Poverty truth commision

I met Paul the other night at a unlock event in Glasgow.Paul works for faith in the community and is planning a Poverty truth commission event to be held in Glasgow on the 21 March 2009 venue tba.

The commission is inspired by the Truth and reconciliation commission of south Africa and the truth commission of Union theological seminary in New York.
the commission will listen to testimony from those most effected by poverty ,that will be followed by conversations with those who testify and others from poor areas to talk about there struggles and ways of overcoming them.The commission will having conferred together speak about what they have learned and what action they will take in response.They will also challenge everyone to dedicate there time to overcoming poverty.
There will then be a follow up meeting on the 21 October 2009 to look at what has happened.

I hope to be able post Paul's contact email here soon.for now there is a postal address.

Faith In the community
759a Argyle st ,
Glasgow,
G3 8DS
http://www.faithincommunityscotland.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=462&Itemid=39

tweet tweet the Possil fleet are coming


This Sunday we will be visited by a team who are looking to plant a church in Possilpark Glasgow.They were brought together by Urban Expression and are now supported by the Network church's Scotland.The team is headed up by Paul& Esther Ede and at the moment I think there are 8 in the team all of whom have moved into Possil.

This is very exciting for all concerned as some of us have been involved in various attempts to plant and sustain a church in that area for some years.I do believe that these guys will make it because of the level of commitment they have already shown and because I feel convinced God is in what they are doing.

I have know Paul & Esther and a few of the others for a while now and as we are in the same sort of communities it feels good to be able to support one another as much as we can.I don't know if coming to our gathering on Sunday will teach them much(perhaps how not to do church)but our hearts are for them and we want bless them with what we have.

Open door update 4

Our worker Anne has been in post for about 6 weeks now and is working hard to develop the project in Bridgeton.We are trying to find out what other projects are in the area so we can network with them and also to try and make sure we don't stand on any toes.
At our development day we were encouraged to do what we were good at and so our focus has been on thinking about what we are good at and how we can give that away to the community.Things are getting clearer a little at a time and I do believe we have something to give to the families of the community.
Our work with the young people continues to grow and there is now a Sunday night group for girls working with two age groups 12-14 and 14 -16 .Anne has some funding and has two people working with her.We continue to run the drop in on a Thursday night for the 12-16 age group and I feel I'm making some progress with the young guys ,its hard work but we are building relationships that might enable us to do some group work with the guys.We could do with some more volunteers to help with the load.

On a practical front we need people for the board of directors and I would like that to be done before Christmas and then we need to get down to trying to secure future funding.So please pray for us and get in touch if you want to be involved.

Word on the street


I have had contact from a Revd Alan Hamilton-Messer who is a baptist minister.He is starting a new church in Dennistoun Glasgow.From what he has told me it will be an emerging church in a cafe/book shop.They are opening this Saturday at 11 am and will meet on Sundays from 10.30.I think I will try to go along and see what they are all about and try to bless them in what seems like a new adventure.

Not quite sure if bookshop/cafe church will work in that area but hey what do I know.The address is 343 Cumbernauld Road Dennistoun Glasgow G31 3LP.Maybe see you there.

The photo is a typical Dennistoun street.

The healing of fellowship


Just to say that being together today was amazing.Just having the opportunity to share in a safe place to be able to be honest and not be judged but loved and to find Gods word bringing new life to people was incredible.

We had a visit today from an old friend who said he had been going around different places looking for God,he had been reading books looking for God and talking to people looking for God.He came along today and listened to me tell everybody about my failures and how I felt I had lost God ,then how God finds us a gain.The good Shepherd doesn't give up on us.I read Ps 139 and I could feel the God bless people with it.I just wanted to be honest with people and with God ,I had nothing to give so that's what I gave but God is so wonderfully faithful to his creation.


We were asked to pray for our visitor at the end and I have a feeling we may be seeing a bit more of him for a while .He told us how blessed he was and that he had found Jesus among us today.He doesn't know it yet but just to hear someone say that, blessed all of us and reminded us not to take what we have for granted.

NETS

I'm of to Perth on the 5th-6th December for the New Evangelical symposium with Alistair McIndoe form the Network church's and this years guest Brian Mclaren.I will be mixing it with the big boys of the Scottish church scene .I had to ask what a symposium was and was informed it was a Greek drinking party which helped swing it for me.If truth be told I don't really know why I'm going other than to spend some time with a few friends and to try and cause some trouble.
I think I may need to take my dictionary with me although Alistair is a great communicator of theology and makes it seem almost interesting and my life is always blessed when I spend time with him and his wife Pat.With Brian Mclaren being the guest there is bound to be some fireworks so I cant wait for that,I may throw a few of my own .Although these things can be very intimidating for the uneducated .

Can God can be found in the darkness

Psalm139

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.



Sometimes its difficult to escape the darkness that surrounds us in times of trouble and the desire of our hearts can be to hide in that darkness but these words have always given me great comfort .The God of David is a God who looks for us and can see us at our best and at our worst this can be disturbing for us to know that God can see us warts and all but it also brings about the greatest of hope.The hope comes from knowing that we are KNOWN yet no abandoned or forsaken that God is not like us he will not give up on what he has created .God will not leave his creation to its own ways he will rescue us.



Darkness can be the a great place for growth ,for coming to new revelations of the height and depth of Gods love.Darkness can be character building.But we need people around us who can see that darkness and who can walk through it with us.To many times out of good intentions people try to drag us back into the light when we are not ready.David would never have seen the heart of God without these times of darkness.

Youth Czar

Consult eight-year-olds on sex law, says youth czar

Is it just me or has the world gone mad.We now want to consult children as young as eight on our lawmaking.Read the article here.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article5114737.ece

These so called professionals have lost the plot and need to be held to account by those who employ them.Good law will not be made by asking eight year olds what they think.

Below is the link to the SCCYP web site,

http://www.sccyp.org.uk/webpages/about_sccyp.php

Weekend in Lochgoilhead


Just got back today from a short break to Lochgoilhead .Myself and Lesley went away with some friends for a few days break to a log cabin.Lochgoilhead is the sort of place you have to set out to get there as you would never drive through it at the top of the rest and be thankful you take a left down a five mile single track road and then you come out into this small village and the hotel and lodges on the shores of the loch.

The weather was great,rain and snow and wind what more could you ask for.The lodge was really nice and warm with a great view over the loch.The hotel had everything you needed including swimming, sauna ,steam room,snooker, bowling and ice skating. We had a great few days just being lazy and relaxing in the lodge a few brisk walks and a good night out dancing in the hotel.On Sunday night we drove up to the Loch Fyne restaurant for some mussels and fish great food.


The view from our lodge.

No Peace

Over the last few weeks I have slowly felt my peace get up and go.A part of that is down to me not looking for God and his peace in my life.This then leaves me open to all the old problems of anger and violence that I have never really escaped from.
My mother has been very sick with blood poising and I struggled to keep it together as it was touch and go for a few days.The doctors have since told us they thought they had lost her.I went between great fits of rage to breaking down in tears I let myself down and my family and the only part of God I felt I had left was my conscience which made me at least try to repent for the stupid ways I behaved.
I could feel the rage rush over my head and I lashed out at everyone and anyone.And then would break down in tears.Now I know what your thinking "this man leads a church"and you have a point.I felt like everybody wanted me to give something and the only thing I was giving was anger.Once again I need to try to learn that the only place I can get any peace is in the presence of God.
We are going away for a few days to a Loch side log cabin so I hope to come back in a better mood.