Tim Abbott

Diocesan Youth Leaders day worship

On Tuesday I was taking part in a Chelmsford Diocesan Youth Leaders day hosted by our three lovely youth advisers, Andy, Alice and Rachel. As well as being there as a youth worker I was also co-leading an afternoon session on Prayer Spaces in Schools. Arriving early we set up 7 Sanctum prayer stations in about 20 minutes thanks to the amazing CYO team who made the whole operation look like a well rehearsed military exercise.

Here's a run down of the worship time I led for the first 30 minutes of the day.

1. Slowing down

I used A Breathing Prayer by Christine Sine (h/t Jonny Baker) printed out 18 times, each printout having a different line in bold. (I'd also produced a few plain copies as there were just over 20 of us). We prayed through it one line at a time read by the person with that line in bold on their copy, leaving a whole breath (breathe out, breathe in) between each line to give the prayer the right 'pace'. The printouts being randomly distributed among us which enhanced the sense of a community at prayer, rather than reading round in order.

2. Sharing stories

I showed a Keynote slide with photos of signs bearing these words

Love, Joy, Sadness, Peace, fear and doubt

and asked people in pairs to tell a story from their work with young people that’s inspired by one of the words. Then to pray the simplest prayer for the other person.
They were then asked to tell a different person a different story from their walk with God that’s inspired by the same words, followed again by praying the simplest prayer for each other.

3. Silent meditation on John 15:4-8 "Remain in me, and I will remain in you..."

4. Using plain white tiles and coloured Sharpie pens people were encouraged to create a coaster that reflects the questions:

In what way do you want more of God?
In what way does God want more of you?

with Kim Walker, "I have found" playing in the background. Although this only gave us about 6 minutes, looking around later there were some truly inspiring tile coasters heading back to various parts of Essex and east London. My prayer is that they will continue to inspire people in their walk with God and that God will surprise them with his answers and his presence.

Sunday influences

Today...

This made me angry
The woman who is standing up to feral thugs

This made me sad
Niki Made Her Choice and, Apparently, So Did We

This inspired me
How to think, what to think, and thinking outside the box
(though note the story is fictional)

And this made me smile
Dave, exploring the meaning of sabbath in a whole new way (and I'm slightly jealous!)

Rounded the day off by joining with friends at Pub Church, but as this is still something of an underground movement I can't say any more than that!

Long chain consequences

At the end of December Sophie (team leader of Collective) and Kristian (local worship leader) got engaged on a romantic day out to Paris. By way of celebration, on Saturday they hosted an engagement party for family and friends from far and near. The fine location (Colchester Arts Centre), our friend Jason's event management skills and a fabulous turnout of uber-smart party people made for a fine occasion.
Sophie is in Colchester because of her work with Collective, and Collective are here because nearly 5 years ago I had a conversation with one of the leaders of Innervation Trust about having a band based in Colchester. That one conversation led to a series of meetings, agreement by our Trustees, the miraculous provision of start up funding and our now four year partnership with Innervation. I say none of this to imply any personal credit for Kristian and Sophie getting together - that's entirely up to them! But for a moment I was awed by the wonder of a long chain of consequences that brought them together.

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."
(Proverbs 16:9)

What inspiring long chain consequences have shaped your life?

Church 18-30

Sunday evening I finally got to go along to CauseWay, the twenty-somethings evening worship at West Mersea Free Church. I've been meaning to go for ages, but you know how it is... It was a great evening with worship, testimony, prayer stations, tea & cake and a real sense of God's presence.

CauseWay has been running for about three years. It started small when the church recognised that they were not reaching this age group (what I call "Church 18-30") and released their few young adults to start something. So they did. Causeway has seen a significant number of young adults coming to faith and being baptised - personal testimony and baptisms are celebrated regularly.

There seem to a number of common features of these 18-30 expressions of church, of which there are several around here.

A tangible sense of community. If there wasn't a meeting to go to these people would still be friends and get together.

When there isn't a meeting, they do get together! Social gatherings at a 'third place', usually in a pub, form part of the life of church 18-30.

The community is accessible to unbelievers who can easily be included in social events. Friendships flow across the boundaries of 'church' in a way that is inviting and which demonstrates the life of God in the community.

Not-yet-believing friends are included in the functioning of the community. As an example, CauseWay have routinely included not-yet believing friends in the worship band (as backing musicians). This is done with wisdom regarding the outlook of the individual concerned, but the policy speaks for itself - eveyone so involved has become a Christian.

Church 18-30 has blurry edges when it comes to its relationship with the host church. There is a real recognition and value placed on the involvement of older members of the church in a supporting, but rarely up-front role.

These 18-30 groups are not really semi-autonomous "youth (or young adult) congregations" in that they sometimes function like a specific congregation, and at other times appear to be simply active members within the wider life of the church. In at least two local examples they are also involved in leading worship in regular services.

The social nature of these groups means that they frequently attend each others services or events without in any way compromising their commitment or loyalty to their own church.

They have a passionate concern for their friends, their community and the wider world. They get out and do stuff!

If these guys keep growing church like this, things are looking good.