I am a great fan of Transformer films, Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction and most recently The Last Knight. Who remembers Optimus Prime, Bumblebee…. ‘Robots in Disguise’ .
In case you have no idea what I am taking about, a Transformer switches from an ordinary object, such as a lorry or helicopter, and turns into a robot that ferociously fights in battles.
I thought about Transformers as I read these words in Romans 12:2 “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is…”
Paul tells us we need to be like Transformers to know God’s plan for our lives. One of God’s desires for His children is to see their minds transformed and renewed. We go from being ordinary-minded — thinking about ourselves and our selfish desires — to being God-minded so we can ferociously fight life’s battles.
The first step to changing our minds is recognising what’s shaping our thoughts in the first place. In many cases, we allow people and things to dictate what we think. Once we clearly see the poor quality of our thoughts, we can begin reshaping our thoughts so they are more like the “mind of Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:16.
Reshaping takes place through two practical disciplines:
- Memorising Scripture
- Reading the Bible daily.
For any transformation to take place, we have to fill our minds with God’s Word then allow it to change how we think. Only then will our minds be renewed so we can more clearly see God’s plan for our lives.
This summer, the youth headed to Soul Survivor Week B! 5 days of fun, food, camping, (not)showering and worshipping God.
The highlights
Perhaps more a low-light than a highlight (well – a highlight for the leaders!) was the day 4 morning meeting where Mike Pilavachi asked for everyone who hadn’t showered yet to stand. Let’s just say that the vast majority of our group stood up…
Unmissable this year was the self-service slushy machine. A selection of perhaps 12-14 slushy flavours to mix and match to your heart’s content. All the usual flavours were there like strawberry and lemon & lime, in addition to red bull! We’ve decided that Soul Survivor must hate youth leaders…
The worship
The worship needs a heading of it’s own. It was an amazing experience to worship God with 8,000 other young people and (not so young) youth leaders. We let ourselves go a bit and got lost in wonder. We also prayed for each other and saw God move in some incredible ways – even some healing both in our group and in others at the event.
God kept us all safe and the weather was fantastic the entire time.
Pumped for Soul Survivor 2019! Sign-up sheets will be available soon.
Love & fist pumps,
The Bethel Youth leaders
When I reflect on my journey of faith, I am aware that God has allowed me to walk alongside many great people. At different points along the way, He has used them to help shape me into the person that I have become.
My Mum and Dad are among the biggest influences in my life, and I thank them for their godly, positive example. In my teens I gave my life to Christ and was then discipled by David Blank who at the age of 65 was the youth group leader who laid a great foundation in my life. He went on to give me my first exposure to church leadership and I am grateful for the time he gave me as a young man. I also recall with gratitude the love and care of Vic and Lyn Atkins who demonstrated such a gift of hospitality in their constant open house.
At the age of 23 I joined a Newfrontiers Church in Christchurch, Christchurch Family Church and it was there a greater passion for Jesus was ignited within me in wonderful way. At CFC I encountered humble, gifted leaders such as Tony Goodman and Mike Virgo and had the privilege of spending many hours in their company. Praying, talking and sharing lives with such people has undoubtedly made me a better leader.
Malcolm Duncan, Founder and Director of Church and Community, and our pastor in Bournemouth, is a person who influenced us as a couple and someone we would count as one of our most significant mentors. His counsel to us as a leader and the vision he had for the community cannot be understated. He demonstrated the impact the local church can have on the local community. He, together with his wife Debbie, are still always hugely helpful and encouraging.
Why not take a few moments to ask yourself: Who am I helping to grow? Who are the main influences in my life?
Whatever your age we should ask God to bring men and women into our lives who will help make us into the people He wants us to become.
Finding Strength in God
Have you ever waited for days, months, or years for an answered prayer, and nothing seems to be happening? You’ve done a lot of good, and still you find yourself in waters too deep to swim. Don’t give up.
In a letter to his church plant in Galatia, Paul writes, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). When the storms roll in and bad things happen, God is still at work. He has a purpose in the storm and a reason for the wait. Don’t let the weight of the wait keep you from seeing the goodness of God.
Just like a harvest takes time and hard work, the renewing of our hearts comes from seasons of drought, storms, and waiting. Whatever you’re facing today, remember, a harvest is coming.
Three Places to Find Strength When You Feel Like Giving Up:
1. Look to the source.
“Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:3-5).
God is hope. When it feels like the darkness of life is taking over, look to the source of hope itself—God – and His light will overcome any circumstance you have.
2. Look to community.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
God did not design us to go through life alone.
We have all been through difficulties at some point in our lives. All around us are people who have been where we are and who can help encourage us by sharing what Jesus has done in their lives. When you feel like giving up, there are people around you to help you through the storm.
3. Look to the future.
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).
God wants to see us grow, learn to trust Him, and enjoy the life we have. You may not see it now, but you are where you are for a reason. If today is tough, thank God for the blessings He has given you in the midst of the tough time. There is always something to be thankful for! When we thank God for what He has done, it reorients our hearts around what He has done, not what He hasn’t.
When we see His work all around us, it becomes easier to trust Him with the circumstances we’re facing. When we learn to trust Him with today, we grow more hopeful for tomorrow. We don’t give up because we know God never gives up on us.
2017/18 has been epic at Bethel Youth! Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane to recap on what we’ve been up to…
So we started out as we meant to go on – a mini Olympics followed by a monster pudding party. A good balance, don’t you think? Who remembers the rivalry of our season of Red Vs Blue? Two house teams going head to head each week from active group games to who-can-make-the-best-queen-made-out-of-plasticine. Obviously! Keep your eyes and ears out for Red Vs Blue 2018/19!
We had Christmas with a difference – no traditional takeaway and Santa visit like in the past. No! We took on a mystery murder evening challenge. Did you work out who killed Santa?!
Then there was the all-you-can-eat Toby Carvery (*mouth watering*), May the Fourth and rock climbing socials.
One of our biggest values in Bethel Youth is RESPECT. We talked a lot about respecting each other, watching out for our friends going through difficult times, and respecting ourselves in a big online world. We also took time on Sundays to talk about who God really is, things to learn from John’s first letter, and we started thinking about how to be open with others about our faith.
We welcomed year 6 newbies in to Bethel Youth at the end of June, took our first Bethel Youth trip to Spree, and waited hand-and-foot on 80-ish hungry guests at our curry fundraiser!
What about new additions? Did you send your pics and tweets to our live social media board on Friday? Has the new XBox One been a good addition? How much do you love Pit? Have you joined us on SnapChat?
It’s safe to say it’s been a good year – and it’s not over yet! The best might be yet to come as we head to the penultimate Soul Survivor Week B!
Who’s excited about Bethel Youth 2018/19?!
Keep in the loop on Facebook, Istagram, SnapChat, WhatsApp & church.me.uk/youth
Much love & fist pumps,
Bethel Youth Leaders
A lot of people make promises they can’t keep. They write cheques they can’t pay. They say they’ll love you forever then leave. But that’s not the case with God. Our God is a promise maker and a promise keeper. God not only writes big cheques, He can honour them too.
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God had a mission for Jeremiah. Would it be fun? No! Would he become famous? Yes, but not for the reasons most people want to become famous. God commanded Jeremiah to go to his brothers and sisters in his home country in Israel and demand they repent and return to God. Jeremiah knew it would make a lot of people angry. He figured that he might be executed for treason. Therefore, he made many excuses to God for why he wasn’t the right man for the job. “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”
7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!
Jeremiah 1:6-9
Even though Jeremiah was making excuses why he couldn’t serve the Lord, God didn’t give up on Him. He encouraged him by saying, “I am with you and will rescue you.”
As we plan and prepare ahead to the Mission to Wales, it’s natural for us today to do the same thing. We come up with clever excuses why we shouldn’t follow the mission the Lord has given us “to go unto the ends of the earth and spread the gospel.” We say to ourselves and God, “I don’t know enough about the Bible. What will they think of me? I don’t want them talking behind my back. I might lose my job! Let somebody else do it.”
Fear is a great motivator and a greater inhibitor. God immediately saw the fear in Jeremiah’s heart and said, “Do not be afraid of them.” The Bible teaches that “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and the fear of man is a stumbling block.” (See Proverbs 9:10 and 29:25.) Allow faith to overcome your fears and be obedient to God. He will not let you down if you are obedient to His calling. He has your back!
God never calls us to do something for Him that He doesn’t empower us to do if we are willing to do the work and time. It’s in these moments your relationship with Him grows, you move up in rank and are assigned harder missions. Your purpose on earth is to shine God’s love to a lost, dying world. Your mission, if you should choose to accept it, is waiting for you! Open your ears and your heart to the Lord and be excited about your new future serving Him in truth and spirit. Mission to Wales June 27th – July 1st
HILL HOUSE BUILDING PROJECT UPDATE – MAY 2018
Our offer’s been accepted and it’s time to get our finances in shape so we can begin the exciting work of refurbishing Hill House building as Bethel’s new home. We are off to a great start with money in hand from Project Fund giving and savings but we need to cover a shortfall in refurbishment costs, fees and charges of £250,000 or more.
Your further generosity could help reduce our borrowing and you will shortly be able to contribute through Special Offerings. Shared contributions such as these, unite us in sowing financially into the Hill House Project and all that God is doing there through us.
Please contact us if you wish to donate towards these costs.
More than anything though, pray for God’s provision. We feel His hand in the process to date, let’s hope and believe in His provision for our every need in the completion of our project.
“You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus”. Philippians 4:19 (MSG)
New Series – The Fruit of the Spirit
When you plant a seed, you expect the fruit of that seed to be what you planted. It would be pretty shocking if you planted a apple tree and a tomato plant started growing. You would feel deceived by the packet and probably where you bought it from. It’s the same with our lives. Our packet may be labelled ‘Christian’ but if we live according to the desires of our sinful nature, we will constantly be scattering fleshly seeds which in turn will bear fleshly fruit. The Apostle Paul in Galatians 5 : 19-21 talks about this.
But then he writes in verses 22-23 22 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things”!
If we live in the Holy Spirit and by His guiding, we will produce fruit in accordance with His nature. Think about Jesus. His roots were firmly planted in the Father and He truly produced Godly fruit. Jesus was kind, loving and patient to all He met, even the marginalised of society. He was faithful, full of goodness, joy and peace. He was so gentle, taking our burdens and carrying them on the cross for us. Finally, when He was tempted by the enemy, He stood firm and showed self-control to overcome the enemy’s lies. Jesus is still all those things today.
That same Spirit, is the Spirit that lives in us; The person of the Holy Spirit. He lives to guide and lead us and to produce fruit in accordance to God’s nature. Notice that verse 22 doesn’t say that these fruit are something we can produce on our own, but rather it is the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in our hearts and lives that produces these fruit. May we be daily, consciously asking for more of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Not just an infilling but an overflowing of Him in all we do. May the seeds we sow, bear good fruit.” Growing more like Jesus.
