Bethel: a ‘certain’ or ‘awesome’ place

In any new venture, I have discovered, that to breakthrough, revelation & application are required. Becky & I have embarked on a phenomenal journey that a 33 year old Stoke lad rarely gets the opportunity. This journey is to lead a great church, in a great city, into the great things of God.

We are seriously not messing around or playing church. We are, along with the rest of the Bethel community, building ‘a church that loves people for who they are and inspires them to become all that they can be’. We are building numerically to a strength where our city has to notice and listen to us; we are building strategically to a standard where others will follow our model; and we are building generationally to the level that we are already planning succession 20 years from now. We are serious. This is for real! People not knowing us may read this and think ‘nice, young man – how long will he last?’; people who know us are moving into Stoke on Trent from 200 miles away to be apart of this because they know – THIS IS FOR REAL!

So what is the revelation & application required for this phenomenal venture to become a reality?

Quite simple, learn from scripture!

Genesis 28 tells how the place that later was named ‘Bethel’ started as a ‘certain’ place and became an ‘awesome’ place.

Bethel has to move from being that ‘certain’ place and become that ‘awesome’ place. It is a process that is clearly marked out and we are now, through the next 7 weeks going to be gaining the revelation and then applying it to ‘the house’ and our individual lives.

Honestly, Sunday was wonderfull to watch the scores of people respond and begin to move from ‘certain’ to ‘awesome’.

I’m so wired about next Sunday morning.

sat nav: ‘10.30am’, ’st2 8by’, ‘find’.

The importance of ‘THEN’

I like to read.

Anything!

The back of the Mars bar that I shouldn’t be eating, the small print of the contractual agreement of the credit card application that I am not even going to fill in and even the information that you recieve about dietary requirements of the latest banned health craze.

I like to read!

However, it’s amazing when reading the Bible, I miss words out. My eyes register the word and yet my mind chooses that it isn’t that important. You know the words I mean: the small, insignifianct words.

and.

the.

is.

then.

If I am going to learn then I am to develop the ability to dig deep into the small, insignificant words. If God decided that the words on the page were important enough to be there, then they must carry an important message.

Psalm 144 is a great psalm. One of huge importance to us as the leadership of this community named Bethel, one of essential importance to us as we embark on building a church that effects the generations to come.

The psalm talks about our ’sons’ being like well nurtured plants; our ‘daughters’ being like pillars that adorn a palace.

We are believing that our numerical strength will be strong enough that our city has to respond to the influence we carry, Psalm 144 carries this as it states that ‘our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields’.

It talks of ‘no more cry of distress in our streets’. We want that in our city!

Yet Psalm 144 remains impotant if we dismiss the ’small, insignificant’ words.

‘Then’ (v12) shows us what is required if we will see great things realised. Psalm 144:1-11 need to take place ‘then’ we will see the reality of our dreams.

‘Small, insignificant’ words or ‘linch pin, gateway’ words. These provide the revelation and insight required to bring scripture alive in the 21st century. The Bible isn’t merely stories of ancient greats or therioes that have now been left being by church for the latest leadership journal.

Scripure is absolutely the way forward!

And the key to learning is to ensure the importance of ‘then’

watching my back!

I’m not sure its a beautiful thing; I’m sure its not a wonderful experience; but somebody has got to do it.

I’m talking about watching my back!

On arriving in the awesome city of Stoke on Trent and beginning to discover the previous experiences that the Bethel community have travelled through, I knew that a strong leadership was critical to the fulfillment of what God desired.

I have a confidence that team building is something that God has gifted me to do, and yet this opportunty revealed a greater dimension that I had ever required. In fact, this new dimension in team building led me to experience numerous words of knowledge & wisdom regarding team and how to build.

Phil Barber, senior pastor of an awesome 21st century church here in Stoke on Trent, is a man that holds great respect in the city as a leader with a trememndous prophetic gift. I am belieivng that our relationship is significant and I am looking forward to doing life with this great man!

On our first meeting, Phil, not knowing the above, began to release words that totally confirmed what I was considering. He used the words, ‘continue to build a team that will watch your back!’

This is what we have done!

Now we are in a position where we have a united front & I am confident that as I submit to the team and lead, they will watch & protect Becky and I as they submit to us and lead alongside.

I was informed that the strength of team that we have normally takes 1-3 years to develop. We have miraculously fast tracked! This team is the best I have ever had the privilege of leading.

Love you guys!

In leadership this is essential. Now we are in a position to pursue what God is laying before us.

1 Samuel 14 springs to mind again!

awesome welcome, awe inspiring church

You know when you encounter a genuine welcome. The type that is more than a smile or hand shake. I’ll describe it as more of a ‘come here’ hug. The one that you are unable to escape, it invades you personal space and you have to go with it and hug back.

This is the welcome Becky & I recieved from the community we now are responsible for leading. Bethel, Stoke on Trent – what a church!

The people here have been through so much and yet they still love. They have seen and experienced hurt and yet still hug. They could not have made us more welcome!

It is an absolute privilege to be here and we are believing for great things!

The response from the city has also been awesome! Pastors & leaders have been so encouraging. Some being brave enough to prophecy phenomenal things, direct words of knowledge & wisdom and wanting to do life with us. I am so pleased that ‘Starbucks’ have recently discovered Stoke on Trent! I see many a leaders conversation around coffee taking place on a regular basis.

1 Samuel 14 is a chapter that I personally have been camped in through this journey of repositioning. The concept of having people with you ‘heart & soul’ is an awesome thing. God specifically told be to build with this in mind. This is a wonderful experience of having people committed to you. This is a humbling thing! I honour those who are standing with us.

This is why I can say with confidence, that this is an awe inspiring church. Any journey that operates in unity of this strength is a phenomenal thing to watch.

I wonder in amazement at the future as we begin walking this awesome journey of life with the community called Bethel.