Birmingham
Great to catch up with some friends in Birmingham at the weekend - doing well as relatively new parents (5 months). Birmingham's OK really - its not London, but accent aside, its not too bad. Our friends have recently moved house - their new place has potential but also some great 70's left overs! Property is sooo much cheaper outside London - which I think is becoming a key issue for ministry and mission in the capital (alongside general cost of living).

We're due to be out of our flat on October 3rd - still looking for somewhere to go - no panic just yet!

Just tryng this new "Hello blogger" picture posting thing - not as simple as it seems!
Beggars Fortune are a US based Christian band, doing a gig at Hillingdon Park Baptist on September 12th, 7pm, which I'm helping to sort out. Not heard more than the MP3's from thier site - but should be good!

Bank Holiday fun!
Its bank holiday weekend, and I'm blogging to delay getting started on some envelope stuffing! The stuff I'm mailing out is about youthwork training days for London Baptist (primarily - details at www.lbayouth.org and click news), which is exciting but stuffing 350 envelopes isn't!

Anyway lots of festivals which I'll be avoiding this weekend, such as Notting Hill Carnival, Reading, and Greenbelt (which I see lots of Christian bloggers will be at - enjoy the mud!).
Our plans are to catch up with friends, do the music for a wedding, and catch up with more friends! Which should be fun!

Suzie (the Mrs) has started a blog - http://suzielev.blogspot.com/ - which is cool, lets see if she keeps it up!

Baptists!
Getting back in to the swing of things work wise. Have had a couple of interesting meetings this week with youthworkers looking to move things forward.
Been asked to play at a wedding on Saturday with songs I've never heard of!

One of the places visited last week, on the road from Swanage to Exeter was Loughwood Meeting house. This is an interesting part of Baptist history - it was a secret meeting place, originally hidden in the woods where the congregation would gather, sometimes for the whole of a Sunday to meet. It was built in 1653 and used at a time when imprisonment or other punishment of non-conformists was a real possibility. Its still quite hard to find - but an amazing place to visit.

God is good!

Things feeling a bit chaotic at the moment. My working from home "routine" (or lack of one) is disrupted further by Suzie's not working. She didn't get the job she was interviewed for last week.

But God is good - we recieved an unexpected financial blessing (hope that doesn't sound too "health and wealth") - which is cool. Reminds me of the old days of praying the money in...

Went to skate ramps website today (www.verticalskate.ch). We helped these guys take down their competition ramp in Newquay as part of the mission. Christian Surfers had helped set up and we helped take down! Still reflecting on the awesome stuff God was doing during that mission week.

Guess who's back?
Back from holiday today and back to "normal" tomorrow - sort of anyway!
Its been a good/interesting few weeks - more thoughts in the next few days as things settle back.
One things that's not quite normal is Suzie not working - the plan has always been for her to take August to "chill". Still waiting to see what happens next (she had one interview last week).
Also we move at the end of September to an as yet unknown place!
Fun!

So Sad!
I'm so sad I couldn't resist posting from holiday!
Having a good time in Swanage - heading off to Exeter on Friday.
Bit mental as we had to go back to London for Suzie to have a job interview yesterday - but can chill out now.
Even went on the steam train today - that should please my father-in-law!

Off again!
Good reports coming from the Newquay mission team.
Meanwhile we're off again - this time to a wedding (of a couple who met through the 24-7 prayer website - strange one!), and then holiday.
First to Swanage with some friends, then back to Exeter for more chill-out with Suzie's brother and girlfriend.
So not much blogging - unless I get desperate and find a internet cafe!

Home and away
Back from Newquay - shame to leave the team early but had to be.
Had an awesome few days praying and serving in Newquay - God at work.
Didn't get to blog as I had hoped despite the excellent Source Cafe at Newquay Christian Centre run I think in partnership with Christian Surfers.
Newquay is quite a mental place - loads of surfers and skaters, clubbers, "under - agers" all out for a good time.
The 24-7 mission team were a top bunch of "nutters" (in the best sense of the word) - just up for being open to the Holy Spirit and praying hard.
Keep on praying for the mission - details at http://volland.blogspot.com (nice background!).

We came home via Exeter where we caught up with Suzie's brother and girlfriend - which was cool.

Newquay
Made it to Newquay for the 24-7Prayer mission.
Sun is shining!
Looks like I may get to make a few posts while here - so will try and keep things up to date!
Nice one!

Mission, Evangelism, youthwork & Stuff!!
Being around Soul in the City and getting ready for Newquay next week has been cool.
At the same time it has raised lots of questions about mission etc., (or at least brought home some stuff I was thinking about - such as yesterdays post about long term involvement).
Questions around events & relationships, journey & decision (inc. altar calls etc.), short term & incarnation. Too much to go into now - but no doubt stuff will come out in future posts!

My ears are ringing from another Urban Vibe event in Ealing - louder and sweatier than last week!
Saw some great work in Hackney today - nice one Paul and the posse!

Prayer request - for Newquay mission, Suzie's job and accommodation - we're definitely going to leave this flat real soon!

Short term mission~ Long term involvement
One of the things that's encouraging me from Soul in the City is hearing local Christians and churches begin to think and talk more "mission". If SITC has awakened people to the needs on their doorsteps then that is fantastic.
Its too early to say if that really is the case - but the early signs are good. We'll just have to wait to September when church programmes start and "normal" life resumes to find out for sure!

Storm in the City!
Today Soul in the City became "storm in the city" - at least where I am!
Many projects will have been affected by today's downpours. I visited 3 projects - all of which were outdoors to some extent. One youth cafe in Northolt did have indoor space, but sports in the park doesn't work so well in a storm!
Lets hope things stabilise for the rest of the week!

Also hoping for good weather next week in Newquay!

SITC "B"
After a chilled weekend we're back with Soul in the City week "B".
Made it to the "tent city" in Uxbridge today. Call me old-fashioned but I still find a tent filled with 1000's of young Christians, with loud band leading worship inspiring! Louie Giglio spoke brilliantly - suggesting we should all be called "I am not" in response to God being "I AM".
Visited some more great projects in Harlington and Northolt.
Best place for news and info. on what's been happening is www.londonprayer.net .