Blog

As you might have guessed from last week’s Facebook live, I love sport, in particular football and F1 so it’s been quite a few days! When faith and football collide, that makes me very happy!

How do you begin to encompass in a few words a trip lasting 4 weeks, across two vast counties and three time zones, as well at least three different climates.

Our Home. What images do these two simple words conjure up?

Definition: The practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit. Last week I joined, via Zoom, a discussion on Being Intergenerational,

Part of my Messy Church Ministry Lead role is to encourage the international Messy Church community. We host an online learning group for country leads, all organised and delivered from the comfort of my spare bedroom, so when I was invited to lead an in-person workshop on ‘Intergenerational Discipleship’ at Messy Church USA ‘Celebrate the Mess’ conference, I leapt at the opportunity.

A core value of Messy Church is creativity, which often means that we use loads of 'stuff' as we learn, remember, and pray through the things we create, reflecting on God's story and presence in the world.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’ Mark 14:32-35 (NIV).

Last Friday, I made my way to Church House in London to celebrate the ‘end’ of my cohort’s Strategic Leaders Programme (GFSLP). It was, as Growing Faith Programmes Lead Stephen Beamond put it, a ‘tank-filling’ day!

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”. During Lent, traditionally I would give something up, but the last few years have involved me taking up something. This year I am making space to know God more in the everyday things.

Last Friday was Culture Day at my daughter’s secondary school in SE London. Digging into my German family history (how else did I get a name like Aike?),

At the start of a New Year, it’s good practice to pause for a moment and reflect on the year that’s past, giving thanks to God for both the opportunities and challenges.