Russian Traveller - Part 2 - Paris

It's Wednesday now. Nine days ago I was leaving Dublin, and on Saturday I was leaving again for Paris, going by train for what would be a much shorter, flying visit, there in fact for just about 36 hours, as I arrived at the flat of George & Gill Tee around 10pm on the Saturday night, leaving from there's for my return journey just after 10am on the Monday morning.

But what happened in the middle, mainly spent with people chatting, once again gave me a real taste of the city, an enjoyable flavour that is CVV Paris (the French translating into The Way, The Truth and The Life).

It was dark when I arrived on the Saturday, first having to make my way from the Gard De Nord train station that my Euro Star train had arrived at, going down 4 levels to the RER underground system. My French goes as far as hello, thanks and my name is...But I managed to buy a ticket, eventually find my way to the correct level and find myself on the right platform waiting for the train to come, that would take me the 6 stops I needed to get me to their flat.

These six stops, I was to learn, took me from one end of Paris to the other - Paris, to the French, is only the centre, which hosts about 2 million people. Anything beyond that is no longer Paris, something which I was to learn would have implications for the church plant I was there to visit.

For as good as the venue was last week in Dublin, my route into church here in Paris was as good in every way, as I joined George in his usual commute, on the bike. Paris has a wonderful network of these free bikes (free, once you've paid to have the key that releases the bike, and providing you use it for less than 30 minutes in one go). In the centre, there are bike stands every 1/4 mile, and George showed me how first he checks online that there are some bikes at the nearest stand, before also then checking that there are free spaces to put the bike into stands at the other end, two possible stands both having about 6 free spaces each. And off we went, along the dedicated cycle lanes for most of the twenty minute journey, sometimes on the road, but Paris at 9:30am on a Sunday really isn't that busy. The bike was good, if not simple, apart from the breaks being a little unhelpful in that they hardly slowed me down once we were going down a down-hill section..but I enjoyed it all and having parked it up, we walked the final hundred meters to the house (yes house) of one of the other leaders, where its been converted to seat somewhere around 60 people for the church to meet in down stairs.

They are a very warm and friendly people, as well as being an international bunch - I even met a Russian lady there, so was at least able to communicate in a language other that English, as my French is, well, not French! (I case you hadn't picked up on that already!)

Like St Petersburg, CVV Paris is two thirds natives, though similarly, the three leaders aren't themselves French. But there was clearly real strength in the church, within the crowd of I'm guessing 50+, there were just two babies, the rest all adults of various ages.

The meetings are done only in French (I had someone translate for me), and it did show me the advantage, if we can call it that, that comes from working in only the native language, and the leaders themselves being able to speak that language. George preached, having always preached there in French. It does help that most, if not all, of those non French people that moved to Paris in order to join the church plant, had at least a good grasp of the language before, if not were already fluent. Some had already lived in other parts of France, or French speaking countries before, which of course helps. French is much wider taught in schools in England than Russian is, but it certainly has helped them therefore, though there is always a lot to learn and clearly all the internationals have done well with their language since arriving in Paris.

But with the locals views on what makes up Paris, technically the meeting was just outside Paris and a little harder to get to for those not travelling in on bikes. While the venue offers great financial sense for the church (in that its owned by a leader and therefore there is no rental cost, as far as I was aware), it's location, coupled with the fact that they are now already filling the hall, means they will start to go through soon, no doubt, the phase of looking for a more central, and no doubt much more costly, venue.

Paris, like St Petersburg, is a very expensive city! And while those joining the church plant don't face the issues of visa's and therefore staying long term in the city they know God has led them too, the cost of renting is a mayor challenge for all no doubt. Thankfully, quite a few of those that I met who had moved to join the plant had also done so with jobs, so at least they have the income coming in, even if most of it does go straight back out again in rent.

As for the meeting itself, there was a real feel of the Spirit there, with prayers, words and prophecy all brought during the worship time. I enjoyed singing in French too, helped by some of the songs being ones I already knew in English.

There were three visitors in the meetings, not counting myself and two others from England visiting for the weekend. They don't properly advertise yet, as they are waiting for the authorities to rubber stamp the change of name, and yet people are coming, always a healthy sign for any church.

I spent my Sunday lunch with a young family who had moved from Leeds only about 5 months before, and it was great to meet them, encourage them and hear their story a little. They are making great in-roads with their neighbours.

They then drove me back through the city, showing me some of the sights in the process. Much of the city, especially along the river, reminds me of home, and I'm sure that's because so much of St Petersburg was based on Paris. That brought me back to the Tee's 5th floor flat, from which you could see the beam of light that spins around the Eiffel Tower at night, though the Tower itself, I was told, was only visible from the top floor.

Their flat, in a nice (& expensive therefore) part of the city over looks a park, which the RER train line runs through the middle. On Sunday morning the park was full of joggers, running in ones, twos and threes around the 1 mile outer footpath. There is a lake there also, and a waterfall, as I was to discover on a walk there on Monday morning, before I needed to get the train.

I pulled myself away from the park in fact - my thoughts were taking me to that rather unhelpful place that says "How Idyllic!" There is certainly something attractive with me about the thoughts of going jogging in the park & cycling around the city. But one can never forget where God wants you to be and in fact St Petersburg, if not the cycling, does offer most of the things Paris offers, if in its own style.

In conclusion - Both are big, sprawling cities, but Paris is very certain on it's centre and therefore what isn't Paris, while St Petersburg is very much all one city, with most people living on the edges and using the transport system, which must be the cheapest in Europe for any major city, to connect itself with the centre. Both are international, but its nice to see that in both churches it's the nationals, the 'locals', that make up most of the church. And in both settings there are capable nationals, able to step into, and in time take over, the local leadership of the churches.

The French do speak English, though want to speak French. So for CVV being one language works (especially when the leadership and most of the core team have very good French already). St Petersburg is very different in this area. I have said, though it'll be hard to actually know for sure, that if Hope Church only worked in Russian, we might see some of our Russian numbers dropping, as certainly for the student aged Russians, eager to practise and hear native English spoken, having the bilingual setting is actually a draw for them, as well as helping any internationals we might pick up on the way, who would struggle if it was all just in Russian.

But in Dublin, and now Paris, I've seen two other sides, two different shades to what makes a city church, and while I've written some things down now, I know that as the weeks go by, and our return home draws nearer, there will be further things that sink in, further understandings about what Hope Church is to become.....the lessons don't stop with my return to England....the relationships can just continue...each setting learning from the others as we each outwork the local church in the local way.

I've felt greatly honoured to have been able to make these trips and see the things I've seen. It's wonderful to have had this opportunity, which I thank God for as well as the great team that has backed us so well in St Petersburg.

From now on, it's trips up and down the UK...different settings again, where I'm eager and honoured to once again learn from mission minded pioneers, working away in the places God has sent them too, each person bringing their own colour to the tapestry that is God's Global Church.

More Lord! Let me be a blessing to all I see!

Russian Traveller - Part 1 - Dublin

As I've already detailed, so no need to go over the reasons again, I'm back in the UK for these next few months, awaiting the arrival of our second child.

And one of the things that was always the plan to do was for me to visit some settings that would teach me, and Hope Church, things about the months and years ahead.

Well, these trips have started and yesterday I got back from 4 great nights in Dublin, staying with friends Pete & Michelle Foster, a wonderful, faithful family. Their church, Saoirse (pronounced Seer Sha = 'Freedom' in Gaelic) has been going around 9 months longer that Hope Church, its Leader, Chris Vincent, now having been in Dublin for just under two years.

Pete & Michelle moved just two weeks before we did so it was great to be able to encourage them in every way as they have made their new life, doing so well at it, in Dublin.

So what reflections do I have from having visited this first setting? The city is a lot smaller, as I knew it would be, though the centre did remind me, on a much smaller scale, of parts of St Petersburg, as the river runs through it. There were a lot of beggars too on all the bridges, which was a surprise.

But unlike St Petersburg, as I was to find out, and what Chris Vincent found out in his first few months in the city, the people are not very focused on the centre, but on the out of town areas, the suburbs where all the housing is.

In fact, all of the team that moved over from the UK to join the plant, they are all not that far from where the church meet, in a smart Country Club, which is just on the edge of the city limits. The housing around there is certainly nice - parts of Dublin, it seems, offer a very good standard of life, even if it does come at quite a high cost.

But when they came to the city, the expectancy was for a city centre church. It was interesting to see how culture and local experience has come into play as they set out with the church. And I'm using the church word, but in a country where 'church' has meant lots of things, this is a word that isn't at first very obvious in any of the Saoirse information. Their Sunday gatherings, indeed, are called Bread.

It was encouraging to see how they have been perceptive with their surroundings, with their culture and the one million people that make up Ireland's capital city. They haven't done in with a pattern that they've used elsewhere before, in England, where they have largely had their previous experiences. They have wanted to love the city, first getting to know the city, so as to best know how to serve the city for the long term.

Certainly, it was clear to me within 30 minutes of arrival at Dublin's airport, there are many nations in Dublin, people from all over the world either visiting, or coming home - Dublin, it appears, is very much on the international map.

Their Sunday afternoon gathering, Bread, was warm and welcoming, their current venue, the country club, would certainly be in the Premier League for Sunday venues, if there ever existed such a thing, though I'm sure they won't be there that long, as they continue to make moves based on experience and the Spirit, which their history has shown them faithful in doing.

There were about 5 nationalities present on the Sunday, at least the ones I was aware of, from Australia and South Africa and Congo - to the British and of course Irish. It was a family, it was warm, welcoming and Spirit led. There was time for ministry, for prayer. Though the church is only young, there are good signs of health. And non so more than their leader, Chris, who leads by his heart, with passion for his people.

Having spent a couple of hours with him on Sunday morning, his unique approach to things was summed up by his opening question to me when he suddenly asked "So tell me, who is Tim?" I need say no more on that one here....you of course have been hearing my heart for a while now anyway...lol

And I want to finish on the Foster's, my wonderful hosts with their two beautiful children. I had not seen them in person since about April 2001, though I've always kept in touch with them, as they just seemed to always be in my mind - a quality couple. And the biggest thing was that having spent so much time with them, the feelings are grounded and true - they are Solid Gold and I told them so!

Whether this is a new role for me showing its head in these early days or not, I do not know. Travelling to cities, encouraging those that have gone as part of bigger teams - listening to them, praying for them, being there for them - seeing their world. It was a great honour. Maybe it's just these next few months, but I hope not. I loved it and am so thankful to have been able to connect in this way with not only the church plant, but with the lives of those I did. It was good to reconnect with Justin Pride, who I had not realised had moved out there, having known him from my Sidcup days.

So things went really well - it's Paris on Saturday next up...so more on that next week.

Until then, keep safe!

Changing season through the changing seasons..

I write this entry from a snowy place, but its not St Petersburg (which is currently also snowy!) but Oxford.

We are back in the UK for a few months as we prepare for the birth of our second child, due at the end of next month. So personally its a changing season for us. To be away from home for 4 months is a long time. To have seen how the church was growing since the September launch, to now only be looking in from afar, is tough. But we have come back different people to England this time. We've come from a real base church in Russia. We are very much part of something, that has in itself secured us in, like we have never known before.

I'm continually honoured to be part of such a great team in Dave and Hansie, and these last four months have seen us growing much closer together as we've been working through what it takes to get a new church off the ground in Russia. It's been great fun and a lot of work all at the same time!

And now in England, with the changing weather and their worst winter in 40 years, we get the snow that we thought we'd miss in Russia. Of course, here snow has a bigger impact. Things close, such as businesses and schools, travel is hard, airports even close, none of which happen in Russia.

While back, and before it gets too near to the due date for the little new arrival, I am travelling a little on behalf of Hope Church, learning as much as I can from the various settings I'll be going to, in order to take this information back with me to Russia, which we hope will help us through the next seasons of church life.

My travels start tomorrow with a trip, weather permitting, to Dublin, where there is a church that was started about a year or two before Hope Church, which will give some insight into what we might expect a little further down the line. Then the following weekend, having spent 4 nights in Dublin, I'm getting the train to Paris to spend 2 nights at the church plant there that was probably planted just a year before Hope Church. Paris is a similar size and style city to St Petersburg, and though they are not dual language, I think it's a great opportunity, and honour, to learn from these great pioneers who are working away in these two locations.

At the beginning of February I'll be returning back north to Manchester, where I'll cover a few places including spending a day in Leeds with Matt Hatch and his team, seeing how they do their Missional Groups, which is something we've started in Hope Church as well. I'll also be sharing a little at Stockport Family Church on the morning of the 7th and then at Church in the Peak, Matlock, in the evening - and then it's possible I'm travelling to Cardiff on the 8th, though that's not known yet.

If Cardiff is not happening then, I will probably be heading to London, to Sidcup, to meet up with four groups over that week before heading back to Oxford on or around the evening of the 14th. But more on this trip I guess later.

While in the UK though I continue to work for Hope Church, which is exciting. I chatted for 45 minutes yesterday with Dave, who was happy to give me a pages worth of stuff to get stuck into, just as if I was sitting next to him in our office in Russia! I've been remote working for 15 months already with my old job, so it's not as if I'm not used to it after all!

So in summary, how does it feel to be back in the UK? Compared to the summer, which was our first trip back, it feels great. We feel secure, part of something, representing the church in St Petersburg to everyone we meet in the UK, no longer just a personal thing but a corporate thing. Personally, I have a lot of ownership with the church plant, which is great. We hope to travel back at the beginning of April so that we can be part of the Mobilise Team that arrives on the 2nd. Whether we do or not is very much up in the air, as it requires quite a lot to happen for this to even be possible.

Over the next few weeks though, we do have to finalise what we are thinking about in regards our visa's, and whether I go the teaching route or not. Our support also stops in July 2010, so this is something else we are also thinking and praying about! Please pray with us!

Blessings and thanks for reading - I expect I'll be updating things here regularly while based here in Oxford, of which I am using a desk in the office of the New Frontiers Oxford church, Emmanuel Church, for which I am very grateful.

Until next time....Tim

Further thoughts of a church planter in Russia

These last two weeks have taught me quite a lot about myself, pushing me further on, leaving my comfort zone somewhere back in October.....so I thought it'd be a good time to write something, seeing as I've got a little time right now and it won't stay like that for long!

Last week was a week of firsts - firstly, I played football in Russia for the first time. Now, clearly, playing football doesn't sound that scary, but get this. I was going on my own (out of anyone else who spoke English!), going somewhere I hadn't been before, playing in a hall that I didn't know, and therefore was unclear on what could or couldn't be done. All of this I would just have to pick up on the spot. Then there is the issue of language, though football is a little more universal.

Apart from it being a tiring time, it was good and I went back again this week feeling a lot more confident that now I knew what I was doing.

Also last week I was covering for Hansie who was away, and therefore got to teach my first English class. While I was expecting there to be 4 people, it actually turned out to be a class of 7, with two of the ladies there for their first English lesson...ever!

Ninety minutes later I had made it through. My 'students' seemed to enjoy it. I think it helps that I'm also learning Russian so I know what it feels like to be in class and not understanding much! Someone who seemed to be in charge then took my number, and in rather fast Russian, seemed to say about me teaching a second group of students...but no call to date (or the time to actually fit it in) so I don't think anything will come of that, for now. And besides, I'm back in England 5 weeks today anyway.

And then last Sunday morning, I was preaching for the first time at Hope Church, it also being my first preach in Russia. And because it was a prophetic message that had been growing in me for three weeks, I was also therefore trying to birth this thing into the church, speaking on a culture of honour, which I have previously written about. It was made easier though on two counts - firstly, preaching with a translator has one great advantage. Every 20 seconds you get a break, so that I could scan my notes for the next bit, while all eyes were on the translator, before continuing, without looking at my notes, to make a much more free-flowing preach.

The other thing that made it easier was that because it was something I knew God wanted to bring, my part was just bringing the subject to the table. It was God's job to then do His work in our hearts so that we all receive directly from Him what He wanted to impart in the first place.

And one immediate outworking of the talk was that when it came to serving the lunch after, service being one of the things touched upon in the preach, there was a noticeable crowd in the kitchen last week all helping.

And then, as if not tired enough already, we had our first family meeting in the evening, inviting all those that saw Hope Church as their home church to come along to break bread together, as well as be caught up on news and inspired with our visions for the future. It was a great time, if not a long meeting, and Dave, Hansie & I all took it in turns to speak on different parts, modelling team leadership as is our style.

Life does seem to happen so fast that it takes certain moments when you stop and wonder at the glory God is doing in your life. It's been a week already since this all happened, another Sunday morning tomorrow and some more firsts, no doubt. We will try and work more as a three on Sunday mornings, which having spoken last week, I should find easier to do. I'm talking about the offering tomorrow, trying something new because up to now, it's been something we've put in the corner and asked people to contribute to. I feel already God wanting to speak about generosity so I will prepare my 3 minutes along those lines - how God has first been generous with us (Love, Time, Patience, Money...) so that we can be generous with Him.

But in these times, once on Monday night this week at football, and then again in our new office, I had one of those check points that just says "Wow God - you are awesome!"

Because to be standing in a hall with many Russian men, playing football but not understanding their language. Being in a country so different, in a city so far from my roots. It makes me marvel at what God is capable off. And then again on Tuesday this week, when we were loading the brand new Ikea furniture into the office we have got, to think "Wow, now we have an office in the middle of the city....God is Good!" We had our first team meeting there yesterday afternoon (we usually meet Monday mornings, but getting delayed until last thing on a Friday is just a little example of how life goes here!) It'll serve us all well I think.

Of course, in all this, it is a very busy season. In someways, at such an early stage in the church plant, there is just no way around it. We've had 10 Sundays already since the launch in early September, and its been 10 consistent weeks of just pressing in, pushing on, getting on with the job. Working usually 7 days, my end in sight being the trip back to England 5 weeks today for me, when I'll be taking the Christmas & New Year period as a long needed holiday. Lately I've been hitting the start of every new week just a little more tired than I was the same time the week before. But I know I get to rest soon so I'm not too concerned health wise. But it is a real hazard for people going through this kind of situation, and something you should be aware off. Every situation is of course different as well.

But God is great and doing many amazing things here in St Petersburg. This next season looks to be very exciting, and for my family to be in England during that time will be a little hard as I know some important months are approaching for the church here which will be exciting for all concerned. Of course, there are things I'll be doing in the UK that will benefit all in the longer term, so my eyes will soon adjust to that, but not before I leave, as there is much more to fit into these next five weeks, including the final version of our promotion church DVD and the website, which we also hope will be finished before Christmas (and therefore before I've left).

Every blessing to you where ever you are based, in whatever stage of the journey you are on.

Until next time, be blessed!

Blogging on experiencing the 'Am I Crazies'

As a writer, I am very aware of the phrase "Am I Crazy" which goes hand in hand with all writers as they look to develop their career and get their first book(s) published.

One popular agent actually coined the phrase the "Am I Crazies" which for an author goes into all those things we constantly question - should I be writing, should I be giving all this time to writing...what's the point?!"

Well, as I've been going through my own dose of the Am I Crazies this week with my own novel, I came to realise today that for our life in Russia, the phrase also applies to what we are doing here...so it's on two counts that I'm asking am I actually crazy?!

Now, before I really explore this topic, I must point out that it is quite different in one regard...in mission, it's all about following God and therefore nothing is worthless or without reward. But just as God is in my writing and yet I still have those thoughts, I thought it would be useful to write down what the thoughts are in relation to mission situations when you just get to the point and ask: Am I Crazy?

Picture the situation, if you will. You are not salaried for any particular job, there is no actual job description. You are thrown into a world who's language you don't understand, in a culture so different from your own. Your 'career' path is scrapped, so are your close friendships (yes, email and Skype help keep these ticking over, but it's a different relationship from now on). You work in such a way that sees what you do increase but with no guarantees in regard your own involvement in 6 months time. Truly, are you crazy after all??!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a major moan about things, just some general thoughts. It might help others going through similar things, for example, which is largely why I write anything at all. I want others to feel encouraged in their settings, knowing that the things they are feeling are not unusual, that they are no different from the rest of us, and therefore helping them to come through those times. Because believe me, they come to us all.

The reality of not being salaried to do what we do is that you actually do so much more than you would otherwise do. You do everything, because there's no guidelines as to where you stop. If, for example, the money my family got in through support was actually my salary to work for Hope church here in St Petersburg, then it would radically transform my week. As is it I work nearly full time for the church, but do several other part time 'jobs' as well, plus studies in Russian, household jobs, being a father and being a good husband. But if I worked full time for the church as a salaried member of staff (very Western thinking, the reality is at the moment in Russia that as a foreigner I can not earn a salary from a church), then within the working week would be sections of time that are taken off, so as to give you a couple of days off a week.

Now, the reality is that most of the core team is working 6 or more days a week. Usually 7.

And God is doing so much, that as our team has grown, we've seen our responsibilities grow with it and so we've developed systems, moving in our strengths, going along a path that in six months, when our funding runs out, we might not be able to be involved in. Crazy!

Again, hear me right. Living by faith throws you onto God and I'm not therefore suggesting I'd rather be salaried (as I've said, this wouldn't be very possible here in Russia anyway). It would be good to know a little more on the longer term financial support we are getting though, but it's such a hard one to approach. What is the way through?

I guess on one level it always remains that we are here, now, in the timing of God and at any moment He could move us on, move us back, retire us from the game. We have to live with that, it's His call after all and what we do in the here and now is a major honour, and nothing to be taken in any way as our due. It's a great privilege and nothing of our own doing as if we could have a claim on anything.

It's God who brings the finance in after all, and if anyone should have learnt this lesson, it's us, because He did so much in this regard before our coming here, we know that if those near us can't help, even strangers can give massively!

So maybe it's futile to think about the ongoing support but just to thank God that today there is the cash available to live.

What is a struggle though at first, and something that is always there while living through this kind of situation, is the guilt and pressure around use of time etc, which is probably what drives you to work much more than you would, or maybe should! (We all have busy seasons, times when we just have to press through and get through them, but what I'm talking about here is when the constant is 7 days a week without a weekend, without the prospect, or money, for holiday's etc that otherwise would break the routine every so often).

Another question I keep hearing asked in this situation (usually from myself!) is "What is my role?" I guess this is due to the lack of job description, but is probably worked out in the first three years I would imagine (says the guy who's only 15 months through the process with no signs of the end coming up)! In that time, you've learnt enough of the busy, mismatched routine that is non-routined mission life, to start to see what you can do and how it is working out.

So let me speak out the truths once and for all (for me as much as anyone);

You are NOT crazy to invest all your time into something that you may not be able to be apart of in 6 months time, because you are doing it for God and the investment is eternal.

You are NOT crazy to live in a life of no routine, because you've been obedient to God in the first place by moving to where He's asked you to, and God loves obedience.

You are NOT crazy to have wrecked your career by moving abroad, because career is not a biblical word, and besides, God is bigger than any job or any situation that would stop you getting an even better 'career' further down the path, if that is His will.

You are NOT crazy to be in a situation that you feel so alienated in, because you've been obedient - and did I say that God LOVES OBEDIENCE!

It's just a simple truth - you are not CRAZY! Maybe THIS is normal life after all...normal Christian life...and maybe it's crazy to not be doing what your doing. It's certainly crazy to not do something God has told you to do.

Now there's food for thought.

To all my mission brothers and sisters around the world (remember - mission is notgeographical: its a mindset!) - be blessed today!

Life in Russia - the week that was...

Another week has past, and instead of spending time to keep writing my second novel, I'm finding I want to write here a bit first instead. Maybe I won't get to writing anything else today anyway?

It's been another normal, unpredictable and busy week in Russia.

Last Sunday morning, due to a combination of different things, we saw 62 people at our morning meeting. These included 50 adults! Twenty up on the week before. Numbers were up so much (bearing in mind its only our 8th Sunday morning meeting since starting in September) because Nadia, our translator, was announcing her engagement, which brought in 8 visitors. Also, another church were not able to meet on Sunday so a crowd of about 15 turned up to ours...plus we had 7 visitors of our own not related to these two other groups. So we ran out of chairs and space very quickly. Oh Lord, what joy it is to serve you!

Last weekend we also helped host the church in Kolpena through two evenings, once on Saturday for a seminar on the prophetic and then at their church meeting on Sunday evening, where we were able to pray for many sick people and had a few of them give testimony there and then on the spot, saying that power or heat had passed through their bodies! Amen, more Lord.

It was a great time of seeing what God was doing, all the same time as I was realising that it's the work of the Holy Spirit that is so vital, and nothing from ourselves. As I was standing on the main doors on Sunday morning, welcoming people in, in the moments between anyone arriving (there were lots as I'm there for 30 minutes) I was just singing the phrase "It's all about Jesus!"

It's so hard to keep dying to yourself, to keep laying down your dreams, hopes, abilities even. To serve in such a way that just allows Jesus through the Holy Spirit to meet directly with the people you are reaching, because what they most need IS Jesus....not you! So when things were going wrong in the set up on Sunday, when I couldn't load the presentation onto the computer that I'd been working on in the week and it made me frustrated, I had to come back to the thoughts that its just about Jesus.

I soon face a long time out of Russia as we travel back to England to have our second (& last!) child before returning home to Russia in April 2010. The thought of being away for so long is hard. It also reminds me of the fact that its not my work, but God's. We've invested so much here already, that to leave for a season you can tend to feel things are linked to you in someway. And while relationally that is indeed the case, the mantle for His church in St Petersburg has always been God's, and therefore nothing is changing in that regard, as God is going nowhere! And thank God for that!

Next week is set to be a week of a couple of 'firsts'. On Thursday, I am teaching my first English class, having sat in with Hansie last Thursday in preparation for covering his class this coming week while he is away. It'll be a good experience but pushes me out my comfort zone. And then next Sunday, even more out my comfort zone, I'm preaching for the first time at Hope church and in Russia! Agh!

Dave Henson has likened preachers bringing 'beef steaks' when they have preached in the past. I do fear more about being just a side salad! But yet again, thank goodness it's not about me! All I intend to bring next week is the wrapping paper. I can bring words, bring description, explain things, but I'm only ever going to be the wrapping paper, and if God doesn't turn up in power to confirm the word I felt He put on my heart, then it'll be wrapping paper WITHOUT a present in the middle! The Holy Spirit is the one who'll bring the gift, so my prayers and planning this week are going to focus very much on asking God to be there in power next Sunday, so that He does a work in the hearts of those there that I just will not be able to do.

I've had a hard week Russian wise....actually, I've probably had a hard week in general. But I seemed to hit a point on Wednesday when it felt like my brick tower of understanding came crashing down so that I forgot it all rather than just the last brick. It all seemed muddled up. The teacher then suggested a different approach, which does seem to be helping, so that Thursday lesson was a lot better. But I feel under attack. The enemy certainly wants to over load me. If it's not through my Russian (or lack of..), it's about my writing. Or if not through that he's throwing temptation my way, so much that I have to swim through the stuff sometimes.

All these things remind me therefore of the fact that God is doing something right, and very powerful, in St Petersburg. With this, and with his amazing help, I can push through, stand my ground, and see the enemy flee.

I'm not really sure that much what this post has been about? It's a muddled entry on various things, but that reflects life in Russia, where routine, or even normality, is a thing you leave at the airport (eg Heathrow) on your way out because they just don't function in the same way here...so you just kind of need to get used to it....which you never can, because its never the same....lol...it's kind of just acknowledging that an unroutined, changing lifestyle is actually the normal standard routine...if that makes any sense.

Oh well, I've had my time and think I've not said very much. Be blessed anyway, Tim.

Further thoughts of a church planter in Russia

My favourite meeting of the week is definitely the Sunday night prayer meeting which has come under my responsibility to run, which I'm more than happy too anyway! (It also helps me contribute to things as the team do so well on Sunday mornings...at least I'm doing something public!)

Anyway, at last weeks meeting, I went with something I knew God had put on my heart to bring...but I never felt the time was right to share it as God seemed to be doing something altogether more personal. And so it turned out.

But what it did leave me with was the subject of my first preach at Hope church - my first preach in Russia! And it's therefore going to be the theme of this entry, as I still work through my thinking's of what God has laid upon my heart to bring.

I was reminded of the verses about the harvest being plentiful but the workers few - and pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest for workers.

Last Sunday was again one of those pivotal times (we seem to keep getting lots of these, like we're going through years of experience in just weeks!). On Sundays alone, for example, there are just so many jobs to do....and the same few tiring people that have been doing these sames jobs over these initial 7 weeks. The honeymoon period is well and truly over! Last week, for the first time in a way, I saw that these workers the Bible talks about, doesn't just mean amazing reaping evangelists that come into the white harvest fields and see 100 people saved in a weekend. But these workers for the harvest include people to make lunches, to buy the food, to set up the PA, to put out the chairs, to count the offering, to help with the children's work, to make cups of tea, to do the washing up, to pack away the hall, to welcome people, to count the numbers, to take contact details.....for a CHURCH that together will reap a harvest. Why had I always thought it was different?

But then, and the main thing that I was going to pray into at the prayer meeting, was that through a culture of honouring one another we'd see these people coming in. That honour was the carpet, so to speak, for these workers to be added. And it is in relation to seeing a culture of honour breaking out within the church that I will be speaking to the whole church plant.

Bethal Church in Redding, California, are great on this and I've therefore been wise in starting my research there.

Quite what it is that I've felt, it's hard to say, but honour it seems is in two waves. Firstly, as we honour and encourage those working with us already, it help breeds a culture of service as well, where people who are honoured are released into even more, which will help grow the church as visitors are hit with something so different to the culture around them. And then there is also the honouring that Bethal really understand, an honouring of all people, not because of what they are or what they've done, but because of the fact they are made in the image of God and they honour the Christ in them, seeing through even personality difficulties and difference of opinions. That takes quite a lot of grace, but its a culture that brings life, freedom and growth - so its therefore a culture I want with all my heart for us too here in St Petersburg.

Honour releases people, it raises people. It leaves them feeling blessed as it allows all the things that God has put inside of them to come out and grow. I want to make sure that the things God places in people grows! Yes Lord, grow these things the most!

Honour isn't jealous. It wants the best for people, even if it means seeing people go way beyond you even dreamed for yourself. Without honour, you're just holding people back!

To quote Matt Gonzales in his honor (American!) based blog mattgonzales.wordpress.com he says;

"The world's view is to honor those who deserve it, earn it or those we want something from - its therefore a temporal & conditional viewpoint. It's not kingdom honor though - 1 Peter 2:17

Honor ALL people.

How can we honor those that have hurt or abandoned us or give it to people we don't like or with different views?

When we release honor, we are saying I am not letting my disagreements with you or your character defects control me. I have standards that will not be removed regardless of our disagreements and what you may have done to me. It will not control who I am.

We can think to not honor is to protect us but it does the opposite. It allows the person we feel we cannot honor to control who we are.

We don't honor people because they are honorable but because WE are honorable.

Honor does not mean we agree with what they said or did to us. It just means we have a standard in our heart & we value them as a person created in the image & likeness of God. By honoring all people, we are drawing the goodness God hid inside of them."

I think understanding a lot of this is to understand the Bethal culture of honour. And notice I'm spelling honour correctly again now, even if google doesn't agree. The American language takes the 'U' out of the word - but I like the fact we keep it in - so it means that Honor + U (you!) = Honour!

So I hope to share this in November at Hope church, if I get the chance. Maybe my thoughts will continue to form, but like always with me I feel just as strongly that it's going to be more a prophetic act to release a culture, than just about what I say with my mouth. I hope so anyway. I'm sure what I say will not compare to the fruit that will come from the Spirit of God coming in confirmation power, releasing hearts to honour one another as people learn directly from God what it is to genuinely honour each other.

So come Lord - break open the heavens. Help us to genuinely honour one another just the way you have made us to. It'll be great - but I need you Lord so very much to help me bring this message across well.