climbing hiking camping

This is not the usual short blog from me- you’re going to need patience to read it, but there’s a REWARD if you get to the end. I don’t go in for too much reflection on these pages, but 2017 was a life-changing year, so here goes. I’m so grateful for such a wonderful wife. My youngest daughter constantly reminds me that I managed to secure a beautiful woman- well beyond everyone’s expectations! And to have four children and two kids-in-law, all of whom love God is an amazing blessing. As for the two grandkids, don’t get me started! As I REFLECT on the year, it was mixed, with doors closing and others opening. To be dropped from the lead team for our Leicester church was a real sadness. We remain leaders in various capacities at ‘home base’ in Peterborough and will continue to support Leicester as much as we can. But other doors opened. Not least with the Leprosy Mission and Mission24. To be Chair of the Leprosy Mission England & Wales is an immense privilege. This often forgotten a...

There’s an interesting article in today’s Times (Can’t link to it as you have to pay to see it- that’s a whole other set of thoughts!) The article by Daniel Finkelstein notes the recent survey that indicated for the first time that over 50% of the nation ‘has no religion’. He points out (correctly in my view) that this may be a reflection of someone automatically saying in the past that they were ‘C of E’ (ie they went to the local church for funerals, weddings and Christmas) and now felt freer to say they had no firm belief. Finkelstein goes on to point out the high level of faith still attributed to political power- for example, of our last four Prime Ministers, two were kids of clergymen and one a Christian socialist who read his Bible every night. (Thus, Cameron was the exception, in case you were wondering...). And, again in the article, they key role church and Christian charities take in our nation’s welfare. I’m not as pessimistic about the Christian faith in the UK as the sta...

The welcome poster is from Coventry Cathedral. I put it up as a Facebook post originally and it gained a lot of comment and interest- so here it is on the blog. I hope and pray our church is like this. We probably need to improve, but I hope we're on the way. I love the welcoming language. I love the categories of people mentioned. And I love it that on Facebook, a couple of friends who admit they no longer have their Christian faith of old, both said they'd go to a church like that!

It’s not every day you get to take part in launching a new church. But that’s what we did on Sunday. After a year of preparation, team forming, moving house, LifeGroups and Café Church, the real thing arrived at City of Leicester College on Sunday. 317 people walked through the door. Admittedly, that included over 150 from our sister churches in Peterborough and Cambridge, but it’s a great start. KingsGate Church Leicester is for those that don’t like church or used to go to church. If that’s you and you are within reach of us, see you on Sunday at 4.30 in the afternoon. Leicester has a rich history of Christian enterprise and mission. It’s a privilege to be joining those that have gone before us and those already engaged in seeing the 10 th biggest city in England transformed by the power of God’s love. Bring on week two!

There are times as a church when it’s best to be quiet. But there are other times when we need to shout out loud! Well done to the Archbishop of Canterbury for shouting! An average bank loan is around 15%APR. The rate from Wonga? 4,214%. That’s not just profitable. That’s criminal. If the church can help by expanding Credit Unions and promoting them as a safer alternative, we should do it. Not to would be criminal.

A late night yesterday as Roh and I enjoyed our new dvd – Les Misérables . Les Misérables is a powerful story. Not just the music and acting- but the story itself. It’s a story of redemption. Of someone getting a second chance. Of being given hope when there was none. Every one of us has a spiritual ‘awareness’, a knowledge that there must be more to life. That ‘more’ can only be filled by Jesus’ redemption. If we are honest with ourselves, we have to accept that, like so many in the film, we are lost, poor, alone. Like the main character, we deserve nothing. History shows Jesus lived, died and rose again. Taking our punishment. That moment offers us our own redemption. In a moment of love and forgiveness, the main character,   Jean Valjean, was given hope. The bishop who welcomes him into the church building on a cold night says ‘ you need not tell me who you are. This is not my house; it is the house of Christ. It does not ask any comer whether he has a name, but whether he has ...

A new survey out today highlights the happiest and most unhappy places in the UK. It seems that contentment does not come with riches but with simplicity. The Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland are the places to live for a happy and worthwhile life. Such out-of-the-way places point to the simple enjoyment of the outdoors, amazing scenery and a lifestyle unencumbered by over reliance on modern appliances, supermarkets, television and speed of travel. In the same article, my own city of Peterborough sadly topped the poll for being the most anxious. Not all of the city is like that though. Come along to KingsGate Church where on an average Sunday you will find around 1,800 people who would not in the least fit into that ‘anxious’ image. With 58 different nations represented and a number of different church services to choose from, this is Positive Peterborough. And the reason for the lack of anxiety? We know where to ‘cast our cares’!

Following our Missions evening this week, this is a REPOST of RESTORE A TOWN. TRANSFORM A NATION from July 2011. We will be sending our first KingsGate team there this November! You drive for 5 hours from Johannesburg, through the mountains and over the Swaziland border. What greets you is quite breathtaking. Bulembu is an old mining town. When the mines closed nearly ten years ago, the 10,000 population moved out. Bulembu became a ghost town. Until someone had a vision of what could be. Today a Christian trust owns the whole town. All 4,000 acres. The population is back to 2,000. There are successful industries in wood production, water bottling, honey production, a bakery, a dairy, successful tourism. All from nothing. Most of all, there are 200 orphans saved. Bulembu has become a centre for rescued children. With the worst HIV rate in the world at around 40%, and an average age expectancy of just over 30, Swaziland is slowly dying. Children die daily. Bulembu is changing the statist...

One of my favourite programmes is The Book Show on Sky Arts . I know, a bit pretentious isn’t it? Guests are invited to talk about their latest book and to discuss other favourites. It was a surprise to see such a heated discussion on a slow moving programme, but Richard Dawkins decided that he had been slighted by the host Mariella Frostrup when she moved the discussion on from his railing against Christianity. His attitude was so far removed from the regular show, it became almost amusing. This isn’t the first time Richard Dawkins has got angry- but the more he does it, the more he is helping the church. Here is Mary Ann Sieghart of The Independent , as quoted in The Week .: The Church of England is lucky. It couldn’t have asked for a better enemy. The contrast between the ‘puffed up, self regarding, vain, prickly and militant’ Dawkins and the ‘charitable, open, welcoming, tolerant, undogmatic’ church is practically an advertisement for anti-atheism. Thank you Richard Dawkins.