After reading the following, my husband said, ‘you’re dangerous when you wake up early!’ On the day I wrote this, I had woken up at 6.15am. It seems to be the time that I write. It came from my heart but you need to know, before you carry on, it won’t tickle your ears or make you feel all fluffy inside….. Read at your own risk!

The word, ‘Christian’ has so many meanings… Anyone can call himself or herself one and they do…. Film stars or sports stars and even well meaning people can say that they are Christians especially when they go into hospital and get asked the question, what religion are you? (That’s if they still ask the question!). The question I want to ask in this blog is what is one?? Jesus gave us the answer – he said ‘you must be born again’ how do you do that? You believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and, the Bible tells us, you will be saved. In one sense, although that can seem hard especially for a person who feels unworthy or useless, it’s the easy part of the decision. Once you’ve made that decision, all hell can break loose against you! Why? Because now you have an enemy who wants to make sure that your life is a disaster and he will try all kinds of things to get that to happen – he is a clever cookie. The very good news is, he can do nothing about your salvation – the decision you made to become a Christian – no matter what happens after that point, means that when you die, you will go to heaven! What a gift he gives! BUT, the evil one can most certainly nullify your Christian life so that not only do you not maximise your life on earth, but also you do nothing to help the cause of Christ on earth either. You ‘sit around’ and wait to die!

I’m addressing the following part to those who really have made that decision to follow Christ. (If you haven’t and you want to, nothing would give me more pleasure than to help you do that, contact me) It’s time to wake up! Saying you’re a Christian, filling in petitions against things that are not going away, demonstrating against things that are not going away, in themselves, is no longer enough. People are not interested. What they need to see is the gospel working in lives in such an incredible way, that they have no choice but to admire it – then there’s a chance they will listen to our protests – but not until!

Saying you believe is not enough. What you really believe is what you DO not what you SAY.

Why don’t Christians, generally speaking, you might be one that does, go to prayer meetings, church regularly, house groups, life changing weekends or conferences? Why don’t Christians spend more than 5 minutes a day in the word or prayer – answer? because they don’t really believe the message. That’s controversial I know but it’s the truth. If we really believed that God answered prayer, that we can have what his word says, that good, solid teaching can intervene in life, (I appreciate you may be in a church that doesn’t deliver solid teaching – I will write on this next!), then our churches would be fuller and backsliding would NEVER happen. Fact is, we don’t really believe it…

John 15:7 says, ‘If you remain in me and my word remains in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you!!’

Have you got any wishes? I know that you have. How do you get them? You remain in him and his word remains in you. In other words, you spend enough time in the word to know what it says but you also take the time to put those words into practice! They won’t just happen just because you’re a Christian. If they did, we would all be walking around in health, strength, prosperity (the state of thriving not just money! But money is included!) On the money thing, it is no blessing to be poor!! Just ask the average Tanzanian! But if you have a problem with being rich, then please get rich anyway and give it away!! You cannot do ministry without money! God help us! Rant over…

Well nearly over! I was at a conference recently and I was talking to a lady who told me about someone in her church who hadn’t read her Bible for 50 Years!! I shake my head as I write! What hope is there if we don’t even read the instruction manual? There is a statistic that says that only 20% of Christians read their Bible every day. Again, I have to say that this is because we don’t really believe it has the power to change our life.

The reason for this blog came out of a house group recently. Someone asked the question, ‘why aren’t more people here taking advantage of this teaching?’ Some had genuine reasons I’m sure but, for most, my answer would be this: For those who could be here and are not, it is because they don’t really believe it can change their life!’ Controversial? I don’t know but what I do know is, if the church doesn’t pull its socks up soon, we may not have a church we can freely go to in 50 years time…..If that’s you, can I be frank? For God’s and the UK’s sake, get off your backsides and get in the trenches! We need you!

When you go away for a holiday, you usually go for 2 weeks – 3, if you’re lucky. Depending on where you go, you can put up with different food, climate, toilets, language, insects etc…. because you know that within 2 weeks, you’ll be back to all the comforts of home… Moving to a different country is a different ball game! As our trip, draws to a close (29th March, we’ll be leaving for the UK), you start to think about the things you’ve missed and the things you’re looking forward to having back in your life. Of course, when I talk about things, I don’t mean friends and family… they are in your thoughts EVERY day especially your kids. That is the hardest thing about being away for sure!! You miss birthdays, anniversaries etc… it’s hard…. But, if I’m honest,  you do also miss things – yes, you can live without them but its better if you don’t have to isn’t it? 

So, the things I miss are a bath! Next time you have one, think about what it would be like if you couldn’t have one…. candles, book maybe a glass of wine…..aaaah! (not long now Deb!!) I miss roast dinners: chicken, vegetables, gravy, yorkshire puddings…. I can smell it as I write! Fajitas! One of my favourite foods! I miss drinking straight from the tap and I miss really nice cheese! Although it is getting better out here for that now…. I miss texting or phoning who I want and when I want. I have Viber, Whatsapp and Face book etc… which has made communication so much easier.. but what about those friends who don’t have any of those things.. how are they doing? 

One of the other things I discovered, I really miss is singing! I love to sing and for those of you who know me, know that’s true. I have my iPhone and when it gets desperate, I plug in my headphones and sing to my heart’s content (sorry for those who are around at the time!) I don’t think there’s many things worse than someone singing loud and they’re the only ones who can hear the music!

Let me take it to another level, the level that urged me to write this blog. I REALLY miss singing praise and worship! We’ve only been to one English service since we’ve been here, all the others have been Swahili and, whilst you can enjoy the dancing, the beat, the LOUD music and sometimes out of tune singing, it’s not the same as singing Michael W Smith or Darlene, Chris Tomlin or Matt Redman at the top of your lungs! I was recently having one of those times – walking and singing (I’m sure a bit too loud!) and just loving singing the songs of the above mentioned worship leaders – it was fabulous. So, I felt that I should write to you to ask you when was the last time you said thank you to your worship team (if you have one!) Have you appreciated them lately? I am a worship leader and, within 3 weeks, I will be back doing just that – I’m really looking forward to it because I’ll be able to sing songs that I understand and also lead others in those songs. Being a worship leader is a privileged position that shouldn’t be taken for granted by either the worship leader or the congregation.  

The longest I have ever gone without a joint worship experience was when we lived here in 1998 and didn’t go home for 2 years! We went to our national conference back in the UK and I sat, or rather danced, with my good friend Trish who was a missionary in Ghana and I thought I was in heaven! It was great! Music is a gift from heaven, singing is great – if you like that kind of thing. Worshipping in a lively church with friends and family is special – don’t take it for granted. 

Have a great Sunday! – and say thanks to those who will lead you! 

If you’d like to keep up with our news, you can sign up on http://www.agapelife.co.uk

Also, below is the link to the book I’ve written which tells of my story so far! 

I read an article recently about a parent who was training their child to sit in church due to the fact that there wasn’t a programme for her child’s age group. It was a great article. She had to take the child out on occasion but she wouldn’t let him/her run around as if leaving the service was freedom! Great parenting requiring much patience! Well done to that mum! Not sure I could have done it!

I was reminded of the particular article whilst in church in Tanzania and it inspired me to write this blog!

If you’ve ever been to Africa, the 1 hour hymn – prayer sandwich service doesn’t exist! Meetings go for 3 hours and that’s being conservative!

The kids in the church that we were in recently sat on the two front rows. They sang, danced, clapped and closed their eyes when someone was praying. Out of around 15 children, probably 2 of them moved out of their seats. They were no toilet breaks, no drinks (and it was boiling!) and no biscuits, no crèche or Sunday school. (Sunday school happens at another time)

When the time for the sermon came, still they sat! And then, the head of Elim was in the meeting with a special announcement and he spoke for at least another half hour and still they sat! Finally the 5th choir performance came and we were almost at three hours…Were they bored? Hard to tell. I don’t know if African kids even know the word ‘bored!’ but still they never moved.

The UK has created a society that entertains children wherever
they go. Playgrounds in restaurants, kids menus, shopping trolleys shaped as cars, crèches for parents to leave kids so frazzled mums and dads can shop in peace. We’ve got portable DVD players in cars, Kids meals, Kids’ iPads so that when in a restaurant, they can be entertained and so on and so on and so on….. What’s it going to be like in another 20 years?

What about child locks on cupboards? I remember my mum commenting on this and it stuck with me. She said, when you were little, we just had to watch you and train you to not go in the cupboards or near the fire. In other words, I had to learn, ‘no.’

Some churches have amazing kids’ programmes!! Many of our children don’t ever go into the main service anymore so they don’t have to learn to sit.

Before you think about throwing stones at me, hang on! I’m a mum and have used most of the above things and the only reason I haven’t used all of them is because they didn’t exist when my kids were little! 9 hour journeys in Africa – would I have had a portable DVD player??? YOU BET!!

What needs thinking about though is this: if all those things were taken away from your kids, could you take your child to church, shopping, to eat out etc and they would know how to behave without the relevant ‘entertainment?’ What happens when you say ‘no’ to your child? Do they accept your ‘no’ or do they perform their manipulation in whatever form they’ve learned until your ‘no’ turns to ‘yes!’ Maybe you never even say ‘no’ just to keep the peace. If you never say ‘no’ to a child, you’re not loving them properly.

In some schools in the USA now teachers aren’t allowed to say ‘no’ to children! If a child hits another, the teacher says to the kid that did the hitting, ‘how did that make you feel?!?!’ God help us……(maybe it’s similar in the UK -I don’t know)

As adults, we crave instant gratification. Fast food, microwaves, drive through petrol, grocery delivery…whatever you want, good or bad, you can get it fast…. Good or bad, at the touch of a button, it’s yours. So there is little wonder our kids want the same.

I am absolutely for kids’ church, Sunday school, youth programmes, crèches and so on (I’ve done them all!) I grew up going to Sunday school. In some of the churches my dad pastored, it was on a Sunday afternoon and so me and brother had to sit still in church. Kids can gain great benefits from being taught in a way that suits their age. I am not against it.

And I don’t think that kids in the UK or Africa should have to sit through a 3 hour service where there is nothing relevant to them but the point I want to make is that in Africa, kids can.

It’s worth thinking about….

On a hot Summers day in 1998, we left the shores of the UK with a 6 and 7 year old – we were on a one way ticket to Tanzania. We had no clue what we were going in to. John and I had visited just once before for a fortnight back in 1997. There was a lot to handle in those long two weeks – and when we came back, we said we would NEVER return to Africa! Thank goodness God doesn’t listen to our emotions!!

We lived there, as a family for two and a half years, we didn’t see the UK for two! After a serious heart problem in John, a very dark time ensued for us as a family and we wondered how we would ever come out of it… Eventually we were told we would never be able to go back to Africa. This broke our hearts… We had grown to love it.  Thank goodness God doesn’t listen to man’s decisions!!

We have all been back to Africa dozens of times since we left – it never leaves you. 

Today, 28th January, a cold Winters day, 2014 we are going back to Tanzania to begin a new adventure! It’s not a one way ticket (thankfully) and we haven’t got a 6 & 7 year old in tow!

What we do have though is a dream – a massive dream and we have experience. The ‘school’ we have been in, both in the UK and in Africa, has been priceless…. of course it would have been nice to avoid some of the lessons we have learned …. because they were tough and it would have been a more pleasant journey to avoid the tears, pain and hurt, BUT, without the tears, pain and hurt, you don’t learn stuff! That’s life!

So… here we go! you can be a part of our dream – in fact, we’d love you to be a part of it! sign up to our mailing list: http://www.agapelife.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter – ‘choose agape’

Follow my blog

If you’re a pray-er, pray for us…. It’s going to be great, it’s going to be huge!

Thank you for all your thoughts and kind words – We know we’re not going alone. We know we have a big team behind us in you. People from all over the world who have been a part of our journey – far too many to name. But it’s a times like this when you realise just how many friends you’ve got! THANK YOU!

We fly in about an hour so we’ll see you on the other side!! WOOHOO!! 

I watched two programmes recently, one on homosexuality, a documentary by Stephen Fry and immediately after that (coincidence??) there was a programme on divorce from the kids’ point of view. I felt compelled to write a blog and here it is…

For some time now, probably years actually, I have longed to see more than I see in the church. I read the Bible, I see the miracles that Jesus, the disciples, the apostles did, I read that His DIVINE POWER has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3), I read that we can participate in the divine nature…. and then I look at the church. The two, generally speaking, don’t equate. The church in the UK, I believe, is so far away from what God intended, that there has to be some major changes if we are to be taken seriously in this ever changing world.

Stephen Fry went to interview a pastor in Uganda who believes that homosexuals should be hanged – Fry even showed a clip of this happening. How can this be right? He interviewed a young woman who had been raped at the age of 14 to ‘shake her out’ of her homosexual feelings, their belief was that if she had sex with a man, she would be ‘cured.’ She was broken.

The kids on the divorce programme were broken.

Here is the point I feel duty-bound to bring to the churches attention, we know what the Bible teaches about homosexuality, we know what the Bible teaches about divorce, we know what the Bible teaches about other religions and so on. We have become very good at shouting and disagreeing with our world, signing petitions against all these kinds of things and more, and, in some places, we have justified killing people who don’t live to our moral code, or burning other religion’s holy books. In fact, we are known for it – ‘Christians’ are labelled as homophobic, intolerant and out of touch with a changing society. Speaking for myself, I need to say that I don’t agree with the act of homosexuality because of my religious beliefs – surely that’s my right? However, neither do I hate homosexuals (Stephen perception). I simply believe the church has bigger fish to fry right now in our nation.

The world is not listening to our opinions – they are not interested in what we think, why? I believe that one reason is because, generally speaking, they see nothing or very little that attracts them to what we have got.

I think that we have to turn our attention away, at least for a while, from what we don’t agree with in our world, (let’s face it, all the above issues aren’t going away) and concentrate on becoming a strong church that is truly walking in the divine power of God and not in so-called miracles that wouldn’t pass the trades description act! I have seen genuine miracles and I know friends who have been healed from serious illnesses but, the truth is, I could probably count these on one hand. We have turned so much of church into a farce as if God needs defending and, from where I am looking from, it’s not working, by and large. Of course, God is still saving souls today and individual lives are being changed but I am talking on a larger scale. Where is our voice?

Can you imagine, for instance, if an army vet came home from Afghanistan with no arms or legs and was healed…..I think we would get the world’s attention? I think people would look on in amazement – there could be no argument with a miracle of that magnitude (I am praying for it to be so)

Can you imagine if Christians were known to not suffer depression, bi-polar, mental health issues? I think we would get the world’s attention?

Can you imagine if every Christian attended their church prayer meeting (Oh wait… if there was one!!) Is it even possible to change our world through prayer? Absolutely, but we have to do it. Muslims pray 5 times a day…

Can you imagine if every Christian read the word of God every day? (only 20% do)

Can you imagine if Christian men weren’t being bled from the church because of pornography?

Can you imagine if Christians didn’t carry unforgiveness and bitterness from one church to the next?

Can you imagine if pastors and their wives got the respect and honour they deserve for slogging it out on the front line year after year?

I could go on and on but I trust you get my point. We have so much to do. But here’s the biggest thing we have to do. Jesus told us, THE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT YOU BELONG TO ME THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR ONE ANOTHER. What other religions teach me and what the Israelites teach me is that these groups had/have certain standards by which they live, which give them solidarity and unity that the church doesn’t have any more. The Israelites, as bad as they were, had certain things they had to do if they wanted to be holy and acceptable to God. Granted most of them didn’t do it, but they suffered for that choice!
By and large, there are no such standards for the Christian church today: go to church, or have church for one, have too much alcohol, don’t have too much alcohol, pray, don’t pray, read the Bible, don’t read the Bible and so on….
If we want to be heard in our nation, then we simply have to get our house in order first. The church is THE BEST IDEA God ever had and we could be a powerful force. I love the church which is why I am passionate about making a difference. We must raise our standards and then we can begin again to sign the petitions and make our protests heard but from a position of strength and not from a position of weakness.