The Sense Prayer Diary November 2015

1st – Today The Sense are leading the three services at Thundersley Congregational Church to mark the end of the Noise Festival. Please pray for the team as they lead others in worship and pray that there are people there today as a result of the Noise week. pray for Josh speaking at 9 am, Reece at 11 and Andy & Joy at Cafe church. Pray also for a safe journey to Rugby tonight ready for a schools week beginning tomorrow.

2nd – Our first day in school as The Sense today! We are in Rugby this week working with old friends at YFC along with Rugby Elim and, are really excited to be connected again after visiting the area just for one day last year. Pray for us today as we set up and meet the young people. Please pray for conversations to unfold and that we’ll be able to have some great connections right from the start.

3rd – working with a wider team brings it’s challenges as well as it’s joys. Please pray for the logistics and wider team as we work across three different schools in Rugby with Stance (the YFC Dance troop) and Happi an independent rap artist. Musician Ben will also be working in the school spending much time busking and working in schools. Please pray for unity and a brilliant week as we bring variety of experience and backgrounds but one Message!!

4th – Harris High School has been very open to our visit allowing us input right across the timetable and so we’re looking forward to meeting a whole range of students in a variety of classes. Using our songs and lesson material we will be focusing our presentations around the theme ‘Raise Your Voice’ as we think about the value of an individual and contribution that each one brings to society. Please pray that the message of God’s love will come through as we share from personal experience.

5th – Tonight is Elevate: the main event in Rugby in a venue that has been used as a ‘Fanzone’ during the Rugby World Cup. We will be performing with the rest of the team and are looking forward to seeing the young people come to the event and hear the good news that Jesus loves them. Please pray for a good turnout!

6th- Our final day in school. Please pray that we pick up on some questions and that we’re able to share a little bit more about our faith and the way Jesus has changed our lives. We pray that our week will have made a huge impact on the lives of those we meet.

7th- Today we are in Birmingham for a Worship Conference. We are so grateful to have this opportunity to learn more about worship together. Please pray for us as we spend this time worshipping God, that we will be encouraged in our own worship, that we’ll really see God continue to use us, fill us and inspire us as we this special time out before our next week in Coventry.

8th- We are back in Rugby leading worship for our friends at Rugby Elim and then in the evening at a worship event in Bilton. Thank God for the churches that are able to connect with again and for their heart to worship Him. Pray for the team as we serve God and prepare our hearts for worship today.

9th – Another week working with a wider team, we look forward to sharing our schools work with the other YFC touring teams; Stance and Nomad as we head for Grace Academy in Coventry! Happi will be joining us again and we’ll be looking forward to another brilliant and effective week. Also we would ask for your prayers as we have lots going on at this time, being on the ‘battlefield’; YFC is undergoing many changes and so there is a day of prayer as we come together in unity and look to God to speak and align our vision with His so that Ultimately we see his Kingdom Come.

10th – Back in Grace Academy today; this is all quite new to this year’s team. We have a very different day today where the school have invited us to contribute to a year 8 British values day! Having been given the theme of Protected faith we have written a new lesson plan that will hopefully challenge and inspire the students that we meet throughout the day. With 5 different groups over the course of the day we are hoping to have the opportunity to share our personal stories right across the whole of year 8. Please pray that we will have confidence, particularly Rachel, Andrew and Will who are completely new to schools work with the team. Pray for them, that they will be constantly looking out for new ways to develop their skills and to get involved with the young people.

11th – Thank God today for Stance, the YFC street dance team who are with us in school this week. Thank God for CJ, Beth and for their leader Jess and for all the gifts that God has given them to use for his glory. Thank Him for the opportunity we have to be with them this week and pray that they will be blessed and encouraged and see much fruit through their hard work this week.

12th- Please thank God for the Christian Staff at Grace Academy and for their commitment to the students and the school. Pray for a continued positive influence on the young people and that all we deliver this week will work to encourage and enhance all that is taught within the school.

13th- Tonight is the main event and we pray for a great turnout to the concert. With a football tournament, dance act, rap artist and band there will be something for everyone in this action packed, full programme and so we really pray for the whole team and their presentation of the gospel. Please pray that many will come to the event and that lots will respond to the love of God and his call on their lives.

14th- We want to thank God for the amazing week we have had in GA Coventry. We want to pray for real fruit to come from the seeds we have been able to sew in the young peoples’ lives this week. Pray for a safe journey back for us today as we head back to Essex for the week.

15th – Another day of leading worship at The Church in Thundersley today. Thank God for the way he has been working in that church and pray for more people to come along and hear the message of God’s love as this service attracts people who don’t yet know Jesus. We pray that more of them will discover Jesus for themselves!

16th- Looking forward to this day of rest please pray for the team to take the opportunity to relax and recoup after a busy time away. Please also thank God for the provision of our trusty van, Bolt, today. As we travel around the country and do so many miles per week we do really want to pray for protection over the van and for safety as we travel.

17th – Our volunteers are off to London today for Hub training with the other YFC One volunteers. As they spent time in training together today, thank God for this opportunity they have this year to learn more about Him and pray that they will be open to experiencing God in a different way today.

18th – The Sense team head up to Birmingham for another day of training with some of the other YFC One volunteers. Please pray for safe travel and a really fruitful time of learning together. Please pray for YFC One manager Emily as she oversees all aspects of our volunteer training programme. Also that we would be able to recruit a YFC One support worker to assist her in this massive task.

19th – Thank God for his provisions for us this month. Thank God that he provides us with sufficient and he knows our needs through all we are going through. Please pray for all of our supporters, all over the world, that God will bless them for supporting us financially.

20th – This evening Andy and Joy are going to be attending Thundersley Congregational Church’s Boys Brigade. We are so thankful to God for the amount of boys who go along to the BB with this church and for their willingness to enter into all that is on offer. Most of all we’d love them to come to know Jesus and discover him for themselves. Thank God for their leaders and their commitment to serve these young men week in week out.

21st – Thank God for Paul Kingsley-Smith our manager at YFC, who has announced he will be moving on to a new position as worship leader in a church in Salisbury. We want to thank God for his contribution to the missions teams and the way these have developed over the years that Paul has been in charge and for the blessing he has been to the teams he has worked with Pray for him and his family as they prepare for their move later this year.

22nd – Back on the road today! This week we will be in a school in Darleston near Birmingham – please pray for a safe journey for us, Stance, Nomad & Happi and for a great week ahead!

23rd – This week we are in another Grace Academy in Darleston, alongside Stance and Nomad again! We are excited to be back with them after such a brilliant time in Coventry. Please pray for a successful set up today and for our first lessons to go well in a new school.

24th – As the staff gather together at YFC today to pray, we want to thank God again for the privilege he has given us in working for YFC and with so many dedicated people. As a few staffing changes happen please pray for peace amongst the team and for confirmation of God’s guidance for us all.

25th – Thank God today for Nomad, YFC’s touring football team who we are with in school this week. We thank God for the energy and effort the team have and for the enthusiasm they show as they hang out with the young people and interact with them all day long. Thank God for Beth, Oscar, George, Jake, Joel and their leader James and for their commitment to serving these young people. Pray God will give them the energy they need to get through the week.

26th – As we think about the future of the Sense and the way it will develop in the next few months, please pray for vision and wisdom as we maximise the impact and effectiveness of the band. Please pray for Andy and Joy as they meet with other members of the YFC leadership team over this month to reflect, grow and implement new strategies that will help in the process.

27th – Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Phil: 1:4-6

28th – As we spend time reflecting on the past few tours, please pray for the people that we have had contact with and pray that God will continue to speak to them as they remember their time with us. Thank Him for the way we have been used, in ways we won’t even realise.

29th -An opportunity today to serve at our home church and minister in our home setting with the ‘family’ We really love to do this and pray for a real outpouring of the Holy Spirit as we meet today, giving us the courage and passion to share the good news of Jesus in and through all that we do.

30th – We want to thank God for David and Beth Turner, Youth Pastors of TCC, our home church. Thank God for the blessing they are to us all on the team, for the way they are so servant hearted and sacrificial for the young people in Thundersley. Pray for peace and safety as they await the arrival of their first child this month.

DISAPPOINTMENT AND DELIGHT!

We turned up at a pretty deserted prison this morning, well it seemed so to us, it seemed like less staff around and more door locking in order to maintain maximum security. In fact we were not allowed to use the entrance that we normally use into the chapel and so we needed to walk down the long corridors with prison staff locking the doors behind us and then having to wait at the end of the passage for the guard to catch up with us to open the door to let us through to the next section. Everyday there is more of a sense of being trapped inside, which I guess is obvious. Going to the toilet is also a major event as the there are many doors between our venue and the ‘facilities’ and so whenever anyone needs to ‘go’ it becomes a major expedition as everyone takes the opportunity as we know there may not be another chance for a while.

We were pretty early this morning, arriving at 8 so that we would have half an hour before the lads arrived. Today we had been invited to lead the worship service and had allowed a slot for the lads to perform their song and we’d promised them a run-through before everyone else came down! We took time to make our final preparations and sound check and then began getting ready for the lads’ rehearsal. However at 8.30 there was no sign of the boys and so we began to be concerned that the pastor’s assurance might have been misguided she had promised faithfully that they would all be here even though some of them had said it was too early and they didn’t want to miss their Sunday morning lie-in! It looked like there was going to be a ‘no-show’ Would we need to rewrite the programme?!!

We waited for 15 minutes and sure enough some of them appeared sheepishly – looking pretty sleepy, as if they’d just rolled out of bed! But there were only 6 out of the 10:( We were missing some of the key singers & rappers! Then the truth came out; three of them had been out on a drinking binge the night before and came back worse for wear. It meant that their privileges would be taken away and they would not be allowed to take part this morning! We were so disappointed as were all their friends and one of the others was just too afraid of what the rest of the prisoners would think and so requested to sit out of it! So now down to 5 lads we were very unsure whether the ones that were left would have the confidence to do it! Finally one more turned up having overslept and so we could begin.

Our new addition from yesterday was well up for it, though, and with an amazing voice was able to take the lead on the chorus, one of the other lads volunteered to replace the rapper that was missing and rap in his place; it wasn’t an easy job as this particular part of the song was in English but he wanted to make a success of the performance and so was determined to make it right. Because they’d been so late down there was only time for one practice and then the hall began filling up. We’d been told to expect 50, this was a voluntary event with prisoners opting in only if they wanted to, but soon the place was full with over 70, I think!

And so the programme began. With each of  Taste contributing song intros and Beth including her testimony we had also asked the new lad to sing one of his song with a really poignant message to that too! Since the service we received really positive feedback that we had delivered a powerful, thought-provoking message that the guys could relate to, we were impressed and extremely grateful at the way they listened to everything and entered into everything we asked them to.

Finally it was the lads turn to perform, and even with this remnant of a band they did an amazing job, with the audience really cheering and clapping at the end of their performance! It was so great, pretty much word-perfect and they really entered into the performance! So that was it! The end of a brilliant week and a wonderful performance with some amazing young men! We’ve had a fantastic week, lots of hard work, some disappointment today (we won’t even get a chance to say goodbye to the 3 who didn’t come!) But we still have the after-show party…more about that tomorrow! This is enough for now! Please continue to pray for these lads!

ALL FOR ONE

It feels like another early morning as we are still adjusting to Germany timings; it’s not really jet-lag – obviously – but when you’re up at 6.30 our English body-clocks are crying out that it’s only 5.30!! Dragging ourselves down for breakfast isn’t easy but our wonderful host families always make such an  So we arrived at the prison out on the edge of the town, it’s pretty deserted out here, but we were still waiting for the rest of the Checkpoint team and took the opportunity to take some pics.

It was such a beautiful day, some might say an Indian summer but as I chatted to the pastor she commented that the prisoners hate these sunny days; because they have to stay inside and just can’t enjoy it. But as we stood and waited some of the prisoners that we are working with came from the house adjacent to the prison, shook each of our hands remembering our names and then walked INTO the prison.

The pastor explained that these 3 out of the nine that are working with us are on level three which means that they live in a house outside the walls and are allowed to go home for weekends and some even have a basic job that they go to in the evenings or at weekends, but then they come back to the house & prison during the week. Some of them live on level 3 for 4 months, some for 2 years it depends on each situation, so these three lads are used to a certain level of freedom and independence and it shows within the project, they are pretty good at English and volunteer conversation with us they are really keen to please and seem to be enjoying the week.

In fact all the lads on the project have been getting involved with everything we are doing and seem to be happy just spending time with us, the teachers are really pleased with the way they are responding. Yesterday they said that one of the things that impressed the inmates was the fact that our team is so young, that they are the same age and have chosen to spend time with them. For many of these lads they have been told they are worthless and a waste of space and yet these young people have come all the way over from England to take time to work with them and invest in them. They can’t really believe it and are so grateful, but also really keen to show us what they are capable of.

Yesterday, at the end of the day we used a couple of Taste songs which have more rap content: ‘Breakdown the Wall’ and ‘Down & Out’, both songs bring a message of hope and optimism that we have discovered through a relationship with God and the lads really seemed to connect with them somehow. So today we took the second song which has melody alongside the rapping and we began to demonstrate the building blocks that go into writing a song.

While we were showing them how to put a rhythm together they became fascinated in the drums, this element is so important in the development of a rap and so they were really interested and so Paul skilfully showed them how to get the best out of a drum kit! It was amazing to see them completely absorbed as he played an unbelievably complex solo on his kit, but they were clearly impressed and couldn’t understand how he could play so brilliantly. So we took one of the rhythm with Paul teaching them really slowly, then speeding up, then back down showing the different techniques, he had them eating out of his hand. But this session wasn’t meant to be a showcase and so we immediately got the lads involved each playing a different part on the kit, one playing bass drum & high hat, one playing two of the toms and one on the snare. Each group that came up did a brilliant job, it’s clear that they ‘have rhythm!’

Lunch time was soon upon us and the routine of locking and unlocking doors clicked into action again. We headed over to the canteen to eat food prepared by the prisoners but instead of dining as a team we were able to share this meal with the prisoners. It was such a privilege to eat at tables with them as they began to open up, enjoying this special attention and the opportunity to chat informally with us.

Finally this afternoon we needed to begin to come yup with some lyrics and so after working together on a theme we split the group into 3 smaller teams each working on a small section of the song. The brief was to focus on 4 lines with each group coming up with a ‘verse’ that fitted around the theme ‘All For One’ – the idea that we are in this together, working on a project with music uniting us all and bringing unity.

One of the lads really has an ear for music for the rest it’s more about rhythm & rhyme but this lad was keen to come up with some words in English around a melody so he and Andy took some time to create what has now become the chorus. Matt, Paul & Andy began to bat around some ideas on the instruments, none of the participants really play anything, but soon they were singing all along to this new composition then one by one each group sent up their rapper to deliver what they had written, which is obviously in German and we had no idea what they were saying! But we were thrilled that by the end of day two we have a nearly completed song!

All that was left to do was to head back to the Checkpoint to work with Johannes so that he could translate the raps for us and for us to work on the arrangement of the song ready to record tomorrow. Not all of the raps (verses) were positive but we built the song from negative finishing with a finale that is amazingly positive and full of hopes and dreams.

A cauldron of pasta in a creamy sauce was the order of the day and spending time with our amazing German team was the perfect end to a rather rewarding day and we are looking forward to spending time with the lads tomorrow!

 

“Stuck in this place, you just can’t escape…”

Performing today for a group of inmates in a prison in the middle of Germany, this line from ‘Down & Out’ takes on a whole new meaning as we share something of our life and faith with the lads here. We have had a truly amazing time with them throughout the day; our musical tastes are pretty different as the guys spend their time listening to rap, hip hop and drum & bass and our style this year is pretty rocky, but the love of music has united all of us as combine talents and gifting to produce a track by the end of the week that they can perform in a service to the rest of the prison population.

So this morning we arrived at the formidable and ‘austere-looking’ gates at the entrance of what would be our base for the week. We were met by Constance, our escort and the pastor who had been responsible of organising the week along who instructed us on her expectations for the week as well as directing where we should setup. After we’d been checked in we headed over to the venue in preparation to meet the lads who would be spending the week with us. We expected some hesitancy in speaking / understanding English and so once again we had enlisted the help of the wonderful Johannes who assisted so ably last month, translating seamlessly as we spoke from stage, but also in an informal context as we got alongside and chatted to the lads individually.

Taste & the Checkpoint Team

Much to the amazement of all of us, teachers, team and band…the lads showed little reluctance in speaking English and seemed to quite enjoy showing off to each other just how much they know! But it really has been a brilliant first day just getting to know them one by one, finding to their names as they laugh at our terrible English accent and then as a warm up we played a game of  ‘Two Truths One Lie’ where we give them three facts about each member of the team and they had to guess which was the lie. It was all good fun and the perfect ice-breaker to help them get to know us a bit more, but tomorrow we turn the tables and they each have to test us!!

After performing a couple of our songs we invited them to come up on stage and do something for us, One of the guys sang a song, another rapped and the first then also did an amazing dance that was just phenomenal! It’s clear that some of these lads really have some talent and if we can channel that creative energy this week we should be able to produce something really good together!

Finally we demonstrated some of the instruments while some just sat down and chatted with the band or the local team. Beth had an amazing conversation with one of the lads who was immediately asking questions about her faith and why she believes in God, where did she find out about Him, what she thinks about other faiths, these questions were completely out of the blue, from a genuine curiosity. It was a great opportunity for Beth to share in a non-threatening way about what she believes and how God is effecting her life. We pray for more of theses conversations as we look to God for strength, wisdom and compassion as we find ourselves in dialogue with the guys. So thank you for your prayers, please pray again tomorrow if you think of us! We are in such a privileged position and are looking forward to a brilliant week!

Check It Out at Checkpoint Iserlohn at last!!!

This very familiar journey began with an excruciating alarm call at 5am but then an excitement and realisation that we would be working with our friends in Iserlohn again…this time in a local prison for 14-25 year old lads.

Our brief is to work with 9 of the guys aged between 18+22, to write and record a song together and we’re really looking forward to it! Having delivered a service last year around this time, the pastor had asked if we would come back again…this time for a week and so that’s what we’re doing. Last month we met up with the staff to work out a programme for our time there and plan what we will do with the lads. What an amazing opportunity! We’ve been looking forward to this for a long time now and ready for all that God has in store and so we value your prayers, although we have no idea how it’s going to turn out!! I’ll need to be subtle about what we share but just to ask you to pray and remember us during the week and we’ll update you when we can. Please remember us as some of us will be staying with hosts that don’t always speak English which can be hard work although most of the time they are really lovely.

STOP PRESS: We have been driving now since 07.00 this morning and it’s now 20.40. We are 30 miles from our destination with a meal waiting for us which was ready at 20.00. We were on schedule to be an hour early but now we are so stuck in traffic and just realised that they’ve closed the motorway! There are no diversion signs at all they’ve just directed us into the nearest town!! So we’ve no idea where we’re going or how long it’ll take to get there, just thankful that our sat nav seems to know where we’re headed!!

If this blog ever sees the light of day it’ll mean that we’ve arrived safely…Thanks so much for reading this and keep praying!!

The Pressure’s on!

So song’s all written, recorded mixed and duplicated onto CD, enough for each of the pupils to take home as a momento of the week and a fitting memory of the experience that they have had through their years at Blackbourne. It’s a brilliant opportunity now, today, to perform the song to the entire school but we’ve already had one casualty ‘M’ who is one of our soloists whose nerves suddenly got the better of him, and he requested to opt out and not sing in front of the rest of the school.

He bravely came and shared his fears. He had auditioned to sing and had done a brilliant job and we’d given him the part of introducing the whole song with a couple of lines which he’d sung beautifully on the recording. For many of these young lads there is a lot of embarrassment as their voices break; having the confidence in their ‘new’ voice is often a challenge and then to be so visible in front of the whole school, can be too much to bear. We reassured him we wouldn’t put him under that pressure and encouraged him to sing the line with one of the other soloists, which he seemed happy with.

The church here in Hopton that are standing with us on this mission week have a prayer time every morning at 6.30 am and we asked them to pray for ‘M’ that he would be willing to ‘give it a go’ and deliver the performance that we knew he could! Sure enough when we returned to school on Friday he was all enthusiastic although still reticent to sing on his own.

We’d run off enough CDs for each of the performers and after we’d repositioned all the gear ready for this afternoon’s presentation we called the core group back to practice for the big finale. We took the opportunity to play them the song all mixed and finished and then had our own version of the Grammys as we invited each one up to receive their ‘award’ (a copy of the Cd.) We then took time to rehearse, working out which mics each one would use as they sang their line. In answer to many prayers ‘M’ rehearsed with ‘B’ and together they prepared to deliver the opening line. It would be a heartfelt performance.

After lunch the entire school traipsed into the gym for an event to commemorate the end of an era! It was stifling as 220 youngsters crammed into this makeshift concert venue and we were  anticipating a very warm response on the hottest day of the year! Sure enough the pupils entered into the spirit of it all right from the start and it wasn’t long before they were joining in and singing along to Taste song, after Taste song!This wa sour opportunity to share with the school, something of our faith, the hope that we have and the meaning and purpose that comes from knowing a Creator God that loves us, endowing us with talents and skills that we can use for him.

Although they were really enjoying the band they were really all waiting for our headlining act! Sure enough at 2.45 Andy introduced them to perform their big number. In anticipation but with trepidation and some apprehension they all took their places to perform the song: We Remember (Blackbourne Forever)! The audience fell silent as they awaited the introduction. Sure enough the part that we’d recorded in the school canteen…the hubbub, PE teacher’s whistle and the Head Teacher’s introduction to the assembly came through the PA and then Reece ‘clicked in’ for ‘M’ & ‘B’ to sing. They all performed brilliantly and it went without a hitch, to rapturous applause, with teachers and students singing along…The fact that the whole school had been involved in the recording meant that everyone knew the words and sang along heartily!

It went down so well that we just had to do it again, to great enthusiasm from the audience. It was just brilliant and we were very proud of all of them as they performed their little hearts out. Unbeknown to us we had chosen some real characters from the school, some, clearly had been a challenge during their years at Blackbourne but this was their moment to shine and to put heart and soul into something that they really enjoyed, working hard to overcome fears and difficulties as they’d tried to learn the song, pitch it right and perfect the recording!

It was an emotional goodbye as we finished up but then the 2.5 hour pack down and load as we carted all the gear back to the van in the sweltering heat. But our memories of a happy time in the school kept us going as we finished this amazing week…our last schools week with this lineup! Thanking God for all the amazing youngsters we have met this week.

BLACKBOURNE FOREVER!!

After our exhausting weekend at Solid there was hardly time to breathe before we were off on the road again. So Monday was spent under a pile of washing and repacking, final negotiations with the school and preparation of a special song that would provide the focus for our week in Blackbourne. Then at 3pm, all reloaded and reorganised, we picked up the guys and headed for deepest darkest Suffolk, heading to a small town called Stanton, near Diss!!

We had been invited to this school by the head – Phil Vigrass – and his staff who seem to have quite fond memories from our weeks in the school over previous years, having visited on two or three occasions in the past. This middle school has been the centre of the community for many years and is currently in the process of closing down. With no year 5 this year, the rest of the school will move ‘up’ next year to Thurston.

The staff wanted to do something very special for the students this week and so asked us whether we’d be interested in doing some work-shoppy type things. We remember this school with great affection and wanted to do something really inspiring for the young people, and so we responded with an idea that we hoped would inspire and create some happy memories as well as providing a great moment for the school.

The school would run a songwriting competition and the winning piece would then be forwarded to us in Essex where Andy would create some music to go with it. We would spend a week in the school with 20 students then learning, recording and performing the song, producing a great memento which would live on as the school closed down.

So towards the end of last week the song was selected and forwarded to us and Andy spent some time working on it. The main lyric reflected the school motto ‘We learn, believe aspire together’ and is full of meaning and memories for each of the youngsters involved. As I write we’ve been in the school for the last couple of days getting to know the youngsters and editing the song so that it scans and fits with the melody, as well as learning the tune and lyrics. Yesterday afternoon we converted the drama studio into a recording studio and began shaping the song. Andy, Josh and Beth recorded a guide vocal / acoustic guitar line so that we had something to follow, then Reece put down the rhythm, Andy and Josh recorded Bass and Electric guitar and then Elliemae added a keyboard part. By the end of the day we had the beginnings of a brilliant song and already we can predict that it will be a heart-wrenching production!

Today we started off with a whole school assembly, teaching the basic song and then spent an hour with our ‘core group’ auditioning any that wanted to be considered as soloists in the final song. 19 of the 28 auditioned X factor style with our 3 judges and they had the unenviable job of whittling it down to 8 young people to sing on the verses…not an easy job by any means!!

We were incredibly impressed with the quality of our ‘contestants’ and were thrilled with two of our group…one who sang a Casting Crowns song  and another who sang Water you Turned into wine. These two young women really had significant courage singing christian lyrics in front of their peers, each standing up for what they believe and ready to be counted for their faith, shining a light in this dark world. As ‘K’ sang ‘Our God is Greater’ you could have heard a pin drop and the rest of the group began to sway as her gentle voice filled the room.

Finally we’d made our choice and spent the rest of the morning painstakingly recording their vocals. The experience was clearly thrilling for these young performers and there were some nerves as well as one or two dressy moments as they perfected tuning and timing, wanting to do the best they can.

Each evening Andy brings the ‘studio’ back to hosts to work on the recording and spends hours under the headphones perfecting their work. It is a labour of love but one that is extremely tiring so we do value your prayers and want to keep you updated every step of the way!! We’ll keep you informed and hopefully we’ll have a song to play you by the end of the week!

WHAT AN OBSTACLE COURSE!!!!

blanked out faces to protect the identity of THE COLLECTION!

We have just spent the most amazing week in Norwich with some of our most favourite people in the world at Oak Grove Chapel. Having had a break from doing Music Activities weeks for three years we were so excited to be back ‘in the saddle’ working with a small group of youngsters working on writing a song, recording it and then performing it four days later in front of family and friends!! These weeks transform the confidence of the youngsters, encourage them in their musical or performance skills, give us an opportunity to get alongside them and share our faith with them. One of the main differences between these weeks and our normal schools weeks is the opportunity to work with a small group for an extended period of time giving us the chance to really get to know them!!

So a bunch of 13 9-13 year olds arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on Monday morning and we spent the morning getting to know their names and learning as much about them as we could then it was time to test their musical skills, dividing them up into smaller groups to work on the guitars and drums while others got creative on laptops, generously donated for our use by the church for the week, to create an inlay for their CD. Although the song is worked on together and developed as a team their inlays will be produced individually so they are able to make their own mark and take home a product which has their personal stamp on it! All good fun!

TUESDAY: having produced a bit of a drum rhythm and some chords for the backbone of the song it was time to come up with some lyrics but before that could start we needed some idea of what the song would be about and so voting for the song title and ‘hook’ took priority. It was decided that the concept of an obstacle course would create a great theme to focus our song lyrics, and so in small groups ideas began to flow as the young people shared their thoughts for lines that might fit. As they thought about the challenges that they have faced head on, and remembering times that God had been with them in tough times generated fuel for the fire as each team offered their contribution to the song. It was then Andy’s unenviable task to pool all the different ideas together and come up with a song that would work, lyrically, rhythmically and melodically! That was an obstacle course in its own right!!

The young people were really keen to include their faith in God within the message of the song and Andy was so encouraged. In the end the song so prophetic speaking on so many levels to the young people their families, to us as a team it was incredible. God has used the song already and we have been so encouraged by it. Over the week we had mums and dads come to tell us how their youngsters had been effected, challenged, encouraged by the song and the lyrics. I guess it’s another indication of the way God uses music to teach, inspire and motivate as well as just for pure entertainment. One mum was particularly encouraged when her son came home with the lyrics which he shared with her. As a family they are going through a difficult time and facing some real obstacles and as this young lad share with his mum about the way he thought God could help them overcome this challenge. He was convinced that God would look after them and so they prayed together, mum promising to trust God with her worries and fears.

WEDNESDAY: This was recording day and probably (apart from the final performance) the most nerve-wracking and stressful time of the week as each one wants to be the best they can be as they sing this brand new song which they have had literally only a few hours to learn. For all of these youngsters it’s the first time they’ve ever done any ‘serious’ recording and so the pressure can be quite telling for some. We praise God that there were no tears this year and no falling out!!! Oh yes it happens although we work very hard to make sure that every individual is built up and encouraged to achieve their full potential!! In the end we only have a few hours to get the best out of them that we can and hope that we can create something which they will be very excited about by the time they get to play it to friends and family.

Having recorded the vocals we just had time to put down a rhythm track where local workers Peter and Joel had been putting in some extra work with them to create drum beats that would fit with the backing Andy, Josh and Dave had put down the night before. It worked brilliantly and the young people were clearly very excited by the time they returned home at 4. For us it was time to put on another jug of coffee and knuckle down to printing off their almost finished inlays and set up extra staging for tomorrows performance while Andy finished editing the final bits of the song before beginning to mix-down the final song. A short break for dinner with some lovely friends James & Ruth before a mammoth session of mixing til midnight…a week like this is not for the fainthearted. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day with the final performance!!!

Marshmallows, Maltesers & Nerf Gun Warfare!!

This week just seems too short!! We were already on our last event and felt like we’d only just started to get to know the kids! But what a total pleasure to meet them, to work with such a committed team and serve such an amazing Jesus, using gifts talents and abilities that God has given each one of us. One of our young leaders from TCC – Sam – was keen to share his testimony and did so really well:-) speaking Clearly about why he is a Christian in a world where so many people chose not to be. We pray that these youngsters will have been challenged and encouraged to consider the difference Jesus can make in their lives.

After a brief session of songs, games & chat it was time for more activities, Most of the girls ended up in the kitchen making Rocky Road under the wise, watchful and experienced eye of Beth! There was chocolate everywhere, a multitude of marshmallows, maltesers and white chocolate stars and then in the room next door loads of the lads were taking the chance to learn more about Photography, with a bunch of youngsters learning more about music. With J&J on the drums…their first ever experience of playing a drum rhythm, P&H on vocals with our two lovely girlies and then having a go on the piano and then of course ‘B’ back again for his third & final session on absolutely everything. They had an amazing time, it was hard to work out who was enjoying it more, the leaders or the ‘participants’!!

As a final treat the young people were offered a Nerf Gun battle!!! where they created barriers with the chairs to hide behind. I’m not totally sure this is what Paul meant when he said… ‘hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil’!! in his letter to the Ephesians:-) But the kids absolutely loved it!!

Unite award ceremony:-)

At 12.30 we gathered together for a showcase and DaveT, along with the band, presented every one of our young guests an award (A bar of Dairy Milk) along with a certificate to acknowledge their attendance at the very first Unite Gathering!! We pray that this is the start of something great, something where those we have contact with will be drawn into more events that are designed to help them find out more about God’s awesome love for them. In conversation with one of the mums over lunch she commented that we’ll never get rid of her daughter now, after this introduction she’ll definitely be back!!

Please pray for our wonderful leaders at TCC for Dave, Beth and Rich who seem to have the most contact with these kids as well as all the others who volunteer in youth-work here. We look forward to leading worship at the youth leaders training day on the 3rd March where these leaders & young leaders will be encouraged, fed and equipped to disciple these precious and vulnerable young lives.

Unite Gathering:-)

Things have been slightly crazy in the Clark household over the past few days as we prepare for team-time away over the next couple of weeks which is why the blog is a little delayed! But our main focus and reason for being a little out of touch with you is the UNITE GATHERING here at our home church Thundersley Cong:-) an activities week for teens where a variety of high quality workshops are on offer. Run by different members of the church and members of the band, this amazing event is attracting a group of kids who are an absolute joy to work with!! Completely absorbed with all that is on offer, receiving individual attention from the different leaders the young people are absolutely loving the opportunity to come along and learn what they can, having loads of fun at the same time.

Tuesday night Dave had a text  from one mum to say that her girls had such a great time that they wanted to come back again instead of having the family trip she’d planned for the day, yesterday! It was so encouraging to see them again!! Each day begins with an introductory session with Taste which means we can share a little about our faith as we introduce songs and share testimonies which has been really good and ut the whole week in context. It was moving to hear Joe sharing his testimony in his home church, allowing kids to discover a little more about him and his story.

On Tuesday we’d had one lad ‘B’ in our workshop for an hour & a half who had the undivided attention of Andy, Joe & Dave. He had a go on every instrument with personal tuition from every band member and joined in with a jamming session at the end…he clearly loved it!

When he came back yesterday we totally expected him to opt for another activity but he’d clearly had such a good time the day before that he wanted to do it all over again!! Clearly inspired by music this guy was keen to glean as much as possible from our ‘experts’! This time we discovered he could play a little bit of piano and so the four of them ended up on the piano all together!! Around the venue other young people were writing dramas, making jewellery boxes, learning how to programme effects lights and play basket ball.

Over lunch we spend time with the kids, playing games, pool and just generally getting to know them. It’s lovely that a few of the mum’s have felt welcome enough to spend a short time over lunch, joining in some of the games and chatting with the team. A great couple of days, and one more opportunity today, so we’d really value your prayers once again…