If you haven't read the previous post, read it first.
God is real, alive, and changing lives. Oh how I long for everyone who reads this to be a part of something so beautiful!
This is Lucy's take on the week away last week. My heart skips every time I think about it.
From: Lucy Fishenden
Date: Sun, Aug 30, 2009 at 3:03 PM
Subject: GOD IS AMAZING!!!!!!!
So last week we went off to Dorset camping with 10 teenagers from the estate. After lots of prayer and support from friends the week came together - actually the easiest thing I have ever organised! God was amazing and had given me several visions whilst prayer walking the estate which he then confirmed with scripture that totally blew my mind and left me in a state of complete confidence this was his will. He showed me specific passages to look at during the week and the activities for the week looked such fun - praise God for his hand in EVERYTHING! It was probably the most exciting and fun holiday I have ever had with them and the atmosphere was constantly one of humour, unity, kindness and love for one another - God showed up!!!
To begin with we looked over all their points written down from previous discussions about what they would like this to look like so they really felt heard, valued and empowered that this would be theirs not anyone else's. Twice a day before eating together we had a session which was a bible passage, 5 questions and a discussion, each time with a different teenager leading. We started looking at what Jesus had said before he left his disciples and then moved on through the week to different bits in Acts - the right place to start as we were wondering what our expression of church would be - and it spoke to them so powerfully! I heard from a sermon just before I left "just hold Jesus up and He'll draw people to him" and as that happened it was the most exciting thing to watch. So freeing! They shared and discussed like I have never seen before, from the very first session Monday night too. It was amazing to watch as each person lead, shared and questioned how God was revealing himself to them and them to us - they are really incredible people!
The days were filled with horse riding (which they have been going on about for ages!), swimming in pool and sea, star gazing, night walks through woods, a water park, a day at Longleat, spontaneous river walking(!!!), BBQ's, picnic lunches, pub meals with pool tables and skittles and lots of laughter! It was living with each other for 5 days and sharing all the ups and downs with each person as we shared bits of our lives together. Because of the group that we took as leaders we could relax so much more, knowing they respected us and would be responsible together gave them so much more freedom and the trust given was out to them was returned. The relationships took on a whole new meaning. Some of them I have know for the whole three yrs of being at the estate and so now we really are beginning to feel like family which I just can't describe to you how wonderful that feels.
God moved in each of them so much during the week that even those who have not committed their lives to Jesus yet were close and those who had were really challenged by what they read in the bible about the commitment they had made and how it was not having an impact in their lives let alone other peoples. I heard some of them talking to each other too and they were really thinking deeply over it all.
Each session we prayed too, whether it was for each other or thanking God for who he was and his incredible creation that we were all enjoying so much. Another idea was to listen to God for a name for this group so I encouraged and prepared them a couple of days in advance and then on the last day we took a picnic onto a hill that has the best view of Dorset - it was quite spectacular. The only thing was the rain was seriously threatening! In youth language we 'firmed it' getting a bit wet but praying God would give us favour on our last day. We did our usual reading and discussing and then began to listen for a name. First there was a picture of a photo album which spoke of family, then a picture of birds flying on a formation of a sword, then a pillow that this group would be a place of physical and spiritual rest and safety and then one of the boys who has been furthest away said "I get the words the circle" and another said "what did you say?" He had the same words and you should have seen them all! So we asked God if there was anything else and one by one they owned "The Circle" giving reason after reason for it! Then one of the boys said look up and as we did we all laughed and gasped because what was a stormy rainy sky had become a complete circle of clear blue sky above us with all the clouds perfectly held back - if you drew a circle you would not have got closer to what we saw above us! It was phenomenal! So we decided we would claim Gods name for our group by standing up in a circle holding hands thanking him for the name, the sky, all our pictures, our time together and everything we could! As we stood their one of them laughed and said "there's twelve of us!" (one had stayed in the van having a slight strop so we decided to leave her their!!!) As we all looked at each other in this circle the joy was indescribably - God had spoken to them so powerfully and they were excited about him for the first time ever! Then we ate together and remembered all Jesus has done for us and after our last picnic we ran around like mad things rolling down the hill in utter excitement!
When I woke up at home the following day I checked facebook to see what they were all saying and I had been invited to this group!!!
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TheCircle
Type:
Organizations - Religious OrganizationsDate: Sun, Aug 30, 2009 at 3:03 PM
Subject: GOD IS AMAZING!!!!!!!
So last week we went off to Dorset camping with 10 teenagers from the estate. After lots of prayer and support from friends the week came together - actually the easiest thing I have ever organised! God was amazing and had given me several visions whilst prayer walking the estate which he then confirmed with scripture that totally blew my mind and left me in a state of complete confidence this was his will. He showed me specific passages to look at during the week and the activities for the week looked such fun - praise God for his hand in EVERYTHING! It was probably the most exciting and fun holiday I have ever had with them and the atmosphere was constantly one of humour, unity, kindness and love for one another - God showed up!!!
To begin with we looked over all their points written down from previous discussions about what they would like this to look like so they really felt heard, valued and empowered that this would be theirs not anyone else's. Twice a day before eating together we had a session which was a bible passage, 5 questions and a discussion, each time with a different teenager leading. We started looking at what Jesus had said before he left his disciples and then moved on through the week to different bits in Acts - the right place to start as we were wondering what our expression of church would be - and it spoke to them so powerfully! I heard from a sermon just before I left "just hold Jesus up and He'll draw people to him" and as that happened it was the most exciting thing to watch. So freeing! They shared and discussed like I have never seen before, from the very first session Monday night too. It was amazing to watch as each person lead, shared and questioned how God was revealing himself to them and them to us - they are really incredible people!
The days were filled with horse riding (which they have been going on about for ages!), swimming in pool and sea, star gazing, night walks through woods, a water park, a day at Longleat, spontaneous river walking(!!!), BBQ's, picnic lunches, pub meals with pool tables and skittles and lots of laughter! It was living with each other for 5 days and sharing all the ups and downs with each person as we shared bits of our lives together. Because of the group that we took as leaders we could relax so much more, knowing they respected us and would be responsible together gave them so much more freedom and the trust given was out to them was returned. The relationships took on a whole new meaning. Some of them I have know for the whole three yrs of being at the estate and so now we really are beginning to feel like family which I just can't describe to you how wonderful that feels.
God moved in each of them so much during the week that even those who have not committed their lives to Jesus yet were close and those who had were really challenged by what they read in the bible about the commitment they had made and how it was not having an impact in their lives let alone other peoples. I heard some of them talking to each other too and they were really thinking deeply over it all.
Each session we prayed too, whether it was for each other or thanking God for who he was and his incredible creation that we were all enjoying so much. Another idea was to listen to God for a name for this group so I encouraged and prepared them a couple of days in advance and then on the last day we took a picnic onto a hill that has the best view of Dorset - it was quite spectacular. The only thing was the rain was seriously threatening! In youth language we 'firmed it' getting a bit wet but praying God would give us favour on our last day. We did our usual reading and discussing and then began to listen for a name. First there was a picture of a photo album which spoke of family, then a picture of birds flying on a formation of a sword, then a pillow that this group would be a place of physical and spiritual rest and safety and then one of the boys who has been furthest away said "I get the words the circle" and another said "what did you say?" He had the same words and you should have seen them all! So we asked God if there was anything else and one by one they owned "The Circle" giving reason after reason for it! Then one of the boys said look up and as we did we all laughed and gasped because what was a stormy rainy sky had become a complete circle of clear blue sky above us with all the clouds perfectly held back - if you drew a circle you would not have got closer to what we saw above us! It was phenomenal! So we decided we would claim Gods name for our group by standing up in a circle holding hands thanking him for the name, the sky, all our pictures, our time together and everything we could! As we stood their one of them laughed and said "there's twelve of us!" (one had stayed in the van having a slight strop so we decided to leave her their!!!) As we all looked at each other in this circle the joy was indescribably - God had spoken to them so powerfully and they were excited about him for the first time ever! Then we ate together and remembered all Jesus has done for us and after our last picnic we ran around like mad things rolling down the hill in utter excitement!
When I woke up at home the following day I checked facebook to see what they were all saying and I had been invited to this group!!!
------------------------------
TheCircle
Type:
This is A Group For The People At THe Trust.
During Our Week Away At Dorset We Done Loads Of Fun Activites And CHilled Out N Relaxed With Each other.
we Had Talks About Our Religous Views And Gained Alot Out of them.
We Created the name THe Circle As God Has CHosen That For us. We Were Sitting In a Field and George Thought of circle for a strange reason. then there were hints.
We Were all in a circle
we were having out last picNic.(LAST SUPPER)
there Were 12 of us at the time(12 APOSTLES)
and we were in a circle of sunshine surrounded by clouds.
cant get any more real than that.
we plan to meet everyweek and have lil talks about whatever and everything.
i hope you all are interested and you will join.
On Behalf of The Circle And The Trust!
Like he said "you can't get more real that that!" The whole thing is mind blowing - Praise God! Thank you for all your prayers, I hope you get excited reading this!
One thing is for sure though, the enemy will not like it - we will need even more prayer covering right now.
*Specifically for our physical safety - I am not sure why I feel that is so important but I do!
*Pray for all these seeds to be watered and protected from the destroyer
*Pray for unity, love, joy and a connectedness between us all
*Pray for further vision, clarity, wisdom as we move forward
*And for Gods Kingdom to come in our lives and then for us to have an impact on our society
I also want to cover it all in thanks continually! This is God's work, his moving, his doing and his GLORY. Thanks for being on this prayer list I value you all hugely. May you all be blessed and experience his goodness today!
Lots of love Lucy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
