May 8th
2013Some of you will remember the saga of the 'bishops' - probably many 'posts' below now. Well, we applied to I.G.O. (International Gospel Organisation) for membership, and today I have heard from Kingsley Armstrong (the President of IGO) that our application has been accepted. So you will be noticing some changes to the website, and some extra Links, where you can discover a little more about them, and who we are associated with now, for yourselves. Where the relationship will take us will now have to be explored. More news as it unfolds.
May 6th 2013
No one likes bad news - there's too much around in the 'world' today for the church to be propagating any! However, it is my duty to announce the death of our elder statesman at the King's Church - Graham Pratt. He had become ill with a type of Leukemia and with complications from that he died last week. I was privileged to preside at the funeral in Denia on Friday. It was well attended and Margaret his wife stayed strong. We all know of course he has gone to a better place, and it is for ourselves that we grieve. He was an honourable, faithful man - to me the quintessential Englishman, with good humour too. He will truly be greatly missed.
April 11th 2013
I would like to formally announce the appointment of Aki Niemi as our Assistant Pastor. He is an Ordained Minister, and he and his family have been fellowshipping with us for some time. Aki has a heart for healing ministries and is studying under JGLM in the USA. He has been arranging for a Healing Conference to take place here in the Costa Blanca in July from the 11th to the 13th. The venue is yet to be arranged. The main speaker will be Curry Blake from JGLM in the USA. More details to come as they emerge.
Our application to IGO seems at last to be progressing, and we expect a decision in the next two weeks. Kingsley Armstrong who currently heads up IGO following the death of Bob Searle is presently in Wales at IGO but heads off to far off places again very soon. The final decision will be anounced upon his return.
The mixed up weather is still mixed up, my back still aches daily, I'm still doing all I can to keep TKC up and running smoothly, and God says "Be still!" I'm still still.
Time flies like the wind, and fruit flies like bananas....... and all the fruit on our trees in Pego!
April 3rd 2013
Please note that I have just posted the report for the last financial year on the Finances page in the Church Member's Area of this website. It is like all of our other member's documents password protected. However, they are not secret just private! If you want to view our finances simply request the password from us by using the Contact Us link above. I will perhaps ask you to know why..... especially if I don't know who you are......
The sun is shining, the winds have dropped and summer seems to have arrived. A special "hello" to all who follow the blog in the UK...... I will try to keep the news flowing. I will definitely post some news following the AGM this weekend, but for more details the Minutes will also be posted in the Member's Area.
April 1st 2013
Thanks to everyone who came along to our Resurrection Sunday Service; it was a great celebration time. The Jalon Valley church folks joined with us and we had some lovely holiday visitors too. it was great to see the building filled up. We still have quite a few folk away on their travels, and some who are not well.
We now have a verbal agreement with our Landlord to renew the rental contract for another year, at a reduced rent. Details to follow post-AGM next weekend, but we are very grateful to be able to stay another year.
Lyn and I are still tidying up at Pego after our long break away at the end of last year, but the final gravelling is almost done, the pruning is well on it's way, the field is plowed over, and Lyn's pots and gardens and taking shape and colour. Spring has pretty much spring in Pego - the trees are in blossom - and grass mowing will soon become a weekly event unless the sun comes back to full strength. The very strong winds persist, bringing many clouds across, and it's simply not as warm as it should be!
March 15th 2013
Please take a look at my refreshed "Pastor's Pics" on the link above. I have rearranged the photos and added new ones to 'tell the tale' of the casita and the Pego plot right up to date.
We have a busy couple of months coming up. We have the team from the Mattersley Bible College taking the service on the 24th of March - last year was great so we're really looking forward to that. They will also be sharing with us on our mid week meeting (Wed the 20th). The wedding season has started early this year and I have a couple of couples warming up already for their big events. I love doing weddings!
Easter of course will be upon us soon.... then I am invited to speak at the Men's Breakfast in Javea at JIBC on the 6th. Our AGM will be on Sunday the 7th April after the service. The following week we have a visiting speaker Lynne Mort. She is an old friend of my wife Lynette. The Jalon Valley Fellowship will be joining with us for the service. The week after (21st April) we have yet another guest speaker Viv Penfold (see below) and we will be joining with the JVF at Mas La Pau to hear him speak. Please note there will be no service in Benissa that day!
We had so much rain recently, and such a massive hailstorm out in Pego that I had to drag the car out of the field road with the tractor! Thank God for the tractor! However the sun seems to be shining amid the clouds again, although there is more rain due. My Lyn is in the UK, so Sheba and I are making a do of it. My latest project is a 1Kw wind generator to replce the 250watt 25 year old one. It's not quite ready yet, but nearly - I'll post some pics when it's up.
February 15th 2013
The sharp ones among you will have noticed that I have at long last centred the web pages so they that don't appear to jump about from left to centre and back.... OK so I'm not the greatest web-site tinkerer but it does look a heap better!
February 14th 2013
So here I am again. The incredible winds seem to have eased, and the sun is shining like Springtime again. The days of the Bishops (at least the ones who would lay claim to the King's Church) seem to be over. After much prayer and deliberation, and after the realization that the EEC has dissolved following the death of our lovely Bishop Tomas, we are moving towards another type of oversight. We had a visit in Spain by an old friend Viv Penfold and his wife Jean. He ministered in the local churches, and when we met with him and explained our physical and spiritual dilemma, he pointed us towards a group called IGO (International Gospel Outreach) who are in themselves part of the Evangelical Alliance. After a bit of research and discussion with the Church Council I have applied for affiliate membership of the aforesaid group. OK, so now it's going to be really embarrassing if they turn me down, but hey ho, we can only try to move forward. More news as it happens.
We will be deciding the date of our AGM soon, and it will be a crucial time for the church here. We will need to make decisions about the future of the Kings Church with regard to our present building. It is currently beyond our financial means to be in another contract. They are many options that we have before us. Please pray for our future in and around Benissa after June 31st!
There does seem to be more afoot in recent months to do with unity in the local group of churches. Viv spoke into the situation in a Prophetic Seminar at Mas La Pau in the Jalon Valley when 11 local churches were represented there. Let's see what man will do and what God will do through us. I believe, as you know, that there is only ONE church and we should act and behave like it. We must not allow denominationism (or our private theologies) to be or become separatism!
February 2nd 2013
What can I say? I'm embarrassed that so long has gone by without an update. Obviously I have been quite ill, and we were in the UK until just before Christmas. There's a lot of news to catch up so it will have to be in increments.... for the sake of historical facts let me start with this; Between the doctor diagnosing the torn shoulder and me seeing the muscular/skeletal person God healed my shoulder through the 'laying on of hands' and prayer of our Pastor in the UK - Jack McVicar. The kidney stones are all gone - God chose to work through the maaaaaany tablets (whilst working on me in several areas) and I have no more stones, no more pain and no concern that they will recur. Whilst in the UK, just before we were due to return Lyn's father Ron, died quite suddenly. He was 89 and a believer. We were able to see him before he died, and be there to arrange the funeral etc. Rest in peace Ron.
The weather has been extraordinary since we returned. We had some wonderful spring-like days to welcome us home, followed by two weeks of incredible winds, and then a short respite before the winds returned last night. We suffered no damage on the campo, except for some loss of sleep! God is good; He has led us through a traumatic time, but has never left us. We are facing many challenges in the church (what's new??) but with His help we are more than up for them! Amen? Amen!
November 15th 2012
Little did I know how far all this was going to go! I've now spent 5 days in hospital in the UK - they confirmed what the Spanish doctors said - I have a 5mm kidney stone stuck in my left ureter next to the bladder, and one (now reduced in size to 3mm) stuck in my right kidney. They prefer not to operate, and so here I am with many more medications waiting. The local GP says I have torn a tendon in my right shoulder and (probably) need an operation on that too. I have now updated the Media pages with the latest files - enjoy. It's cold and wet in the UK, and I'm already looking forward to our return - more than likely soon after the 10th December (One of my hospital visits) Barbara (Pastor of the Jalon Valley Fellowship) looked after the service for us last Sunday, but this Sunday our congregation with be joining them at Mas La Pau near to Liber. Who knows what will happen in the following weeks..
Sorry for the lack of updates, but I have been somewhat distracted. The journey isn't over yet - please continue to pray for early appointments, quick treatments, and God's divine healing to be a part of all this adventure.
September 28th 2012
One week the technology lets us down - which now all seems to be behaving itself - and another week it's something else. This last week it was my body. I was in hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday with kidney stone problems. I'll save you all the gory details, but I have learned a little more about pain. I'm on the mend; I may have to undergo a small operation if the medication doesn't complete the job. The enforced rest is (they say!) doing me good.
It has finally rained - hallelujah! Our plants, shrubs and trees are having a party. It's actually a blessing to be resting in the cool air, after such a long hot summer. We may not always understand God's plan for our lives, but knowing His presence, hearing His voice, and seeing circumstances unfold through God-incidences (I don't believe in co-incidences) is comforting in itself. As an old friend used to say "God is in charge!" .
September 20th 2012
Well, we still seem to be having a little trouble. This time it's with getting the media files (the preaching and teaching) up on the server. Chris and I managed to get a few recent weeks up with some hassle, but last weeks is still missing audio and video but it will come! Sorry for the delay. The weather is a little cooler now, but still no rain. My arm, which after some research seems to be a shoulder-bursor, causing tendonitis, is not improving much, and so any work at Pego is on hold. Oh well, I guess I should have listened to all the people who said "rest" - now I have to!
September 5th 2012
First - the excuses! Lyn my lovely wife took herself off to the UK for quite a few weeks to escape the incredibly hot summer here. Some locals in Pego said it had been the hottest summer since 1947 - who knows. We consistently had temperatures in the low to mid 40's Centigrade throughout July and August. Then I managed to damage my right shoulder moving the caravan out of the 'garden' area down to the bottom gate. I think I've torn a muscle or a tendon - all I know is I can't raise my arm above waist height, and any movement towards the rear is excruciating - lots of prayer and more than a few Ibuprofen later - it still hurts. On top of that I fell in love with a second hand Mac Air 11.6" laptop and I have spent more than a few weeks swapping all my software and data over to it - having been a dedicated Windows 7 fan for quite a while, anyone who has done this knows it can be tricky - however, all my stuff now works and is accessible again, and I type on it as we 'speak'!
So now to the good news; Courtesy of a Ministerial friend of ours we now have the use of a PocketWifi dongle thingy that provides us with Internet access - a BIG THANKS C & A. The Mac is working flawlessly..... Lynette is back...... my arm improves when I rest it (!!!)..... the porch and lean-to are 98% completed on the casita (photos to follow), the gravelling project is 85% (but for my arm it would be done!) and internet access fully restored. We have a lovely family who have come from Holland to worship with us - welcome Aki, Karin, Stefanie and Christina. More news about Aki to follow! The temperature has now dropped to bearable, and we have had some substantial rain! I have met some truly lovely young folks over the last couple of months and presided at their weddings. I have one more to do next week in Moraira..... and to cap all that, my old school friend Glenn Swarbrick and his partner Ree are coming over from the UK on holiday and coming up to Pego to see us next week!
I must also say a special "hello" to Hayley Jones. No, I don't know who she is either, except that she quite rightly prompted me to get my act together and get the Blog updated. THANKS and HI! Hayley........here is a link (hope it works) to see how Mr Google sees us in Pego from his 'plane and satellite setup....... http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Pego,+Alicante,+Espa%C3%B1a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=38.86616,-0.088993&spn=0.000808,0.001318&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=7.101222,21.599121&oq=pego+alicante&hnear=Pego,+Province+of+Alicante,+Valencia,+Spain&t=h&z=20 Well, the link seems to overflow the web page a bit, but it also works, so give it a click and let me know what you think!
Whilst we love to say "Hi" to new folks joining our little congregation in Benissa, it always sad to see some go. Chris and Gill Followell are returning to the UK. They have been with us a few years and we are going to miss them terribly. In fact Chris set off this morning driving across Europe to get home with the car whilst Gill is left here to sort out the villa and will follow by air in a couple of weeks - it's complicated but suffice to say they need your prayers. Also Arthur and Christine are packing up to leave in a few short weeks, maybe even days. They have been in Spain 5 years almost to the day. They come and they go........
June 25th 2012
Greetings to all who follow our adventures here in the King's Church. We still lack internet access and so updates will be sparse for a while - sorry. We still think often of Bishop Tomas, and call for your continued prayers for his family. However, as he would have wanted, all things must move ever onwards and upwards. I have made contact with our church heirachy and am pleased to announce that our oversight will now be provided by one Bishop William Mikler - fondly known as Bill. We are in email dialogue, and hope to make personal contact soon via telephone - however he is USA Stateside Florida and with little web access here and no landline it's a little hard to plan but not impossible. Please pray for Bill and I as we have a meeting of hearts and minds and look to the future of the church here in Benissa. There have been some radical changes in the "bodies" that have provided oversight for us - they are the CEEC and the CCI - suffice to say that a new "group" has sprung up called the Apostolate to the Nations; formed out of like minded members of the other groups, and our "new" Bishop Bill is a member of the A to the N's. I will be amending the details on the rest of the website as I get more information.
On the home front we are sweltering with the rest of you here in Pego. Winter left and Spring arrived with a bang - just heat and still no rain. We have just put up a front porch on the casita to give a little more shade. The ground is cracked and dry, and in desperate need of water. The well is dry. Lyn goes to the UK for the month of August while I hold the fort here. Her father Ron has not been doing too well recently, and we wonder all the time how much longer he will be with us. She will get chance to spend a little time with him at least.
For those of you who uphold us in prayer - first - "Thank you" - secondly - please pray for God's supernatural provision of funds for the church. The congregation is small and the euro is not what it was. We are approaching the final year of the rental contract on our building and are wondering how to proceed. We have faith..... but do we keep a building?
June 8th 2012
Our Bishop and great friend Tomas passed away on the morning of the 5th of June. He lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, but is now at peace, and pain free. We believe the ultimate expression of God's healing power is when He completes His work in us and calls us home. We don't like it because we grieve our loss and want things to carry on as they were. But God had an extensive plan for Tomas who worked faithfully and tirelessly for the kingdom, and took his influence into all that he did for His Father. He was a great witness for God in his latest adventure into Afghanistan, and we cannot understand why this lovely man was taken home 'early' by our measure. He leaves behind his lovely wife Lynne and three children; Sarah, Stephen and Jonathan. May the God of all comfort be with them now and forever. Amen. I have no details yet of any funeral or memorial events. I will post them as and when I hear.
As we will
remember him with great fondness......(Apologies for the lack of Blog content recently but changes in the church have meant that we have temptorarily been with Internet access... this is being rectified as we 'blog'.)
April 30th 2012
Lynette and I are going to Bristol on Thursday for my son Lee's wedding to his partner Caz. They get married on the Saturday. I am not presiding but able to share in the ceremony thanks to yet another Rev. Michael.... a certain Mr Selman. We come back late on Sunday and so Pastor Barbara from the Jalon Valley Fellowship will be taking the service with help from other members of their congregation. Thanks Barb, Mike and Mandy......
It was a great week in many respects, not the least of which was an almost full house in the church building on Sunday last. We had a number of visitors, and certain itinerant congregation as well. I know numbers aren't everything, but they do make a difference!
The AGM on the 15th was short and sharp, and I will be posting the Minutes shortly after we return from Bristol. The 2011/2012 Finances are already posted here on the website for any interested parties. The day was capped with a great fellowship meal (The King's Table) at Tom and Sandra's villa in Moraira. Thanks to you guys for hosting us. We all seemed to be having a great time, and thanks also to everyone who brought food and drinks......
Please note that I have finally managed to post some new photos on the Pastor's Pics link above. They show our 'new' roof, and the hard work Lyn has been putting in to making a field into a garden. One day Pego will look like it should... maybe..... until then we'll keep working at it!
April 12th 2012
The date of our AGM is set for this next sunday after the service - the 15th. We will be enjoying our Worship Together event also later the same day at 6:30pm. The Healing Rooms meeting was here today, and were already talking with Mike Webb, who chairs the meeting, about next years visit by the Mattersey team. Yesterday we met with Pastor Pete Cox and his wife Trish. We are sad to report the closure of the Mosaic Church in Javea due to a mixed bag of circumstances. Pete and Trish need our prayers as they wrestle with lawyers over part of the problem caused by an unworkable building rental contract, and also as Trish's medical condition has recenty worsened. As Resurrection Sunday already retreats into history for another year, let's Keep Awake, Stay Sharp, Spread the Word, Speak Well Over one another in blessings and truth, and never forget what our motivations should be for everything we do - LOVE. We're not even called to like each other, which I guess would be more or less impossible and unrealistic - but LOVE is a choice not a feeling. What will you choose today - for God's sake, and the sake of the elect?
April 3rd 2012
Well, we've never seen so many people in our little building as we did on the 25th. It was definitely "standing room only" and they were! We were truly uplifted and encouraged by the ministry of the whole team from Mattersey. Thanks again to all who participated and gave of themselves to bless us all and the district of Benissa. I hope sometime to put some pics and video up here for you to get a glimpse..... promises promises you say! I'll try.
March 13th 2012
As most of you will know, I have just returned from the UK. Lyn and Bishop Tomás looked after the church whilst I was away, and we are ever grateful to Mandy for ably helping us with the praise and worship. Thanks Barbara (Jalon Valley Fellowship) for releasing her to help us. On that note I am delighted to announce that we will be having a joint service with the Jalon fellowship here in Benissa on the 25th of March. There is a team from the Mattersey Bible College coming to take the service, and there will be a Prayer Walk here in Benissa on Tuesday the 20th of March. Please contact either myself or Barbara for more details here http://valleyfellowship.wordpress.com/who-we-are/
Spring seems to have finally arrived in Pego. The trees are just coming into bud, and it's a real delight to see the blossom elsewhere. Pego always seems to be a bit behind! Let's hope together for great things in God this year - new growth in the church, and a sweet smell from our lives because of Jesus blossoming in and through us!
I will be announcing the date of our AGM soon. It will be, as usual, following a Sunday service. Anyone may attend - not everyone may participate - but we are always open to suggestions and comments.
February 28th 2012
Today is my lovely wife's birthday! These times always prompt discussion about life and death.... especially as we all get older. I had one of those discussions only yesterday with Chris. But this morning my thoughts are these..... yes, we're alive, or I guess you wouldn't be reading this.... but do you have life, or Life, or even LIFE? In God we can have abundant life because of His Holy Spirit.... we need our life to be renewed by Him through Spiritual birth to have any sort of Life, and in Him if we look to Him always we can have LIFE! I wonder how many people reading this have LIFE and can remember their spiritual birthday as well as their annual celebration of the day of their physical birth? I hope you all have a spiritual birthday celebration.... and if you don't or can't remember it happening then read Scripture until you find the way, or ask me so that you can know and celebrate!
I'm off to the UK on Thursday and don't return until the 8th. Pray for Lyn as she looks after the church with our Bishop Tomás, and pray for the church.....
All our Media files are now back 'up'. We hope one day soon to 'do' an Archive page where you can access some of the older stuff you may want to review.... one day....!
February 21st 2012
We more or less have the web site back again. Tom spotted some pages with dodgy "fonts" which Chris managed to fix for us. There are still some older videos to upload, so if you're waiting for those please be patient with us. I've come to the perhaps unsurprising conclusion that "websites" never get finished! The weather is still pretty frosty here, so no "spring" yet in Pego, but we're hopeful of some warmer weather soon. Like last year the frost has devastated some of our plants and trees, and we can't get the veggies in the ground yet! Come on sunshine! Speaking of the coming sunshine - our Bishop Tomás is coming out to be with us again for a short while. He will be speaking here at Benissa on the 4th of March. Please continue to pray for his health, and that he has a relaxing time here in Spain with Lynne. Don and Judy (New Hope Church, Oliva) dedicated their new building in Oliva last Saturday evening. I was invited and asked to speak briefly on "dediction" and a great crowd of local ministers and old and new friends gathered to celebrate with them. May God richly bless their efforts and prosper them in their outreach into the community. .
February 9th 2012
Well, the sharp ones among you will have probably noticed that all our videos are offline just now. This is because we have changed our web server and have had to reload the whole website. It will take a little while to re-upload all the files as the videos are the "biggest" ones they take longer. So please bear with us; also I apologise for the quality of the sound on the latest one - we don't know what went wrong. On the day the sound sounded fine, but the recording has crackles for quite a while. The joys of technology!
January 17th 2012
I have had news from our beloved Bishop Tomas. As most of you know he has returned from his duties in Afghanistan due to ill health. He has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer which is now confirmed as having moved into his liver. Medically speaking this is not good news and although the consultants are being realistic in their prognosis, their perspective is from within an earthly reality. The spiritual reality is that Tomas is in God's hands and his future is in Him. He remains positive in his outlook despite the "news" and hopes to be among us again in Spain in a couple of months. Please pray as God leads. He is my spiritual father, and a guiding light to the King's Church as God leads him, and now more than ever we need to support him and his family in real ways.
January 12th 2012
Well, considering the state of the world it seems a little glib to say "Happy New Year!" It would be my heartfelt prayer that everyone in the world found happiness in 2012, but the odds are against it. It is my beleif that what is good in the world (all that God and Godly men and women are achieving) is increasing, and all that is evil in the world is also increasing - the divide is getting more and more obvious with every passing month. The final Great Divide may indeed be sooner than many think. Having said all that; I do sincerely hope, on behalf of everyone here at the King's Church, that 2012 is a year of growth for you - growth in God, in prosperity, in zeal, in the spreading of your tents and your boundaries - in the natural and the spiritual. May God ever find new ways to coax or goad us to stand up and be counted for Him and His Kingdom this coming year!
Lyn and I have just returned from a wonderful break visiting Seville, Cadiz and Alicante. The weather was warm, and the hotels comfortable - we have returned with a renewed vigour - praise to God who provides.
December 19th 2011
Seasons Greetings to everyone who follows the plot here in Spain! Happy Christ Mass.....
I have just returned from a 9 day round trip to the UK to return our old UK Toyota back to it's home ground. I drove across Spain to Saragossa, stayed the night, and then continued the next day to Bilbau to catch the overnight crossing to Portsmouth. It was a rough crossing and that is probably something of an understatement! However, God is good and I wasn't ill... I just felt ill... and I preferred to go with my faith and not feelings! We arrived an hour late, and as I was in the bowels of the ship I didn't get to disembark until 10:20pm. I drove up to Bristol in the lashing rain, and arrived at 12:20am on the Friday moning.... and the car was booked in for it's MOT at 9:15am which it failed, and then passed after God allowed me considerable favour with the mechanic and Manager of the garage - it's a looong story. I stayed three wonderful days with my son, Lee and Caz his partner and my two gorgeous grandchildren Mia and Noah. I had never met Noah.... and only seen Mia a couple of times. It felt great to be an active grandad for a few days. I drove up to St. Annes on the Sunday afternoon... in the dark and rain ...... to stay with my mum a few more days before flying home to Spain on the Thursday morning. Whew! What a rush... but praise God; 850 more or less trouble free miles of driving, and a good flight home into Lynette's waiting arms at Alicante Airport. God has granted us leave to go on our first holiday for eight years (we've travelled plenty but had no rest break) so we are flying to Seville on the 22nd and coming back from Alicante on the 7th of January. Nearly all of the congregation are away and so they allowed us to shut up shop and get away for some leave. More travelling for me, but some rest at last. Thanks to all who held the fort whilst I was away, and to all you good folks who are sending us both away with your support and your kind words - and we will see you all again very soon!
November 24th 2011
It's been raining somewhat (understatement?) hereabouts, and we're all a bit damp! But today the sun shone again and inspired me... isn't that just what happens when Jesus the Son shines down on us? We get Holy Spirit inspired to shake off the "dampness" and once again get on with the business of the Kingdom..... which reminds me of an old song... "Shine Jesus Shine!" Let's make sure when it's "dark and raining" in someone's life that we shine Jesus' light to them, and not hide our lights under 'some' bushel.
Lyn is now home safe and sound - thank you Father. Christmas came a little early as she had brought me various goodies from the UK - great! She approves of the changes to our little 'home' and the new roof has had a thorough testing and not been found "wanting".
November 15th 2011
Over the last few weeks God has really put "healing" His people (all His people) on my heart and so I have been teaching on the subject on Sunday mornings. There is so much to say... so many books been written ... so much in Scripture ... that I can only bring what I feel God wants to say to His people here in Benissa; right here & right now. There has never been a time in history such as we are in right now. That's what history "is" and what makes our lives, selves and situations unique. And yet so many in the Christian world have the strong sense that God is indeed drawing history to a close. Oh, don't worry - I'm not joining the ranks of the "doomsayers" - only looking at the world "weather"..... as Jesus encouraged us to do (Matthew 16:1,2). It's not a time for the timid to rule - it's a time for God's people to stand up and be bold - for the one worldwide unified church to be noticed for something good for a change.
Lyn has been away since the 5th of September and is coming home on the 21st of November - hallelujah! Please pray that we can blend our lives back together quickly and easily. We had a Koinoinia meeting last week; I had missed an email and so missed a previous meeting. It was good to see that God is still bringing leaders together - Spanish and English speakers - to work together. Please pray also that God would deeply inspire those who lead the group in His specific will - there are many things we would like to do... I was encouraged at the last Worship Together meeting in the Javea International Baptist Centre on Sunday night. There were six churches represented there and I send my gratitude to John and his team for hosting the event. We may well "skip" December and head for a meeting in January ..... we have so many folks away, and Christmas always brings it's own "extras".
The casita in Pego now has it's new roof on and we're weatherproof. Praise God for the finance, the strength and the opportunity between storms to finish the job. A few more jobs to finish (to commission the little kitchen, rebuild the decking, gravel the front area, and build the porch) and we're ready for the winter, and I can rest - I hope!
October 18th 2011
The busy last couple of weeks seemed to have eased.... I can take a breath and evaluate a few things .... all the "events" went well and everybody seemed pleased. I think God was pleased too... He loves it when we include Him in our life's "events". Lyn is still in the UK - her father has now been moved into a residential care home and she still has a lot more to do. The roof arrived for the casita... and a third of it is "up"..... the weather has cooled a little, the Gota Fria came and went, and "yes" we flooded again at Pego, but only for a couple of days. Now the grass and weeds are competing for space!
We had some news of our Bishop Tomas; he has returned to Ireland from Afghanistan a little early due to a health problem. It appears he has pancreatic cancer. Please pray for the outcome of further tests and potential regimes of treatment. Pray also for the whole family to remain at peace, and in a place of strong faith as they integrate this issue into their thoughts and lives. More news as the situation unfolds........
Be encouraged that our sermon material on the Media page is now better than ever. We've fixed the hums and buzzes, and are using a new camera...... now we've just got to work on the preachers and teachers!! If you follow our teaching and want to comment or make suggestions please do so on our revamped Contact Us page. Tom and Sandra have once again returned to the UK to deal with the ongoing family crisis - please continue to pray for them..... Gill has just returned today after an extended stay to help family and deal with health issues. She will have to return for treatment at some point. God is good and He's not going to change - hallelujah! However, we must conform to His will and His likeness with His loving and patient prompting and help ...... all things will pass in their time .... one day we will leave all sorrow and sighing behind us as we enter fully into His presence for the final time. What a wonderful God we serve.
September 22nd 2011
Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself? Nearly three weeks since I last blogged, but much is happening. Lyn is still in the UK helping out with her dad, but the good news is that he is now at home and she is busy trying to sort out all the things he needs to get through each day with the "Social Services". She is doing OK but would value your continued prayers, and sends her love to everyone. I was at a rehearsal in Denia yesterday for a wedding I am conducting tomorrow. Please pray for Victoria and Miles that all goes well, and that God is in evidence at the ceremony. On the 8th of October I have the privelege of conducting another wedding joining Hollye and Sammy in holy matrimony in Altea. On the 9th of October we are having a Dedication Service for James Maxton. Everyone is of course invited, and we will be celebrating the dedication in the course of our normal Sunday Service. Parents Michael and Lisa are expecting about 20 guests. I'm really looking forward to the service. Thank God for His gift of life, and His willingness to bring great blessings upon us when we do things His way. Prayers for all these events would be highly valued.
For those who follow our campo exploits - we now also have a working sink and shower in the casita (whooooo!) along with our loo. I also desperately trying to get some more gravel down around the place to prevent another mud-city event as the wet weather inexorably approaches! We have also ordered a "proper" roof and insulation - corrugated plastic sheets that look like arab-tiles - but not yet managed to get them actually delivered .... so hopefully when the rain does come we don't have to be putting pots, pans and dishes around the place to catch all the drips from the leaky roof felt.
Jeff's memorial service on the 19th was very well attended, and left me with the feeling that I'm sorry I didn't get to know him better. Thank God I will get to know him intimately in eternity.
Well, that's all for now folks - if you want more detail come see me, invite me for lunch, or email me. Thanks to all those who are rallying round to support me in Lyn's extended absence. There was a wonderful meat pie from Margaret ... mmmmm .... chilli stew with Chris ... mmmmm .... and thanks to all those who have already dropped by, fed me, phoned me, emailed me and generally encouraged me. I'm glad to have my Christian family.
September 2nd 2011
Praise God that the extreme weather seems to have broken and the temperatures have dropped significantly. It's easier to sleep, work and play. You'll be pleased to know, or you have already discovered for yourselves, that all our Media files are now re-uploaded after the website crash. Enjoy and be challenged. I'm still working on the "more radical stuff" missing pages and hope to have them re-done soon. Watch the above link! Of all the things we are praising God for this month is our new toilet - we've been over two years now on the campo with only a chemical loo .... but now we have cool, shiny porcelain! Wonderful! Amazing how you can miss such things.... there's a pun in there somewhere for the male readers (!) On top of that we have finally gotten round to having Sheba speyed.... she isn't thanking us, but we're looking forward to a lot less bother with campo dogs than we've had previously and her escape-artist tricks may also be somewhat curtailed ... (curtailed ... I just can't help myself today!) I have two weddings coming up in the next few weeks, and a dedication ... I will post more details of the events as they come up. These are great opportunities for witness to our great God, so please pray. Lynette's father Ron has had a fall, broken his hip, and is hospital in Blackburn with complications. She flies over on Monday. Please also pray for her time to be of benefit to Ron and for the medical staff, and for her peace and strength at this most difficult time. As our Bishop Tomas comes to the end of his time in Afghanistan please also uphold him and his family as they look to God for the next phase of their lives. We hope to see them here in Spain in October. Finally, please uphold Barbara and the family in your prayers at this difficult time. For those who know Barbara and knew Jeff, you may like to attend Jeff's memorial service at the El Faro church in Javea on the 19th of this month at 3:00pm. The funeral is being held in the UK on the 7th.
August 18th 2011
My trip to the UK went well; thank you to all of you who prayed. My regular hospital check up was "clear" and so apart from the ignomony of being "exposed" in theatre whilst fully awake the visit was "pain free". I met a very eloquent atheist whilst waiting for the slightly-delayed aeroplane in Alicante on the way out, so he heard some things he clearly had not heard before. Pray for Len and his wife, who need revelation from our amazing God.
What can I say about the riots that hasn't been said? I was shocked, surprised and could barely believe what the "media" was showing us. The police and the politicians debated answers... but had none that I could discern. They sounded like schoolboys debating a fight in the "yard"..... very sad really. They poked at each other, complained about equipment, training, finance and cut-backs..... but they had no answers. If the "visible church" were behaving like the true Bride of Christ she would have brought an answer, but they was little or no Christian input or output that I saw reported, and no one was asking her. Where was she? I'm sure that many individuals were out on the streets bringing help, hope and comfort to the hurting. The only ray of hope that the media reported was that the police and politicians vowed (again... sigh!) to work more closely with schools, voluntary and "religious" organisations to seek a long term solution. They talked about giving more power back (back... groan!) to the police, schools and even parents. Well... let's hope and pray that they do, and that the "nanny" state will bring back a Godly and just system of parental, scholastic and religious training that involves appropriate punishment for "negative" behaviour. There is a way to punish whilst preserving human-rights. There is a human freedom that doesn't include crime. We can love and have compassion on the thieves and murderers without our forgiveness excluding severe but appropriate punishment. We can have a Godly society..... but the authorities must beleive it, want it, and seek it. We must pray for them even if our hearts despair for the future of (once Great) Britain.
July 30th 2011
Some of you may have noticed, and some of you probably didn't - but this web site has been "down" for a few days now; so "apologies" if you noticed, and "Where were the rest of you?!" if you didn't. Thanks yet again to Chris for his help and patience.... it took us a few days of brainstorming... but we are more or less back as we were. The changes might be subtle - we lost absolutely everything. The server - somewhere in Scotlland I think - crashed irretrievably without backups (!) and we were left scrabbling for what we could glean from Google's cache (a big "Thanks" for that Mr. Google) and old page copies. So you may notice some differences but in the main we have just tried to retrieve the "site" as it was. There is only one page that is still down - if you can spot which one there's no prize but if you email me when you spot it you will get some brownie points! (It will take a while to put the videos back 'up' but all the audio and text files are on the Media Pages).
Bishop Tomas and his wife Lynne came over again and he brought a very encouraging "word" last Sunday. He has returned to Afghanistan again, but for the final three months. Please continue to remember him in your prayers for his next "job". God is good, and we are still here in Spain fighting the good fight. There is much to do, and not many of us here to do it. Pray that God sends more workers into the field..... and for us for great wisdom to know how to reach into the lives of the people who are here but don't want to know Jesus. I am off to the UK next week for my usual hospital and family visit, but I'll be back on the 13th. Please support the Worship Together event on the 14th in Javea. It's the first joint meeting there since the new church opened and Pete and Trish have worked very hard to get "open". She is still quite poorly and may need surgery on her spine.... much prayer and support needed.
July 5th 2011
So summer finally arrived with a big bang! The heat is amazing, and the humidity enough to choke you. Bishop Tomas came and went - we had a great visit - and he's already due back for a longer stay later in July. Much to the delight of some and the chagrine of others my long hair came and went too. Some say I look older and some say I look younger, but I guess it's just not pony-tail weather!
We all enjoyed the fellowship meal at Pat & Clive's, and both Greg and Tomas were able to come. Chris finally sorted out our little issue when you viewed our videos in Google Chrome ... so we hope you Googlers enjoy a slightly better Media experience. Thanks Chris... We have also been enjoying a good sprinkling of visitors to our little church. We've had folks from all over, and last week even Elvis showed up! We were amazed ....... I was so tempted to shout out "The king is in the building" but of course He already was before Elvis arrived......
We have now been in our "new" building a full three years ... and as stated somewhere below .... we have two more years here on our "new" contract unless Jesus returns before that. I would ask that everyone reading this blog prays for the ministers on this coast. If I wrote here all that is going on it would make you cry. I believe there is a huge attack going on right now.... there is divorce, several cases of cancer, old illnesses recurring, extreme financial difficulties, diagreements, and much more. God is still God and He will get us all through somehow, but prayer is always "key". Please pray with us for health, prosperity, healing of emotions and spirits, unity, protection of marriages, and whatever else God leads you to pray. But pray........ I am just starting a series of "preaches" on Spiritual Warfare (surprise suprise!) so take a peek on the Media page and see what you think. Much more to come in the following weeks. We are in a battle .... if you don't know it, it's time you did.
June 14th 2011
As you may have seen from the Home page, Bishop Tomas will be with us next Sunday. I for one am really looking forward to catching up properly with him after his long stint in Afghanistan. Next Thursday Lyn has planned to take several of our ladies off to the Women's Aglow meeting in Javea. We hope for that to be a regular monthly event. Please continue to pray for Barbara from the Jalon Valley Fellowship who leads the group, and is quite ill.
The weather seems to have settled down a little now, and the rain has quit for a while ... I hope! So, as the mud had hardened for a while Greg Oman, a missionary from the USA who is working with the Baptist church in Denia, came over to the "ranch" (hoho!) on the 10th and we enjoyed some great fellowship with him. I have invited him to speak at the church on the 26th of June so come along and see what God will say through him. He is also able to join with us this Saturday the 18th as we gather together for a meal at Clive and Pat Capp's villa in Moraira. Thanks Pat and Clive for inviting us. Please also pray for Pat as she also is having extended treatment for a serious illness. Let it be known though that God is keeping Pat strong and active despite what her body is telling her! He is able!! If you want to wangle an invite to a free meal, and come along and meet some of us in a social way, please feel free to email me (Contact Us tab above).
June 7th 2011
Lyn arrived back safe and sound, as did Chris and Gill; thanks for your prayers. We enjoyed a great BBQ at a couple called Waheed and Sylvia's place after the service on Sunday. He is nominally Muslim and they both seem very open to discussing "issues of faith". Please pray for more openings to share God's love with them. The weather is not very BBQ friendly at the moment ... it has rained more or less every day for weeks .... although I did manage to do some much needed painting on the casita betweens showers yesterday. Sheba developed enteritis and so had to have a jab at the vet's in Pego, and I'm deeply embroiled in the beaurocracy of (simply!) scrapping the old Mondeo ... you wouldn't believe the paperwork and hassle... but if you know Spain, then you probably would! God is faithful ... he sent us a whole family of visitors from Seattle on Sunday.... several tots as well. It was great to have the chatter of little ones.... but then, I wasn't preaching! Tom and Sandra brought to us a long-awaited presentation of their experiences in Moldova. After the presentation we had a special offering for the Family Fund which raised 345€ and (under inspiration I believe before the offering I said that we would match it from Church funds) so we will be handing over to Tom & Sandra 690€ for the fund. If you want to know more then visit the dedicated Moldova page link from the Home tab, and now you can check out their ongoing story from the Media tab too.
And an apology .... oops ... sorry we missed your birthday on the 4th Barry .... hope you had a really good one!
May 29th 2011
I'm sorry to have to report that Trish - other half of Pete - is quite poorly and needs to visit the hospital here on Thursday. Please pray for a good outcome. It is an old spinal injury causing her trouble. Hence the Koinonia group is kind-of "on hold" whilst Pete is "head cook and bottle washer" (oh, as well as Teacher at a local school, preacher, etc.) I go to the airport on Wednesday to collect Lyn at about 10:15pm, and Chris and Gill head home here tomorrow. Pray for travelling mercies. It was great to see Pam and Bob of CBS International at the service this morning. They're off again on their travels tomorrow. May God bless them richly for all their work for the Kingdom.So far I've ony had a couple of very positive comments on my new pages.... email me if you want to know more.....
May 24th 2011
You probably have noticed the new link above. Well, I have been deep into my Bible studies for quite a few intense weeks now, and while Lyn is still in the UK making good use of my time in the wet weather. What I am finding out is wonderful, but not everyone will think so. Have a look a the page and see if you might like to know more. All of it will take some considerable time to unfold and upload so please be patient.
We have had a few drop by visitors to the building recently. I am still amazed that no one seems to know we are here! They are always so surprised to find an English speaking church on a side street in a small Spanish town. Some do find us via the web site, and we are constantly wrestling with the newspapers to get (what used to be so simple) small ads placed regularly. Keep up the good work Sandra and Gill. Please pray that those God wants here with us He will send or reveal to us.
I am encouraged though that as more small churches fold as Brits go home, we are still here, fighting the good fight, preaching the Word, praying, worshipping, and God will build His church. Amen.
By the way, I've just seriously updated the "Pastor's Pics" with a new Picassa album ... take a look, especially if you haven't been out to Pego for a while .. or ever!
May 12th 2011
Today the sun is shining - hallelujah. We had word that Yvonne & Hank made it to the USA safely along with Sunshine (their cockatiel!) Thank you Lord for travelling mercies. This morning we have a Healing Rooms meeting here in the church building. Still praying, still seeking God as to how & when to proceed. Please join us in prayer. Our Bishop Tomas' wife Lynne visited us from Ireland with news last Sunday. Tomas is considering leaving Afghanistan after the end of his current contract and seeking other employment. He hopes to come to Spain in July. Again, please pray for God to make his path clear. My Lyn is in the UK just now for three weeks. She needs some medical treatment and will be visiting family and friends as well. I will just about manage without her (sniff sniff). Please send all food donations (preferably complete meals, hot and spicy) to "The cabin, the campo, Pego, somewhere in the orange groves" Thanks in anticipation.
We will be having a presentation in the church quite soon on the project in Moldova. Afterwards there will be a special collection towards the Family Fund. Please have a look at the Moldova link on the Home page, and consider making a donation.
And ..... this morning we signed the contract for the building, so we are here for the next two years .... which will pass very quickly .....
May 7th, 2011
OK, so I consider myself well told off. I was encouraging our Church Council members to give me input for the web site, and as reminded that I hadn't input much recently on this blog!
Easter came and went in the usual rush of life. We attended a Good Friday morning service with the International Baptist Church in Javea along with several other small church groups. Pastor John spoke excellently and we enjoyed being "ministered to" as a change from ministering to others. We held our first full-liturgy and Communion Service on Easter Sunday (it's a long story!) and everyone seemed to enjoy the new format.
We all enjoyed a fellowship meal together after the service at El Paraiso in the Jalon Valley to say "goodbye" to lovely Yvonne and Hank who have left us to go back to live in the USA. There's a pic on the "Who's Where and When" page. Ken and Chris came over from the UK the day after and we enjoyed some fellowship with them on Sunday. Don and Judy from the New Hope Church in Oliva came over to Pego to see our "shed in the field" for the first time on the 27th, and the Koinonia Meeting was held at Gaston and Rosanna's church in Denia (see below) on the 29th. There's a pic posted on the Pastor's Breakfast page ........... Lyn and I enjoyed some more fellowship with Ken and Chris over a Chinese meal in Pego on the 4th of May. The monthly Church Council meeting was held yesterday, and the minutes will be posted on the notice board later. So we have been kind-of busy, as usual, but I must do better at writing my blog, "I must do better at writing my blog", "I must do better at writing my blog"......
For all of you who reside in the UK and elsewhere; although the weather has warmed up considerably it's raining about every other day! So in Pego anyway mud still rules the day.
April 10th, 2011
Last night I witnessed a great event - a new church opening in Denia. Attended by many Pastors, Spanish and English, the tiny place was packed. Probably a hundred people were squeezed into a hall that would comfortably hold 60. It began at 8:00pm and I was the first to leave, just as the food and drinks came out of the kitchen area, at 11:10pm! No one could easily move from their seats so food and drinks were passed around on trays for you to select a tasty morsel. It was a real fiesta - a genuine party-time before God with old and young, singing and dancing, performances of all types, testimonies, preaching and prayer. It was an exhausting display of enthusiasm for God and His Kingdom. Pastor Gaston - I say "Well done!" May you prosper in your efforts for God. If expanding the kingdom was about expended energy half of Denia would have been "saved" last night!
Watch out for some subtle changes on the web site. You'll find a few new pictures from the link in the title above, and on the Home Page, lower down on the left hand side is a new page (yet to be completed) about some outreach to Moldova.
March 31st, 2011
It seems that Spring has finally sprung, and all around there is blossom, beautiful new green leaves, and the air of anticipation. The mud has dried up, and our little shack at Pego is feeling warm and dry again! Our tom cat (the one that wandered in to the plot half-starved) has finally succumbed to Sheba's love and attention. They cuddle up like they don't know the other one is supposed to be the proverbial enemy! What a testimony to us ...... mind you, the cat did join the team from a place of near-death...... mind you (again!) aren't we supposed to "die to self" so that we can love our enemies? Mmm.... interesting. Love and blessings (oops! see my "teach" on the Media page!) to all who follow these pages.
March 15th, 2011
Back in Spain at last, and I seem to have brought the rain with me. Sorry. Thanks to Mandy, Pete and especially Lyn, and everyone else who helped out whilst I was away. I'm looking forward to a busy year; we met with Bob and Pam from Texas today to enjoy a meal together and discuss the future of our Bible Studies. I would encourage you again to check out the web site if you want assistance or pre-prepared materials for your studies...... http://www.cbsinternational.org/western_europe.html We meet with the Koinonia group of Pastors tomorrow with a view to finalise ideas on joint evangelistic outreach with that particular group of churches. We will have the Worship Together time here in Benissa next weekend. I have two weddings to prepare for later in the year, and we really hope to bring our Men's Meetings back online in the Spring ... when it comes! There's also talk of a Ladies Meeting afoot ...... and we're hoping to plan a church fellowship meal in the next couple of weeks. It's great to be busy about God's business..... He's worthy! It's also the greatest privilege we will ever have to cooperate with God in His workings on earth with men. How awesome that He would speak through us, pray through us, sing through us.... minister through us to others. How could we refuse Him access into our lives? Praise His glorious Name!
March 6th, 2011
Well, sorry everyone - the site seems to have been down for a few days. Thanks Chris for getting us back online. I'm still in the UK. I've been here for the last couple of weeks, and I'm heading back home in a couple of days. I'm shocked at the news and ashamed to be British when the beurocrats can stop a Christian family from fostering because they shared the Biblical truth about God's view of homosexuality with children in their care in the privacy of their own home! And yet when they can try to stop an employee in the public eye from wearing a crucifix, now they're minting a 2 pound coin with a Bible text on it...... have they gone completely mad?? In case you haven't seen it yet, they are going to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the KJV by minting a 2 pound coin with the text from 1 John.... "In the beginning was the Word". I mean "hallelujah" for that, but get your act together and at least try for some consistency. How long before it's illegal to be a Christian?
February 9th, 2011
All my internet efforts recently have been concentrated on getting the finishing touches done to the website and "news" has taken a back seat - sorry. There's still work to do on the Member's pages but we are steadily getting content put together and "up".
A couple of days ago we had a pair of lovely Colombian girls with us for a few short hours. They had come from their studies in Barcelona to do a little church business on behalf of their Pastor in Colombia who is part of the EEC. I have posted a picture in the Members "Who where and when" section.
Hey, and despite what some of you are saying, this photo on the left was not taken that long ago!
January
23rd,
2011
Well,
I guess
you've realised by now we finally managed to get the new web site up
and running. Thanks Chris for the final puzzle piece today. Frosts and
snow today in Pego!
January
18th,
2011
We seem to have
solved the uploading problem and in the next couple of hours the
current videos and audios should be up to date. Sorry for the delay.
Please email me with any comments on the new web pages.... click the
link to the left in red
if you haven't noticed it up to now.... and now our uploading problems
are fixed I'll work on getting some content in before we delete these
old pages.
Our Worship
Together
event Sunday evening before last was a great time. We had over 40
people in
our small building, and it was a time of real blessing for all who came
along.
The weather is also proving a blessing at the moment with lots of warm
sunny days (update
.. back to cold, dull skys - oh well). But still no mud at Pego!
However the trees and shrubs are desperate for rain so we're sure it's
on the way. Praise God.
Tomorrow we meet as the Koinonia
group of Pastors in Gandia for a fellowship meal. Pray for us as we
continue to seek ways of working effectively together.
Please pray also for Barry and Barbara as they travel out to Spain next
week for a visit.
January
4th,
2011
I would like to announce the date of our next Worship Together
event for all those who want to come along and simply worship God
together as one united church. We will be meeting here at 6:30pm on the 9th January (Sunday
evening).
Our next Church Council
meeting in next Friday the 7th
to remind those involved.
A
very happy and blessed New Year to all our congregation near and far,
and to everyone who happens by this web site!
We
have the sun back for a while, and between morning frosts and sunset
the days are glorious. Many thanks and blessings to the person who
invented duvets and fleeces.... without which we could not manage the
cold out here... not to mention bottled gas. "Oh yes" I hear you say
"If you had had it as cold as we have this winter ...you're OK
...you're in Spain". Well, come get acclimatised for a few years, and
then you'll see how cold it really feels!
God is sooo
good, and He has continued to bless us the whole year through. If you
don't yet know how good God is and you stumbled across this web page,
ring me, email me or just come along to a Sunday Service... and maybe
you'll get to find out for yourself ... I dare you!!
December
21st, 2010
Well, the carol services are almost done, the tinsel is up, the turkey
is
ordered ..... and what now? Just the waiting I guess. And what exactly
are we
waiting for?
It
could
be the food, the good company, seeing family again, it might even be
the
expectation of getting presents. For me it's a time of focus. What is
our faith
all about? What do we actually beleive? The theology embedded in the
carols
doesn't exactly help much.... some good, some very bad. The Christmas
tree ...
what's that all about? And Figgy Pudding?
My focus comes back sharply to the profound mystery of God becoming
man. The
incarnation. The virgin birth. The awesome power of the Holy Spirit.
The
angel's messages. We will ever truly understand? No.... not in this
life. Will
it impact our thinking and our behaviour? It may .......... at least it
should.
"For God so loved the world ..........."
What
do we
love? Who do we love? Where does God fit into my daily routine? Does
His
birth and death mean enough that I will incoorperate these
things into my
life? How will I do that?
The Bible hints that it will pretty much take a lifetime to work out
our faith.
Have you even begun the journey? How far along are you? Has your
knowledge
turned into understanding, and the application of your understanding
turned
into wisdom? If you are wise (in Godly terms) you too will seek out
Jesus.....
many others have and found Him.
December
7th, 2010
We were blessed on Sunday with a visit by Linda and Daniel Terradez.
They are
part of Andrew Wommack's Ministries, and are travelling through this
part of
Our
diary
and the pressures of life have led me to skip December's Worship
Together. We
will recommence early in the New Year.
"Hi" to all those in the
We
meet
today with others of the same mind to see if we can begin a "Healing
Rooms" ministry here in this district. Pray as God leads us all, today
and
in the next few weeks. If you don't know about this ministry check this
out - Healing Rooms
The weather has turned a little kinder now, and I hope the sun is
shining where
you are. Let's all be looking forward to a warm and friendly
Christ Mass
with love and good fellowship to accompany the good food. And let us
also
always remember those who are not as fortunate as ourselves. Yes -
"charity begins at home" - but it need not stop there!
November
24th, 2010
Well,
the
Advent Season is almost upon us! Call it "Christmas" if you must, but
let's get into the season of
Dear Liz Steffen is now back amongst us and reports lots of great
medical care,
and lots of healing to her foot. She's not running about yet but praise
God for
progress! Welcome home Liz. Jethro is also a happy boy again ... ruff
ruff.
The Koinonia group
of pastors meets here in
the Benissa building on Wednesday the 1st of December. If you
are a Pastor
or church leader reading this and you want to come along, please join
us. More
info via contact details from the Tab above.
Our next Worship Together event will be planned soon... watch this
space.
Thanks to all at JIBC who led the worship at the last one.
We
say a
sad farewell to Tim Cobham from the Albir church who has left for the
November
9th, 2010
Our
next Worship
Together event
will be on the 14th
of November, and will
unfortunately not be in Javea, but theJIBC team
will host the event in the King's
Church building in Benissa. Their
normal venue has become unavailable.
We
did get
to meet up briefly with our previous Bishop, Josep
Rossello and
his wife Patrice who
were over for a break. We wish
them every blessing as they work hard for God in
We will be joining with a Spanish church in Gandia tomorrow night for a Dia
de Miraglos (Day
of Miracles). They are holding
the event in the Hotel
Borgia
at 7:30pm. All are welcome to come and see what God will do.
Please continue to remember dear Liz Steffen who is currently
convalescing in
For
all of
you out there who are struggling with issues ... remember .. it takes
both the
sunshine and the rain to make a rainbow! If you're feeling really fed
up ...
smile at someone. First, smiling actually makes you feel
better, and
second - you may end up smiling at someone who needs cheering up just
as much
as you! Whatever you manage - God is smiling down on all of
us..... for
one reason or another!
October
26th, 2010
I
have to formally
announce the resignation of the Rev.
Jenny Joyce from
The King's Church. She is
currently in the
Our
next Worship
Together event
will be on the 14th
of November, and will be
hosted by JIBC in Javea.
All are welcome. Email me for details if you haven't been to one of
these
events yet. All are welcome.
We have not yet heard anything from our previous Bishop, Josep
Rossello and
his wife Patrice who are
over from
We
would
like to formally welcome Dr
Tony Hobbs. He
will be
inducted into the leadership of Calpe
Christian Fellowship as
John
and Jean Adamson retire shortly after many faithful and fruitful years
of
service on the Costa Blanca. The induction service is on Saturday 30th
of
October at CCF.
When it comes to wars there is a saying that comes to mind when we
reflect on
the big final one to come. Those "in the world" think that they are
'right' .... but war is not about who is right - it's
about who is left.
Are you going to insist
you're right, or be left standing on that final day? The choice is
yours...
October
19th, 2010
"The
Koinonia
Group" meet tomorrow in Javea for a time of fellowship and
prayer. We are seeking to work together on the Costa Blanca
for God's
glory.
We celebrated the RRev. Clive and Anne Read's 50th
Wedding Anniversary in
Javea
on the 3rd of October, where I was privileged to preside, & we
enjoyed a
meal together afterwards.
Our Worship
Together event
on the 10th was great. The
building was packed and God was greatly and loudly praised! The next
one will
be hosted by the Javea Int. Baptists in a couple of weeks, and the
following
one in Albir. Dates and venues will be posted.
Bob
and
Pam Leibrock visited again from
We now have some gravel down round the rear of our casita, and it looks
beautiful ... just another hundred sq mtrs to go then at the front!
Doh! Pics will
(eventually) follow .... the rains have come, and so "fly city" has
turned to "mud city" without so much as a "by your leave"!
I love
Our
previous Bishop, Josep Rossello and his wife Patrice are over from
September
21st, 2010
Welcome
to the King's
Church web site. We are still working on our major update; don't hold
your
breath - it took us over a year to get our Media page up and
running. The
video quality isn't great, but a decent balance we think between
streamability
(?) and quality. Hope you enjoy them, and hear God in the messages.
The Costa Blanca Pastor's group is growing and now has a name which is "The
Koinonia Group". A mixture of Spanish and English speaking
pastors, we
are seeking to work together for God's glory in unity. We meet again
tomorrow
in the church of a new 'member' Ramon
Diaz at Pedreguer.
Pray that we
will be truly aware of God's will for the group and enabled by His Holy
Spirit
to function effectively for His kingdom.
The
weather is far more bearable now, and Lyn and I have been able to make
a little
more progress in an around our casita at Pego. Some of the men's group
are
coming over this Friday to help us put some gravel around the plot to
counter
the winter mud. Many hands make light work; thank God for Christian
brothers
and sisters will servant hearts!
We have skipped a few weeks and missed our monthly slot for our "Worship Together"
evening
celebrations. Apologies to those who were expecting a September
meeting. The
next event will be on the 10th
of October held
here in theKing's
Church at
Benissa. Everyone
is most welcome to join us.
September
1st, 2010
UPDATE! Our
MEDIA pages are now restored and fully
working. Check them out. OK so the quality on some is not the best but - We
are also changing the way we record the video of the
services to try to improve the quality. The best way to see what we're
up to is
to come along on a Sunday morning! Everyone is welcome. We are multi-
denominational and see our "what we
beleive" link to the left of this paragraph to find out more
about us.
The
weather has cooled
down a little after a blazing hot couple of weeks. Praise God for cloud
and
rain ... in due season of course. We have not had nearly so many fires
in the
Pego district as last year. And us in a wooden house amongst trees!
Many of
our
folks are busy with visiting family, or away on summer travels this
time of
year, and our 'new' visitors to the fellowship have been few. I guess
the
recession is still biting into holiday budgets. It doesn't take much
"world news" though to be able to count your blessings - holidays or
no. We must still be praying for the floods in
Have
a
great week .... consider who you are, and who God is. Consider where He
has
brought you to, and where He may take you. Meditate on His goodness,
and your
week will improve!
August
10th, 2010
Our
My
2nd
grandchild Noah Adams
arrived safely on the 21st July.
Mum Caz and Dad Lee, and little Mia are doing fine.
Next weekend Sunday the 15th at
6:30pm we meet here in Benissa
again for our next Worship
Together event.
Everyone is
invited - don't miss out on a great opportunity.
Tomorrow
(Wed. 11th) we will be hosting the Pastor's
breakfast meeting
where we
are seeking opportunities to serve together and support one another.
Please
pray for continued unity, and open hearts and minds to move the kingdom
forward
for God.
The weather continues to be very hot, and we are again trying to make
progress
in and around our little casita in the orange groves of Pego. I'm still
hoping
to get the chance to post some new photos but haven't managed it yet
sorry.
Also
I'm
working on a new version of this website. The salmon pink has had it's
day, and
people have started to comment. OK, OK I will change things I promise!
If only
I had the time ... but I intend to live forever anyway ... so far so
good!
Maybe everything will get done eventually .....
July
13th, 2010
Please
check out our
new Media page.
We have posted a number of our
'preaches' in PDF and audio, and hope to get some working video up
before too
long. If you're a part of the King's Church, but away from us, you no
longer
have to miss out on what God is saying to us here.
We
are
eagerly awaiting the birth of my next grandchild. Noah is due to arrive
soon in
Tomorrow we meet again with local pastors and church leaders with a
view to
working together in unity on the coast. It is early days but God has a
plan!
Pray for understanding, and practical unity.