Freedom: a blog by Abby Clark

This year the BBC is examining the concept of ‘freedom’, by asking the question: ‘What does it look like to you?’ since researching into racism for my degree course, it has left me questioning the possibility that freedom can really be attained. Are we really free?  Even if people aren’t physically bounded up in chains, can we really escape the expectations brought on us by those around us? I do believe God created us to have freedom, but because of our sin, we have created a world in which true freedom is impossible. As Christians we are told that we are free to live for Jesus, even though there are millions of Christians around the world being prosecuted for their faith. This doesn't look like freedom to me. The worship song ‘Holding Nothing back’ talks about how Christians are free.

I'm free to live
Free to give
Free to be
I'm free to love you  

But this song isn’t talking about our earthy freedom. I mean, how easy is it to ‘hold nothing back’? To live fully for Jesus, giving him everything, just being whom we were created to be, and loving Jesus fully. Ask any Christian, they’d tell you, it’s very hard work, not freedom. What this song really talks about is an eternal freedom.  Freedom, from the world’s restraints, free from our sin. These may seem to pin us down whilst we’ve still alive, but if we accept Jesus as our lord and savior, we gain the freedom to be part of Gods kingdom, both on earth and in heaven. I suppose the freedom you feel, comes from within your heart. My answer to the question, ‘freedom: what does it look like to you?’ is: freedom, is an eternalmiracle, a concept that is impossible, made possible through the grace of our lord Jesus Christ.  

Abby is a first year CYM placement with Nottingham YfC

She is based in Radcliffe and originally comes from a village outside Durham.

I'm right : a blog by Fiona Spencer

Over the past few week I have been in situations where people have been arguing over issues of faith or parts of the Bible. Not just disagreeing but arguing - as if what their say is the only way to look at it.

 

But is there only one answer to every issue concerning faith or the Bible?

 

I grant you there are many things where there is only one correct view, such as: Jesus is the only way to get to God. However, what of other issues like how worship is conducted, how to pray or the meaning of a Bible passage.

 

There are lots of different denominations of the church, each with different styles of worship and prayer. This is clearly due to the fact that one style of worship that will be great for one person, will not be beneficial for another.

Furthermore, worship is not just the music. Worship can take on many different forms. It can be creative: through art, theatre and dance; through serving: meeting regularly with other Christians or doing jobs in the church like steward, cleaner or elder; and practical: sharing your testimony or reading books to help develop your understanding of Christianity.

There as so many different ways of interacting with God, that surely we don't have the right to force our way of doing it onto someone else? We should allow others to experiment to then find a way that they feel they can connect with God.

 

Bible passages can be interpreted in different ways, but yet I find that we can be determined that all passages have only one meaning. Take for example the parable of the Lost son from Luke 15:11-32. It tells of the younger son in a family, who obtains his inheritance from his father. This son leaves for a distant land, where he squanders all him money. He has to take up the work of herding pigs, and is even reduced to hungering for the food of the pigs. He finally comes to his senses and decides to return home, if only to work for his father as a hired labourer. As he nears home, his father runs to welcome him home, and holding a feast to celebrate to return of the son.However, the older brother, who had remained at home working, resents the mercy shown.

This parable can be interpreted in three different ways:

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Firstly, that it is about the fact that God is willing to take us back when we have ran away from him.

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Second being that if we turn from God there will come a point where we realise we need him.

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And lastly that we can act like the older brother, but no matter what wrongs people have done we should welcome them into the Church.

So is one of these interpretations right and the other two wrong? All are just different ideas that people have got from the same passage.

 

Everyone is different which must be why we all worship differently, and can get different ideas from the same passage. We must therefore be more willing to to see others points of view of faith and the Bible, instead of thrusting ours on them as the only right way.

Fiona is on the yfc one program based at Nottingham YfC

She works in Radcliffe and is based at St. Mary's Radcliffe

Fiona's home is north of the border in Glasgow.

Hope mission academy @ nottinghamyfc #1

Hope mission academies at Nottingham yfc are a merging of our 30 hour missions and hope mission academies. The main idea of them is to help young people experience being involved in mission alongside training and equipping them to go back to their own communities and make a difference.

A group of ten of us set off to work with north staffs yfc and support the work they do with churches in the area. 

We started by meeting some of the local young people that we would be working with at the YMCA and looking at some of the issues that are faced by young people today but also what others think about young people. We were sleeping on a church floor over the weekend so it was nice to have a local base. From there we were able to go into Newcastle town centre and bless the community with an acts of kindness treasure hunt while also giving out hot chocolate. After playing some games we went out for a nice meal before planning our Sunday morning work which included leading worship, Sunday school and being involved in the preach.

Sunday morning was great and even better as throughout the weekend one lad had decided to follow Jesus and he just shared his story. Another girl, after losing her iPhone 5 on Saturday night had prayed and found it straight away, a girl who only a day before had said she didn't believe in God, shared on the Sunday morning that she understood that God had revealed Himself to her. 

Isn't it great to have opportunities to be part of what God is doing. Anyway it might be worth you listening to what the young people who came with us had to say about it. Check out the video diaries here http://youtu.be/ESNeVd1-GP8

Us being given breakfast on our hope mission academy

Grace v Justice

Grace has been described as generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved. It’s shocking in a way to know that when we say sorry to God he forgives us unconditionally an forgets about our sin.

I’ve been reflecting recently on how grace fits within today’s laws and where justice comes into play.

Recently I met a young man who’d unfortunately made some serious mistakes and was facing jail.

As I began to talk to him I had an overwhelming sense from God that I should pray for him and plead with God to take away his jail sentence. As the conversation developed and I asked if I could pray for him, it sparked a huge conversation about having a faith in God. The conversation ended with the agreement that if the jail sentence was cancelled then it must have been God’s doing. My prayer is that I will see this young man next week and he can tell me that God has done a miracle in his life.

This is a very hard subject to talk about because I know people would argue with me and say ‘where’s the justice in that?’. In many ways I would agree with people like that and say that wrong actions have consequences and in this case a jail sentence is deserved.

However if I could choose between a young person going to jail or a young person experiencing God’s miraculous power in his life which changes him for ever, resulting in a new life which seeks to love God and others. I would choose God’s intervention every time.

One of the aims within my youth ministry is that I help young people experience God and if I think I can help this young man see God’s grace in his own life then I reckon I’m doing the right thing.

What do you think?

Simon Bentley is on his 2nd year placement with Nottingham YfC 

 

Verses for the year 2014

Each year we see to look where God is working and what He would like to do through the work of Nottingham Youth for Christ. This year we will be looking at what Luke 24:13-13 has to say for us at NYfC. 

There are many different ways you can look at this passage and the way Jesus walks and talks with the two men but for me it epitomizes the whole of Jesus' ministry as he journeys with His disciples and continues to journey with us in our every day life. 

We are called as an organization and as part of the wider church to journey with people and as we get alongside them we are able to speak into their lives. As an organisation it is also our role and responsibility to journey alongside other partners to help provide the best opportunities to experience the love of Christ.

As we unpack the idea of journeying over the next few weeks and months as we go through 2014 our heart and our prayer that you might journey with us and maybe together not only will Jesus reveal Himself to each of us but we will see Jesus revealing Himself to the young people we work with. Seeing young people's lives transformed and relationships restored through the revelation of Jesus.

Richard Dawson is Director of Nottingam YfC

India13: video diaries day 11 and 12

Due to lack of Internet here at the last 2 regular video diaries if India 13 with hope, joe, Helena and Richard.

http://youtu.be/to5awM2QxNk

http://youtu.be/tFlFrfUXSNo

India13: video diary day 9

This time it is the turn of a becca and Jake to tell you what has been happening on today's travels. Includes our last 2 bore well dedications and sticking needles in bottoms.

http://youtu.be/i-iZdCrqDfI

India13: video diary day 8

Ben and Helena go over day 8's antics including henna and an Indian head massage.

http://youtu.be/vebpcOihQHA

India13: video diary day 7

Check out the Leah and Richard show as they talk about the happenings on day 7. Filmed in front of a live studio audience.

http://youtu.be/5o7nOEM7Ya0

India13: video diary day 6

Find out how Chung and Hope found day 6 of our mission trip which included visits to a medical camp, children's day care centre and an old people's home.

http://youtu.be/1wuHBTOkW8Q

India13: video blog day 5

Sorry for the delay in this but here is Becca and Jacob reliving today's events.

http://youtu.be/0uQK2o5oU60

India video blog day 4

So day 4 of our mission trip took us to a little village where we dedicated our first well of the trip and visited a school. We then went to a reap India staff meeting and finally led an outreach meeting. Hear how Helena and Jo found the day on our videos below:

Part 1 http://youtu.be/p8Xg6NOCmhs

Part 2 http://youtu.be/sFgs_KQOoJ8

India13: video diaries are now here

Hello everyone, thank you for being so patient. It looks like we are now up and running with the video diaries thanks to our friends here in India.
Hopefully they will now become regular and you will get a feel of what the team have been up to each day. Today is day 3 and we have been to church as well as visited an orphanage and played kabaddi. Anyway let Hope and Jake give you a bit more of a feel.

http://youtu.be/DCTYOb5nynM

India 13: first blog

Hey guys sorry for the delay on this. internet isn't what we thought so we are a little delayed. We have put a couple of video diaries up on our youtube channel but volume is poor, so once again apologies, we are trying to sort. In the mean time i just wanted to let you know everyone is well and having a great time, there has been quite a lot of travelling but we have now done our first full day where we visited and fed both the railway children and street children. Tomorrow will be another exciting day as we get to minister in one of the local churches. Puppets have been used already along with singing and stories.
will hopefully post decent videos from tomorrow.

God Bless
Richard

India13 video diary: on the way

Check out ben and Leah's thoughts on the way to India  http://youtu.be/ZSb5CxV1xkY

India13: one day to go

So with one day to go what is happening in the world of the @nottinghamyfc India team. Well some have packed, some will be getting last minute toiletries, some will have finished work and some will have started taking malaria tablets.

We all need to prepare in different ways and it is easy to prepare in a physical way but what about a spiritual way?

With one day to go our minds are buzzing about what we are about to do and all the things we will experience and so we need to have our hearts and minds prepared, whether that's praying or putting the right people around you. But it isn't just as we think about going to India that we should prepare in this way but for all things.

Throughout life we can have good or bad times but God is always there for us. 

We hope you enjoy what you will see over the next couple of weeks as you journey with us in our thought processes and experiences.

Richard

India 2013 video blog

From this Thursday (hopefully) this blog will contain images and videos of our trip to India. Our flight leaves Heathrow at around 25 past 9 in the evening and we are due back on 25th. Keep up to date with all that is happening as 10 people from across Nottingham aim to bring God's kingdom in India as it is in heaven.

Look out for posts from Jake, Jo, Becca, Leah, Helena, hope, Chung, Jacob, Ben and Richard throughout the next couple of weeks.

Jesus: liar, lunatic or lord?

Recently, myself and the team in the south Nottinghamshire villages have launched Youth Alpha; a forum to explore life and faith. Set in one of the areas finest cafes, Bryers, we hope the weekly event provides a space for questions to be asked, community to grow, and from our response, questions to be answered.

Facilitating and organizing Alpha has challenged me to step into the shoes of friends, family, team mates and those I have the privilege of working alongside, in asking what options do we have in the light of all the claims that Jesus makes?

Jesus divides opinion like no other. The conversation regarding who He is challenges all of us and considering the weight of Jesus' claims, we are in a position requiring a decision. Quoting author CS Lewis, Jesus is either "a lair, a lunatic, or Lord". Jesus claims' were so big and so influential to everyday life, He was either lying, unstable or speaking of universal truths.

The ball is very much in our court. Who is Jesus for you?

William Lee is Nottingham yfc key worker in Radcliffe and the south notts villages.

Are we happy to be told we are wrong?

A few months ago I was working in a school and supporting a R.E. teacher as she taught a group of year 9 young people. The class a few weeks before were asked to prepare small 10 minute presentations about a range of ethical and relevant topics from ‘abortion’ to ‘bullying’ and ‘the ivory trade’, and then argue their opinions on their individual topic. These presentations were then rated out of 30. In this lesson the young people were asked one-by-one to present their presentations to the rest of the class. It got to this boys turn who as he started his presentation suddenly got quite upset and said that he couldn’t do it. As a result I and another girl in his class were asked to assess the boy in the next room. As we did this and he started his presentation, the reason for why it was so upsetting for him become clear – he was talking about how a member of his family died as a result of the topic he was studying. When he finished myself and the girl in his class started to discuss what his mark should be. I without knowing too well the marking scheme (about it being out of 30 and not 20) said “why don’t we mark him 15?”.

What happened next I would never have predicted. The normally shy, well behaved, perfectly polite, quiet and content girl suddenly looked at me with disgust and said “Mike that is wrong! He has just shared a personal and difficult story, he deserves a higher grade than that!”….and she was right. Even though I was a member of staff, I had authority, I could have told this girl off and got her in trouble… she didn’t care because she was standing up for what was right.

It can be easy sometimes to feel that young people don’t really care about the things that we talk about as they can appear to just look bored and emotionless, but young people have a real deep sense of what is just and what isn’t, and they are massively prepared to fight for it. The girl in the story didn’t care that i was a member of staff who could have got her in trouble, she was fearless for justice; and we as Youth Workers just need to have faith in young people and to give them the opportunities to use these abilities to fight the injustices in the world.

Mike Harrison is key worker in Nuthall and Kimberley
He also works for NYfC in Radford and Bulwell

Thirsty?

Water; Most of us know how important it is for our survival, but did you know?  

·         The total amount of water in the body of an average adult is 37 litres

·         Human blood is 83% water

·         Human brains are 75% water

·         Human bones are 25% water

·         A person must consume 2 litres of water daily to live healthily.

Water is our core substance and we have to drink lots of it to ensure our body works to the best of its ability. It’s not surprising that our bodies have a safety mechanism in place when we need more. We feel thirsty. Amazingly though by the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has only lost 1% of its total amount of water.

Psalm 42:1-2 in the Bible talks about a man whose soul pants (or thirsts) for God, just as a deer pants (or thirsts) for streams of water. Personally I don’t think I have every compared my desire for God as being like my thirst for water. I did however have an experience a few days ago which changed all that. You may or may not have experienced this yourself but, I woke up in the middle of the night, my mouth was soo dry (never before had it been this dry), I felt hot and all I could think of was WATER!!!! It really wasn’t a good experience.

It’s been my own challenge ever since to choose to thirst for God, just as I had thirst for water that night. I’m not sure how that works, as I know I don’t want to wait until I feel far off from him to feel spiritually thirsty. But just as our bodies need water so our souls need God.  For us to work for God effectively then he needs to be in every part of us. I’ve been wondering what would happen if we decided that we wanted God so much, that we had nothing else on our minds, if we could not be satisfied with anything other than him, if we chased after him with the same immediacy we would if we chased after water when we are thirsty.

It could only be good… how thirsty are you?

Simon Bentley is  on the MCYM course

His placement is with NYfC in  Chilwell and Beeston