As Promised - The Alton Towers Pics

Alton Towers - Courtesy of Tom's My Space!

Challenges over the last couple of weeks

At the minute I am still trying to find time to process the lessons that rose in Zambia.

However there was many things over the last couple of weeks God has been challenging me

Yesterday a couple of things happened

We (tom, Ra, Laura and myself) were on AIR - we had queued for about an hour and once we got to the coaster station decided we would go to the front line queue. This was the second time we had been on this ride. Once we arrived we sat in the seats and the harness came down. the seats then turned through 90 degrees so that you are actually lying facing the ground- the whole idea is that you are flying. Then we sat off. With most roller coasters you are sitting but this one you are totally dependant upon the harness holding you. We went up the ramp at about 10 or so feet up the ramp the cart stopped just above where people were sitting we gave them a wee wave and had a chat which was lovely!! :-) then up we went a little bit further. the stopped again we were now about thirty feet above the ground and stayed there. This was a little bit scary as we began to talk to each other. thought of what happened if the brakes failed and we headed back down the track. Then the thought which we must have all been thinking but dared not ask "what if the harness released?"

mmm... How much faith, trust, unbeliveable dependance do we place in the designers of the coasters? Surely we need to do the same day by day.

Some of the rides I didn't like - ripsaw for example was not good! Corkscrew was a bit sore!

Others were amazing - Air - I love, Rita is class!, Nemesis was good, Obvivion was breath taking (literally!!)

Then was the water park - its great!

Another day another Airport Lounge! / Alton Towers / New News

From the blog entries you will notice since me getting off college in May I have been through many airport lounges

Dublin (being the hub)
Glasgow prestwick
Manchester
Liverpool

Then Belfast city, Heathrow and Lusaka

And now East Midlands - where I am sitting at present. The reason for this trip was to visit Alton Towers with friends Ra, Laura and Tom all of whom I worked with a couple of years ago - Tom is posting the pics on the web - once I get them - i'll stick them up here.

The other piece of news worth blogging about is that Seapatrick Parish has a new youth worker - more details later!

Getting Round to it now!!!

It has been difficult over the past couple of weeks to find time to blog - it has been one thing after the other.

Returned from Zambia tuesday 2 weeks ago and then headed on the Thurs to Bray for a "happy feet Holiday Club which was just great!! the people in Bray are great - a good introduction to placement starting in October.

At the moment I am writting this in college where I am spending the night before heading off to Alton Towers with Ra, Tom and Laura whom I haven't seen for a couple of years!

All of whom can be seen in this terrible picture! - thanks Drew!!! hi to emma and hols and Mel who cannae make it to the towers - My camera is coming with me so hopefully we'll get a few more picts along the way over the next lot of days





So thats about it from me for a couple of days - Omagh on Saturday/Sunday to visit the Quills
Monday meeting Ali and next week is the Bishop's Bible Study with Ed Vaughan speaking - I'm looking forward to that.

Blog Redirection - again!!!

With me heading off to Zambia on Wednesday - any updates will be team updates and these will be posted on - www.cmsireland.org/youth until my return on 8th August

Please do post comments in the apropriate places on the CMS ireland site - it's always nice to hear from people!

Robert

Prayer Pointers for Zambia

Over the next couple of weeks - we are officially moving!!! - well at the moment it is an interim move - all the way across the road! to the Huntly Bungalows - the one on the corner! opposite the telephone box!!

but due to the move I might not be able to get a blog sorted out so here are our prayer pointers for Zambia - Commisioning on Sunday Evening

Pre-departure
Pray for the preparation that each team member has to undergo. Pray that their hearts maybe prepared to serve the Lord. Pray for the families of the team members who are remaining at home.

Week 1: Wed 11– Tues 17th July
We depart on Wednesday pray for safety whilst travelling that we will not meet with any hindrance.

Pray for the relationships that we will build with our brothers and sisters in Christ, pray that we will be united in God’s work. Prayespecially for the St James Youth project who we will be working closely with.

On Sunday the team get their first experience of African church services. Pray for preparation that the team will undergo, pray that each team member will have the confidence to step out for God.

Week 2: Wednesday 18th—Tuesday 24 July

Pray for the team as they gain an insight into the lives of the

Zambians, and develop their relationships with the locals and see the work of the Broken Butterfly project in action.

On Wednesday as we visit the mines in Mopani Kitwe, on Friday as we visit the Chinfunshi orphanage and on Saturday as we play football in Mufulira Archdeaconry. With a special guest appearance from David Beckham (maybe!!!).

Week 3: Wednesday 25th—Tuesday 31st

Please pray for our travel to Mwinilunga on Friday (a 300 mile minibus journey on dust tracks!). We spend the rest of the week meeting the members of the parish and visiting the ‘Broken Butterfly’ project that was set up there last year.

After more local church services on Sunday, we journey back from Mwinilunga on the Monday (Please pray again!). Tuesday sees us resting in Kitwe.

Week 4: Wednesday 1—Tuesday 7th August

This week we have a change in emphasis as we are hosted by Bishop Chama to conclude our visit.

On Thursday, we pack (please pray for this) and say our final goodbyes to our hosts and travel to the ZAC Guest House in Lusaka. Friday involves more travelling to our rest and relaxation time at Victoria Falls (at Fawlty Towers no less) for three days. Built into these few days of relaxation is a time to reflect as a team on the whole experience.

On Monday we travel back to Lusaka before our flights home on Tuesday Morning

Back Home

This experience will have affected team members in a unique way. Please pray that God will work through the issues raised, the experiences gained and the lessons taught.

Please pray that each member of the team will be stronger in their faith as a result.

Continue to pray for our partnerships with the friends we left working in Zambia

New Post in Banbridge

found this on ignite.cd! - if you know anybody...

SEAPATRICK PARISH CHURCH,
BANBRIDGE,
invites applications for the post of YOUTH PASTOR

An exciting opportunity to serve God in an initial three-year, full-time post in a large, vibrant parish,commencing September ’07 (or by agreement).
The successful applicant will be an integral member of the large, full-time staff team.
Responsibilities will include:
1. To oversee the pastoral care of young people/adults aged 13-25) in the parish.
2. To develop youth club and youth fellowship ministries.
3. To contribute meaningfully to youth worship within the parish.

An attractive initial salary package of £18-20k, together with travel and pension allowance, dependent on qualifications and experience.
For further information and job description, contact:

The Rector, the Ven. W. J. Scott,
63 Lurgan Road,
Banbridge BT32 4LY.
Tel. 028 4062 2612.
Email: John@Seapatrick.fsnet.co.uk

Closing date for applications: Thursday 5th July.
Interviews will be held between
30th July and 2nd August by arrangement.

up and coming

After the last week out and about all over the country - this week is different

thurs / Fri will be spent at home - no doubt packing more boxes
sat - parish fete
Sun - mum and dad down in dublin for the ordinations - Alan B and Rob J in Christchurch
mon head home
Tues-Thurs - pastoral stuff in Seapatrick
Sun- Commissioning

Summer Madness preparation

Liverpool and Photo Problems

on Gary's blog you will find a full report of the Liverpool trip.

I have been having trememdous problems getting my pictures uploaded - usually i use the google based picasa programme which up until now has given no problems but I have had to revert to the flickr yahoo based thing

So the Liverpool images are to be found here

I suspect that it is more to do with the college network than the programmes themselves!

So folks ... there you have it!

Howdy everybody ... I have now got a new following for my blog! in one fell swoop
Hi to all the newbies in CITC!

And to all the oldies the newbies are great!!! :-)

They really are!!

The next couple of years should be very very good!

Anybody else reading the blog - please do pray for these guys over the summer
- as they prepare to make the big change
- pray for the families as well
- pray for R&R for all of us that we would take time out to just be with God
It is a huge change and committment - pray that the Holy Spirit would just take all of us and continue to mould us into people he wants us to be.

I really do think God has brought another good group of people together into college this year - for his purposes.

The chat at Ruth and I had today with them was just real and honest - see my thoughts in previous Blog!

The overall thing to come out of it was that we as a community are all in this together and we need to spur each other on!

If there is anything I can do for ya please do not hesitate to get in touch - my email address is rferris281@gmail.com or post a wee message on the blog and either meself or gary will get back to you!

God bless and enjoy the summer!!!!

How time has flown

Taking a look through bebo and blog it is amazing how time flies

according by my bebo page 52 weeks ago

Gary wrote:

Hi Robert! Welcome to Bebo... Can't wait to welcome you to the 'joys' of CITC come September. We'll have to meet up soon - good to bump into you yesterday!

and today - i am sitting writting prayers for church tomorrow whilst waiting to chat to the new intake of first years - it really is amazing. Ruth Elmes and myself are chatting to them later this afternoon.

This has been a great chance to reflect and just see what would be good to talk about my ideas include :

College Life

· Chapel

o Varied mix (Sung compline, MP/EP 1&2, Worship, Community Euch)

o Trad.Hymns, Praise and Worship, Family Service

o Rota basis reading / leading service

o Community Meal

· Community life

o Year groups

§ Great craic this year

§ Worked well together – laughed / cried together

§ You are not competing with each other – some may understand thing you don’t

§ Sharing resources

o Events

§ Christmas Party

§ Year review

§ Community weekend

§ Football Matches

o Societies

§ College Fellowship

§ Dearmer Society

§ Marsh Society

o Within our year

§ Own Bible Study

§ Set aside time for prayer

o Others in college

§ Exchanges

§ Students

o Experiences

§ Living out

§ Living in

· Great fun

· You just need to get out sometimes – go for a walk, retail therapy, meal out

· Good neighbours! – doors open – come on in – within the bottom and top floors – kettles are on the boil

· At night – sitting with a cup of tea / hot chocolate in rooms chatting is where a lot of stuff is discussed!

· Placement – staying here 24/7 - Keeping in touch with home – mob / internet GT

o Workload

§ For all in college at the moment The workload is manageable

§ With essay deadlines – I think the rule is get it done and out of the road.

§ The other thing is that the lecturers – certainly the ones we have had this year – are not out to get you!

§ Laptop – Wireless internet!

o Classes

§ You can disagree with the lecturers! – certainly this we had various sometimes “heated” debates as well as friendly discussions over coffee.

o Finances

§ Living in – food supplied / Transport / Accomodation

· Coming down in September

o What to bring!

§ Kettle, Sense of Humor, openness to try new things (worship), buns, Veda

o Advice

§ Talk to people – there have been times this year when approaches to the bible, to the way situations have been handled or even actions of individuals have annoyed people. – The reality is that we are all a community – if you have a problem talk to a friend or remember that somebody in another year might have had a similar experience – go and have a chat with them. If you ask for it to be in confidence it should stay in confidence! – but to have somebody else look at the situation can be helpful

§ Mealtimes are great times to interact with the community – to share whats been happening

o Keep in touch

§ Email

§ Gary’s letter / chat

Wireless Electricity!

We have had wireless headphones, wireless internet - the next big thing seems to be going to be Wireless electricty

Check out http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6129460.stm - I read an article in the paper yesterday about it - so it might actually work!

it may tidy my room up a bit - well -ok thats more a miracle called for! - not sure if it will work in the acc bloc tho ;-)

Other funky pictures

Manchester

Glasgow

Dublin Glasgow

or

Update from Glasgow

Just now sitting in the departure lounge - ready for flight back to dublin.

Had a great day round the city - Pictures and report to follow. Glasgow is definately somewhere I want to come back to.

Made all the connections on time - even tho I left room at 5:30 this morning!!!

Robert

PS prestwick departure lounge is the pokiest one I have ever been in!

However for a 1p flight what more do you expect!!

Talking about travelling

Found an interesting site




Spain is a bit un representative as I only was in tenerife but there ya go still lots more to explore!

The Infrequent Blogger is back!

So there you have it - first year is over!
and there is no rest for the wicked!

In a bid to blog more this blogger is off over to the main land in the next couple of days to get some pictures and to generally chill out as well as begin to think about the summer and what I need to be thinking about in relation to Church, Zambia, Summer Madness and England as well as other things

Over the summer I am aiming to read a few books and have the chance to do some sermons.

so what is happening this week

Tues: in Dublin - reading and Writting maybe even blogging
Wed: off to Glasgow
Thurs: off to Manchester
Fri: Sleep in followed by a starbucks with Pam
Sat: the newbies are heading down to college so me and Ruth E are chatting to them about the realites of college
Sun: Crafty arty thing? and then up north
Mon: off to liverpool with Gary, Ruth W, Si G for the day

Then depending on what happens with talks and things heading back home to pack boxes and clear the roof space as we continue to prep for our move.

We have Summer Madness looming on the horizon and greenbelt at the end of the summer as well as alton towers, Badens Holiday Club.

Until tomorrow when I upload a photo diary of my day out!

Regards

RF

Preaching and prayer continued

In reading a book - prepared to preach it asks the question - that as we prepare - what should we be praying for:

• We ask God to lead us to the right bible books to expound scripture
  
• We pray for freedom from cultural or individual biases
  
• For eyes to see what the passage really teaches us
  
• We as the Holy Spirit to be our teacher
  
• We pray for faith to believe that God can speak to us and through us
  
• That our responses to his word will be squarely in keeping with his revealed will
  
• For insights and clarity when we are stuck
  
• for eyes to see faults in our expositions
  
• for patience as we labour
  
• for love for our listeners and joy in serving them
  
• We are asking for the Holy Spirits illumination
  

Lots of prayer's

God hears and answers prayers. Because preaching is speaking for and from God we can't really preach until we have heard from God. That won't happen until we pray and God opens our ears to hear his word.

Loads of stuff to complemplate and put into action

picking up the baton

As a subsequent posting from Gary's Blog - I concur with all he said.

Ali and myself are really looking forward to next years College Fellowship, and I also felt that Tuesday night set a tone which need to be built upon - enouraging each other in prayer.

More details and thoughts later on fellowship.

Robert