Soul Survivor 2013

For those of you who don't know, Soul Survivor is an organization that runs Christian festivals all through the summer that aim to develop and deepen young people's relationship with Jesus. We went to one of the festivals in Stafford which was filled with around 5,000 young people. As a youth group at St. Lukes we have gone each year for three years and I have to say God has done incredible things in me every time I have been. This year I was blown away in the first main meeting how thirsty I was for worship. It amazes me how simply having an expectation for connecting powerfully with God at these events results in a change of heart. I am really challenged that I should be just as expectant when attending my own church each week. Even expectancy in the everyday connections with God should my priority. 
Soul Survivor was such a great experience this year. We bonded amazingly as a youth group and several of the group gave their lives to Christ! It was a week filled with a lot of emotions because of the knowledge that our church's youth and children's workers are leaving for a new job. Matt and Jenny have become part of my family so it was really hard knowing it was the last youth event we would have with them in our Church. Our incredible gap year (Amy Capner) was also leaving, so knowing that each of these amazing people were leaving made it hard not to cry on the last night. 
Saying this, we also laughed SO much together! Having the chance to worship God and then spend an afternoon worshiping him by enjoying fellowship with Christian youth really encouraged us as a group. I am excited to see the effects of Soul Survivor on us as a youth group come September when we start meeting regularly again. 
I was personally really challenged by God in regard to my attitude to the calling he has on my life. He showed me a glimpse of the sacrifices I will need to make to fully live my life for him. I was shocked in one main event by the extent of the weight of these sacrifices and the Holy Spirit helped me to see what my life is for and that even in the painful seasons will I always praise God? My prayer is that He will continue to strengthen my faith to a point where I can rest assured knowing any sacrifices I make for the sake of His Kingdom are all out of my passion for the name of Jesus. One chorus really spoke to me. I have included it below because I hope that this is a prayer we as Christians will live out more effectively in future. 

Kirsty x

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour"

(Oceans, by Hillsong) 

A Chance To Act My Age

Something that keeps cropping up in conversation with people (even some of the most sensible elderly members of my church) is that I need to have fun and act silly while there are no great pressures on me to act sensibly. As you may have noticed some of the adventures I have had this year have needed a level of maturity. The need to act more professional at times or simply having to act older in order to cope with being away from home for long periods has helped me to grow. But it always surprised me when I returned home the difference in my behavior  I can act more like a teenager and I can be utterly stupid and laugh at the silliest things just for the fun of it. It made me realize that living my childhood years as a "child" is really important. 

Of course, there is nothing wrong with trying to grow in maturity and do my best to understand as much as I can in adult environments but there is something special about simply acting like a child while I still am one.  I hadn't realized the importance of this until recently.

 My relationship with my my family and close friends is one where I feel completely comfortable to act like a muppet and they will laugh along too. We went on a family holiday in June to Wales, and I laughed so much! We had the opportunity to be a family without thinking of the pressures of life which released us sisters especially to let go of "propriety" and be kids.  Somehow, I believe God delights in his children having fun. I really hope that I can continue to not take myself too seriously and enjoy being immature at times or laugh at things that really aren't that funny. 

Kirsty x

BSFC

Now those ominous letters stand for Birkenhead Sixth Form College which is where I will be attending to study my A levels in September! BSFC is a fantastic college that makes a great step between normal school (not that I went.....home for me) and University. I will be studying Drama and Theater Studies, Geography, English Language, and I still haven't decided between Psychology and Sociology. I am really excited but also apprehensive as this will be my first proper experience of secular education. I am really inspired that I will be able to use the college as a mission field as well as an educational space. The potential in BSFC for Christian input and relational mission is HUGE so please pray that I would be wise in knowing what the needs of the students are and be able to serve them according to those needs. Also, please pray as I learn what it is like in a completely secular environment with teachers who aren't one of my parents ( as it is normally in home-schooling) I am really excited for my subjects but nervous that the style of learning and work load might be a bit over whelming at the start. 

September will be full of new experiences!! 

Kirsty x

Change of Honduras Plans

I have been praying and thinking about my planned mission trip. After discussing with many people, God has seemed to make himself clear. I have realized that my timing has been wrong. I have been so enthusiastic and excited that I have ignored signs of waiting instead of rushing into going to Honduras. I am gutted but realize that God's plans are always better that our own. I believed I had discerned God's will correctly but I think He was saying all along lets just wait a bit longer. I'm gutted that I won't be going this year but feel it is right to wait until next year. 

This change is really hard to get used to after such a long time thinking, praying and planning. I'm finding it quite difficult to understand why God seemed to be calling me to this and then at the last minute pull on the reigns. I hope in time it will become clear and I am confident I will learn a lot from this whole experience. I am still hoping to go next year if the timing is right so please continue to pray. Thank you all for the support you have already given me! It means so much to know that people are praying for me. 

Kirsty x

Reflecting on London

I have enjoyed my time here in London so much! There have been so many amazing learning  experiences and times of encouragement. I think the times I have enjoyed the most have been the one-to-one conversations and discussions. In these times I have learnt so much about who God is and what he is doing in each of these individuals' lives. I was able to discover more about myself and what God is doing in me by the sharing I did with those around me. 

One highlight of my time here was having the opportunity to go to the HTB (Holy Trinity Brompton) Leadership Conference in the Royal Albert Hall for a day. It was overwhelming worshiping with around 5,500 people from all over the world and of all different denominations. We had some great speakers who shared inspiring and  profound messages. One phrase that has really stuck with me is "If your vision isn't intimidating to you, it may be insulting to God" (Steven Furtick) That idea that God wants us to dream big dreams, and not limit his power to the stretches of our imagination. I have also been really challenged to think that "big" for us isn't necessarily God's idea of "big". Sometimes the most significant thing we could ever do is have a loving conversation with a stranger. My own understanding of this has been warped, as I tend to think the people who lead churches of thousands, or become world renowned Christian preachers are the ones who are doing "big" things for God. It is really freeing to know that God doesn't see it that way; that he and his heavenly host erupt in praise as soon as one tiny life is transformed for the better. I love that God always finds ways of shattering the boxes I put him in. 

I also spent time at three different churches around London, which inspired me with ideas and dreams for my own church in Hoylake. I am excited to talk to my church family about what I have seen and discovered. 

I spent three mornings over the past two weeks in the local YMCA learning about what sports chaplains do and how they support the people who go in and out of the gym, cafe and residential housing. I was really blessed by learning of the conversations they have had that have lead to prayer, healing and Alpha courses. I loved my time chatting with Carolyn and Lucy( the chaplain and co-worker) about what  great experiences they have had. I was massively encouraged by their dedication and their relationships with God. 

There have been so many different things that I have done so I won't write everything down but overall the main things I have learned are:

1) That God really answers prayer supernaturally. My lack of expectation must be so insulting to him. I am learning to see the weight of my words, and that God always answers me. 

2) That God is pleased with me before I even start trying to do "stuff" for him. Nothing I ever do will add or take away from what he already feels for me. In that I find great comfort. 

3) That he wants me to be faithful to him in every little mundane thing, for it is in the small that he will teach me everything I need to know for the "big". 

What an amazing two weeks! 

Kirsty x

London!

Well I am on the fourth day of my time here in epic London! I am staying in Wimbledon, in flats with several other people who are doing internships with Share Jesus International(SJI). I got in contact with Cath Lyden (organizer of FRESH, see previous blog posts) several months ago to see if there was any chance of me coming down to London and seeing what SJI is doing here. She was really enthusiastic so we arranged the dates. I arrived on the 10th of May and will be leaving on the 25th of May. 

So much has happened already and I feel so welcomed here. The guys who work with SJI are amazing and really kind. Over the course of these two weeks I have been/will be doing activities with the Pentecost Festival PentecostFestival.co.uk and meeting loads of people in different areas of ministry and in different church settings to learn, be encouraged and inspired by their stories. I'm having a great time so far and will post some detailed blogs when the two weeks are finished. I have never been to London before so everything is very new and exciting. Please pray for me and for the things I will be getting involved in. I always miss my family and friends when I am away so prayers for that would be great. 

 Also, prayers for development with my trip to Honduras. There have been some issues with me being under 18 and I'm feeling quite discouraged at the moment about that. They still want me to go and I still feel it is the right thing, but at this stage, I can't see the way ahead very clearly. If anyone has advice or experience in mission for minors and liability for the charities then I would really appreciate it. Thanks prayer warriors! 

Kirsty x

Edinburgh!

Very sorry, this update is rather overdue! 

I went to Edinburgh on the 15th-21st of April to shadow Lou Davis who is a Venture FX Pioneer for the week.  

Venture FX (VFX) is a scheme set up by the Methodist conference in 2008 to reach younger people with no Christian heritage. The original proposal envisaged an investment of some £7 million over 10 years to establish 20 pioneers and 20 projects to encourage new forms of church to emerge among young adults. It intended to build on the recent experience in both the Anglican and Methodist churches of establishing “fresh expressions” – new and more relevant ways of being church in our time.

It was really challenging and inspiring learning about the successes and disappointments in the VFX project in Edinburgh. Lou uses her creative nature in a lot of the work there to inspire people to think about the deeper questions of life.  I met a lot of people who inspired me to think outside of the normal constrains of church. I thought a lot about what church really is and  how much of our own churches are filled with ritual and tradition. Even if you are in the most contemporary up and coming church, there are still traditions and unvoiced expectations. For someone who has never been a part of church life, it must be so difficult to find anything in common with a 10.30am service on a Sunday morning. 

There were two couples from America living near who Lou and her husband Tim introduced me to. They had come to Scotland as missionaries which I found interesting as we generally expect missionaries to be people who go to the 3rd world countries. I think the point is more about where the spiritual need is greatest and there we are commissioned to go. The fact these Americans had left everything to help Edinburgh come in contact with our loving God was really encouraging. They inspired me to think big and consider what the church is like around the world. God is so busy in every country, village, and home. We just have the privilege to work with Him in these places. 

My week in Edinburgh was a fantastic experience, full of new lessons, inspiring conversations, and different perspectives. Looking forward to whenever I go back to that beautiful city!

Kirsty x