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Focussed on the Future April 2010

 

No steam ever drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunnelled. No life ever grows until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.

Recently, while reflecting, I was simply reminded of how a magnifying glass can concentrate sunlight and cause things to burst into flame. I am sensing that this is what he Lord would like me to do….focus, concentrate more of my energy and time into one area for a season to see breakthrough and hopefully a spreading fire.

I have always maintained that I have been called as an evangelist. My heart is to encourage believers to actively pursue the call to be a Jesus centred people; to become good news in deed and word; and also to help to train and empower the church, to gain confidence in the gospel and the transforming power of Jesus. Thus seeing the church rise up, no longer ebbing away into irrelevance or passivity, but instead, full of resurrection power. 

As you know, I help out with Street Pastors and I am one of the directors for the national organisation here in Scotland. Whilst being very passionate about local church, I am equally desperate to see the wider church equipped and for Christians to connect with unbelievers in a real and meaningful way. Our street pastor volunteers are doing just that! But the greater news is that it is spilling into the volunteers’ every day lives! What they are learning and experiencing in a Street Pastor context, is permeating their everyday lives, it’s becoming a natural part of their dna.

Through Street Pastors, we are equipping the saints for works of service…through Street Pastors we are seeing people encounter Jesus, and our volunteers are growing in grace. It is uncovering and releasing the gifts of compassion, care, prayer and evangelism. In effect, it is operating like a mini school of mission… and I am excited that this is happening, however we would love to see more people come to faith.

So with that in mind, I am going to invest a significant amount of my time in developing the work of Street Pastors. We would like to enlarge our teams and pursue a couple of new avenues of outreach. To make this happen I will need to spend more of my time opening up these doors of opportunity and shaping the team to grow into what we believe the Lord has for us. I believe that God has given the Street Pastors initiative great favour and that it could act as a catalyst for the Christian community to take some steps in becoming a brighter, more accessible light for Jesus in our city.

Jesus said, “ I do what I see the father doing.”  I want to be some one who isn’t about building my ministry but being about what the Lord is doing. It’s clear that his hand is on Street Pastors and I want make sure I am walking in step with his plans and agenda.

I would say that Street Pastors is becoming more fruitful, whilst at the same time our own personal witnessing through friendship and community connections are also growing. These are the areas that Tori and I feel we should be focussing on.  As a result of all this, from this month onwards, I plan to prioritise the street pastor’s work. I have some pre existing appointments that I will keep, but going forwards, I will weigh those speaking invites that do come in more carefully.

At present my work for SP is almost all voluntary, and so there would have been no way we could have done and achieved all that we have, without the support of each one of you. Supporting us financially has significantly helped get this initiative off the ground. For this faithful support, we are very thankful. So, now, Aberdeen Street Pastors needs to go into its’ next phase of development, putting down deeper roots and becoming more self sustaining.  We need your continued support to achieve this. We are working towards; doubling our volunteer base, establishing charity status, implementing the school pastors pilot scheme and a possible mobile “safe space” resource to be used at the weekends. (In other words a bus!) that will increase our profile and accessibility in the city centre.

So in short it seems the doors are wide open, and there’s lots to be done. The fields are white and ready and on our doorstep but to bring in the harvest, we will need your continued support.

Thank you again for all your support and prayers!

James