Get Set…

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When a runner gets set he hunkers down and prepares to run the race and run it to win. We looked at the first chapter of the gospel of Mark last Sunday night at Redefine, and what really jumped out at some of the young people was John the Baptist’s work of preparing the way for Jesus.

“as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way. A voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”’ – Mark 1:2-3

John wanted the people to get ready, to get set for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.

Like a runner getting ready to race, there is a sense of anticipation. An eagerness and readiness for Jesus’ arrival. When He does turn up on the scene, He too is baptised by John in the river Jordan and Jesus and the people around Him hear God declare ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’ At once after being baptised the Jordan, the Holy Spirit sends Jesus into the wilderness.

There is so much action in this passage. It’s just like a runner launching themselves from the starting blocks, ‘Bang!’ and away they go.

Just like John the Baptist Mark wants to get people ready for Jesus. For the readers of this gospel to clear a straight path inside their hearts for Jesus as one translation of the passage puts it.

Mark really wants people to focus on Jesus. Like a runner looking at the finish line with uncluttered focus.

Mark wants his readers to know without a doubt who Jesus is and why He is so important.

Maybe during the rest of October you might think about reading through the gospel of Mark, just like the young people in ‘Redefine’ are, and ask God to reveal more to you about Jesus and why He is so important.

Also please continue to pray for us and the ministry of Llandudno Youth for Christ. Pray that as we study Mark, the young people will get a clearer picture of Jesus and be wowed by how amazing He is.

Be blessed!

On Your Marks…

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At Redefine last Sunday night we started our new study topic, looking at the gospel of Mark.

“This is the beginning of the wonderful news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It starts with Isaiah the prophet, who wrote: “Listen! I am sending my messenger ahead of you and he will prepare your way! He is a thunderous voice of one who shouts in the wilderness: “Prepare your hearts for the coming of the Lord Yahweh, and clear a straight path inside your hearts for him!” – Mark 1:1-3.

Mark doesn’t miss a beat as he dives straight into the message of Jesus. He wants his readers to grasp the good news of Jesus’ coming. Unlike Matthew & Luke he doesn’t start with the miraculous birth of Jesus, or like John with his glorious declaration of the pre-existence of Jesus as a member of the Godhead and the Creator of everything. Mark goes straight to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth, from his baptism in the river Jordan by his cousin John the Baptist.

Mark declaration of Jesus is like ‘Bam! Bam! Bam!’ as he moves from the Baptism to Jesus’ temptation by the devil in the wilderness, to His calling of the disciples, to his preaching ministry, to demonstrations of Jesus’ power over sickness and demons.

It’s a really fast paced account of Jesus’ ministry on earth, with no let up. Mark wants the message that Jesus is the long expected Messiah to really sink in. He also wants to get across the message that, as Jesus declares in Mark 1:15 – “At last the fulfillment of the age has come! It is time for the realm of God’s kingdom to be experienced in its fullness! Turn your lives back to God and put your trust in the hope-filled gospel!”

That is the gospel, or good news of Mark in a nutshell. Jesus is the culmination or fulfilment of God’s plan for mankind. Jesus is the way back to God and the one worthy of our trust.

As we read through and delve into Mark’s gospel, please be praying for us. Pray that God’s Word would impact the hearts and lives of the young people that come to Redefine and that Jesus would be clearly demonstrated as the coming King and Son of God.

Perhaps you might like to read through the gospel of Mark during the month of October and be encouraged by the life and ministry of Jesus too.

Be blessed!

 

Give us a clue!

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Last Sunday night we held the last of our ‘God, Goats & Games’ nights. It was the last of our summer events and we wanted to make it special; so we held a giant game of Cluedo!

Everyone came dressed in their best bib & tucker, looking all smart & glamorous. It was great fun.

Each of the Redefine leaders was a suspect in the murder of a prized penguin, and each of them (during the game time), were responsible for one room during the game time. We had the following eccentric characters Dr. Dewifroggle of Nexu, Colonel Koreypheasant of Texaz, Madam Scarlettperrin of the Thieves Guild, Lady Katiedebarkle III of Nonsense, Rev. Timopious of the Pool and Mrs Amywinehouse of ‘Down South’ (can you guess who played what?)

Each room contained a series of clues; once answered correctly the players of the game brought a password to the suspect in charge of that room, who then gave that team a ‘fragment’ of a larger story about the evening’s crime. This happened from room to room until all of the teams had gathered all of the story fragments and had to figure out, from all of the information they had accumulated, who the culprit was and in which room the deed was done and with what weapon.

As I already said it was a really fun evening with everyone getting stuck in to the game. And as it was a mystery that needed to be solved, we also looked at the first chapter of the book of Colossians where Paul speaks of the amazing ‘mystery‘ “that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” – Colossians 1:26-27.

This is not a mystery that God wants to keep hidden, but rather one that God wants everyone to know. That is one of the things that we at Llandudno Youth for Christ are passionate about. We want the young people in Llandudno and beyond to know how amazing the good news of Jesus truly is. How they can have a relationship with the Creator of the Universe and be filled with so much hope.

Please consider supporting us in the work we do to see a generation saved. Support us financially, support us with your time by volunteering and most importantly support us in prayer.

Be blessed!

 

 

Refresh 2018

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Hi all,

On Thursday 30th August we will be holding our annual Refresh Mini-Conference. This is always a great fun filled event and well attended. Indeed this year looks like it is going to be one of the best attended Refresh Mini-Conferences we have ever held.

I’m really looking forward to it.

There will be Games, Bible Studies, Worship, Food and an evening Bonfire Sing-Along.

We will be looking at the Book of Ecclesiastes in our studies and it will “teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” – Psalm 90:12.

Have I already said I’m looking forward to it?

I love the Book of Ecclesiastes and it contains one of my favourite verses in the Bible; “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11. It fills me with hope to know that God is in control. That He is sovereign and He makes everything beautiful in its time.

It makes me think of the poem ‘The Weaver’ –

My life is but a weaving, between my God and me,
I do not choose the colours, He worketh steadily.
Ofttimes he weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.
Not till the loom is silent, and the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas, and explain the reasons why
The dark threads are as needful in the skillful weaver’s hand
As threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares,
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives His very best to those
Who leave the choice with Him.

God is good and God is love, and God is in control. These are great truths to hold onto. We pray that the young people really get hold of this.

So having said that, please can you pray for us as we hold this event.

Please pray for safety for all involved, both young people & volunteers. Pray that everyone has a fun time and meets with God over the Conference. Pray that young lives are changed for eternity by the Good News.

Thank you and Be Blessed!

Robot Wars of Jurassic Proportions!

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Last Sunday night we held the first of our ‘God, Goats & Games‘ evenings. It was a fun packed time with everyone getting really stuck into the event.

At the Robot Wars ‘G,G,G’ our director Tim Gough used the film Jurassic Park to illustrate different ways we can react to monstrous situations in our lives. We can run away in fear from them; we can react with inexperience and try to sort it all out on our own; we can face up to the monsters and be enthusiastic but unwise; or we can be like King Jehoshaphat and be wise by taking our situation to God to get His help. Please read 2 Chronicles 20 for more on King Jehoshaphat’s wisdom when facing a monstrous situation.

God, Goats & Games, or ‘G,G,G‘ as we abbreviate it is the event we run during the month of August to replace our regular ‘Reverb Youth Space‘ and ‘Redefine‘ events, and is an amalgam of both of them, with young people from both events in attendance.

This is a great opportunity for building community, which is a very important part of what we do here at Llandudno Youth for Christ.

During this month we have a total of 4 nights of G,G,G, plus our ‘Refresh‘ mini conference at St David’s College, an epic water fight and our Late Lock in. It’s a great month of events that are lots of fun and an opportunity to let the young people know how much God loves them and has a great plan for their lives.

At the next G,G,G night we will be having a Pizza & Movie night on Aug 19th, then the week after that will be a joint 4 square tournament & musicals sing-along night on Aug 26th, and we will be finishing off the month with a Human Cluedo & Leavers Banquet on Sept 2nd.

Please pray for us during August. Pray that God would use the events that we are running to speak to the hearts of the young people that attend and that we would have opportunities to share the good news of Jesus with them.

Be blessed.

Standing at the portal of the opening of the year!

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So, as we bid a final farewell to 2017 and look ahead to 2018; I thought it would be good to be reminded through the lyrics of the hymn ‘Standing at the portal‘ of God’s goodness and faithfulness. To take all of the fears, trepidations and excitement we have as we bravely face another year and hand them all up to God, knowing that He will never fail us. That He is big enough and strong enough to keep us in 2018.

I love the fact that the hymn is called ‘Standing at the portal‘, it makes me think of the 4 Pevensie children from the ‘Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe‘ as they stepped into that wondrous wardrobe which would transport them from earth to Narnia. They were standing at the portal to another realm and must have been filled with a sense of fear and wonder in that instant before they crossed the threshold. The same goes for everyone of us as we look back at 2017 and look forward to 2018.

What will 2018 hold for you? What will 2018 hold in store for Llandudno Youth for Christ?

One thing I know, the God who has faithfully held us and supported us, will still do so in 2018. The generational God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob will continue to use the work of LLYFC to reach out to young lives with the life changing gospel of Jesus. The ever present great ‘I am’ will be ever present with us through every part of 2018.

So “Onward, then, and fear not, Children of the day; For His Word shall never, Never pass away.” God will be with us as we step into 2018, He has promised to never leave us or forsake us, and when we do cross the threshold of the year, we will find ourselves at home because God is with us, and wherever God is, there our home is, there our heart is. “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:20-21.

So as we step into 2018, say prayers of thanks to our faithful God for all the ways in which He has shown His faithfulness and then pray for His wisdom, His guidance, His provision for you in 2018, and finally praise Him for His presence with you as you step into 2018, hand in hand with the Creator of the Universe –

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

Be blessed and Happy New Year!

Deep Pan, Crips & Even….

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So the joke goes like this – “How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizza?” “Deep pan, crisp & even!” I can already hear the agonised groans. It’s not like everyone hasn’t had their fill of terrible jokes courtesy of Christmas crackers everywhere….

Yes today, the 26th December is St Stephen’s Day, or ‘Boxing Day‘ as it is known traditionally in the UK. The song to which the joke relates is ‘Good King Wenceslas‘, which talks about the feast of Stephen, or St Stephen’s Day. In the lyrics it talks of the snow being ‘deep and crisp and even‘; hence the pizza joke.

Now, not everyone agrees upon the reason we call the day ‘Boxing Day‘, but for me the most reasonable explanation is that it comes from an old tradition where servants, after having waited on and served their masters in the hall or great house of the estate on Christmas Day, would be allowed the following day off to visit family, and part of this day off was the receiving from their masters of a box filled with gifts, financial bonuses and sometimes leftover food.

British diarist Samuel Pepys also mentions in an entry from 19th December 1663, the custom of tradespeople, such as postmen, collecting ‘Christmas Boxes’ full of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks from their customers for their good service during the year.

Another way people have explained the name of ‘Boxing Day‘ is that in the early years of the Christian church under the Roman Empire, metal boxes were placed outside churches and they were collected in on Christmas Day and then the  monies raised were distributed to the poor during the feast of St Stephen, which is that same day as ‘Boxing Day‘: Hence the name.

Whatever the reason, behind the origin of the name; it is great to see that we have a reminder that Christmas is not about stuffing our faces with stuffing and other foods, but about God generously giving out of His richness to a world impoverished and in need.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” – 2 Corinthinas 8:9.

Just as Jesus came down to earth as a baby, humbling himself and thinking of our need, let us this ‘Boxing Day‘ think of others in need and in some way bless those who are struggling this Christmas; maybe contact an organisation such as the Conwy Food Bank and see how you can donate food that will be a true Godsend to someone at this time, or in some other way help, volunteer, or bless those around you.

Whilst talking of blessing those around you, I want to take this time to thank all of our amazing volunteers with Llandudno Youth for Christ. Brilliant people who take time out of their lives to help us make an impact in the lives of young people in our area. We really appreciate you and all that you do, and pray that you have had a blessed Christmas, and we look forward to what God is going to do through the work of LLYFC, with you as an integral part of that work. As the apostle Paul would often call those who ministered with him, you are our fellow workers in God’s service.

So, this ‘Boxing Day‘ not only be blessed, but be a blessing!

Hail the Son of Righteousness! – Merry Christmas

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A very merry Christmas to all of our amazing supporters!

“Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

It’s Christmas day and we are celebrating Jesus’ birth.

A light in our darkness.

The Saviour of the world has come, and the world would never be the same again.

So this Christmas, may Jesus, the Light of the world illuminate your life and bring you great joy and peace.

Be blessed and merry Christmas!

 

He came down…

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At Christmas time we can become too familiar with the words of the songs and carols we sing; like when we do anything many times, it becomes automatic and we don’t think about what we are doing. We drive a car or write a letter and don’t have to stop and think about every single move we make along the way; we just do it.

The same can happen as we sing songs; especially at Christmas time; with many of the carols written in forms of English that is no-longer used; we just gloss over them and enjoy the melody and the whole sentiment of enjoying singing at Christmas, but don’t engage with the amazing truths that the Christmas carols that we sing bring to us.

In the top 10 of Christmas carols, (you can comment below on what are your favourite carols and why) I’m sure the following would definitely appear – ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing‘, ‘Joy to the World‘, ‘O Come all ye Faithful‘, ‘Once in Royal David’s City‘, ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem‘, ‘Silent Night‘ and of course ‘Away in a Manger‘.

Any of those songs above in the Christmas list can be sung without us really thinking about what they mean, to us and to the world around us.

Let’s look at some of these lyrics and see how they can reveal to us the amazing wonder and good news of Christmas: ‘Joy to the World , the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room,..’ – wow! This song declares that Jesus is the King of the whole world and encourages us to let Him into our hearts; what a brilliant message at Christmas.

‘How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.’ – I love these lines from ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem‘, they truly convey to me the wonder of Christmas, that Jesus didn’t come with pomp and ceremony, but humbly and simply and wants to be a part of our lives.

Now the impetus for this post came after watching a video by the Christian outreach ministry ‘Speak Life‘, that was titled ‘He came down’ and refers back to the line in ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ – ‘He came down to earth from heaven, who is Lord and God of all.’

That single line really impacted me, like I’d never read it before.

‘He came down…who is Lord and God of all.’ This tiny baby, God in the flesh. God with us.

The earth shakes, the heavens roar at the audacious love of our Saviour.

God become man – ‘pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel’ (from ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’). It makes me want to kneel in awe and wonder before my Creator, lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling, small, humble, fragile, yet fully God.

Amazing.

So as you prepare to celebrate Christmas, take time to be awed and amazed by the God who came down.

Be blessed and a Merry Christmas!

(The original video that inspired this Blog post)

A long time ago in a little town far, far, away….

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Last night at our last ‘Redefine‘ of 2017, we held our amazing leaders Nativity. It was again our take on the Christmas nativity story; titled ‘Hobbit Wars‘.

We did a mash up of characters from the Lord of the Rings & Star Wars stories and had them as the characters from the nativity story.

Joseph was Bilbo Baggins, Mary was Princess Leia, the Angel Gabriel was Gandalf the Grey, The 3 Wise Men (I know the Bible doesn’t directly state there were only 3) were Han Solo, Chewbacca & BB8, The Shepherds were Dwarves from the Lonely Mountain and King Herod was Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Herod’s soldiers were Imperial Stormtroopers, plus we threw Gollum into the mix so that he could have fight with Darth Vader.

It was hilarious and a lot of fun to do. We will be posting the segments that we had pre-recorded on video to our Facebook page.

We are not the only people who have ever done alternative versions of the Nativity. Here are some examples of other versions of the Nativity.

Christmas According to Kids

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

As you can see there are many different ways that people have creatively retold the Christmas story; with 2 of them being winning entries from the Nativity Factor: A competition that ran from 2011 to 2014 for people to create videos that re-tell the Christmas story in engaging and relevant visual ways that help people to refocuss on the real meaning of Christmas – “We believe the birth of Jesus needs to be re-told in a way that engages our generation and the one to come. The Nativity Factor offers the opportunity to communicate it in a fresh way.”

The same motivation is behind the ‘Redefine‘ leaders’ Nativity. We are not trying to be irreverent, but by putting the Christmas story into a different setting, we are aiming at highlighting the amazing truth that God came to earth as a baby to live as one of us and to die for all of us. This is the amazing wonder and truth of Christmas – Emmanuel – God with us!

We also do it to have fun together as we celebrate the message of Christmas. The message of the Good News of Jesus.

“And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:9-12

So this Christmas as you celebrate with friends and family, think about the amazing truth of Jesus, come as a baby to die for all of us. This truly is good news.

Have a blessed Christmas!