newsletter

MARCH APRIL 2015

May the God who gives
endurance and encoura
gement give
you the same attitude
of mind toward each oth
er
that Christ
Jesus had, so that with
one mind and one voice
you may
glorify the God and Fa
ther of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Romans 15:5-6

Today I am reflecting on the above verse and slowly realising just how powerful the
'endurance and encouragement' of God actually is!
There was a sense that 2015 was going to be a heady mix of challenge and
exciting possibilities and I thank God that He started to prepare us for
2015 quite a while ago.
Anyone who is in youthwork will tell you that challenge is often
not far away, but so too are exciting possibilities.
For me personally these two things are very much part
of our year and the image I have in my head is me
standing on two chairs with one foot on each, and
someone is slowly nudging them further apart!
So
through my reflections and prayers God
has
been speaking to me and helping me see
the
full meaning of these verses from Romans.
In
the same way that our challenges and
exciting possibilities are often entwined, so
too is God's endurance and encouragement.
It isn't that God encourages us one day and
then enables us to stand the next, like two colours
of Playdoh mixed together, they are inseparable and
part of each other.
So as 2015 continues on I thank God for His
endurance and encouragement, but more
than that I thank Him for a group of people
surrounding the project that are seeking to
be of one mind and voice and who are all
about Jesus.

G O D AT W O R K :
So much to give thanks for, it has been a busy couple of months and God has
been blessing us in so many ways...
More? started really well and we have had some new people along who have
been significantly encouraged by the cafs
On our 7-11s weekend we had 43 children, 4 amazing young leaders and 13
awesome older leaders. This weekend really showed why we believe 267 exists;
so many children and leaders encouraged and a significant number from smaller
less-resourced churches.
On April 18th we are having a fundraising Cheese, Wine and Auction event, and
already we have had a number of excellent items donated. We thank God for the
generosity we have seen and pray that the event will be well attended and a lot of
fun
FUEL and FUEL Team continue to be a hugely exciting part of our ministry and
God is massively at work in both areas. Last month Charlotte spoke at FUEL in
Harpenden and inspired many with her honest and perceptive teaching. We
continue to give thanks for the Harpenden groups and pray the FUEL here will
continue to grow and be a useful tool for the local churches
We had our first Childrens Ministry lunch last month and 12 people came
along. Our hope is to meet once a half term and gather people who are specifically
involved in ministry with under 11s. We also hope to put on an event together
some time in the autumn
I had a great visit to St Pauls last week and got to share a bit more with them
about what we are up to. It was also great to thank them for all the support they
have given as a church since the very beginning of the project
Recently I took away a group of 5 youth leaders for a day retreat. This was
a chance to get away a bit, pray, reflect and also chat through some of the
challenges facing the ministry they are all involved in together. I found the day
really inspiring and I hope to do more things like this and seek ways to build up
teams and resource the ministry they do
We continue to feel hugely welcomed by the High Street Methodist Church in
Harpenden where our new offices are. It is clearly a God-thing and many new
doors have opened for us since moving here. I also have got to know the Costa
staff quite well!
If you would like to volunteer with
the267project then drop us an email
director@the267project.com
or pa@the267project.com
Thanks

OUR PRAYER REQUESTS:

More? begins on 23rd Feb and our theme this term is Who Am I looking at how
our identity is sometimes shaped by different environments, both positive and
negative ones! Pray for each of the sessions, the speakers and opportunities to invite
new people along.
Pray for our trustees: Sean, Nigel, Jane, Paul, Alan and Penny. They work really
hard for the project and give much of their time, energy and wisdom to it.
Please pray for wisdom as we seek a further 2 or 3 trustees to join us. The project is
growing and we would love some more people to help us with all that God is doing
Please pray for the preparations for our 2 upcoming events: The Conference and
The Cheese and Wine Evening. Both require a fair bit of planning and also need to be
continually spoken about and shared so we get enough people to attend. Please do
consider getting a group together and coming to our fundraiser, it promises to be a
superb evening
I am working with a couple of churches who are going through some significant
changes and challenges. Pray for me as I listen and walk with them. Pray for wisdom
as I consider the best way that 267 supports them
We still require some storage for our resources in the Harpenden/St Albans area.
We are currently paying 140 a month to store some of our resources and we would
like to reduce this as much as possible. If you know of anyone who has somewhere
we could use please get in touch. It needs to be dry, secure and accessible easily and
regularly
Pray for our FUEL event this month as we look at the Journey to the Cross
On Saturday 21st March the trustees are going on an away day to think through
some big picture stuff for the future of the267project. Pray that God will be at the
very centre of our discussions and that the Spirit will guide and inspire the day
Pray for Mike, Claire and Tracy as they work together on the ministry of
the267project. We also thank god for trustee Penny who is giving 1 day a week to
support us all
Pray for Mike as he takes
some time out to write a book!

Saturday

18th April

May we w
armly invit
e
to our Eve
ning of Pro you
m
ises
with chee
se and win
e.

May we w
armly
Evening of

The Chapel

invite you

Highfield Ova
l,

Promises wi
to our Harpenden, Herts.
You can bid
th cheese an
for
AL5 4BX
d wine.
even professio anything from a spa
trip to weeke
nal cakes ma
nd
de for a mo
Not only tha
nth, and ma in a holiday home or
t, yo
ny things in
and wines fro u will be treated to a
between.
delicious sel
m around the
ection
wo
by our very rld ~ served and expoun of cheeses
own sommelie
ded on
r!

The Chape
l
val, Harpe
nden

Highfield O

the267projec
Cheese and

Wine flye

r-A6.indd

t.com

13/02/2015

19:31

MARCH APRIL 2015

PRAYER DIARY
Monday 16th March More?
Week 4: Who am I... In Gods eyes

Sunday 26th April FUEL

Harpenden, 7.00pm - 9.00pm

Tuesday 17th March briefing for

leaders on the 11-14s weekend away

Wednesday 29th April

Christ Church Consultancy

Saturday 21st March

Trustees Away day
Sunday 22nd March Fuel
St Albans, 7.00pm - 9.00pm

y
ldrens Ministr
Youth and Chi
h
rc
a
M
th
8
- Sat 2ment and networking
Conference inin
g, encourage
ty for tra
An opportuni

0am - 4.00pm
th March, 9.0
AL4 0LB
Saturday 28
Way, St Albans
Church, Lyon
Forest Town

Monday 23rd March More?

Week 5: Who am I... and what am I
good at
Tuesday 24th March TTS.
7.45pm - 9.30pm at Forest Town Church
Saturday 28th March Youth and
Childrens Ministry Conference at
Forest Town Church
Monday 30th March More?
Week 6: Who am I... Any Questions?
Wednesday 1st April
X:Site Planning
Thursday 2nd April Youth leaders
breakfast at Panshangar Church,
9.30am 11.00am
Tuesday 14th April
Trustees meeting

VISION

LISTE N

INS

STRATEGY
the267project in
is organised by
The Conference with local churches and STEP
partnership
y will be
about each ministr
conference
More information
available at the
om
www.the267project.c k
k.org.u
www.stepschoolswor
www.younglife.org

O
AT I
PIR

rage
resource, encou
conference is to
ministry
The aim of the
and childrens
and your youth
and equip you
to partner with
e opportunities
ts
but also to provid
ns in some aspec
isatio
organ
and
nearby churches
do
of the work you
per person, this
conference is 12
The cost of the
ts
and refreshmen
lunch
es
includ
s or to book your
For more detail
Cripps:
place contact Tracy
.com
pa@the267project

Encouraging and

Telling the Next

equipping your

youthwork

Generation

IMPORTANT DATE:
Saturday 28th March Youth and
Childrens Ministry Conference, Forest
Town Church, 9am-4pm

Saturday 18th April Cheese, Wine

and Auction Fundraising Evening
Tuesday 21st April FUEL
Team Training, 4.30pm 8.00pm at
High St Methodist, Harpenden
Friday 24th April 11-14s Weekend
Away at Newland Park

Encouraging and equipping

your youthwork