OK, so I just batted out this email in response to a group of friends who have been asking and thought you might also be interested.
So... to my life...
I have been a youth worker for my home church for just over two years now. My home church is not big, not small. The Church does a copious amount of work in the community considering how big it is. We have not had a Pastor for the last 10 months or so which has brought many opinions and suggestions and seen a few fragments, cracks & breakages to the family here. It has been difficult, but I think necessary. I have been quite resolute to focus on Jesus & his ways (not always easy!) and to try to exhort others to do the same, and most importantly to live them out in the little & large! I love our Church, it is beautiful! Broken... but beautiful!
This year, just gone, saw me travelling to Kenya with a charity called IT Skills 4 Rural Kenya to start up an IT Centre in Kibugat (a Rural village outside Litein). The trip had many ups (fixing computers, filming a climate change documentary & running an IT benefits conference) & many downs (a mysterious virus - the Professor back here in Brighton was perplexed! a lack of food, water and electricity & the nominated leader leaving the country part way through!) but the trip was a success and shall serve as a foundation for future trips.
It also saw me heading to South Korea & to China on a REAL holiday!!! BOO-YAH! It is the first holiday I have had for a few years, since 2005 I think. I spent 11 days in South Korea visiting very good friends of mine, eating some of the best food I have ever had and rediscovering our friendships again. I, then, spent 10 days in China visiting a friend of mine; an English teacher trying to live out the ways of Jesus and introduce his ways to others around her and enjoying hanging out over films, street-food & bubble tea!
This time was extremely precious to me and I miss those days greatly. But life can not be one big holiday can it!
A few things that God is growing in my heart at the moment:
Well, I have a heart to live my life in community with other youth leaders in the more impoverished area (not too impoverished in the scheme of poverty in the UK, let alone the world, but it is noticeably less wealthy) of Woodingdean, Brighton. I would love to have a house that invites others to come rest, play, enjoy & discover together. A house that invests in people in a holistic & fun way because the people in that house have a deep & active love for Jesus. A willingness to be walked over & used because we are astounded by God's love for those who do not believe & for those that do. An understanding that God wants to redeem little parts of my life & other people's lives and yet he accepts our shortcomings also. A house that is just as happy to love an attention-needing/seeking little child as it is a lonely elderly lady. A group of people that will serve their neighbours in very practical ways with humility (and with copious amounts of tea & coffee shared together).
If you have heard of The Eden Project it is that kind of thing I am talking about here. If not, hopefully my words are good enough.
(Not sure how all this will come about yet, but if you have an idea just let me know.)
I love writing... I should do it more.
Feel free to question or comment on what I have written if you like.
Thanks to Jen Conlan for starting this little thread of beauty!
Sean Older, Brighton, UK. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/seanolder email: seanolderbe@gmail.com Skype: Seanyboy_is_saved
So... to my life...
I have been a youth worker for my home church for just over two years now. My home church is not big, not small. The Church does a copious amount of work in the community considering how big it is. We have not had a Pastor for the last 10 months or so which has brought many opinions and suggestions and seen a few fragments, cracks & breakages to the family here. It has been difficult, but I think necessary. I have been quite resolute to focus on Jesus & his ways (not always easy!) and to try to exhort others to do the same, and most importantly to live them out in the little & large! I love our Church, it is beautiful! Broken... but beautiful!
This year, just gone, saw me travelling to Kenya with a charity called IT Skills 4 Rural Kenya to start up an IT Centre in Kibugat (a Rural village outside Litein). The trip had many ups (fixing computers, filming a climate change documentary & running an IT benefits conference) & many downs (a mysterious virus - the Professor back here in Brighton was perplexed! a lack of food, water and electricity & the nominated leader leaving the country part way through!) but the trip was a success and shall serve as a foundation for future trips.
It also saw me heading to South Korea & to China on a REAL holiday!!! BOO-YAH! It is the first holiday I have had for a few years, since 2005 I think. I spent 11 days in South Korea visiting very good friends of mine, eating some of the best food I have ever had and rediscovering our friendships again. I, then, spent 10 days in China visiting a friend of mine; an English teacher trying to live out the ways of Jesus and introduce his ways to others around her and enjoying hanging out over films, street-food & bubble tea!
This time was extremely precious to me and I miss those days greatly. But life can not be one big holiday can it!
A few things that God is growing in my heart at the moment:
- A hunger for deep friendships/relationships filled with fun, joy, peace, love & ultimately GOD! Friendships that go beyond the superficial greeting & stereotypical 'how is...?' questions that we so often stumble across on a Sunday. Friendships that build us together & towards God. Friendships that are fun & sober in the same breath. :)
- A Church that recognises that 'Church' is bigger than their congregation and that there is a significant need & benefit for worshipping, praying, learning, ministering & spending time together (which should often include food!) Churches that covenant to love each other in a real & practical way; find out more of Jesus together & share Jesus with others together.
- A pair of eyes to see hope and speak it out boldly & righteously
Well, I have a heart to live my life in community with other youth leaders in the more impoverished area (not too impoverished in the scheme of poverty in the UK, let alone the world, but it is noticeably less wealthy) of Woodingdean, Brighton. I would love to have a house that invites others to come rest, play, enjoy & discover together. A house that invests in people in a holistic & fun way because the people in that house have a deep & active love for Jesus. A willingness to be walked over & used because we are astounded by God's love for those who do not believe & for those that do. An understanding that God wants to redeem little parts of my life & other people's lives and yet he accepts our shortcomings also. A house that is just as happy to love an attention-needing/seeking little child as it is a lonely elderly lady. A group of people that will serve their neighbours in very practical ways with humility (and with copious amounts of tea & coffee shared together).
If you have heard of The Eden Project it is that kind of thing I am talking about here. If not, hopefully my words are good enough.
(Not sure how all this will come about yet, but if you have an idea just let me know.)
I love writing... I should do it more.
Feel free to question or comment on what I have written if you like.
Thanks to Jen Conlan for starting this little thread of beauty!
Sean Older, Brighton, UK. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/seanolder email: seanolderbe@gmail.com Skype: Seanyboy_is_saved
SO where are you thinking of doing EDEN PROJECT something very close to my heart too!
ReplyDeleteI think I might join them one day!