MINTY 2007

Here's the new crew
Back Row: Me, Peter Brown, Stevie Walker, Tom Broughton
Front Row: Jono Yu, Karen Lau, Richard Deeble, Esther Lim, Tim Hodge

MINTY, History, Revelation and Anticipation

Five of the men in the sea

It's 6 in the morning, I'm sat in an amazing beach house, looking out on a dimly lit sea and sky of a pre-dawn Kapiti coast. I've been here since Monday for MINTY training. The house is one TSCF often rent for a week or more for smaller gatherings and to provide accommodation for speakers for our national conference in November (which is based a 5 minute drive from here and does not provide the comfort that this place does). It belongs to two sisters of a dynastic Christian heritage here in NZ. Their family history makes amazing reading. This week has been transformative for me, and hopefully the six new MInterns have found it helpful too.

The six MInterns for 2007 are Richard and Jono (Auckland), Peter (Palmerston North), Stevie and Esther (Wellington) and Tom (Lincoln). Karen Lau and Tim Hodge are the two members of staff helping to staff working alongside me at the training conferences. I’m sad that this morning is the last of one together as a whole team before we convene again in June (at another amazing beach house – this time on South Island)

We’ve laughed together, shared fish and chips on the beach, talked together about Bible study and student ministry, and heard from Val Goold on ‘understanding TSCF’. Val visited for the morning on Wednesday with James Allaway. Her session was brilliantly done. She read from the autobiography of Howard Guinness (“Journey Amongst Students” no longer in print) – written when he was 74 years old and reflecting on 40 more years of Christian service, mission and ministry – giving some anchor points from the past to understand the ministry of TSCF within a world context and the history of the founding and establishment of the student work here in NZ.

Guinness came here in Sept 1930 after 18 months in Canada, and 3 months in Australia, investing a hectic 8 weeks travelling the length and breadth of NZ, speaking at least twice a day (and often more) for the whole of that time. He relied of God for financial provision, spoke to many thousands in that time and laid the foundations of what would become Scripture Union as well as TSCF. The focus was clear: to preach the gospel to all who would hear, leading many to their first acceptance of Jesus and confidence in his faithfulness to deliver the promise of salvation and also to establish a work that would see the youth and students of the world evangelised and committed to the further proclamation of the gospel.

As Val read my heart LONGED for more of God in my own life and for a new generation of the evangelised and the evangelising. The example of Guinness moved me, under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, not because he was a perfect man who I longed to be like but because in his own words he describes battles with sin and self-pity, insensitivity and discouragement but communicates a commitment to serving Christ. I recognise all the struggles (and more) in myself and at times have seen them give rise to complacency to service and a reticence to serve wholeheartedly. As Val read, I cried out to God to move afresh in my heart, to move all of us gathered in the room to a new passionate zeal for the gospel and for TSCF staff and students to be renewed in our commitment to taking up the gospel. Tears of longing, repentance and prayer came unforced as Val continued to read and challenged us to think and commit to the vision, passion and values of TSCF and IFES.

We have also been studying the first 3 chapters of Revelation together in small groups at the conference. The glory of the Risen and Ascended Jesus revealed to and recorded by John is a -sobering encouragement and has driven home the stirring conviction from Howard Guinness’s autobiography with the direct rebuke and teaching from God’s Word. I’ve taught on these chapters in various student contexts but this week it has been like reading them for the first time – such is the impact on me, and I pray on the others too.

I came here tired and a little jaded, not really excited about the year ahead. I leave humbled by the loving mercy of God the Father in His revealed grace through His Son, Jesus, who is my anchoring Hope and towering Lord, and renewed in the presence and power of God the Holy Spirit, my friend and companion, teacher and strength.

The year ahead has, no doubt, many adventures – one of which, according to God’s patience, will be attending the IFES world assembly in July. This is the 60th Anniversary of the founding of IFES and (I’m not sure if it is by ‘accident’ or design on IFES part) the conference is happening in Canada – where the first “IFES” worker Howard Guinness arrived and travelled for 18 months establishing the work there. Guinness established a pattern that is still being followed today: men and women from one or more IFES movements travelling and settling in places where the student movements are embryonic or need bolstering and encouragement. It is a great privilege to stand in such a heritage, I am not worthy of it and pray that God might make much of Himself in the work he has allotted me to do. I am looking forward greatly to the time in Canada and of hearing more stories from history as well as from my contemporaries in the far flung places of the world.

Soli Deo Gloria.

The sun has just risen, New Zealand is an amazing place to live, God is worth serving, the gospel is true and heaven is Home.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Parachute, God's People and Papamoa

Three things have had a big impact on me this last month.



Parachute
Over 25,000 people gather for the Parachute music festival each year; most of them are 14-24 and they come to see and hear music of every style and flavour - all within a Christian framework. This was my first taste of anything like this.


I headed off early on Saturday morning (Ruben came too) and as we walked on site I thought it looked like a Christian refugee camp. TSCF have a stall each year - making contact with current students, recent grads and those about to embark on three years in studentville.

I wouldn't say I was overwhelmed but I was taken aback by the commercialism (economic reality?) and the distinct lack of depth to what was happening on site. Sure it is a music festival and that side of it was prefessionally handled and the organisers of Parachute deserve praise and commendation for putting a festival together that lacked drugs, booze and insists on boys and girls not sharing tents unless you're married.

It is not a teaching conference - but the 10 hours I was there I heard little other than "isn't God amazing" (to provide lovely weather and to bring people from all over New Zealand together) and "we are amazing too" (we're an army that could take a city, a people who can change a nation, a people loved by God). What I didn't hear much was the name of the Lord Jesus - "God" was everywhere, but Jesus was absent in the explicit language of those leading seminars and from the main stage. I also didn't hear the Bible handled well in the three seminars I popped in on (in one the Bible was alluded to, in another it was mauled and in the other it was quoted but not taught in context). Probably the saddest thing of the day was in the book tent there was not one book (no, not one) teaching about or alluding to the work of Christ through the cross and resurrection. CD's abound, T-shirts a plenty - not a single book teaching about the grounds of Christian hope and confidence.

I was excited to be in a crowd of about 15,000 joyfully singing in the ferocious heat and glare of the NZ summer sun on the Saturday morning (thinking that on the Last Day we will see a more dazzling display of the Glory of God in the unveiling of His Son) and left the day there glad that I went. But there was more than a tinge of sadness, tension and regret that at a festival like Parachute there was not more depth, more of Jesus and more confidence in the authority, authenticity and sufficiency of His Word. I don't think Parachute is a bad thing, I think it should be a GREAT thing though. (BTW Ruben loved the day and had a great time in the pre-teens programme: I am now old enough to have a child in the PRE-TEENS programme!)


Church
When we moved into our house just over a year ago, we discovered that Eastgate was a short walk from the house. As we'd been praying that we WOULD be able to walk to church, we checked it out, decided that this is where we would make our home and contribute to church life and began to settle in. One thing annoyed me though, everyone who stood up front said "morning church" - it sounded trite and made my flesh crawl.

I lead the church gathering on the morning after I'd been to Parachute and something struck me as I prepared the service - I now LOVE the fact that we are greeted that way each week. What' happened? Is it simply my love of cheesy phrases? Have my standards slipped?

I guess what's happened is I've reflected on the words - these words are true. We gather each week -"morning church" it reminds us that we are not a building, a social gathering, a club for the desperate or a time filler for the busy-ness addicted. We gather as God's people - once we only had alienation from God in common and now we have life in Him, His love and pleasure uniting us as we proclaim and live for Him. Church is by no means a walk in the park - it presents challenges and opportunities (I'm now leading Men's Minsitry and Ines is involved in Sunday School, Playgroup and Asian Fellowship) but we do feel at home there and encouraged that 'in faith' we are part of the family of God extending across the world with those that we do not see week in and week out: we are "church" and it's good to be greeted that way each week.


Papamoa
Last week the TSCF staff and families conference gathered at Papamoa. 20 children and 34 adults! 3 of the adults were British grads who gave a week of their 3 weeks here to look after the kids at the conference. They did much to entertain the hoard but they did more than that they taught them about the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Much respect to Jonny, Annelli and Paul!

The Christian holiday park we used was a short walk from the beach and the surf and that provided much entertainment for kids and adults too. We also spent time thinking about Colossians, how we can encourage one another to live whole lives impacted by the gospel and discussed our training needs and the opportunities we face. We spent a fair amount of time too thinking about what it means to be a multi-cultural team serving a multi-ethnic contingency of students under the call of the gospel for all nations. It was a week of many answered prayers and I'm facing the year ahead with greater vigour for having spent time talking, praying, laughing, eating, sharing and resting in the spa pool with good friends and gospel partners (conference photo to follow as soon as I get it!)