2018 ended in a similar fashion to 2017, and it was good. We all want our nativity play to be fun for kids, but also we want it to be something that impacts the whole audience positively, there' always the problem of it becoming something that is a bit of a joke, and the majesty of the moment is lost in mirth. Hannah Luke and I battled with various scripts that were available and decided that we'd come up with our own. We wanted the moment that God sends Jesus to earth to become somehow a part of the skit and I had in a previous church seen something that I had somehow retained. We crafted a simple script where the actors carried the story along, providing the background for the play, rather than some narrators voice over. Many of the children are now old enough to memorise lines and at school have learnt some confidence in projecting their voice. We had the best kids you could ever ask for, all from the Isle of Dogs, and what a show we put on together. One dad, who is never able to make it because of work, filmed the entire event on his phone, singing with the songs. The play ended with Mary, Joseph and Jesus fleeing because the roman soldiers were coming!
This wasn't the only highlight of December, for about 6 weeks my daughter had been meeting up with Brian Stevens talking about baptism, and just like last year, we borrowed the pool from St Peters Barge and I got in the water again and was given the honour of baptising Hannah and Theo! It was freezing cold and both of them shot up out of the cold bath pretty quickly, resulting in some rather amusing pictures. Theo has been coming to church for about 4 years and it is so amazing to see him take this moment for himself, as for Hannah, I'm an extremely glad dad.
And just to end the year with another impressive story, for a number of months Hannah Luke had been without work, and we had been wondering what she would do for employment. Having worked with Hannah at Café Forever I knew a lot about her, how hard and dedicated she is to a job and how passionate she is about her faith and reaching youth. We prayed about this and recognized we really need to see City of Peace grow from organic growth and that Hannah was a potential gift from God. It did take a couple of months of deliberation and prayer and she accepted the role! She has already proved to be an excellent asset.
On a sadder note, Vivian Webb who had attended Café Forever and City of Peace a number of years passed away. She was always good at bringing lightheartedness into a room and super friendly. She had been battling with injuries and illnesses as she got older and had been in a care home for a number of years.
Café wise we have begun a football team, an initiative by Marlene, that focuses on the kids who would probably never get to be in a team, those who are always picked last. It runs on wednesdays and is SO successful, Gareth of Ambassadors Football and a chap called Ben who is an Oak Hill student are running the show! The players get a 45 min training session, 15 minute match and then 15 minutes of football tactics meets bible talk. It is attended by at least 18 children on each occasion.
At this point it is fair to say we are being well used, and having a lot of fun doing it, it is truly a joy to be in this position and we have a lot of wonderful stories to tell. In the new year we have a lot of plans including Go-Karting, making space for ministry, weekend away, pancake day, etc... Please keep us in your prayers and come and visit us if your'e feeling like a little challenging experience!
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And just to end the year with another impressive story, for a number of months Hannah Luke had been without work, and we had been wondering what she would do for employment. Having worked with Hannah at Café Forever I knew a lot about her, how hard and dedicated she is to a job and how passionate she is about her faith and reaching youth. We prayed about this and recognized we really need to see City of Peace grow from organic growth and that Hannah was a potential gift from God. It did take a couple of months of deliberation and prayer and she accepted the role! She has already proved to be an excellent asset.
On a sadder note, Vivian Webb who had attended Café Forever and City of Peace a number of years passed away. She was always good at bringing lightheartedness into a room and super friendly. She had been battling with injuries and illnesses as she got older and had been in a care home for a number of years.
Café wise we have begun a football team, an initiative by Marlene, that focuses on the kids who would probably never get to be in a team, those who are always picked last. It runs on wednesdays and is SO successful, Gareth of Ambassadors Football and a chap called Ben who is an Oak Hill student are running the show! The players get a 45 min training session, 15 minute match and then 15 minutes of football tactics meets bible talk. It is attended by at least 18 children on each occasion.
At this point it is fair to say we are being well used, and having a lot of fun doing it, it is truly a joy to be in this position and we have a lot of wonderful stories to tell. In the new year we have a lot of plans including Go-Karting, making space for ministry, weekend away, pancake day, etc... Please keep us in your prayers and come and visit us if your'e feeling like a little challenging experience!
