ECG A Heart for the Nations

Sorry to have kept you waiting for my write-up of the ECG Event at Easter. It has taken until now to be able to use my right hand without pain after the bad fall I had in the rain in Llandudno. So I hope you will find it's worth the wait:-

Easter People was finished. I had never heard of NXT Ministries until ECG came on the scene and what was ECG anyway? It seemed a stupid title! I knew Youth for Christ and I’d heard and read about Hope ’08 – but, with input from all of these, would this new event even hold a candle to our beloved Easter People which had been run by Share Jesus International? These were the doubts in my mind as I prepared to travel to Llandudno to act as a steward for this new event.

However, we’d been told that there would be similar in-depth Bible studies to that provided by Easter People, with the renowned Clive and Ruth Calver as the main speakers, and that the main focus would be the ‘lost generation’ (the 20s to 40s). Even more reassuring was the fact that my friends from MET (Methodist Evangelicals Together) would be there, showing that they had faith in the new venture, and they were backing it financially.

So I set off on Easter Tuesday morning on a 6.10am train to Birmingham International rail station where I was met by another volunteer steward to drive to Llandudno – a very scenic journey through Wales, which included breakfast at the popular restaurant at the Horseshoe Pass. A sudden snowstorm painted the stunning landscape pure white just before our arrival there – absolutely wonderful!

In Llandudno there was the stewards’ briefing that included a tour of the new Conference Centre, Venue Cymru, so that we could direct others easily to the various events on site. The first thing we were told, however, was that, being in Wales, we should be aware that if someone shouted something that sounded like ‘daniel squirrel’ all the Welsh speakers would make a hasty exit - because it meant ‘Fire!’ Then we were told how to make a ‘horizontal evacuation’ of the building. My private sense of humour played tricks with that word ‘horizontal’!

I have always enjoyed welcoming people to Easter People and it was the same at ECG, but I was amazed at the number of folk who were so pleased to see me, some flinging their arms round me with joy and one lady saying ‘As we drove here, I was wondering if we would see you again!’ During the week I met a girl who said she had belonged to our youth group ‘Squash’; a lady who said she had belonged to my son’s choir (the Ryton Chorale) in Worksop until she began candidating for the Methodist ministry and could no longer go on Monday evenings; a young man who said my son had taught his young brother the ‘cello in Nottinghamshire; and another young man who was a steward at one of Will Grady’s churches. (I’d met Will at a UK Methodist bloggers’ meeting in January.) So there are many joys in stewarding, though it limits the number of sessions you can attend. We are told that we shall need twice as many stewards next year, so please consider whether you can be a volunteer!

However, I did get to a good number of the morning Bible Studies, whose themes were Jesus the Son of God, Jesus the social activist, Jesus the suffering servant and Jesus the mentor. It was good to witness the application of the Bible studies to our everyday lives in line with ECG (Equipping, Calling, Going). I was also glad to be at the main celebration event each evening led by the impressive worship band Yfriday (known world-wide) and with a variety of speakers on Jesus the Friend, Jesus the Healer, Jesus the Evangelist, Jesus the Risen One, Jesus the Radical and Jesus the Returning Hero. Large numbers of people responded to the call each day – a different call each time, according to the chosen theme, aiming to envision and enable radical mission and discipleship. For instance, I was most impressed when Gavin Calver (Youth for Christ Director of Church & Schools resources) summed up on Saturday by saying ‘I used to think that revival would come through our young people but now I believe it will also come from older people mentoring young people’. – after so many older people had stood to indicate their willingness to be a mentor.

In addition to these main events there was a very full programme, with something to suit every age group. The morning seminars, equipping people for ministry and growth were on Leadership, Lifestyle, Vocation (which, surprisingly, included one session on ‘Called to make money’!), and Church were so popular that each day we had to turn people away and refer them to the repeat sessions in the afternoon. There was all age worship each morning, a Kidz Zone for (0-4s, 5-6s, and 7-10s) and an evening children’s Praise Party run by Big Ministries and a Youth Programme for 11-14s and 15-18s.

In the afternoon, there was a choice of Family Film Fun, a Masterclass (on things like Songwriting, Public Speaking, and How to use Comedy), Signs of Hope sessions with the Fresh Expressions Team, Sports for all ages and fitness levels, the ECG-run Café Revival in the town centre, and social action projects like restoring a community centre, painting a church hall, and hosting a skate park and a mission bus. There was also much interest in the Prayer Path that occupied four rooms on the first floor, with interactive stations and different elements added each day to help us think more about Jesus’ character.

Fringe, late night events included a ‘Late Night Laughter Lounge’ at a local hotel, dramatic productions by the Lacey Theatre Company and the Inside Out Theatre group, Latin dance lessons by a professional salsa teacher, a Disco night, and each night there was a late night alternative Bible study in the Centre’s Café Bar (led on the Saturday by our President, Dr Martyn Atkins).

Before we left 480 people had booked and paid for next year’s ECG Event which will again be held in Llandudno from 14th to 19th April 2009, with Martyn Atkins (who will then be the Secretary of the Methodist Conference and the chief spokesman for the Methodist Church) as the main speaker for the Bible Study sessions. So 2008 had been a very encouraging start for ECG, with its aim of 'inspiring a prophetic church to build a better world'.

Churches urge people to vote wisely on May 1st

17 April, 2008

Three Christian denominations are urging voters to take a stand against racist and extreme political parties as election day for local councils in England and Wales draws near.

1 May 2008 is election day for many local councils as well as for the Mayor of London and the Greater London Assembly. A new briefing from the Methodist Church, United Reformed Church and Baptist Union of Great Britain encourages people to use their vote wisely.

Simon Loveitt, Convenor of the Church and Society Committee for the United Reformed Church, says; “Politics is not just for Westminster. Local elections are a chance to have your say about the issues affecting your community. Many are daunted by the information available, but this briefing demystifies local elections and offers a place to start making your voice heard on the issues that matter.”

“It’s very easy to criticise politicians from a distance,” adds Graham Sparkes, Head of Faith and Unity at the Baptist Union of Great Britain, “but as Christians we are called to be fully involved in politics. We need to be engaged in community life, holding politicians to account for their decisions but also taking our democratic responsibilities seriously.”

Local churches are encouraged to issue statements condemning policies and practices that are incompatible with Christian faith and to work with other community groups in taking a stand against extremist parties in their areas.

Rachel Lampard, Methodist Secretary for Parliamentary and Political Affairs, says; “Churches have urged people not to vote for candidates who promote racist policies which are completely incompatible with the Christian call to love one another. Not only should we reject racist and intolerant parties, but we should actively work to counter those who seek to stir up hatred. Using your vote is essential to ensure that extremist parties, such as the BNP, do not get elected.”

Christians in London are invited to attend a hustings event for the London Mayoral candidates which is being organised by the London Churches Group for Social Action and the Evangelical Alliance. The hustings will take place at St-Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square on 23 April from 1800-2000.

The briefing offers links to further resources and is available at www.jointpublicissues.org.uk

NEW VICE-PRESIDENT SET TO MAKE BAPTIST UNION HISTORY

The next vice-president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) has been named as Revd. Kingsley Appiagyei – who will make history by becoming the Union’s first black male president in May 2009. The Ghanaian was the sole nomination, and was voted to the honorary position in a postal ballot. Mr Appiagyei, who studied at Spurgeon’s College, formed Trinity Baptist Church in South Norwood which, with more than 2,000 members, is now the second largest church in the Union. The largest is Calvary Charismatic Baptist Church in Plaistow, East London, which is one of Mr Appiagyei’s church plants.

Source: The Baptist Times (10/4)

YOUNG MOVIE-MAKERS SET TO HIGHLIGHT POVERTY ISSUES

‘Gang-up on poverty’ – that’s the invitation from Christian Aid to seven to 14 year olds this week, with the launch of a film-making competition to address worldwide poverty. The driving force behind the contest is Global Gang – the children’s arm of Christian Aid – and asks budding movie-makers to make a short, three-minute film persuading their peers to take action on poverty. The winning entry will be shown on the Global Gang website, and displayed at the London International Gallery of Children’s Art later this year.

Source: Christian Today (10/4)

‘CREM CAM’ PLANS FOR ABSENT MOURNERS

Mourners unable to get to a funeral may be able to watch the ceremony via the Internet as part of a £1.4 million scheme to upgrade Park Wood crematorium at Elland, near Halifax. Cameras are planned to relay services from the small chapel to screens in an overflow waiting room – and could also be connected to the Internet with the permission of he families. Commenting on the service – which has been dubbed ‘Crem Cam’ – the vicar of Halifax, the Revd Hilary Barber said, ‘I can see this working over the internet, provided families agree. It’s a reflection of the modern world we live in.’

Source: The Church of England Newspaper (11/4)

This should be of great comfort to families separated by distance and unable to travel home from distant places in the world.

PRAYER CALL AS OLYMPIC TORCH ARRIVES

The Methodist Church has urged British Christians to pray for marginalised groups in Tibet and China as security arrangements are made for Sunday’s Olympic torch handover in London. ‘The situation in Tibet is very grave and it is clear that there have been human rights violations,’ said Christine Elliott, Methodist secretary for External Relationships, previously its Asia and Pacific secretary. David Fung, senior steward at Birmingham Chinese Methodist Church, said he was ‘deeply sorry for the Tibetan sufferings’. Nevertheless, he supported the Beijing Olympic Games and prayed for it to be an opportunity ‘to channel both friendship and the Gospel into the hearts and minds of the people there’.

Source: Methodist Recorder (3/4)

ECG 'Inspiring a prophetic church to build a better world'

I have been away for a week stewarding for the new ECG event at the Conference Centre in Llandudno about which I hope to be blogging soon. Meanwhile, you can find the comments of our President, Martyn Atkins, on the short time that he was with us on his blog www.methodist-presandvp.blogspot.com . I'm disappointed that so far there has been only one comment there.

Those of us stewards who returned home on Sunday afternoon were encouragd by this email from the stewards' team leader, John Cass:-

"After you had gone we had another great Celebration for the local folk from the Llandudno Area, an area stretching from Holyhead to Wolverhampton and Liverpool, so not that local! The stalls were so full that we had to open the circle as well. Clive Calver preached, YFriday led worship and many responded to Salvation and a personal commitment to growth. There is a real possibility that many of those who attended may return for the week next year.

Next year we are going to need twice as many stewards as this year so when the volunteer forms appear please encourage your friends to volunteer. The record is 8 additional volunteers recruited, currently held by Kath."

We also heard in another email that 475 people had already signed up for next year!