Sheffield

At the weekend, Jan the kids and I shared a great weekend with some good friends in Sheffield. It was fantastic just to hang out in their beautiful home with their wonderful family and just ….chill. Thanks for your hospitality, guys!

On top of that, we were able to bounce around some thoughts about mission, Kingdom, community and what is means to be Church.

Also, it was interesting to hear about St Thomas Church Sheffield, and the way things are done there.

Check our their site to get a perspective, and the vid’s worth a watch to see how they are connecting with the student population in the city.

J

Grumpy Old Git

A really good friend of mine from back in the day when we were kids sitting next to each other in the Sally Army Band in Bedford, England is really pretty unwell at the moment.

If you are a pray-er, check out his blog, and learn more about his story.

Like many of you out there, Andy is a major Mac head

Thanks, Andy, for your cool pic.

Richard Rogers

I’ve been occasionally enjoying Alan Yentob’s current IMAGINE series of documentaries on the BBC lately, and last night’s show on architectural superstar Richard Rogers was a real highlight for me. I’m not sure why buildings and created environments get me so pumped, but I’ve always enjoyed looking at them and learning something of the vision that brought them into being, and this Mr Rogers is a king in this area.

If nothing else, it was worth watching for the spectacular views from his house in Tuscany.

There is a list of incredible and significant projects as long as your arm, but a couple of my favo(u)rites are the National Assembly of Wales and Madrid’s Barajas Airport. If you check out some of the links, to see that RR and his colleagues at the various firms he has been involved with for about 50 years, you’ll see that very many of the iconic buildings of the 2nd ½ of the 20th Century and into the 21st have the Rogers stamp all over them.

…must try and catch the Richard Rogers event at The Design Museum later in the year.

Gordon

Back in October, I posted about the journey my Church is on, and talked about some of the new Mission Team that was coming together.

One member of that team is Gordon, who tells the story of his involvement with The Salvation Army in Iraq, as part of an Iraq special currently on The Salvation Army's international site.

It's a challenging and humbling read

Hobbits

Mia and Noah warming up for their Hobbit auditions!

Croydon Citadel Salvation Army Band: Handel's Messiah

Just using my blog to promote an upcoming concert at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of The Salvation Army Band that I play in:

I'm going to quote a letter that is being sent to all interested parties.

You might be interested to check it out:

Handel's Messiah with a ‘touch of brass’!

The Messiah, although very well known, is rarely performed with Brass accompaniment. Yet Croydon Citadel Band had the wonderful privilege of doing so with the Dudley Birder Chorale in Wisconsin, USA in May 2005. As part of their 125th Anniversary celebrations this year the Band will be performing this great work again in collaboration with Wimbledon Choral Society and the Croydon Philharmonic Choir at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon on Easter Saturday 22nd March

Attending this special performance will surely be remembered as a unique experience .

There can hardly be a better way of commencing an Easter Week End than by hearing once again that magnificent music and those wonderful promises

Typical Sunday?

How typical is a Sunday when you find yourself physically embracing a devout Muslim man in the street at the end of a Salvation Army Open Air Service, or walking the streets of Croydon in the pitch black with another Salvationist trying to sort a means of transport for a man worse the wear for drink who wanted to get to another part of London; or listening enraptured to true life stories of dear friends which took in brushes with the Gestapo, a re-opening of ministry and mission in Russia, the beauty of Norway, or gathering with a small huddle of friends in the kitchen at a place of worship long after most people had left, and sharing a special few minutes focusing in on the reality of what it is we are called to do?

That was my Sunday.

la famille Kinsley

Design dude, top buddy, brother of Mrs Parker RELEVANT’s king of web and new dad (again), Lloyd Kinsley has set up a new site that’s worth a look to get the low down on la famille Kinsley.

Go visit!

Croydon Overhaul

The town where I go to Church is in the process of a major overhaul over the next few years, which will radically alter the whole area – there are a number of significant developments affecting residential, retail, office and leisure spaces in a way that will cause demographic and societal shifts that will change the face of Croydon, in one or another. It looks like more and more people will be living in the centre of the urban space.

Check out this list of development hyper-activity:

The Exchange Croydon
Ruskin Square
Croydon Gateway
New South Quarter

On top of all this are superstar architect Will Alsop's proposals for Croydon. You can check the site, but it's one of those over the top Flash heavy sites that take some patience to navigate. You might have neither the time or the inclination to find it!

It’s making me wonder how these changes will affect the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army in Croydon? Something for us to watch closely.

Roots 2008: The last Roots ever?

Salvation Army-centric post coming!

I got this enigmatic e-mail in my In Box this week, so I wanted to share it, just to do my bit to encourage folks to go along to Roots later in the year:

Subject: The last ROOTS ever?


With the countdown to ROOTS '08 well and truly begun and the team busy preparing for what we hope will be the best event yet, people keep coming up to me and asking whether it's going to be the last.

Before I answer that question, let me tell you where we are. With over a decade of ROOTS events past, we know that Salvationists are more passionate than ever to see their corps renewed and their communities transformed by the gospel. To this end, ROOTS needs to do more than ever before to envision, encourage and equip our The Salvation Army for ministry and mission. In 2007 we commissioned a review to explore how we might do this

In answer to the question, far from the end of the ROOTS movement, ROOTS 2008 will mark a new beginning. From this moment on we want to push and propel, prime and prepare tens of thousands of Salvationists to deepen their faith and widen their impact.

All this begins with ROOTS 2008, Going Public. This life changing weekend will feature world renowned bible teacher Jeff Lucas, Shane Claiborne, founder of The Simple Way community and the inspirational Nims Obunge, leader of the Peace Alliance.

An event for all the family ROOTS 2008 is jam packed with great worship, artists, celebrations, seminars, childrens and youth work. Culminating with our Sunday afternoon 'Going Public Open Air Festival' ROOTS 2008 will equip you and your corps to go public with the gospel.

For more info, visit our web site www.rootsonline.org/uk and you will see all the exciting programmes we have planned.

With our online booking discount now is the time to book and pay less to come to ROOTS. My top tip is to book your accommodation now while there is the best range of options available for your family.

ROOTS is Going Public, I look forward to seeing you in Southport.

Russell Rook
Event Leader

Today's blogroll re-jig has been brought to you by the letter J

A re-jig of the johnnylaird blogroll is due, and by happy accident three of the new additions are Jason, Jake and Jonathan.

Each of the 3 listed guys are friends of friends, and all have interesting things to say about life, faith, community and all kinds of other good stuff. They are definitely worth checking out, and if you do, tell them I sent ya!

I've also been returning to Backyard Missionary a lot lately, whichI discovered quite by accident, when blogsearching smallboatbigsea. This is edgy and challenging stuff - pulling no punches, I guess in the way you would expect from a blog coming out of Oz. Anyhow, Backyard Missionary goes on the 'roll.

...hope anyone reading this, who bounces over to these guys finds their blogs as stimulating as I do.

Wes Little: Bill Booth Revival Machine

In November, my buddy Matt blogged very movingly about the news he had just received, saying his Dad, Wes, had about 2 years left to live – the specialists' estimation based on Wes’ cancer diagnosis.

In early January ‘08 – less than 2 months later, Wes passed away, or as we say in The Salvation Army, was Promoted to Glory.

Wes was a wonderfully kind Christian man…funny, and generous.

By way of tribute, an album recorded by Bill Booth Revival Machine – the rock band Wes played in in the 70s - is now available for download here. Check it out.

BBRM were a great little band, and I’m old enough to remember going to their last ever gig (I believe)

Thanks, Wes.

Michael Frost coming to UK

Some random Googling led me to discover that Michael Frost, author of one of my most challenging reads of 2007, Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture, is coming to the UK in Oct '08 for a speaking tour.

I haven't checked my diary yet, but if I'm free I'll try and make the London date.

I've posted about Mike here and here before.

Bank as “Third Place”

Gotta give a shout out to Fast Company for alerting me to US West Coast regional bank, Umpqua, who seem to have built a lot of their business on the strength of very innovative marketing. (I guess amongst a bunch of other good stuff – it can’t all be the environment & the pretty graphics!)

Check out the Umpqua Innovation Lab. It’s like Star Trek!

Umpqua appear to have jumped enthusiastically into the Third Place idea, which also drives businesses like Starbucks and the whole slew of coffeehouses – small and large – that populate the street corners of much of the Western world. It reminds me again how important community is to people, and how ministries like The Freeway and Q Café really get that concept.

We are wired to be together – share life, spend time….and just hang out.

HT to South Waterfront , Portland, Oregon for the pic

Grand

There aren't many TV shows that will grab my attention so much that I'll make a point of sitting down and watching beginning to end, but there's something about Grand Designs that I really love.

Tonight a new series started it was one of those classics where everything looked like it was going to fail almost from the off, but the final end product was a triumph.

Catch it if you can...

In the corner

I’m starting to really appreciate the value of new(ish) tools that allow me to keep in touch with friends and family who live outside of the UK.

At the weekend, we went to the 6th birthday party of one of my daughter Mia’s best friends, and for most of the time we were there, the PC in the corner was hooked up to Skype so our buddies Lard & Becks, Taff and Nicky (each couple have recently moved to the States – PA and FLA)could “join in” the party.

Gotta keep in touch one way or the other! We miss you guys.

Condiment Czar

I’ve always been a big fan of a nice sauce, and towards the end of last year I rediscovered one of the joys of my youth, namely a Sunday Roast – chicken usually – accompanied by a generous helping of HP Sauce, that peculiarly British condiment that can bring any meal to life. Although some would consider it almost vulgar to add such a thing to the traditional Sunday Roast, for me it adds a whole new dimension.

Although HP is imperious, I’m also partial to mustards from the Maille stable, (check out the site!) as well as the wonderful Hollandaise Sauce for Eggs Benedict.

My love of a good condiment prompted my brother-in-law to dub me the Condiment Czar, a title I am delighted to accept!

Walk On

My new blogging buddy, Jonathan Blundell was prompted by my comments against this post to ask some questions about the Walking Fellowship* at Croydon Citadel Salvation Army.

Jonathan asked

(…is the Walking Fellowship)

….Just "walk around the park" or is it more of a specific prayer walk. Is this something typical of other SA's or something your group is doing?

I had replied

The Walking Fellowship walk together in the countryside, and the individuals hang out & talk with other people from the Church who may not always get the chance to spend any good quality time with. Usually they will end up at someone's house after about an hour to an hour an a half walking. They drink coffee, eat cake, share some Scripture & prayer.

There's no particular prayer walking with this group, but we have others who do.

….but forgot to respond to Jonathan’s question about whether it was a typical SA initiative.

In response to that, no – it’s not especially typical.(but then again what is?) I guess the thing about The Salvation Army - in the UK and globally – is no longer a homogenous one-size-fits all denomination in terms of method, but rather it is a very diverse Church, where all kinds of different expressions of service & ministry sit along side each other.

The Salvation Army is ALOVE
The Salvation Army is The Freeway
The Salvation Army is Roots
The Salvation Army is Revolution Hawaii
The Salvation Army is 614 Network
The Salvation Army is The Singing Company
The Salvation Army is 2Love


(As an aside, I had always felt a bit strange about the work “fellowship”…it always seemed so “Churchy”, and had all but disappeared from regular folks’ language. I guess maybe Lord of the Rings may have reclaimed it a little, and brought it back into common parlance… )

It’s always good to meet and eat!

I’m looking forward to this weekend when we kick off our Home Group for 2008.

We’re going to use a NOOMA DVD each month, to hang some thoughts on, and I’m going to investigate Steve Chalke’s Intelligent Church DVD as another resource. I thought the book was great, so hopefully we can get some useful stuff from the vid.

No doubt, we’ll get hit with a few surprising curveballs as the year progresses, but we will start to work with a couple of other books as we journey together: Brian McLaren’s “The Secret Message of Jesus”, and NT Wright’s “Simply Christian”

Danielle's Spiritual Inventory for the religious...

I've lifted this straight from Danielle Strickland's excellent ArmyBarmy Remix blog.

Danielle had mentioned that she knew of some people who use a few spiritual inventory questions to keep themselves in check. In what she describes as "the spirit of authentic discipleship" Danielle proposes some questions for consideration:

Are you friends with someone who is not a Christian?

Do you have friends in low places?

Are you aware today that there is nothing you can do to save yourself from sin? And how have you tried to produce your own righteousness?

Have you embraced a culture that is totally different from your own? If so, how?

Do you forgive freely?

Have you lavished resources on hospitality and fun recently? How did you feel?

Is there ‘dirt’ under your fingernails? Have you done something that required ‘work’?

Have you given something precious away –freely and without regret?

Have you gone swimming at the beach and rolled in the sand?

How often do you read a good secular book?
Have you ever sat in a bar and conversed with the occupants?
Do you protect the reputation of colleagues when they are criticized?
Do you own a hiphop CD?

and many more... the key is trying to live a Kingdom life - not just a religious one. The difference?

life that grows - not diminishes

life that is full - not empty

life that is abandoned - not restricted

life that is alive - not dead

This certainly challenged me...