Changes in YWAM Stirling

I feel like this could be an almost constant title for our team. In September we had new team members come and join us Gary and Vanessa Irvine with their daughter Dara and my sister has come back from sabbatical.
In November, my sister announced her intention to leave the YWAM Stirling team and therefore the Team Leadership position in April 2012.

So what does that mean for us? Several things.

1)That means I will soon be the only original team member left.

2) We will have to agree who will take over the team leadership with the national leadership team of YWAM Scotland.

3)We will need to find a new office, as our current office is associated to my sister's home.

So as ever we are in a state of change. Over the next few weeks and months we will be trying to seek the best way forward.

On the up side though, it is an exciting time to be in ministry in Stirling.
Just last week saw the introduction of a Bible in the chapel at the castle. Ministry like light and life is developing. There are obviously the Stirling Street Pastors.
New ministry is also being explored such as a Stirling House of Prayer and there is also the potential that Teen challenge may set up in Stirling which would complement the work of Street Pastors.

Prophetic Art Workshop
I am currently in the process of organising a one day prophetic workshop. The date and venue of this is still to be finalised but if you are at all interested in this please get in touch as it would help me to know the demand for it.

Getting an Office
This is a big commitment, so we are currently putting the feelers out. Ideas vary from working from home ( which I have done for a while but it is not easy with no designated room), virtual office or mail address to an office or building.
I think our preference is a building /office where we can go to work or have meetings.
It is a big vision and big commitment. My question would be is anyone else excited about such a vision, comments would be appreciated.

So there is a lot of change in the coming year and lots of potential, looking forward to the new challenges that lie ahead.

New Year and lots of potential

Well Happy New Year to anyone reading this. I have not written here for a few months which I apologise for but boy this New year has brought lots of potential and its only Day 9 of the New year.
The period between Christmas and New Year, Phil and I set about re decorating what used to be our office for our little boy's new room (I have lost the office sob!)
The tail end of 2010 saw us have a cold spell that has lasted for a while. The snow first came the at the end of November and it was almost away on Thursday...but then we had another 3 inches on Friday Night. So that is 5 or 6 weeks with snow.....I can't remember the last time we had snow for that long.
During that time our car died but thankfully we have managed to get it back on the road. (Having no car with two small children and bad weather is not a nice combination)

On a slightly different note, for some time I have wanted to do a Certificate in Christian studies with International Christian College. I can now thankfully say, I can now start this....which I am really excited about ( and the cost is paid in full, which is astounding). So as of this week I will be spending some of my time doing the first Module - Introduction to the Old Testament.

The kids have been great stuck in while we decorated. So the picture incase you are wondering is one I took on a day out to Edinburgh Zoo
Blessings

Change, change, change

I can hardly believe it is nearly 4 years since Ywam Stirling was pioneered. This June saw our first founding member leave. Within 6 months another is about to leave....so what next?

I feel God has placed me in YWAM for a reason. I feel that my community work knowledge can be of use to them in this next season of their life.

At times though I feel way under skilled and isolated. I think this next year is a birth of new developments.... I mixture of me developing my skill, and learning.

This would mean both delivering and writing training for others. Whilst investing in training for me. Please pray that I would have wisdom in this next few weeks.

I am also currently having another bash at getting funding for helping in this. Please pray for God's direction and wisdom.

Being obedient

Being obedient

The LORD will continually guide you
and satisfy you even in sun-baked places.
He will strengthen your bones.
You will become like a watered garden
and like a spring whose water does not stop flowing.

GOD'S WORD^® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission.

As some of you know, I have just spent 3 weeks in Germany. A lot of Germany, infact all of it was about being obedient. I first heard about the conference last year. Straight away the thought of going to it was burning within me.
I knew I had to go. That feeling remained, as I prayed about it. I shared my thoughts with my husband who also prayed and confirmed it. As a mum with young children however, it was a BIG ask from God.... Three weeks is a long time for wee ones.
As I shared with people what I intended to do, I got a mixed response. Come to think of it, I had mixed emotions - right up to the night before I left, I was having "frank" conversations with God about why He was asking me to go without the family... but I had to be obedient.

In terms of other missionaries, I have not had to uproot my family or gone to an unchurched tribal village where I have had to learn a new language, but the principle of being obedient is the same whether we are at home, overseas, in missions or in the office.

As one of our speakers said at the conference

"even if you are not successful, you must be obedient."

For me part of me going away was simply about being obedient.

People have been asking me lots of questions.
Was it worth it "Yes" What did I learn .....well lots. I could list stuff in the schedule but I have done that. Someone said before I left that they felt I would deepen my intimacy with God.
I think that is what happened as I find it very hard to explain, how I benefited.

I guess it built my confidence, re-enforced I am in the right place and deepened my understanding on the vision and anointing of YWAM.
I have had a passion to use my community work skills in mission. In order to do that effectively, that means extracting information from different spheres of society and understanding different worldviews. I believe I am in a slightly deeper in my understanding of that.

By valuing my relationship with God we and being obedient to what He asks of me, I do indeed feel that I have been strengthened and well watered.

Money Management Ministry Update

This is just a wee quick thank you for those of you of you who were praying for the Money Secret course in Arbroath. I have just realised that I have not updated you. We had 7 people on the course. The feedback we had was very positive. In conjunction with the course Marisa offered one to one time on Budget planning, since we are Stewardship Budget Coaches. A couple of participants took that up and found that benefitial.
Some people had been interested in the course but due to the evening time and having no childcare they were unable to attend.
The good aspect of this course is that it is very flexible, so it would possible to shorten and offer it again during school time. (Possibility for the future??)

It would seem that participants felt more skilled and informed by the end of the course and for some it may have been enough and for others it was a step along the way.

I really enjoyed working with the group as well...I would reccommend the resources as well, they are easy to work with. Money is not an easy topic of discussion but this makes it far easier.

Ministry Update

THE MONEY SECRET
Last night was the last night of our 6 week course in Arbroath. The Money Secret is a book about how to budget and take control of your finances. Produced by Care for the Family. Alongside the book, which is written in a story form (Teaching key principles through a story) there is a workbook and adult education course - making it very user friendly.
The course in Arbroath seems to have gone well with 7 participants and some positive feedback.

You don't need to be in trouble to do the course. Some people just do it to know how to help others, or how to develop a budget that they can stick to.

Alongside the course we offered Budget coaching since we are trained Stewardship Budget Coaches. Some participants took the opportunity for a one to one financial "health check".

Street Pastors
Last Friday saw the launch of Street Pastors in Stirling. The launch was in Sporters Bar in Stirling, then 15 volunteers were on the street to help. Normally it will only be a team of 3 or 4 on each night but we wanted people to be aware of the new initiative so 15 were out at once.
Some great opportunities and chats were encountered. A great way to sho God's love practically.

Ministry update
Hiya,
I have just come back from a CPAT meeting (Child protection advisory team). It was a productive day, I think... It is hard at times to grapple with the dynamics of a loosely coupled or decentralised organisation, as you deal with individual base or team dynamics versus the organisational structural dynamic. This field though is something I love, yet is also challenging. The result of the day is that I will probably be looking at further training opportunities for myself and for other staff members.

Developing good practice is a real passion of mine. One of the underpinning values of a community worker is to empower people. As a Christian community worker in mission that goes even further. I have a desire to equip and train people, thus empowering them to serve God, releasing them into ministry, seeing them reach their full potential and utimately seeing God's Kingdom advance, as their lifestyle and ministry impacts their communities.

That is the passion that drives me.....At times I wonder if I am equipped myself to do that, but the great thing is that I need to lean on God for that....and that is the way it should be, as the earth is the Lords and everything in it.... I try to see God's heart or plan rather than my own....but I am still a learner....and will always be one.

Ministry updates
I just thought I would let you know what I am up to....
In recent weeks I have been asked by our finance committee to give a presentation to all the budget holders within YWAM Scotland. Although it was a short presentation, I think it went well.
The focus of the presentation was about applying for external funding.
This was a general topic, which included areas like community work approaches such as Neighbourhood Skills.
My hope is that in the next few months I will be able to focus on developing and producing small workshops for staff. Key topics would include - funding, community work strategy and good practice.