Myself and Filly have just returned
from a great week at Sizewell with Suffolk Christian Camps, where a number of
you have attended camps over the years. We have been attending and helping out
at the camp for many years now and it’s actually the place that we met, so for
obvious reasons it’s a special time for us both.

This past week the speaker Mark
Crawford was teaching us all about the days and events leading up to Jesus’s
resurrection. The week was entitled “Journey with Jesus” and it gave us all the
opportunity to look at our own Journey in faith.

I love going to camp each year because
it not only challenges the young people but definitely challenges the leaders
and workers that attend.

On Friday evening everyone had the
opportunity to speak out about what they had learnt during the week and how
they had moved on in the journey. I hate sharing like that but felt I really
needed to do so. I thought I’d share with you what I said.

On the week leading up to camp loads
of people asked me why I did camp and why I still help out with 242. If I’m
honest I struggled to give an honest answer because I wasn’t actually sure of
the true reason. Is it because I fell into the position and Dan forced me to
help him out when he needed it? No, definitely not. I do feel it’s where God
wants me to be serving him. I guess I knew this answer and this is the answer that
I gave.

For me that answer still wasn’t
enough. Why do I love working with young people and why is camp the highlight
of my year? During the week I worked it out. I absolutely LOVE seeing young
people develop in their personal relationship with God and come back each year
more on fire for him. I shared on the evening that I love seeing people like
Alice Fenning grow into a woman for God. Really I could have said loads of
people’s names. It puts a massive smile on my face and happiness in my heart to
see you all develop in your own relationship with God and move forward in your
journey with him.

I love 242!!

So recently there has been all this talk about the hacking scandal of the classy paper that is News of the World. These claims seem to have been the cause of the papers demise and eventually causing it to “close business”.

Some of you may remember a few months back in 242 Sunday, Matt asked us as leaders “If there was one thing you could change in the world what would it be?” My response as some of you might remember was “I would change the influence that the media has on the world”. This is something that I have been thinking about loads since I said it and something that really angers me. If I’m honest I first came at it with my Football/Sporting supporter head on. When it comes to World Cups, European Finals and big Boxing fights the press hype at all up make us all excited about the prospect of winning. But they fail to look at the realistic side of things and subsequently when it doesn’t turn out to be like they said it would, they blame an individual and suddenly the whole of the UK hates these people with a passion.

You hear stories of young people struggling with anorexia because they see these skinny looking recording artists and models being glorified in magazines, usually the work of some very clever airbrushing. The sadness of marriage break ups and affairs are almost laughed at without thinking about the people affected, their personal lives splashed across the front pages of every newspaper. Now all these stories of phone hacking show that they clearly have more of an impact than what we think.

I understand that newspapers, TV, radio and the internet are very important for getting information out to people, for being a showcase for opinion and debate and I’m not saying that they are all corrupt, but I believe the negative impact and influence they have on the world is causing so much unnecessary anger and animosity amongst the public.

I’m so pleased that all of this hacking scandal is coming up at the moment, only in that it is highlighting how corrupt the media has become and the lengths they will go to just to make money and have the ‘exclusive’ story. I really hope and pray that this causes a major restructure of how the media is run and represented in our country. Imagine if the papers and news covered the things we maybe put outside of our comfort zone, the real life stories in this world, like the famine in Africa, the political troubles in Libya and Egypt, the poverty worldwide but also right under our noses. Imagine if it caused us to turn around with the rest of our country and really want to see a positive change in our world. Through Christ we can do all things, as he gives us strength….

So this Saturday we’re off to Felixstowe for the 242 social event of the year!!

Even if it does have a cheap run down arcade, a pier that is falling down and only an inch by inch area of sand for about 3 miles. I still love it!

When I was a young boy all those years ago, my church used to take all the Sunday school children on a bus tour to Felixstowe. We spent the day on the beach, eating a 99 (when they actually used to be 99p) playing games, building sand castles and eating chips on the pier at the end of the day. Ok so maybe it wasn’t that exciting but I guarantee it was definitely the highlight of the year.

I’m sure I didn’t think it at the time but looking back I can now really appreciate the fact that I was bought up in a Christian home and taken along to Sunday school as a kid to learn about God at a young age. Going to Sunday school not only gave me the ‘rush’ of going to Felixstowe but it gave me a firm foundation of my faith (probably from the rocks from the beach) a solid ground that has helped me to build my relationship with God on.

Who am I to talk to you guys about social networking, what you don’t know about Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and blogs I’m sure isn’t worth knowing. I thought I would just share why I like social networking and how it helps me in my faith and my day to day Christian life.

I’m sure you will all agree that sometimes being a Christian at School, College or Work is really tough. Sometimes you’re saying something you know you shouldn’t, you think something you wished you hadn’t or even done something you know that’s not how you should act as a Christian.

Recently I have been really grateful for how Twitter has made me feel more part of a community that I have ever done. Asking for prayer for something that I was struggling with and knowing that all my followers where “on it”. This made me feel an amazing sense of calm and relaxation over a situation at work.

WhatsApp has been great because a close friend sends constant reminders over to me and a group of friends about different things which has been challenging and rewarding to me.

All the different Blogs on the Forge website and others around have also been a way of challenging me and a great way to help me tune in and listen to God each day.

So when you parents moan that you’re on the computer for too long, send them my way and I’ll tell them!

So last week I went to a lovely traditional Christening service where a baby was baptised in front of friends and family. I’m guessing this was done because the baby’s family decided that they wanted to and I’m sure they didn’t ask permission from the baby.

This week I went to the baptisms at Sizewell where people consciously have decided that God had sent his son to die for them and because of that they wanted to dedicate their lives to God and tell everyone about this by publically being baptised. 

It was great to see so many (9 in total) get baptised all of different ages, different backgrounds, new and old Christians each of their stories were fantastic.

Getting dunked, or as it is better known, baptised, is more a statement of faith, a standing up for what you believe, and being counted. That means making that decision, saying; yes, you know what? I’m part of this family, and I want to live it out all the days of my life, and I’ll start by dipping, no, dunking myself into water as a statement or symbol of my old and everyday bad habits being put aside and in fact living out being for and like Jesus!

So you see, Jesus washes me, and my parents might want to show that to me by splashing me, but hey, I want to show it to Jesus personally, by getting dunked for Jesus!

I’ve often spoken to young people at camp and 242 about baptism and it was brilliant to see Rachel get dunked last year. A lot of your questions and concerns seem to be about being ready, being good enough. I can completely understand this but what I would say is if you read Acts 2 it talks about Peter preaching to thousands of people and they believed in what Peter was saying and instantly got Baptised. Were they good enough? Were they experienced Christians? Did they read the Bible and pray every day? Probably not but they believed and were Baptised.

Ok so I’m impressed with myself that this is the 9^th blog and only the 2^nd time I have based my blog on my big passion Football.

The F.A Cup Final is this weekend between Manchester City and Stoke and as a Football fan I will more than likely sit down and watch it, dreaming that it was me walking up those long steps and lifting the cup in front of thousands of my adoring fans . I bet if you ask your Dads they also have the same dream?

I used to love the F.A Cup Final day as a kid. Me and my brother used to get up eat some breakfast and then sit down to watch Grandstand (another one for the Dads). We used to watch the busses leave the Hotels, see each clubs road to Wembley, watch the captains introduce the players, see the players arrive at Wembley with beautiful cream suits on, watch the players walk on the pitch taking photos and generally take in the buzz of the day.

When I was a kid this seemed like a PERFECT DAY! This got me thinking, what would a day look like in Heaven? If F.A Cup Final day is perfect for me then surely every day in Heaven must look something like that. Ok perhaps not but this week’s blog is a question. What would a day in Heaven look like to you?

Answers either on here or bring them along on Sunday so we can judge the best one.

This week in 242 we finished our series of looking at the difference between different religions. Matt explained that the fundamental difference is that we believe that God sent his son to die on the cross to die for our sins, however that wasn’t the end we believe that he rose again and is alive living in each of our lives today! What a massive difference that is!!!

We ended the morning watching a clip from the film Passion of Christ. I know by the looks on some of your faces and I know from personal experience that this is really hard to watch. Sometimes we forget about the pain and the suffering that Christ was put through for us. Sometimes we often picture him as this little baby in a manger with a fluffy pillow, sheep, cows and 3 little gifts sitting next to him.

Easter time is a time that we remember all of this pain and suffering that he suffered for us but really this is something we must remember all the time that everything he did he did for us. Jesus was put through some much pain and anguish for each and every sin that you or I do, every little lie we have told, every nasty thing we have said and every bad thought we have had is etched in the scars of Jesus as he hung on the cross for us.

Weeks ago Tim asked me if I wanted to write a blog and I have been putting it off and putting it off as I didn’t know what to write about. After many weeks of thinking I have finally decided on a topic.

About a year ago Matt Levett got a really bad chest infection and I, along with other people, was worried. When I found out I thought, “What could I do to help?” First I thought of baking him a cake, but that only makes someone feel better for a few mouthfuls! Maybe I could write a letter, but that didn’t seem like enough.

Then I remembered that a couple of years ago my sister, Alice, gave up watching TV until my uncle was back from Iraq as a reminder to pray for him. She had so much free time I don’t know what she did with it!  I thought about doing the same but then it would be like I was copying her and I didn’t want to copy. So I thought harder and my final decision was to give up chocolate until Matt got better.

I wanted to start straight away but because I knew it would be a while until I could taste that sweet chocolate glory, I ate a massive chocolate bar so I wouldn’t feel the craving straight away! I told Matt what I was doing and he was very appreciative. It was 3 days later that the cravings kicked in. It was pure torture. But I thought instead of feeling sorry for myself every time I get a craving I should pray; pray for Matt and others who are sick. I didn’t pray every time but I prayed for the majority of the cravings.

I know it probably seems like this has nothing to do with you but it does. Think about it; do you know someone in need – someone who needs support or is ill? Instead of buying something that they don’t need or that they shall only enjoy for a short time, do something that will actually help.  Make a commitment to pray for them, and if fasting from something you like will help remind you to pray, go for it!

I have been so encouraged and excited by the recent series in the adult services. If you haven’t been in or caught up with the talks from the website then just to let you know it’s been about a Revolution!!!

I don’t know but I’m guessing they have got a theme song that we have been singing recently Tim Hughes – Give us your courage . I love this song for many reason but most importantly the words really highlight everything I think we are trying to do at the Forge.

I think the songs lyrics really give us as a church the words that we need to be part of the Revolution. “Holding out the light, to a world in need, living out the love of Jesus”. But the best bit about it is “To the ends of the earth we WILL go, fill us with power, for the truth of your word we WILL stand, give us your courage”. As a church I really think that we are not just singing this song but we are acting it out in the things we do and will continue to do.

For me it was so encouraging to see so many families shopping for the food bank together and it was amazing to see some of you guys in 242 chose to take part also. I heard a story last night from one of the parents at the Forge who said that her little girl 8 years old said to a lady in the line in the co-op “We’re here with MY chruch buying lots of food” How awesome is that!

I love being part of a church that acts out the things that we sing and say. I love being part of 242 and I love being part of the Forge.

Good old Bob the Builder what would we do without Bob? But even Bob had to go to college to learn his trade one day surely?

I work at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds in the Construction department where I co-ordinate Apprenticeships for young people and Assess experienced workers to help them gain a qualification.

So what’s this got to do with this week’s talk that Matt gave about Accepting or Rejecting Church I hear you say……what’s this got to do with (you get the picture). Well Matt asked on Sunday and Steve Fenning asked on twitter mid-week, why do we go to church?

So my Apprentices come into college once a week to learn about the practical and theory side of the job. In the morning they spend time working on practical activities and have lecturers around to help them out if they need. In the afternoon they go into the classroom to learn from an experienced lecturer about the theory side of the job and the importance of it. Obviously the rest of the week they are out in the workplace still learning from others but I know there are times when they are given something to do that they find tough.

When Matt asked the question it really challenged me and made me think, why do I go to church? And then it dawned on me, I’m an Apprentice! I need to go to Church to learn more about God and his word (the bible) to understand how I should be living my life for him. Church has given me friends to learn from and be challenge by which I need to be closer to God. Like Apprentices I still need to go out in the workplace and carry on being a Christian, which is tough at times, but Church gives me a great support network of people including all you guys in 242!

Please don’t get the 2 confused West Suffolk College is certainly not like Church in any way!!