This Weekend I lead a team from Ignite to be part of Spree Wales. This a Christian activity camp that took place at Festival Fields, Millennium Coastal Park, LLanelli. Our primary motivation was that the legend that is Mike Thomas was involved. There were about 250 kids there and morning and evening we had about 100 in the Ignite Venue. On the speaking team was John and Rachel Settetree, Dai Hankie and myself. We all talked on the life of Peter. On the Sunday morning I talked about the day of Pentecost. It was an honour to lead about 5 young people to Christ and see around 60 others commit to lead their lives as radical disciples. In the evening we went to the baptism service at City Temple and we saw around a dozen people baptised including Lesley's friend Allison. God is amazing.

See below the official press release and then my comments. I have known Delirious? for many years. I was responsible for booking them to play at The Alliance Festival back in the day, then an event on held on the site of The Virgin Festival in Chelmsford. There is no doubt that they took Christian music in the UK to a different level and many benefitted. The band I manage, Superhero, have supported them countless times and I was in a meeting with my mate, Dave Smallbone when we were trying to discern whether Rebecca St James should do a co-headlining tour with them. 

In recent times many of my days now start at McDonalds. Not for a Mcbreakfast but for a coffee. Often its a meeting before I go into the office or prior to heading off for somwhere else. Today is no different. I am sitting in McDonalds, Newport Road before heading off to Cardiff Church Leaders to talk with them about about Street Pastors You can say what you like about McDonalds but the customer service here today is excellent. The battery ran out on my MacBook and the cleaner opened up the childrens area so I could access a plug! This morning my mind ran to coffee and the impact that it has had in the UK in the last few years. It is not that long since we were all happy to settle for a bland cup of instant in our homes or offices. Now things have changed. Lead by the chains such as Starbucks, Cafe Nero, Costa Coffee and the rest our coffee experience is now very different. Not only do we demand more from our coffee, such that burger joints and local cafes have all been affected, we also see the drinking as a much more social experience. Now many business and social meetings happen in coffee shops. What a pleasant civilised development this is. What has powered this revolution? I suppose things like brand awareness, quality products,marketing, peer group pressure, tv programmes such as Friends, increased expectations and aspirational lifestyles all help. (I should add here that free Wi-Fi is a big one for me!). So the establishments are not just offering a drink, they are offering a lifestyle experience. Here is the not so subtle segway to the church! At best and if we work at it the church can offer all the above with added value! It can offer a truly caring community, a life changing message and an unbeatable experience. All we need to do is get some decent coffee and we could clean-up!

About a month ago I was banned from driving my car. It was a simple mistake. Rushing between meetings I was caught on speed camera travelling 40mph in a 30mph zone. The result a further three points. This made me a "totter" and I have lost my licence for 6 months! Of course this means finding different ways of getting around. So the first decision every day is do I get a lift in to work, ride my bike (an experience not encountered for 30 years!) or get the train These journeys are giving me different experiences and different perspectives. I see things I would not normally see from the comfort of my car. In the last few weeks, Lesley and I have been leading a group on churches Alpha Course. In addition I have been beginning pre-production on a short film on the subject of Love. The connection is in both situations, I have been challenged by a statement someone has made about their understanding of the Christian faith. Being a little further down the road than them I have been aware that what they have said has been unbiblical. The dilemma has been, when should I correct them and when should I leave them to discover truth for themselves? For anyone who loves to teach and to educate formally or, as is often the case for me, informally, this is a constant challenge. I have no issue with the fact that there are ultimate truths. My sentiments are much more with St Thomas quinas who had a general philosophy, like the X files, that the truth is out there. It is actual not relative as the post-modernist suggest. However sometimes the journey that people are on means their interpretation of what they think is true is based on their perspective at that moment. Sometimes it is the educators job to accompany them on their journey and help them see things from a different perspective. Other times it will be to change the course of their journey in order to help them see a different perspective. Of course the last option is the easiest because for the educator/teacher/philospher because s/he is on control of the journey. However, sometimes it will be better to be more beneficial to take the harder course. This for some is the road less travelled. The decision of which road to take I think often goes beyond common sense and requires God's guidance. The good news is, He is there for us as we seek to illuminate Him

Just recently in South Wales there has been a spate of teenage suicides. This tragic loss of life has been recognised by the UK press and has focussed on the town of Bridgend. In truth the problem has been more wide spread than this and despite all attempts to sensationalise the story, there are no obvious links. It is not a facebook/bebo thing, it not a pact or cult. However, what it is, is the work of the devil. I say this not to sensationalise it but to point out what is clear, this is a strategy of the enemy. Well I for one want to say. NO MORE! Some people at my church are organising a day of prayer and fasting on Wednesday. If you want to formally register, then sign-up on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15989509363 In any event. Pray and fast (from food, tv, the internet, car use.....whatever will focus you.) Pray to God and and stand against the enemy. No more suicides in South Wales!

Today I am working at home. To be honest it started as a way of not riding my bike to the office in the rain! I have been committed to using the day productively so began to develop more of the programme for the leadership day I am running for New Wine Cymru and what used to be known as the Flames of Fire conference  (www.flamesoffire.co.uk)  The purpose of the day is to prepare the young leadership team for the hectic week in August.

It was 7th July 1985 at Roundhay Park Leeds that I first saw Bruce Springsteen in Concert. It was part of the "Born In the USA tour and he was on amazing form. In fact if you watch the live video of "Born to Run" and you knew where to look at the right time, you might see me in the audience. Next time out was the in 1988 on "The Tunnel of Love" tour. This was September 7th 1988. It was a good concert but not a patch on the one before. He even did "Born to Run" Acoustically. what's all that about? So hearing he would be playing in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, I knew I would buy a ticket but would he be any good?

One of our priorities at Ignite (www.igniteme.org) is to develop leaders, particularly young leaders. We run a Leadership Academy and we prioritise having young people as interns in the organisation. In recent weeks we have appointed Chloe Roberts as our new Training Manager. At 26, she will bring a dynamism to this role. She will work to develop the academy, Inspire, Offensive and the training of our interns. This an exciting time for the organisation and I am delighted she is joining us. Leadership is a subject that has fascinated me for quite a while now. I think it is the subject that I read about most and along with being a man of God, a good dad and a good husband occupies a lot of my thinking. This is probably because I am confronted with the reality of it on a daily basis. Being the Executive Director is both a privilege and a huge responsibility. I know some days I have a good day and some days a lousy day. Simply my aim must be to have more good days this week than I had last week! I am currently reading "Developing the Leaders Around You" by John Maxwell.  He has a great gift of making this subject very readable and achievable. One quote of his that I know to be true is this: "A person can impress potential leaders from a distance, but only from close up can he impact them". Of course this a double edged sword. The impact you have can either be positive or negative depending on the values, commitment and integrity that you bring to the relationship. There is no doubt about it, there is no substitute to investing quality time in to developing leaders and for that matter developing relationships. Also there is personal example. By being committed to being the best leader there is potential to inspire others to greatness. Roger Bannister achieved what all the experts said was impossible. He ran a mile in under 4 minutes. He believed it was possible and he committed himself to doing it. He was the first but now, any decent mile runner can beat the 4 minute barrier. The reason for this is simple. He initially raised the bar but in doing so, he set the standard by which other runners would be measured. What is the standard I want to set as a leader?

Continuing the ongoing search for Wisdom. How about these gems?

"Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservations."
Elton Trueblood

"Vision looks upward and becomes faith." Stephen S. Wise

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