Jacob Factory pt 2

Last night we had our second encounter with The Jacob Factory.

The Jacob Factory consists of business , entrepreneurial and financially intelligent people.

The type of people that church has abused and used because they have money but never really allowed to be themselves fully because of insecurity.

Here at Bethel City Church, we embrace the Jacobs – they are shrewd, clever people. If we can release them them they will help the church operate on a new level.

Even though they talk a different language, I love being with them. They inspire me!

Bethel City Church has an awesome future because it has The Jacob Factory.

create the space

I find it really interesting.

The word ‘reception’ that is.

Think of your average hotel.

Think of your first encounter at reception.

Think of how it makes you feel.

I want our church to have a 5 star reception.

I’m not talking about our welcome or entrance foyer – that is 5 star already!

I’m talking about the reception of heart!

Matthew 13 talks about seed not being received.

Bethel City Church is cultivating a receptive heart to the things of God. It is creating space for God to speak and move. Church tends to be full of opinions and agenda’s – not here.

We are developing a fertile space where Jesus is received and new life doesn’t get choked; where thorns and weeds are removed and pollination occurs.

What also amazes me is the sorry reality that people choose to be in a barren place when they know that they will thrive in a fertile place.

Why?

Why do that to yourself and family.

Honestly, don’t have a wierd understanding of loyalty or a perverse knowledge of submission.

The most precious thing that you have is YOU. Please take care of yourself and place yourself in a fertile place.

Plant yourself in good soil and flourish!

Create the space to breathe.

The Jacob Factory PT1

Today I had the awesome privilege of hanging with 15 business people of the city of Stoke on Trent.

Whilst they drank great coffee and tasty panini I began to talk to these phenomenal people regarding Bethel City Church and our desire to reach the people of our city.

Very often church is scared of business people thinking that they are power crazy or arrogant. It’s a wrong understanding of these wonderfully talented and gifted people.

I told them that we didn’t want their money and I was sorry that church may have abused them in the past. I told them that I was interested in them.

We have huge potential in this city to impact it with the reality of Jesus.

We have to break through our restrictive and hindered mindsets and begin to mobilise the awesome church that Jesus is building.

The ‘Jacobs’ have a passion for the things of God.

I like ‘Jacobs’.

i see dead people..

I once watched a really cool film called the Sixth Sense.

It must of before I was a Christian because it was a 15 rated film and Christians don’t watch more than U rated. Right?

Anyway, in the film the young actor Haly Joel Osment gives a line that has recently brought to my thinking…

… I see dead people…

He says it with a cold whisper that grips the listener and it is though time stands still for a brief moment.

Philippians 1:27 shows Paul urging us that whatever hapens we are to ‘live’.

As I look across the city of Stoke on Trent I am pretty sure that ‘…I see dead people…’

No they aren’t physically dead. The people I talk of are the Christians that are existing and not LIVING. Churches full of dead people.

If Christ has come that we may have life and life more abundantly then we should at least have a pulse!

Here at Bethel City Church, we have gone on a journey from certain to awesome an I can confdently say that we have come ALIVE!

The bounce is in the house!

I see dead people but not here! I see people flocking to Bethel City Church because of its life and vitality – Why? I think it is because we have totally fallen in love again with Jesus.

He is our source of life!

We have binned religion and tradition and have become passionate followers and lovers of Jesus.

Stick a finger in an electrical socket; watch young people in love; observe the dance of the mating season; see the bride and groom during the reading of the vows. This is only a glimpse of how we feel about Jesus.

Come on Christian, fall in love again with Him!

an email i received . . . .

Hi James.
 
I hope you are well. Just wanted to email you a story of encouragement about Sunday, because it made me so excited!
 
My friend Becky (a girl from my course) is currently doing a year in industry in Paris, and she came back to Keele for the weekend, and was staying with me. I invited her to come along to Bethel City Church with me on Sunday, and at first she seemed a bit dubious (as she’s not keen on church generally) but I assured her she’d be pleasantly surprised, so she came along.
 
The moment we walked into the building, she turned around and said to me “Phoebe, this isn’t a church!” As we started singing our first couple of songs, she was so surprised by the enthusiasm and was clapping and bouncing along! She also remarked that “your church is more lively than a night out at the union on campus!” And as you got up to speak on ’subdue’, it all seemed to make sense to her. I looked over to her about midway through and her eyes had filled with tears. I knew that God had been doing something in her the whole time.
Well, afterwards, she was completely buzzing! She remarked that Bethel City Church really was an awesome place, and that the people were so inspirational. She was intrigued by the books in City Resource, and I bought her a Message Bible, which she was particularly excited about.
 
On the way home, she had nothing but positive comments to make about the church, the people, and all that we are doing. She said that it explained why I was the way I was. When I asked her what her favourite part was, she said “when the man spoke about the Bible – that was my favourite part!!” And, most excitingly of all, when she returns to Keele in September, she has said that she would love to continue going to Bethel City Church!!!!!
 
With so much going on in her life, Becky is someone who needs God so greatly, and I’m so excited that she’s taking all the right steps towards making a commitment to Jesus. I just wanted to encourage you and thank you for helping to make Bethel City Church the sort of place that brings critics of church to tears, and allows God to break into the layers of their lives.
 
Thank you so much. have a great week.
God Bless,
Phoebe.

The 1 in the crowd

Today the team has been getting ready for the visit of Watoto Childrens Choir.

As they were putting the 450 seats out ready for the capacity I felt to go down to thank them for their hard work. As I was talking I began to help put the seats out.

I placed a chair down and felt that I heard God say ’sit down’. It sounded good to me!

God began to show me how interested He was in that person; that even in the crowd God is passionate about the individual; that in the hussle he hugs the 1; that even though He loves us He never looses sight of the fact that He loves YOU!

As church, we have to convey His desire!

We have to let the 1 know that He loves them. He loves Stoke on Trent! He loves the 1/3 million people in this area.

He also loves YOU!