tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62758332024-03-14T04:40:23.602+00:00Lev's BlogBlogging on life, Christianity, church, youth ministry and random stuff!Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.comBlogger908125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-32508749840416733112010-08-18T22:24:00.003+01:002010-08-18T22:28:01.227+01:00<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Transition and Change</span></span><br /><w:view></w:view><w:punctuationkerning><w:validateagainstschemas><w:compatibility><w:breakwrappedtables><w:snaptogridincell><w:wraptextwithpunct><w:useasianbreakrules><w:browserlevel></w:browserlevel> </w:useasianbreakrules></w:wraptextwithpunct><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;">After over 6 years I think it’s time to wind up this old blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;">There’s not been much posting in recent months, because I’ve been in a time of transition.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;">When the blog started in 2004 the focus was youth ministry, emerging church, church, and random personal ramblings. Since then Twitter has become my place for the random stuff. And by the start of next month, after many years, younger generations will no longer be my main ministry focus.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;">My role at the London Baptist Association will come to and end, and from Sept 1<sup>st</sup> I will take up a position as a local Baptist church minister in <st1:place st="on">South London</st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;">Some youth ministry people may see it as “selling out”. But for me the last few years have primarily been about church – helping churches be what they are called to be, which includes mission to and with the younger generations. And now its time to focus on a local church and see what God will open up, across the generations.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;">So that’s the story, and the end of this blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;">But when one blog dies another begins, so a new blog will come online, here:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" ><a href="http://peteleve.wordpress.com/">http://peteleve.wordpress.com</a></span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >/</span><br /></w:snaptogridincell></w:breakwrappedtables></w:compatibility></w:validateagainstschemas></w:punctuationkerning>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-10719899170843165742010-07-19T20:12:00.004+01:002010-08-08T18:41:22.977+01:00<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:verdana;" >Flying Ant 2010</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Seems in West London, Dartford area and elsewhere to be <a href="http://levesons.blogspot.com/2008/07/flying-ant-2008-its-most-definately.html">flying ant day</a> 2010.</span><br /><img style="font-family: verdana;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6450/316/320/flying%20ant.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Is about the right time, humidity etc.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Another annual summer marker!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Update</span><br />Flying ant day part 2 in West London: August 8th!<br /></span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-52054621404698649182010-05-05T17:27:00.006+01:002010-05-05T21:19:44.803+01:00<span style=" font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;">Assembly Reflections</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Lots of blog posts about the </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.baptistassembly.org.uk/home.asp?id=1">Baptist Assembly</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> (listed </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.facebook.com/notes/baptist-assembly/baptist-assembly-blogs/425375592558">here,</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> so far!).</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fear I'm becoming an Assembly junkie as I've been every year for the last while (trying to count, might be as many as 10!). I like the vibe, catching up with people, having coffee etc.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The demographic of grey haired, ageing, mainly white population still concerns me (but maybe those who weren't were all at Prism, which I never made it to).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">It would be easy to get into what I did and didn't like - fair to say we are a diverse Union. Many </span>bloggers<span style="font-family:verdana;"> commented on enjoying the worship at one of the sessions that I struggled to relate to. In fact I overheard one punter near by say "if this was Songs of Praise I'd </span>definitely<span style="font-family:verdana;"> turn off"!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I appreciated the emphasis on listening to God and one another. Always a good thing, and I think that was a positive move forward, to drag us back to an assembly from a conference.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I am concerned by some of the blog and conversation reactions to the event (and to church life) which seem to have an almost snobbish dislike of popular evangelicalism, and its connected styles of spirituality and worship. Of course it can be overly sentimental and triumphalist, lacking in theological depth etc. But it can also be a blessing! And sometimes people need something uplifting. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Rant over!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So Assembly 2010 has been and gone. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And it was good to be there.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And I shall continue to enjoy lurking on the blogs to see what others have to say!</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-61139616301771267182010-04-29T21:00:00.003+01:002010-04-29T21:06:10.711+01:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iOcTBLZ909zM_2Ro8fHCS1tcJMBDxPJh4SZqSSxNyviXct474sAruxyGc-M-peuBnVCYy_wQ40YjxiDRIa_fJlDDX_NEAI5SxNzS4Na7kIJ4pMBaevDxw1FTo4GNR13bjVxJgg/s1600/Assembly+2010+logo_full+colour%281%29%234%23.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iOcTBLZ909zM_2Ro8fHCS1tcJMBDxPJh4SZqSSxNyviXct474sAruxyGc-M-peuBnVCYy_wQ40YjxiDRIa_fJlDDX_NEAI5SxNzS4Na7kIJ4pMBaevDxw1FTo4GNR13bjVxJgg/s200/Assembly+2010+logo_full+colour%281%29%234%23.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465651893579151026" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">One World, One Mission</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thanks for the entrants to the competition (previous post), both of you!</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Will be in contact with my sponsor to see if there will be a prize...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Meanwhile it's May bank holiday, which means 2 things:</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dodgy weather</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">And the </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.baptistassembly.org.uk/home.asp?id=1">Baptist Assembly</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">, the annual UK gathering of Baptists.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">This year it's Plymouth, with the theme "one world, one mission".</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Will see what comes out of this years gathering...should be fun!</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">And if Twitter is your thing the hash tag to look for seems to be #baptassem</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-70744820432604000832010-04-19T21:45:00.005+01:002010-04-23T10:55:31.423+01:00<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;" >Competition Time...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Back in </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://levesons.blogspot.com/2004/10/youthblog-has-made-one-of-most.html">2004</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> I quoted a fellow blogger that </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >"Scooby Doo matters deeply".<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">So true.<br />M</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">aybe not <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> deeply, but important never the less!<br />And then I saw this from <a href="http://www.mrcloud.com/">Mr Cloud's</a> wonderful T-shirt emporium (check it out for some other gems):<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><br /></span><br /><img style="width: 226px; height: 226px; font-family: verdana;" src="http://www.mrcloud.com/images/scooby.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Which got me thinking: </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >what would Scooby do?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Must be competition time: Come up with a good answer to that question and you might win a prize (UK commentors only and keep it clean!)...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >what would Scooby do</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(<span style="font-family: verdana;">competition will close at midnight, Sunday 25th April, 2010)</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-9175434359223302902010-04-14T14:48:00.003+01:002010-04-14T15:00:30.787+01:00<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:verdana;" >Vote Baby Vote!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">All the talk of General and local elections coming up has reminded me of the brilliant short track "</span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://open.spotify.com/track/4Jy0SU5ldQTBVzPXJroxYV">Vote Baby Vote</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">" by Deee Lite. A funky 30 seconds with a serious message...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I'm quite unsure where to put my cross this time, although will probably end up with my usual choice. I did a "</span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://whoshouldyouvotefor.com/">who should you vote for</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">" online test, but found it little help! One thing that does concern me is that with all the expenses scandal stuff still in people's mind that people will decide not to vote. I'm not sure that's a helpful way forward. For all its flaws this is how we do it, so I think I'm with Deee Lite in saying "Vote Baby Vote". And in case you're not sure if you're registered, try </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register_to_vote/elections_2010.aspx">here...</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And for Christians, this article is interesting </span><a href="http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/jesus.calls.us.to.vote.says.kandiah/25676.htm"><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Jesus calls us to vote..."</span><br /></a>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-3087189975653537762010-04-01T09:43:00.002+01:002010-04-01T09:46:08.725+01:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Pop charts and Bishops remarks</span><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://theshinyheadedprophet.blogspot.com/2010/04/there-are-times-when-christians-just.html">Nice post</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> by </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://theshinyheadedprophet.blogspot.com/">Rob</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> on Lord Carey's comments on UK Christians feeling squeezed and attempts to put a retired Christian band in the charts.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Couldn't have put it better myself!</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-79734855283420178582010-03-26T16:39:00.005+00:002010-04-06T11:51:32.745+01:00<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;" >Andrew Jones on John Piper on Emerging Church</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Just a link to </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2010/03/john-piper-and-an-upper-middle-class-emerging-church.html">this post</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> by the itinerant Tall Skinny Kiwi, giving a wider perspective to Piper's interesting video piece.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Nice work!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />UPDATE<br /></span><span>Andrew has <a href="http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2010/04/cutting-john-piper-some-slack-on-the-emerging-church.html">another post</a> adding balance to his previous one. Again helpful thoughts!<br /><br />Plus more storms for Piper for inviting Rick Warren to speak at a conference.See Scot Mcknight's <a href="http://ow.ly/1uCTk">thougts here</a><br /><br /><br /></span></span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-4050594097544230262010-03-24T17:01:00.004+00:002010-03-24T17:17:00.452+00:00<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;" >New Church Forms</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">When I started this blog in 2004 part of exploration in thinking was around emerging church, new ways of church etc. Since then courses have developed (such as </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/page/emerging_church">Cliff College's MA</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">) to equip and resource people around the emerging church and contextualising church in a 21st century mission context (or before anyone else points it out, to think about how church flows from mission in this context). </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />And new experiments are happening.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And all this is definitely different in the UK than USA (even the language has different overtones).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">But I was beginning to wonder what ever happened to this thing.Various people have commented how the "movement" has changed (see Andrew Jones </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2009/12/emerging-church-movement-1989---2009.html">post here</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">).</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And then I was encouraged at Baptist Union Council to hear a re-newed emphasis on church planting. Perhaps easier to encourage then resource? Never the less the intention seems to be there.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And "inherited" churches seem to be talking at least about being more intentionally missional.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Not sure where I'm going with this, other than I was struck by a post from an old mate <a href="http://michaelvolland.wordpress.com/">Michael</a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's on an <a href="http://www.sharetheguide.org/blog/">Anglican site</a> and is undoubtedly Anglican-centred. But here's a quote that struck something, it kind of makes me go "Yes, but...":</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >There is no doubt that new times call for new ways of being church. The new country stands before us, but the whole church must make the journey into it. For those whose understanding of the times gives them a sense that perhaps they can see a little further ahead, there is always the temptation to rush on alone or with a few others in tow. But what seems to be required at this point is patient endurance that is held in tension with prophetic creativity. If pioneers catch glimpses of the new country, then they must speak of it wisely.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">"</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-9561525113527704542010-03-04T14:31:00.002+00:002010-03-04T14:33:36.525+00:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Genesis</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interesting clip of N.T.Wright talking about Genesis 2-3 and comment at </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2010/03/nt-wright-on-genesis.html">Jesus Creed</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Originally from </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://biologos.org/blog/on-genesis-2-and-3/">here</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I found Wright's comments helpful anyway!</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-89317795877810119762010-03-03T14:58:00.003+00:002010-03-03T15:07:20.418+00:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GfovxXD9Orx8gCuUnQA-1VHG4U8SK2GBW95c4zJngKqgPr7Y4o9vQZac8Uopwfh-fSVxyd_6WyED-mmRX5XgprtOOBUlu5bZni2Fb2lDqLKs7lpagUB5FqxiGpGF_GXWYZYcuQ/s1600-h/baptism.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GfovxXD9Orx8gCuUnQA-1VHG4U8SK2GBW95c4zJngKqgPr7Y4o9vQZac8Uopwfh-fSVxyd_6WyED-mmRX5XgprtOOBUlu5bZni2Fb2lDqLKs7lpagUB5FqxiGpGF_GXWYZYcuQ/s200/baptism.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444422255528685442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Children, Youth, Baptism</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a Baptist, baptism is important! I was reminded of this in the preaching at an event I was at on Sunday evening.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">But a recent conversation with another minister re-ignited some thoughts about baptism and children and youth.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">If baptism is on profession of faith, and not the sprinkling of children, is there an age or level of understanding needed before baptism? I've heard it argued that we need to find ways for children to publicly declare faith that are not baptism, so that baptism can be done when a young person is of an age to make a lifetime type of commitment to the way of Christ. In many ways that sits well with me. But I'm not 100% sure.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm sure we know of many younger people who have been baptised only to wander away, but then the same could be true for adults. I'm sure we do need to take preparation more seriously (catechises?).</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the question remains - if an 8 year old wants to be baptised and has an understanding of faith (all be it an 8 year old's understanding), should we go for it or not?</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I think I'll need to reflect some more!</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-5274210772579511952010-02-24T16:20:00.001+00:002010-02-24T16:21:43.311+00:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Numbers</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Realised that before today I had got stuck on post number 900.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">But this will be 902. </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Not sure why that matters, but it interested me!</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-33152084384036051342010-02-24T14:35:00.004+00:002010-02-24T16:20:26.528+00:00<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;" >All you ever do is criticise...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Been meaning to re-start the blog after a deliberate break for a week or so now. Finally getting to it!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And only to link to a great post by </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/">Scot Mcknight</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> on criticising (except he's American so it's got a "z") the church (</span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2010/02/an-element-in-my-ecclesiology.html">here</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">).</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Gems such as this:</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >if you want perfection, don't look to the church. If you want the ideal, don't look to the church. If you want a perfect fellowship, don't look to the church. If you want the utopian society, don't look to the church.</span><div style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >But if you want a gaggle of cracked Eikons, sinners and mistake-makers and sometimes goofed up and sometimes incredibly loving and joyous and devoted, then look to the church. You'll find that kind of group, but not the perfect group.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">"</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">But check out the whole thing, as it's good stuff!</span><br /></div>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-56837044192367375152009-12-25T22:11:00.000+00:002009-12-25T22:12:47.323+00:00<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>* Happy Christmas</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Christ is born today!</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-28096063216923003552009-12-16T15:38:00.003+00:002009-12-16T15:46:07.757+00:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Post-Christian Britain</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">So the media is reporting a new survey which tell us what we've known for ages: the church in Britain is in decline and according to the piece in </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6818004/Just-half-of-Britons-now-call-themselves-Christian-after-a-sharp-decline-in-faith-over-past-25-years.html">The Telegraph</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">:</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana;">Researchers describe a large proportion of the country as the “fuzzy faithful” who have a vague belief in God but do not necessarily belong to a particular denomination or attend services</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">The article ends with the C of E spokesperson trying to talk things up.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">And there are some signs of life and resurrection.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">But I think it's a continuing call for those of us within the church to continue the journey of faithfulness, reimagining and bold experimenting, and to work out what a marginalised post-christendom church looks like in 21st Century Britain.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">And to think seriously about where connecting points for faith-sharing begin, without pre-supposing prior knowledge.</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-61398918219131301392009-11-26T13:11:00.003+00:002009-11-26T13:23:21.419+00:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Change, jobs and funding</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Great post from Roy on </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://hutchblog.com/2009/11/26/redundancy-time-for-change/">redundancy and change</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">, at a time when funding issues are affecting many.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I think the call for creativity and re-imagining how we do things is vital, but painful.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Part of the shift to post-Christendom for sure.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Andrew Jones (who has his own </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2009/11/joining-the-redumptancy-club.html">redundancy post</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">) has some posted some stuff in the past about missions and the recession (start </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2008/12/recession-busti.html">here</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">My concerns for youth ministry echo I</span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.youthblog.org/2009/10/engament-with-adolescents.html">an's thoughts</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> that I referred to </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://levesons.blogspot.com/2009/10/youth-ministry-and-support-in-credit.html">a month or so</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ago. For many youth stuff or anything experimental seems to be the first to face the chop. But if we are going to do anything about the hemorrhaging of the younger generations from the church, now is the time for more investment. It is certainly not the time to be moaning and asking to go back to the safety of Egypt</span>!Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-75370585024024038832009-11-14T10:34:00.002+00:002009-11-14T10:39:54.618+00:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Baptist Ecclesiology</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interesting article on US Baptists and emerging church in the </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.baptiststandard.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10365&Itemid=9">Baptist Standard</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> (ht to </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/">Andrew</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> for link).</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Love this phrase from the final paragraph: </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana;">Baptist history might offer an alternative explanation—ecclesiology is more defined by the practices of a Spirit-led community than by assent to the statements of a modern theological meta-narrative</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">...t</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana;">he emerging church movement may provide hope for reformation to Baptists ignorant of the difference between modern truths and Truth incarnate</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">"</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-789018808143461172009-11-05T10:04:00.003+00:002009-11-05T10:07:52.357+00:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Evangelism</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://gormano.blogspot.com/2009/11/blessed-are-children.html">great thoughts</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> on being on the receiving end of (inappropriate?) evangelism on the tube from </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://gormano.blogspot.com/">Dave Gorman</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thanks Dave. Those of us within the community of faith need to hear those reflections. </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">(ht to </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://weirdhippy.wordpress.com/">Lewis</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> for the link)</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-45196475860221167652009-10-16T08:23:00.004+01:002009-10-16T08:35:20.668+01:00<a href="http://www.blogactionday.org/"><img src="http://www.blogactionday.org/imgs/badges/bad-88-31.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:verdana;" > Blog Action Day 2009</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.blogactionday.org">Blog Action Day</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> and this year's theme is climate change.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I'm sure if you click to the site you'll find a plethora of in depth and helpful blog posts (more substantial than this!).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sometimes it seems hard to get your head round these massive global issues, and you end up feeling powerless and doing nothing. And while a great responsibility does lie with governments and large corporations, there is something about us doing our small bit that does make a difference.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">As a Christian </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=colossians%201:%2015-18&version=NIV">Colossians 1</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> speaking of all things being for Christ and in him everything being held together seems to me to be a reason for this to matter (as well as love for neighbour and stewardship of the earth).</span><br /><br />For resources on this here a link to <a href="http://www.tearfund.org/Campaigning/Resource+zone/">Tearfund's stuff</a>, very helpful!Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-61371398612043821412009-10-15T08:42:00.004+01:002009-10-15T08:54:43.054+01:00<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;" >Youth Ministry and Support in Credit Crunch </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Great </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.youthblog.org/2009/10/engament-with-adolescents.html">thoughts from Ian</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> (and commenters) around engaging adolescents and supporting youth ministry in a time of financial restraint.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Quotes:</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >I am very concerned that youth work seems to be an immediate target for cuts</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">"</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >Yes, I know I am biased BUT I passionately believe that any further steps back from the Churches engagment with adolescents is to fail the young people we should be serving AND to miss out on how much we can learn from them."</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">A hearty "amen" from me!</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-46257112565141017572009-10-01T10:44:00.002+01:002009-10-01T10:49:00.091+01:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Links</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">2 Posts from Jon to check out: </span><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.jonjolly.com/2009/09/28/recommended-resources-for-new-youth-ministers/">"Recommended resources for new youth ministers</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">", check the comments too. I would add "The Godbearing Life" by Dean and Foster as a must read</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Also "</span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.jonjolly.com/2009/10/01/the-future-of-statutory-youth-work/">The future of statutory youth work</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">" which raises some important question</span>sPete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-13296284140772587322009-09-23T11:02:00.002+01:002009-09-23T11:07:03.069+01:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Working Together</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Great post from </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://chriskidd.co.uk/">Chris </a><span style="font-family: verdana;">looking at </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://chriskidd.co.uk/2009/09/22/partnership/">partnership</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> in youth ministry.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Calling for more "joined up thinking" with partnerships within the church, between churches and with other agencies. Essential stuff. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Of course partnership is never easy.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">In my experience it is easier to get youth leaders to work together than "clergy", because they often see the need and benefit of partnership on the ground and tend to be less bogged down with politics.</span> <br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">And I favour the language of partnership between <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">churches</span> over "ecumenism".</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-92011307331328373422009-09-11T22:34:00.002+01:002009-09-11T22:41:17.830+01:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">That song (again)</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">This site/</span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">facebook</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> page is so interesting: </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://apps.facebook.com/youremyhealer/">You're my healer</a><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Seems </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.karijobe.com/">Kari <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Jobe</span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> has recorded the song</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Given the controversy of the worship song's origins, fake cancer etc. (story</span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24216087-5006787,00.html"> here</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">), this is a brave and potentially </span><span style="font-family: verdana;" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">controversial</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> move. </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interesting!</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-40643946091630192512009-08-19T21:04:00.003+01:002009-08-19T21:14:03.432+01:00<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:verdana;" >This great City...</span><br /><img style="width: 303px; height: 226px; font-family: verdana;" src="http://pete1.giving.officelive.com/images/IMG_0084.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Earlier in the week I went up to </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/panoramas/richmond_henrymound_360.shtml">King Henry's Mound</a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> in Richmond Park. I wanted to look over London, and one side you can see St Paul's and the other the view West. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fantastic</span>.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Urban life one one side, suburbia on the other.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">As God said to Jonah "</span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah%204:11;&version=31;">should I not be concerned about that great city</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">"</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6275833.post-66600656571380741692009-08-12T08:22:00.002+01:002009-08-12T08:25:42.186+01:00<span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Youth Ministarz</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Song about youth ministers. Nice one. (ht to </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://rethinkingyouth.blogspot.com/">Brian</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">)</span><br /><br /><object style="font-family: verdana;" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HPI2xYtso-s&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HPI2xYtso-s&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Best line: "Youth ministers have beautiful wives...how do they do it?"</span>Pete Levhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17977303514284901200noreply@blogger.com0