Anne Jackson - Permission to Speak Freely

My Story: The Preacher’s Daughter & The Youth Pastor – My Introduction to Sexual Abuse and Pornography

A title to a blog post by Anne Marie Miller (Previously Anne Jackson) which jolts against your sensitivities. But I have read much of Anne's story in 2 of her previous books: "Mad Church Disease" & "Permission to Speak Freely".

Thankfully Anne is one of the few people I have come across who are willing to talk openly about some of the raw difficulties she has faced and is facing in her life. I am sure her openess will give hope to so many others as it has done in my life.

Watch Anne share her story first hand by clicking on the pic below.

Celebrate the results don't diss the method

I overheard a conversation today whilst having my coffee in McDonald's between a mum and her daughter.

School work was the topic of conversation particularly maths. The young lade was explaining the way she had been taught to do things like long division. She was getting the right answer the mum couldn't understand the method she was using to get there. She had been taught a different way. But instead of leaving it at that she continued to slag off her daughters method.

She didn't understand it so she said what the daughter had been taught was: complicated, long winded, unnecessary and even stupid. Without once congratulating her on getting the right answer.

I felt God say to me with each generation methods change but not the results. Celebrate the results don't diss the method.

Unfortunately too many times in church life each successive generation holds on to their methods or even worse spend their time trying to force their methods on the next generation.

Be a guide, be an encourager but don't straitjacket the next generation with methods that fit you like a glove but become a ball and chain for the next generation.

Lets celebrate the results.

Gauntlet

This just never gets old. It doesn't matter if its in the UK, USA, Africa, India or Australia. To see hundereds and hundreds of young people lost in worship and following Jesus melts my heart every time.

Gauntlet is the Summer Camp of NewSpring Church.

Gauntlet 09 Day 4 Recap from Fuse* Student Ministry on Vimeo.

Summer Camp Changed My Life

Seth Godin suggested that going to Summer Camp changed his life.

I can also say it did for me.

My cousin Steve Ritchie, now pastor of Fraserburgh AOG ran a youth camp for years - I started to follow Jesus at one of these camps.

Then we got a new pastor - Roger Blackmore and he too us to a camp in England. Great Walstead School in East Sussex will always hold a special place in my heart because my life was shaped there.

• I was "filled" with the spirit there.
• I learned to worship God in a fresh way from the heart.
• God invaded my life.
• I really started to follow Jesus.
  
• God called me to ministry.

Whilst visiting near there recently I went and found the school. Just driving in gate was enough to get the tears rolling.

I was 13 the first time I boarded a bus in Inverallochy to go on what was then a 24 hour trip to Great Walstead. I returned there year after year for about 10 I think. Even volunteering there for a month each year later on.

At 13 my life was never going to be the same. Churches and parents invest the time and money to get your kids to a great camp it could change them forever.

UK Teen Internet Habits

A recent survey has just been published regarding UK Teens internet viewing habits. To be specific 13 - 15 Year olds. You can read the wole survey here. However you may be surprised at what they are looking at with the click of one button.

• UK teens in that age group spending over 31 hours in an average week surfing the internet.
• At least one hour and 40 minutes a week – that's just under 87 hours a year – is spent looking at soft porn,"
• A further one hour and 35 minutes is spent surfing dieting and weight loss websites and forums.
• another hour and eight minutes is dedicated to exploring cosmetic surgery websites, to learn about boob jobs, bum lifts and collagen implants.

Breakdown of the average teenager's time online each week

• Downloading music 1 hour 40 minutes
• YouTube 2 hours 2 minutes
• MSN 3 hours 29 minutes
• Chatrooms 2 hours 5 minutes
• Virtual World sites 1 hour 55 minutes
• Homework/research 3 hours 10 minutes
• Shopping 1 hour 49 minutes
• Auction sites 1 hour 28 minutes
• Cosmetic surgery 1 hour 8 minutes
• Soft porn 1 hour 40 minutes
• Dieting/weight loss 1 hour 35 minutes
• Family planning/pregnancy 1 hour 32 minutes
• NHS Direct/Health 1 hour 22 minutes
• Samaritans 1 hour 1 minute
• Dating 1 hour 15 minutes
• Social networking 3 hours 47 minutes

A glimpse into the mind of a teenager. Now we know as parents and churches what to talk about and how to communicate?

Read this now!

Mark beat me to this but it is so good just had to mention it. Get over to perrynoble.com and read this now.

Generous teenager!

9 Days and counting

Time for posts have been very limited over the last couple of week. Our annual event at Alton Towers Theme Park is now only 9 days away.

Although we plan for a year ahead it seems like there is so much to do in such a short time now. We still need to sell around 2000 tickets and logistics range from ensuring all the contractors are arranged to buying some towels for the artists. My life is nothing but varied.

This year we are launching a new initiative with our friends at Music Wire. We have developed a programme in the form of a CD entitled Ultimate Love. It will be the first in a series named Ultimate Life. They will tackle some of the major issues in the Christian life in the form of songs and provide resource to help in each area.

The first is Ultimate Love and points the way to the worlds ultimate act of love: Jesus sacrifice for humanity. Every person attending the event will receive a CD. Please pray with us that many many young people will experience Jesus love for the first time on the 5th May.

Starfield

Putting the finishing touches to the literature to promote the Starfield concert in MKCC. Copy of the front above. Quite pleased even if I say so for myself.

The Youth Do

Met last night with a couple of guys who are heading up our Youth Ministry at MKCC. It is probably the area in our church that we need to invest some more time, talent and money to make it more effective.

Ryan & Sean are relaunching the youth programme. They are dividing it up into more specific age ranges. School years 7 - 9 and years 10 - 13. This will allow them to focus on each group a little more. They are kicking the whole thing off by hosting an evening for all the parents where the young people will serve food and take part in some music and dance. In this day and age its important to get the parents involved after all they are the taxi service to get they young people to church.



We are also planning some events later in the year. In June we have a visit of a great rock band from the states: Starfield. It was great to sit with them and start to plan all the logistics. Its a bit of a new venture for us in MK but I am sure it will be a great evening.