our youth program is concerned and in light of  this we would love to know we have your prayers as we press on. As in everything leadership is critical. Please pray that we make  the most of the opportunities God has placed in our care. 

Well, might just have touched the hem of the garment, but I am hopeful that you are encouraged and able to see God's hand in what is happening here in Peterhead. 

"God is good and His love endures forever." 

It's not easy, but we must go...

MINISTRY!!! Just felt like I needed to do that :) I am constantly being reminded that nothing stays the same! Just when you think things are finding some kind of "Normality" something is triggered that makes you sit up and scratch your head again. This past while we have been faced with a surge in new children aged between 10 and 12 (P6/7's). This has been pretty great and as a result both Monday nights and Wednesday nights have grown big time as a result :) On Monday nights the growth is manageable because of the class structure and the fact that it is all Primary school kids who come and the bible time is geared to that age group,. However, on Wednesday nights the structure is different and presents us with some growing pains. On Wednesdays we have mixed ages from Primary all the way through to young adult! The bible class time is split into three classes - P1-5's where there are up to 5 kids, P6-7's where there are up to 20 and the older ones where there are up to 20. Because we are not blessed with vast numbers of willing teachers, we are at breaking point! Things are tricky when you factor in that within this group you have a full spectrum of bible awareness ranging from zero to sound knowledge. Now, I mention this to highlight my last blog entry where I shared that we were beginning to look ahead to developing our older teen and young adult ministry in light of the group coming up to Friday nights. It now seems that in both cases there will need to be a great deal of consideration on how to continue the development of faith in their young lives. As I am typing this, (and hitting the spell check button) I am again filled with wonder at the opportunity we have been given! I am, if I am honest, also filled with fear and a sense of being overwhelmed. I know this is a time where God's grace and strength must be our refuge and I ask for your support and prayers that this will be the case. I hope you got a glimmer of what God is doing as I tried to, for myself, gain some clarity in writing this.

In light of this let me try to share why growth is happening. With the younger kids it is primarily due to the children themselves! They are exited about coming and they are taking their friends, simple as that! On Monday nights we continue to focus on two areas; play and worship. They enjoy connecting with new and familiar faces through team games and Tuck-shop and learn to engage in worship as we instill the values of prayer and bible. Wednesday nights follow the same principle, but have the added blessing and challenge of having the older teens there. On Wednesdays we broaden their worship experience with singing and the class time is more focused. Friday nights with the teens and young adults follow the same principles, but there is a heightened expectation and sense of respect in both the play and worship times. If I didn't make myself clear before, let me say it again, "It is NOT easy!" The constant juggling and adjustments that have to be made in order to be sensitive to the varying age and stage of their appreciation for things Godly is ALL important, but it is hard! Until a child is willing to give respect for you and the Godly values you are imparting to them, it will be a struggle, but when there is acceptance and trust built over time there is a channel for God's power to be poured into their life! You have probably heard it said many times, but the saying is true, "Consistency is Key!"  

Oops, got a bit side-tracked! Need to comment on some cool things it has been my joy to be part off these past weeks. I need to mention the East Kilbride Youth Weekend! In a sentence, "Reason to be Encouraged!" You can look at a youth weekend on two levels, it's impact on your group and then on the larger collective audience. On both counts there was plenty to be excited about. I loved the local involvement of the EK youth group and outside of the weekend itself it is obvious that God has some channels for imparting blessing on young lives searching for their true Home. Richard and Mary Harp are getting their hands dirty!!! I know the group we took down were impacted for good and came away challenged thinking they could do something similar. This is good timing as we start to get things going for our campaign in July - excited :) It was my joy to share in the teaching for the weekend with David Cope and Niall Scobie and together we were used to God's glory. I was able to share two lessons and loved being used to share good stuff with young people who have an open heart for the truths of God :) Loved the weekend and again loved the chance to get out and close with our older youth from Peterhead! 

 Over the past weeks I have been looking more intently at who might respond to the challenge of being able to take on responsibility for some of the organising that needs to be done for our campaign in July. We have a VBS planned for part of the time and we look to have some motivated to take up the baton! It is easy to get distracted when you are working with a bigger group and to forget to look for the ones who can share the joy with you. I tend to devote quite a bit of my time to meeting up with the older teens and listening to their lives. I do not confess to have all the answers to their needs and in fact many times I simply don't, but I have the chance, from time to time,  to drop in some seeds that will allow them to think higher and wider about their faith and their willingness to apply it. Going forward with our ideas for the campaign will be exciting and I know the journey will not be straight forward, but I am prayerful that for some the journey will add to their faith :)

Preparing for classes takes up most of my "Head" time. It is constant and relentless. Trying to share God in a relative and real way to minds that have every opportunity to turn their attention to worldliness. Add to this the "me" element. It all screams to me that God and His tinkering are responsible for anything good that comes from my heart and mouth! I am always taken aback when we stumble across a neat way to get the kids, especially the younger ones, engaged in discussion and expression in one of our bible times. Last Monday night we had one of those moments. We tried a new approach by using the "Scattegories" game idea as a means for getting the kids engaged. I would give them a category and they had to, in groups,  come up with an answer. An example would be; Can you tell me a parable Jesus taught? In their groups they would have to come up with a parable that none of the other groups can think off. The discussion in the groups is both excited and teaching! Those who have not been coming long learn and feel part of the group answer. If a group come up with an answer no-one else has they get a point for their team :) It is effective!

Our church building is now officially paid! April saw the last payment on our mortgage and so from now on we have no debt on our building :) There is no doubt that God has been instrumental in the whole process from start to finish and all the thanks is due to Him! There have been many along the way who have given so that we can have the building as a useful tool for ministry. God is good and in the future years we anticipate that the use of our building will result in glory for His name here in Peterhead. 

God bless.

Family Update :)

Where does the time go? I am sitting in our local coffee shop with my usual "vanilla Latte" and enjoying the moment to stop and reflect on the joys and strains of the past weeks. I want to begin with some family things. It was a timely break when the Easter holiday came, I must admit that I was so ready to enjoy time at home and focus the majority of my energies to the ladies in my life. It was precious to have all our girls home for a while and enjoy the blessing of our children. In fact when Amy and Beth left this past Monday, Fenella and I looked at each other holding back a tear, knowing how much we miss them when they are not home. Holly and Hannah shine when their big sisters are home and as parents we thank God that our girls have a deep and loving bond that ties them together. We were able to spend a couple of nights down in Edinburgh as we got to see Beth perform with the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra at the Usher Hall. I never tire of saying the same thing over and over again, that it is a blessing to see our daughter be part of something that sounds so beautiful. Beth had the added privilege of getting to know a lot of music students who will be starting at Glasgow this coming September. One of the "proud parent moments" was when Beth made the comment that she had found another like minded soul who does not drink and will not be engaging in all the "Freshers Week" worldliness that goes on at the start of university life. Yes, we are proud of Beth's musical talent, but more so of her heart to be holy :) We had the chance to go down and see Amy perform with both the Edinburgh University Chamber Choir and with the National Youth Choir of Scotland. The photo is Amy's solo with the Uni Choir and I don't need to say anything - you can see Amy's passion for singing. In my last post I had shared some news about Beth playing at the "PROMS" in London at the Albert Hall, Amy too will be singing at the proms with NYCOS! They will be performing within a couple of days of each other, so we are frantically trying to work out how we can get to London and find accommodation, bearing in mind it will be during the chaos of the Olympic games - happy days!

Holly is finding that she has talent in the field of baking :) She loves to make cupcakes and make them look nice. She certainly has an eye for beauty and this is evident in everything she does. It was Beth's 18th birthday on Friday and her request was that Holly make some cupcakes! Hannah helped decorate them too. Holly is growing and has a lovely friendly nature. She is very social and loves to be in company. Hannah enjoys playing piano and violin. She is never far away from a book! Hannah likes nothing better than to be snuggled up with a book in her hand :) Hannah is very considerate and never short on affection. It is hard for Fenella and I to grasp that they will be moving up to the Academy (high school) this year! We are proud of them both and going by their recent report cards they are doing very well in P7. They should do well at the next level of their education. In June they will be off on a school trip to Glenshee doing a bunch of active outdoor pursuits - they are excited!

Fenella and I are just about managing to hold things together. Fenella's mum has just finished her fifth in a course of six chemo treatments. Alexa is very much ready to be done with the chemo! We are touched by Alexa's ability to gracefully journey through this battle with cancer. In spite of the effects and devastating toll that the chemo has brought, we love Alexa's quiet strength and lovely character that is so evident in this time of extreme testing. I can't talk about Alexa's circumstances without instantly being aware of the support and love both Fenella and Jackie have been. From the time Fenella and I were dating, I can remember being in no doubt that there was no shortage of love in their home and this continues to be the case :) I have heard it said that it is in the times of deepest struggles that God is most clearly seen - amen!

My parents have been going through some changes and challenges these past weeks too. We had a scare when my mum was rushed to hospital a few weeks back and although we still don't quite know what is wrong, we sense that the doctors are taking things in hand and we are prayerful that the cause and indeed a cure can be found to bring some relief. My dad has just finished his second spell offshore on the stand-by boats. He seems to be settling into his new environment and career pretty well :)

As I take stock of what is going on with our nearest and dearest I am aware of how blessed we are! If it were not for the great evidence of faith on display I wonder what state our lives would be in? Let me encourage and let us be reminded again of the reality that, "God is good and His love endures forever!"