Welcome to my Blog

I am part of the team in St Petersburg, Russia - the new church plant that is Hope Church. (www.hopechurchstpetersburg.com)

As well as detailing our own personal journey, more so lately I've really seen the importance of recording information that I have learned over time, to be a resource for others, especially those going to City's, and in a cross-cultural setting.

I do not know how you came across my blog but I hope and pray that you go away encouraged - please keep in touch!

For details on our journey here, read the series called Adventures of Faith which is linked for you on the top of the left hand column, just below.
I've also done a series on Life & Times of a Pioneer, Mission Realities, A Growing Church, & Thoughts on a Church Planter in Russia, to name a few, please search for them below using the Google search.

Just search using any of these underlined phrases and you should find the entries - or look through the Blog Archive on the right below.
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Friday, May 20, 2011

The Ten Biggest Influences in my life: 9 - Gerald Coates

I've only actually been in one meeting where Gerald Coates was speaking, and of that, there was only about a four minute prayer that personally connected the two of us, but for what it opened up and how it made me more aware of the gifts of the Spirit, it means it's had an impact on my life.

I was 17 years old and at a large meeting in Bromley, Kent. It was 1997. Up to this point, I had been very aware of some of the gifts of the Spirit - I spoke in tongues, that was normal, as I'd grown up as a young child aware of this gift. I'm sure I was aware of the other gifts, but I don't think I was particular switched onto them. That all changed this night.

At the end of the meeting a great crowd of us went forward to receive prayer, maybe to respond to something. I can't really remember, but I was at the front somewhere, maybe about 6 rows of people back....it was a BIG crowd!

Gerald then brought two personal prophecies that night over the people standing in front of him - and one of those was over me. He said a few things about my life now - this got my attention "Hey, this guy knows what he's talking about as he's speaking right now to my heart!". And then he opened up some quite amazing stuff for the future (it's still just in the future....but just a couple of years left now....!), and overcome by the presence and reality of God in the situation, I feel down (someone caught me, thank God!!).

What it did was this.....suddenly I realised that God was interested in me personally and had things that I would do - a personal, individual calling. I know I loved God before then, I know I totally believed in him, but it was only after this night that I started to realise that I too could move in Spiritual gifts.

These would only start to flow in a little while though. Excited by what would happen in my future, I went away, waiting for that day that I too would start moving in the things of God like I had just seen Gerald do....that was until another encounter two years later with another Top Tenner....but that's to come later.....

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