Beacon Church

Beacon Church meets at Lambeth College, Brixton Hill, SW2 1QS, Brixton, Sundays 10:30am-12:30pm We are a passionate and dynamic Bible based community of believers, who love God, the church and the community around us. Our vision is to reach and serve Brixton and the wider South London community.

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Beacon is Moving Venue

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Beacon Update

4th July 2016

God sees the end from the beginning

“Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” Acts 15:36­-41

Just before this short account of the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark, the two men had stood shoulder to shoulder in defending the cause of the gospel against those that were trying to undermine it. What they did during that time preserved the true gospel to be preached for generations to come. They had seen numerous churches planted and this mission would eventually (history would record), change the face of the world. Indeed we are beneficiaries of their fight! Yet Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement, not over some fundamental doctrine or theology, they were clearly together on that, but around a person, a close friend. Who, in Paul’s mind had let them down quite badly and could no longer be trusted in the reality of mission. Barnabas (known as the son of encouragement) was willing to give John another chance. We have the benefit of hindsight and history and can now see the outcome, they in the heat of the moment did not. It would be wrong to say there was a winner and a loser. But history has recorded Barnabas walks out of the story of the church whilst it is told from that moment from Paul’s perspective, he writes the books, continues to plant the churches and shape human history, Barnabas does not. There were hints in the account itself that might lead us to believe Paul’s position had been the right one. The rigours of mission was clearly not for the faint­hearted; we read of him and Silas later being imprisoned and beaten, his caution over John Mark seems understandable. Also his mission with Silas is clearly commended by the brothers in Antioch where Barnabas is not and of course he writes half of the NT. Today in our nation and in our political landscape and even in families we face sharp disagreements. It seems to me to be very difficult in the heat of the moment (but I’m sure not impossible) to see which position might be right.

History will one day clearly show this, God sees it now though, he sees the end from the beginning. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.’ For us as Christians, whichever position we hold, the position of trust and faith in God must unite us in these coming days.

Last week ­ ​I met up with Tope Koleoso who both oversees me and the church here at Beacon. It was useful and encouraging to report to him how things have been over the last few months. I am hoping to get a date for him to come and preach and meet with some of our leaders in the next 6 to 12 months. He was encouraged by our conversation and what is going on in the church. Recently as we head towards our AGM I have done a lot of reflecting on the last year and the year ahead. I remain very grateful to God for all that he has done at Beacon over the years and all he continues to do, he is certainly with us. One of the keys remains prayer and it was good to gather the other Sunday night to pray as a church and also to hear God speaking to us through prophetic words.

Hylton update ​­ Yasmin has begun driving lessons and also begins working for the Challenge next week. Pauline has been pretty busy at work recently. Having finished her exams, Daisy has returned to college. Rhianna continues her job hunting. Though busy we love having our girls back home and seeing them growing up and beginning that transition to greater independence. It must be said we are slower to embrace this change and still think of them as our girls!

5th July​­ Beacon AGM a financial update and a review of last year and looking ahead to next. No groups this week.

17th July​­ Life Stories a summer series on characters in the bible

1st August​­ Newday, we are still looking for help, please speak to Jen if you think you might be able to do this.

4th Sept ​­ Summer party @ the Hylton’s inc BBQ, live music and bouncy castle

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Beacon Update

27th June 2016

God doesn’t take sides

“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the ​LORD ​I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’ The commander of the ​LORD​’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”

Joshua 5:13-15

If anyone could have legitimately thought God was on their side, surely it was Joshua? God had previously called and commissioned him to lead the people and told him that he would be with him. Yet when Joshua came face to face with the commander of the army of the Lord, it was abundantly clear that God and his armies was on God’s side not Joshua’s. God is primarily for himself. He acts in accordance with his own purpose and will and seeks his own glory! In any human being such a focus appears selfish and prideful, but in God this is the normal and most natural way of things. When God acts according to his own will and purpose and his own glory he is only acting in the most appropriate and natural way. When he does this, we are ultimately blessed, because God’s very character and nature is to bless, to show love, grace and mercy. We would do well to remember this at a time like this. God is sovereign, he is over all things and in control of all things. He is not partisan, he responds to obedience and faith, rather than parties and opinions. His purposes will not be thwarted but ultimately will be fulfilled. We must learn to grow in our trust of him.

Last week ­ ​the euro referendum dominated the end of the week. We as a nation voted to leave. I myself voted to remain, but feel at peace that we are leaving. Can I encourage you to put your faith into action during these next few days and weeks. Where there will be lots of speculation about what might happen next to the economy, jobs etc. Our trust is not in those things but in God who is with us and is faithful. Look to him and trust him.

Over the last couple of weeks I have renewed one or two old relationships. The Friday before last I met up with Phil Varley one of the pastors at Kings Church in Catford, last week I met with Steve Tibbert the senior pastor at Kings. It was great to reconnect with these two men of God and hear how things are going for them and Kings Church. I also met up with my friend Jake Isaac, which was really encouraging. At our weekly prayer in Brixton, Les Isaac shared about some of his recent travels around the country and the world and we prayed for him.

Summer at Beacon

Life stories For the summer, we will be doing a series called ‘Life Stories’. One of the major encouragements of the faith is in the stories; the testimonies of people who have held on and overcome by faith. Different people will speak about different characters from the bible and talk about lessons we can learn from their lives and examples.

Hylton update Last week we all voted together for the first time. It was great to talk to the girls and see how they had engaged with the issues at stake, it bodes well for the future. Even though Daisy was unable to vote, she was also engaged in the issues. This year we don’t have a holiday as such booked, although I am planning some time off.

1st and 2nd July ­ ​Foodbank Supermarket Collections, if possible please sign up for a couple of hours, we are short of volunteers and also short of food, so the collection is timely. Click here to sign up.

3rd July Beacon Picnic in Brockwell Park.

5th July​­ Beacon AGM a financial update and a review of last year and looking ahead to next. No groups this week.

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Beacon Update

20th June 2016

The man who betrayed Jesus

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. Matt 27:3

The name Judas has become synonymous with betrayal, being a turncoat, someone who would stab a friend in the back. We forget though that Judas was a chosen disciple of Jesus. He shared most of the significant moments the 12 went through, he was one of them. He was there when Jesus sent out the 12 and the many other teaching and intimate moments Jesus had with his disciples. Including when Jesus washed their feet.

Yet Judas never quite got Jesus. He himself was obsessed with money. He held the shared purse and we are told dipped his hand occasionally into it. Judas was offended by the perfume poured on Jesus’ feet by the woman. He saw it as a waste, as the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. He then decided to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. All his spotlight moments involved money. Jesus however never discarded or disregarded Judas. You don’t find Jesus excluding him from key moments, difficult as things might have been. Imagine knowing one of your friends was going to betray you and knowing who it was as Jesus did. Most of us I imagine would find that very difficult to not treat them differently. Jesus’ example is that in his life he lived with people who didn’t quite get him, who were offended by him and it wasn’t just the Pharisees it was one of his closest friends. The fact that Jesus never rejected Judas is a challenging yet encouraging example for us.

Last week: ­​My Newday sub management team met for the final time before Newday. This has been a year of real change in my role at Newday and this team really represent that. I now carry responsibility for the Pastoral care as before, cafes and social stuff, overview of seminars and servers. Some of the people now in my team I hardly knew a year ago. But over the last year we have changed and developed much about how Newday will work. Most of what we have done will not impact the young people directly, but hopefully the changes will improve the event generally. As a church we are doing things slightly differently to previous years. We are taking a group and will be joined by a churches together group in Brixton and a small group from New Life Church in Croydon.

CAP update:  Last week we saw our first CAP client declared debt free! This is a great moment and really encouraging for us as a debt centre. Well done to Jon and the team!

Prayer focus in June ​­

● Firstly our youth and Newday. We could easily be taking a group of 30 plus young people again from different places.

● Secondly new and young families in Beacon.

● Thirdly our venue needs, our current meeting space is really too small and we have been served notice in our office. We have to be out by mid Sept. Our prayer is that God would provide a place we can function all week and call our own.

Throughout June I want to encourage us to pray and fast on Thursdays 23rd and 30th. This may mean missing one meal during the day. Each Sunday we will focus our prayers on one of these things, then on Sunday 26th June we will gather to worship and pray between 7pm and 8.30pm at the Community Centre.

TAP:​­ we continue our focus on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This series has been such an encouraging one for us as a church and feels like a real time of equipping of the church in the practice of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives. On 26th June Ruth McCabe will be with us and sharing about her two years in Bethel. I have also invited Josh Martin (who led worship at our weekend away), to come and lead on that day. In addition to our morning meeting we have an evening prayer and worship session.

Hylton Update: ​­ All exams are now finished and all three Hylton girls are now home. The house is busy and buzzing again. On Wed evening we kind of celebrated by having a family trip to the cinema to see X Men Apocalypse. All the girls continue to job hunt.

Up and coming dates

26th Jun​e ­ Ruth McCabe speaking in the morning

26th June ​­ Prayer and worship evening

3rd July Beacon Picnic in Brockwell Park

5th July​­ Beacon AGM - a financial update and a review of last year and looking ahead to next. No groups this week.

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Beacon Update

13th June 2016

Effort alone is not enough

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. Psalm 127:1

Whilst the bible in many places clearly speaks of the need for us to make an effort, to be active to go and all those active kind of words. The truth is and can sometimes be lost on us that without God our efforts to build or protect are useless. Our response to such a passage is often a quick prayer to acknowledge God and a request that he bless our endeavors. That though is not the point. We build but God is the builder, we may stand guard but it is God who protects. I was once involved in a school building project. It was interesting to see the different roles played by the architect and the builder. Whilst the builder was on site laying bricks and digging and constructing. It was the architect's plans and drawings that decided everything, not the builder. The builder was not at liberty to do what they liked, but simply to follow the plan and design they had been given. It is the same for us. God is the architect and designer of the house. God protects the city, our role is to trust and in faith follow. It is more than an acknowledgement and a request. Whose building the house you live in, who's protecting the city?

Last week ­ 

​A normal but pretty busy week. It involved pastoral meetings, preaching, praying and planning. The office has been a little quieter since Jen has been in New York. We had a really encouraging CAP Steering Group meeting. CAP has been running for around six months in Brixton. We have over 20 clients being seen, some have come to church. We have run at least six money courses through the churches and raised over £2000. We have now been invited to run CAP Money Courses outside of the church in the community. Please continue to pray for CAP and in particular for Jon the Debt Centre Manager, Beth who is the Community Links worker, she in fact will be leaving and we are looking to replace her come Sept. Lally and Sarah-­Jane our Money Course coaches, as we take this ministry into other parts of the community around us.

Prayer focus in June ​­

● Firstly our youth and Newday. We could easily be taking a group of 30 plus young people again from different places.

● Secondly new and young families in Beacon.

● Thirdly our venue needs, our current meeting space is really too small and we have been served notice in our office. We have to be out by mid Sept. Our prayer is that God would provide a place we can function all week and call our own.

Throughout June I want to encourage us to pray and fast on Thursdays 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th. This may mean missing one meal during the day. Each Sunday we will focus our prayers on one of these things, then on Sunday 26th June we will gather to worship and pray between 7pm and 8.30pm.

TAP ​­ 

We continue our focus on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This series has been such an encouraging one for us as a church and feels like a real time of equipping of the church in the practice of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in our lives. On 26th June Ruth McCabe will be with us and sharing about her two years in Bethel. I have also invited Josh Martin (who led worship at our weekend away), to come and lead on that day. In addition to our morning meeting we have an evening prayer and worship session.

Hylton update

­ Yasmin finished her exams last week and with it her 4 years at Lancaster. She has done amazingly well and we are so very proud. We are hopefully collecting her from Lancaster today! Daisy has her final exam this week. Rhianna is job hunting. Looking forward to having all the girls home, although we do seem to spend a lot more money when they are around, than when they are not!

Coming up...

26th Jun​e ­ Ruth McCabe speaking

26th June ​­ Prayer and worship evening

5th July​­ Beacon AGM a financial update and a review of last year and looking ahead to next. No groups this week.

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Beacon Update

6th June 2016

The Secret Disciple

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night...John 3:1 

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, ‘Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?’ John 7:50-­51 

Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about thirty ­five kilograms. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. John 19:39-40

His name was Nicodemus, not very secret really, his name gets mentioned on three separate occasions in the gospel of John. On each occasion his actions are a courageous progression to openness about his being a disciple of Jesus. By the end Nicodemus is one of two men ensuring Jesus has a proper burial. I wonder whether Nicodemus himself told the stories of his encounters around Jesus to John the author of this gospel? Clearly by the end he was more and more willing to make his stand public. Nicodemus is not the only secret disciple. Sometimes depending on the circumstances, wisdom dictates that shouting out faith from the rooftops is not always the wisest approach. If Nicodemus had become an open convert after his first encounter with Jesus, he almost certainly would not have been present when the Jewish leaders were trying to work out what to do with him. His presence and question exposed their own false notion that no right thinking person believed, he did. Finally Nicodemus shows himself to be a man of generous resources when he provides the spices for Jesus burial, 35 kgs is no small amount! Nicodemus shows us secrecy has its benefits and is not necessarily a sign of cowardice, or shame but can also be a sign of wisdom and courage.

Last week ­

​Pauline and I went to the baby naming ceremony for Charlotte Lawal, this was a wonderful occasion for Tobi and Abi and their families and friends. There were a few from Beacon there and I was invited to take part in the prayers. Tobi and Abi were both dressed in wonderful traditional Nigerian dress and we sang a number of worship songs in Uraba. Pauline and I didn’t so much sing but clapped along! 

I also had a really encouraging and interesting meeting with the Rev Rosemarie Mallett who leads St John’s Church, Angell Town. One of the reasons we were meeting was to discuss the possibility of running CAP money courses in partnership with the local church and school. I also had a great elders plus and discipleship groups on Thursday. I feel so privileged to be in such regular contact with so many great guys, hungry to go deeper in faith and fulfill all God has for them.

Prayer focus in June ​­

● Firstly our youth and Newday. We could easily be taking a group of 30 plus young people again from different places.

● Secondly new and young families in Beacon. We offer congratulations to Tobi and Abi Lawal for the birth of Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon.

● Thirdly our venue needs, our current meeting space is really too small and we have been served notice in our office. We have to be out by mid Sept. Our prayer is that God would provide a place we can function all week and call our own.

Throughout June I want to encourage us to pray and fast on Thursdays 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th. This may mean missing one meal during the day. Each Sunday we will focus our prayers on one of these things, then on Sunday 26th June we will gather to worship and pray between 7pm and 8.30pm.

TAP ​­

Teach, Ask, Practice: We continue our focus on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This series has been such an encouraging one for us as a church and feels like a real time of equipping of the church in the practice of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in our lives.

Hylton update 

­ Pauline and I travelled up to Cambridge on Tuesday to bring all of Rhianna’s stuff home at the end of her first year at uni. It has been a great year and we give thanks to God for the way Rhianna has settled in at uni and at church. Both Yasmin and Daisy are continuing to have exams over the next couple of weeks. A summer of sport awaits, with the Euros, Wimbledon and the Tour de France. I look forward to catching some of it all.

Coming Up..

26th Jun​e ­ Ruth McCabe speaking

26th June ​­ Prayer and worship evening

Sunday 3rd July - Church picnic in Brockwell Park

5th July​­ Beacon AGM a financial update and a review of last year and looking ahead to next. No groups this week.

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Beacon Update

30th May 2016

Valuing the little things

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. John 19:25­27

The cross remains one of the most significant events in human history, it changed the course of history and opened up the way for men to come into a personal relationship with God. It showed us God’s attitude towards us, the depth of his love and his commitment to his own promises and plans. Yet on the cross in his dying moments of suffering Jesus takes time to provide for his mother. “Dear woman, here is your son. Here is your mother.” With such tenderness in the context of a history shaping event, Jesus focuses on a little thing. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the grand the big, the vision the big picture, that we forget to focus on the little things. The small ways we help those around us and those that God has placed around us. It is good to find value in the little things as Jesus did.

Last week ­ ​I visited two of our community groups. In both I had a really encouraging time. The groups have become workshops and ministry times as people explore their gifts and practice them. I had various other meetings, some related to Newday and churches together stuff.

Prayer focus in June - We spent the month of April praying towards our weekend away, this led to a wonderful time at High Leigh and to a focus on the gifts of the spirit on a Sunday morning and in our mid-week groups. For June we want to focus our prayers on three areas of the church:

Firstly our youth and Newday. We could easily be taking a group of 30 plus young people again from different places.

Secondly our young and new families - praying for the new families (Matt & Elisha, Tobi & Abi) and young families (Goulds, Ngoga's, Smith's, Carver's, Nunn's and Garfields) for their relationships and support.

Thirdly our venue needs, our current meeting space is really too small and we have been served notice in our office - we have until mid September to find somewhere new. Our prayer is that God would provide a place we can function all week and call our own.

Throughout June I want to encourage us to pray and fast on Thursdays 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th.

This may mean missing one meal during the day. Each Sunday we will focus our prayers on one of these things, then on Sunday 26th June we will gather to worship and pray between 7pm and 8.30pm.

TAP -​­ we continue our focus on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This series has been such an encouraging one for us as a church and feels like a real time of equipping of the church in the practice of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Hylton update -​­ Rhianna comes home next week. Daisy is on half term but still in the middle of her exams. Pauline is on half term and we will be travelling up to Cambridge to collect Rhianna’s stuff.  Yasmin has a few more exams before she finishes her Master’s. In a few weeks the house will be full again and the food bill will go up!

5th June ​­- Dedication service for Chloe Carver

26th Jun​e ­ - Ruth McCabe speaking

26th June ​­- Prayer and worship evening

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Beacon Update

23rd May 2016

Lessons we can learn from the poor:

“They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do.” Gal 2:9-­10

Last Friday morning I arrived back from my trip to Kenya. It was powerful, prophetic and the presence of God was clearly with us on this trip. During one of our times of reflections together as a team, one of the pastors reminded us of these verses. In Kenya this term was not loaded or offensive, it accurately describes the material and economic state of millions of people and dozens of people that we met. It is good to remember the poor, but we must know that there is so much to learn from the poor. If we could put aside economic and material wealth, Kenya would not be the nation in poverty. I am still trying to process my experiences and what I saw. At times I can be a big external processor, but on other occasions it takes me time to collect my thoughts and adjust to new experiences and see what God would have me do. Let me try and give a brief summary of one or two things. Compassion UK ​has allowed quite an amazing work to develop in Kenya. I visited three churches involved in three projects, each was making a genuine and tangible difference to the lives of people in their communities. They were helping people practically whilst also discipling them in faith. They seemed to combine both the gospel and the works very well.

The Mathare Valley Slum​­: Two of the projects we visited were in the Mathare Valley slum. This slum is one of the largest in Africa with around 500,000 people living in it. That would be like rehousing everyone currently living in the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark in tin shacks (6ftx8ft) inside Brockwell Park, which is about the size of the Mathare slum. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.

On our second visit to the slum, the area we were going was considered a hot spot of crime and so we were given an armed guard.  Challenging as all that was, I think what was most challenging was to see God at work there! To see and hear people giving thanks to God for seeing them through, thanking God for their Compassion Sponsor and the help they had received. I found one young man’s testimony very challenging; he said “The slums are a hotbed of talent, one of things you learn about in the slums is generosity. It is both the hardest place to live and the best place to live. The slums have made us what we are, the good always outweighs the bad, because God is here.”

The pastor's wife ​of one of the projects said to us. ‘You may think the slums are bad now, but they are nowhere near as bad as they were when we began over 20 years ago.’ This particular church had begun by simply helping a handful of kids. Over the last 20 years over 17,000 kids had been helped and they are currently running four schools.

A role for government:  For all the wonderful work God is doing through these churches, there is a serious role for the government to provide an infrastructure that helps to lift the slums out of the cycle of poverty that people currently live in. These slums are seen as informal housing but they have been in existence for over 50 years. People are born, live and die in the slum. Imagine how much rubbish is generated, but it is never cleared. I saw no toilets to speak of and open sewage drains. One of the biggest dangers is fire from poorly fitted electrical hook ups. Add to that no work, alcohol, drugs and crime you begin to get an idea of the Mathare Valley slum.

Last Sunday ​at the end of the service, someone brought a word for me about God not just wanting to teach me things, but that he would also use me. I felt this was the case as I was able to pray, prophesy and encourage numbers of people during the trip, including some of my fellow pastors.

Missions​­: This trip has raised the issue of missions for me and I will be spending some time praying and talking with the elders and other key people about where we go from here. A couple of the pastors met children they had started to sponsor, also a couple of people decided in the moment to sponsor children. Although I don’t currently do this, I can say without a doubt, it works!!

Hylton update: ​Looks like the family carried on life without me. Daisy has now kicked off her exams and seems to be doing ok. Yas only has a few left before the very end. Rhianna seems to be doing really well with her studies but doesn’t have as many exams as the others. Whilst I was away I managed to speak to Pauline through WhatsApp which I was really pleased about. I’m not normally good on gifts, but I think on this occasion I may have done ok.

29th May​­ Sunday Group doing the CAP Money course. If you haven’t yet done this course, can I encourage you to do it with this group. Speak to Garth or Gidge for more information.

5th June ​­ Dedication service for Chloe Carver

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Beacon Update

16th May 2016

A lesson in humility

The next day John...(29) The next day John...(35) The next day Jesus...(43). John 1

John’s ministry was short­lived but powerful. He knew from the start his was a ministry of preparation. He had been told to prepare for one who was to come. He was told that the way he would recognise the one who was to come was that the Holy Spirit would come upon that person after they were baptised. Once he knew it was Jesus he kept pointing him out, as a result some of his own disciples left to follow Jesus.

The next day John, the next day John, the next day Jesus. John’s role was important but actually quite short. Once Jesus was revealed, John’s ministry days were really over. In a way he was the first martyr connected to Jesus. It’s a real lesson for us to recognise our role as preparation and to accept for some of us it might be short. Always looking up and holding ministry lightly, asking God to clothe you with humility helps to handle the changes that occur in life and ministry and also prevent us from holding on, when we should be handing over.

Last week ­ ​the acoustic night which was organised by Josh and Ruth and hosted by Hannah Williams was a great success. The various participants were great and there were once again lots of friends that people in the church brought. There was also a group from St Paul’s, which was nice. I am hoping these will become an increasingly regular feature of what we do in Brixton.

We had a great time at our Tuesday service, Food for the Soul. Bill Wilson from St Stephen’s spoke and Jon led someone to the Lord. It’s my intention to get Bill to come and speak at Beacon, he is a man of faith and also great encouragement.

On Wednesday morning we had a larger than usual early morning prayer time. We were joined by Pastor Mimi, who leads a vibrant and growing congregation of predominantly younger people. Later on Wednesday Ben Goodyear and I met up with Jason Mariner, another church planter into Brixton. God seems to be drawing these people together with a heart to pray and see what God would say to us. I also had a number of Newday meetings last week and my Thursday afternoon discipleship group.

Hylton update: ​Exam time! Daisy begins her exams today and Yasmin is in the middle of hers. Last week I did some babysitting for Leah Ngoga, whilst Thierry is away, so Pauline and Emma could go to their exercise classes and community group. Babysitting is easy when babies don’t wake up!

By the time you read this I will be on my way to Kenya, where I will be a guest of the Christian charity Compassion. Please pray that God will lead and guide my time there.  I return to the UK this Friday.

Congratulations ​­to Matt and Elisha on the birth of Titus Ayoife, they are all doing well, Pauline and I visited them last Monday.

Prayer ​­: Please continue to pray for Phil’s mum, Audrey, who was recently transferred to Queen’s Square Hospital in Central London, which has a specialist department for her condition. Phil is grateful and thankful for all the prayers and texts of encouragement he gets from the church.

Please also continue to pray for Beacon to find a suitable venue for us to meet in.

22nd and 29th May​­ The Sunday Group will be continuing the CAP Money course. If you haven’t yet done this course, I encourage you to do it with this group. Please speak to Garth or Gidge for more information.

5th June ​­ Dedication service for Chloe Carver

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Beacon Update

9th May 2016

What do I do during a time of transition?

“from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” 1 Chron 12: 32

God has always promised to lead and guide his people. From the days when Moses followed a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to the days when God put within Israel the sons of Issachar who it was said understood the times and knew what Israel ought to do. Today he brings such guidance through the Holy Spirit, revealing and directing to those who will listen and watch for him.

Beacon is changing, going through a time of transition. This leads me to pray more but also to look for those who understand the signs and know what we are to do. Last week I was in many discussions and groups, for me looking to see what God would have us do next, that his way may become clear and plain for the church. After all it is his church, his mission and his purpose that is being fulfilled. I am convinced that God’s way and direction will always become clear, that small still voice from behind that says ‘this is the way, walk in it’. I would encourage you to clearly follow his leading for your life.

Last week ­ ​on Tuesday we had another successful FFTS service, Ben Goodyear carried on our series on the character of God. I had a couple of really encouraging meetings this week around Foodbank and CAP. I also had various discipleship and pastoral meetings, all of which were encouraging and fruitful.

There has been such a positive response to the weekend away, people sharing some great testimonies. One person described their experience of the prayer tunnel and in particular overcoming their fear of praying and prophesying out loud, as like being cured of an illness. Another person got the same word spoken over them several times during the prayer tunnel. Over the next few weeks, we are planning to look a little deeper into the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a series called T​each A​sk P​ractice. This is partly because of the many requests to both go deeper in our understanding and also to know how to respond to the many prophetic words people received.

Hylton update: ​All of the girls are currently doing exams in their various situations. Pauline is working hard and seems to be very busy. I have also been busy and tasked with watering the garden. I actually quite enjoy doing that in the early evening. Our garden is great on sunny days, being south facing.

During the weekend away football I scored two goals and won the only two table tennis matches I played!

Please pray ​ for Phil’s mum Audrey who remains in hospital with a condition that affects the nervous system. She remains in ICU and is to be transferred to another hospital that specialises in medical brain conditions. Please continue to pray for Phil, his dad Ron and the rest of the family.

Please also continue to pray for Cecilia ‘s mum who has also been in hospital recently. It has been great having Judith back among us, she spoke so movingly a couple of weeks ago to the church about her brother. Please continue to pray for her and her family.

9th May ­ ​Acoustic night at the Brixton Market House 7.30pm

15th, 22nd and 29th May​­ Sunday Group doing the CAP Money course. If you haven’t yet done this course, can I encourage you to do it with this group. Speak to Garth or Gidge for more information.

5th June ​­ Dedication service for Chloe Carver

The nine gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Wisdom The divine enablement (God given ability and grace) to apply spiritual truth effectively to meet a need in a specific situation.

Knowledge The divine enablement to bring truth to the body through a revelation or biblical insight.

Faith The divine enablement to act on God’s promises with confidence and unwavering belief in his ability to fulfil his purposes.

Healing The divine enablement to be God’s means for restoring people to wholeness.

Miracles (miraculous powers) The divine enablement to authenticate the ministry and message of God through supernatural interventions that glorify him.

Prophecy The divine enablement to reveal truth and proclaim it in a timely and relevant manner for understanding, correction, repentance or edification.

Discernment The divine enablement to distinguish between truth and error, to discern the spirits, differentiating between good and evil, right and wrong.

Tongues The divine enablement to speak, worship or pray in a language unknown to the speaker.

Interpretation The divine enablement to make known to the body of Christ the message of one who is speaking in tongues.

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Beacon Update

2nd May 2016

“The streets were paved with gold.” Greg Kemm

“The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.” ​Rev 21:21

What a wonderful weekend we just had as a church. Greg Kemm brought this word to us right at the end. During worship led by Jake Isaac on Friday night, Greg got a picture of a city whose streets were paved with gold, at first he thought it was a picture of the New Jerusalem, the city of God, which it talks about in Rev 21. But then he felt God say it was London! London would be a city whose streets are paved with gold and Beacon would play a part in that. Angela Kemm then also had an encouraging word for us about the foundations being laid and now finished and we are to move on from foundation building. Although I myself hadn’t realised that was the stage we were at, I knew we were in some kind of transition from one thing to another, this did seem to fit that.

The Venue! ­ ​High Leigh Christian Centre, worked really well for us. Firstly it was actually quicker to get there by public transport than by car. Most people seemed to travel this way. Also the rooms were nice, the grounds though not huge were lovely, the food was great and the staff always helpful and friendly. I would definitely go there again and we were so grateful and privileged to have Angela and Greg Kemm with us for the whole weekend. Their ministry came with maturity, challenge, inspiration and equipping. Pauline and I were so encouraged because in between sessions (and even in the middle of sessions) they would regularly approach us with words of encouragement and prophecy. They themselves were encouraged by the church and our openness to try new things! We had a really insightful interview with them on Friday night, which gave us a bit of a picture of where they had come from and how they had got here; for me it was both inspiring and helpful.

Prayer Tunnel! On Saturday evening Angela introduced to us the prayer tunnel. Personally I had never engaged in one before, but we felt like we were up for anything this weekend! It was such a wonderful enriching experiencing, partly because it was the church praying and prophesying over one another. It also provided Pauline and I a wonderful opportunity to pray and prophesy over nearly everyone in the church. I realised in doing that, that the church was in my heart and I found it easy. We carried this on for almost three hours, until we were almost too tired to stand anymore!

Worship!​­ Jake led us in a great time of worship on Friday night, which roused us and led to moments of celebration. Josh Martin led worship for the rest of the weekend with a makeshift but great band. The worship times were strong, intimate and full of truth and declaration. Two songs in particular stood out for me. ‘The Lion and the Lamb’ and ‘King of My Heart.’

Commissioned into Ministry​­! As the weekend drew to a close, Angela led us in a moment where as elders and wives we commissioned the church into the ministry God has for us. It felt like things were changing, but in truth we don’t know how. That has always been a mark of Beacon, we never know how, why or when! At times this can be frustrating for people, but it seems to be the way God has led us over the years.

Thanks​­ to all those who served us! Angela and Greg, Jake and Joshua who both led us in worship, Rhianna and Fabienne who came specifically to play in the band, Venecia who did the kids work and Sophie and her sister Charlotte who ran our creche. We are very grateful to you all.

Dive in to the weekend! To listen again, or for the first time, you can find the sessions recorded here. Get a notebook ready!

Hylton update: ​It was great having Rhianna at the weekend playing in the band. Daisy also seemed to have a good time and got involved in the sessions. Pauline and I who do most things together, found during some parts of the weekend ministering and praying for people together. This is not something we have done much of, but seems a potentially exciting development for us. Yas couldn’t make it as she is busy revising for her final exams for her Masters.

9th May ­ ​Acoustic night at the Brixton Market House 7.30pm

15th, 22nd and 29th May​­ the Sunday Group are doing the CAP Money course. If you haven’t yet done this course, can I encourage you to do it with this group. Speak to Garth or Gidge for more information.

5th June Dedication service for Chloe Carver

[beaconchurch]

Beacon Update

25th April 2016

Recognising God in the very familiar

“​James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”

James had come a long way; describing himself as a servant of Jesus Christ was huge. Jesus was his older brother, no doubt growing up they had all the usual brotherly issues! What we know is by the time Jesus begins to minister and declare to himself who he was, James did not believe straight away. It must have been hard for him to imagine that the boy he looked up to for all those years had all that time been the Messiah they had all been waiting for. It's not clear at what point James comes to believe and recognise who Jesus was, but he does and he becomes hugely influential in the church in Jerusalem. Like James, the challenge we can sometimes face is recognising God’s hand when we see it. Sometimes it's just too close, it doesn’t look like we think it should. It might even appear too ordinary, too familiar. It is for our encouragement that we read that someone like James so close to Jesus in an earthly sense changed and was able to say these well known words. James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. My prayer is that we will also recognise God’s hand no matter how close, ordinary or familiar it appears.

©Abiding in the Vine Blog

Last week:

​On Tuesday I spoke about Gods grace at our FFTS lunch time service. Later that day I popped up to Cambridge and met Angela Kemm for coffee, we had a great time catching up and chatting about the weekend away.  We should have a great time.

On Wednesday I had a Newday team meeting, which was busy but good.

I had my elders plus group on Thursday, we are currently walking through 1 Timothy.  I had my discipleship group on the same day and we are walking through the book of James, both of these groups are going really well.

‘April a time to pray and prepare’ ­ ​we are continuing to pray for the weekend away and our venue needs. We met to pray and worship together specifically about these issues last night.

Various people continue to bring words and dreams that God has been giving them over the last few weeks.

Hylton update: ​I was in Cambridge on Tuesday and took Rhianna for dinner, she is doing really well. I also had a read of Yasmin’s dissertation for her Math’s masters. To me, a non mathematician, it was excellent. I am very proud of her, but also wonder where the ability to write a dissertation on Maths has come from!

29th April to 1st May​­: Beacon Church weekend away. Angela Kemm is our guest speaker this year.

9th May: Beacon Acoustic Night hosted at Brixton Market House from 7:30pm. See the facebook page for details

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Beacon Update

18th April 2016

Have you wrestled with God?

​He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. ​And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. ​When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. ​Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” ​And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Gen 32:23­-28

©www.thebricktestament.com

It was a significant moment in the life of Jacob, he was returning after decades to face his brother Esau. Easu’s last words to him were murderous, Jacob was unsure and probably pretty sure that the anger and hate Esau felt had not been appeased. He prepared himself for the encounter by dividing up his family and spending the night alone. This however was not just a significant night for Jacob personally, but also for the people of God. Tonight Jacob would encounter God and it would change everything. Somehow Jacob knew this night was important and he prepared himself for it, it was personal but it was also prophetic. Jacob wrestled with a man who could not overcome him and demanded a blessing, which was granted. He was reconciled to his brother and God blessed his family. This account is an example and an encouragement to us, to not give up when we are seeking God, but rather like Jacob demand a blessing and God will not disappoint. Significant breakthrough never comes outside of significant  wrestling. Prepare yourself to wrestle with God and see your life change and receive a great blessing.

Last week:

​Judith’s brother Mark had his funeral the Sunday before last. As you can imagine it was very tough for the family, but they were joined by 400 plus family, friends and people who were supporting them. Please continue to hold up the family in prayer, in particular Judith’s parents, Noel and Jennifer and Mark’s widow Susan.

I also had a number of exciting meetings last week. Food for the Soul, our weekly lunchtime service has started up again after a successful pilot before Easter, this is turning out to be a great opportunity for encouraging and equipping people, whilst at the same time reaching out to others who don’t yet profess faith. I had an exciting meeting around Newday as we look to continue to grow the event.

I had my afternoon discipleship group on Thursday where we shared some of our experiences of the Holy Spirit and prayed and prophesied over one of the group, this time was powerful. On Thursday evening Pauline and I were doing a bible study with another couple, again such a great time of encouragement and insight.

‘April a time to pray and prepare’ ­ we have been praying and fasting as a church for our venue and also for our weekend away.  It was an interesting week; God has begun to speak and also to raise our expectation that he wants to meet with us. Interestingly enough I had an email from Ruth McCabe during the week, below is part of what she said about the church.

“I am excited for Beacon and I believe the church is being targeted for a mighty move of the spirit, more powerful and tangible than has ever been experienced by Beacon before. God has great things in store!! I felt the Lord saying to not be scared of things appearing to get smaller but to hold on in anticipation of the large wave that is coming. Just like when a Tsunami is about to hit the shore, the sea appears to retreat. This is the sign people are told to look out for and it's the same for Beacon!”

Ruth will be returning to the UK from her time at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry and will be seeking God about where she should be.

We are fasting on Thursdays and will be meeting to pray on Sunday 24th April 7pm at the community centre.

CAP Marathon

For those that wern’t there on Sunday, Nick gently asked the church to prayerfully consider sponsoring him as he runs the Blackpool marathon for the Brixton CAP centre. He runs on Saturday, and for those that would like to sponsor him, click here

Hylton update: ​Yasmin flew to Germany last Thursday to be a bridesmaid at a friends wedding. One of Rihanna's friends who has started to attend church has herself become a budding evangelist!

24th April - ­ ​Prayer and worship evening 7pm to 8.30pm

29th April to 1st May​­ - Beacon Church weekend away. Angela Kemm is our guest speaker this year.

Please book in if you haven’t already done so, just click here.

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Beacon Update

11th April 2016

You should be different...

“When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:41­-45

Walking with Jesus doesn’t mean you become immune to the everyday temptations of what it means to be human. Selfish ambition, trying to get one up on the next person and secret plots for personal gain can impact all of us. Whilst this is true, Jesus makes a really clear point: not so with you, you should be different if you are going to follow me and be part of my world. If you want to be great, serve. If you want to be first, you must be last. Why is it so important for us? Jesus our king did not come to lord it over us but to serve. His is the example that we need to follow, how well are we doing?

Last week: ​The weekend before last we received the tragic news that Judith Mckinney’s brother was killed in a car accident, he was 40 years old. Mark was a Christian and lived with his wife in Northumberland. Judith flew back to Belfast, her parents who had been away on a mission trip in Spain also returned to join her other brother. This has been an extremely difficult time for the family as you can imagine. The funeral was due to be held yesterday in Belfast. Claire, who also attends Beacon and lives with Judith went out to support her. I know many of you have been in touch with Judith through texts and other means. Last week she sent me an email, just explaining a little bit of how she and the family were feeling, below is an extract from that email:

“One day Jill (my best friend who has breast cancer) asked mum has she heard anything from God on Mark, mum said she generally heard God all the time but she has heard nothing! I said I felt it wasn't a matter of hearing but rather of seeing. I believe we have already started to see the impact that this sacrifice ­ cause for us it feels like a sacrifice ­ is having. My uncle (one of my dad's brothers who has been an absolute criminal all his life, anti­God, strained relationships with the rest of the family etc) has been here twice and told my father that he loved him! That is potentially the first time in 65 years that he has done so ­ we are seeing a real softening of his heart...and we have seen other things. I believe Mark's life and death will have a greater impact on more lives that we can even start to imagine. There are groups of his friends / acquaintances who are all 'lads' who have no faith at all who are travelling over from England for the funeral. It is amazing.”

Please keep Judith, her parents Noel and Jennifer, her other brother Peter and Mark’s widow Susan in your prayers.

‘April a time to pray and prepare’. ­ This month we want to encourage the church to pray and prepare their hearts for our weekend away at the end of the month. The elders have set aside Thursdays for prayer and fasting, maybe you could miss one meal during that day and give some time to pray. We have also decided to call the church together to pray on Sunday 24th April at 7pm for our weekend away, prayer for God to speak into our venue situation and finally, to hear from him.

Hylton update: ​Daisy turned 17 last week. She burst into our room and exclaimed ‘It’s my birthday!!’ Age hasn’t lessened her excitement, we enjoyed a birthday breakfast together and later that day she went out with some friends.

24th April - ­ ​Prayer and worship evening 7pm to 8.30pm

29th April to 1st May​­ - Beacon Church weekend away. Angela Kemm is our guest speaker this year. As we lead up to our weekend away at the end of April, we will be running a short series around the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Please book in if you haven’t already done so, just click here.

[beaconchurch]

Beacon Update

4th April 2016

The story continues...

​On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ​For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’  Acts 1:4-5

I’m not sure how many of you have seen the film ‘The Passion of the Christ.’ It’s a graphic portrayal of the week leading up to Jesus death. Gethsemane, the trial, and his crucifixion. When I first saw it a few years ago, there were parts of the film that made me wince and cross my legs! The film ends with a brief depiction of the resurrection. Personally I thought it was a great film. It’s biggest flaw is that you can think that’s the end of the story. Easter Sunday was not the end but it was the beginning of something in which people like us began to take centre stage in the spreading of the gospel of God to a needy world. The above passage speaks of the next phase of that story. Jesus commanded his disciples to wait to be baptised by the Holy Spirit as the Father had promised. The Holy Spirit is an integral part of the plan of God to reach the world. As a church we will be giving some focus to the person and work of the Holy Spirit leading up to our weekend away, in which Angela Kemm, a recognised prophet will be with us. Don’t let this month pass you by, prepare your hearts to receive from him and be blessed as a result.

Last week:

​I had a few days off, which was nice, although to be honest, when you’re a pastor you don’t really have any time off! Yesterday was the 14th anniversary of me leaving secular employment to work for the church. The first seven years were as a member of the staff and an elder at King’s church in Catford. The last seven years have been as the pastor of Beacon church. When I first left secular employment, that I had also been in for 14 years, little did I know the journey that God would take me on. I am so grateful to him for his faithfulness and kindness to me. When I spoke on Jonah and the kindness of God back in Feb, it was not simply a theological truth I had discovered in theory, but partly a personal testimony describing my journey.

This month we want to encourage the church to pray and prepare their hearts for our weekend away at the end of the month. The elders have set aside Thursdays for prayer and fasting, maybe you could miss one meal during that day and give some time to pray. We have also decided to call the church together on Sunday 24th April at 7pm to pray for our weekend away and also for God to speak into our venue situation and finally to hear from him.

Hylton update: ​Pauline and I have loved having the girls around these last few days. I’ve spent most of the time clearing up and loading and unloading the dishwasher and cooking a bit, but I’ve enjoyed it. Last Wednesday we went out for a meal to celebrate Daisy birthday, which is actually not until this Wednesday. It was also great having the wider family over on Easter Sunday and getting Michael (Pauline’s Dad), to share a bit about his testimony, of walking with God for 60 years. Some of his testimony is recorded and you can pick it up on the Beacon website.

24th April: ­ ​Prayer and worship evening 7pm to 8.30pm

29th April to 1st May​­: Beacon Church weekend away. Angela Kemm is our guest speaker this year. As we lead up to our weekend away at the end of April, we will be running a short series around the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Please book in if you haven’t already done so, just click here.

[beaconchurch]

Beacon Update

28th March 2016

Serving the community, through building the church, to the glory of Christ.

What does Christian maturity look like?

“Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” Colossians 4:12

This week my Thursday afternoon group finished going through the book of Colossians. The penultimate question asked was this: “What does it mean to be mature?”, or “what does Christian maturity look like?” This began a lively discussion. Interestingly enough, my early morning elders plus group had been discussing the importance of sound doctrine and standing firm in the faith. I have listed below a few signs of christian maturity, but first of all it is worth noting that one of the real misconceptions around maturity is people believing they are mature when maybe they are not, because they equate maturity with certain aspects of Christian life, culture and age; eg. the older I get the more mature I become. Age in and of itself doesn’t bring maturity. Nor does attending church regularly for years, knowing the latest worship songs, serving on a rota, listening to online sermons and reading the latest Christian books, knowing or being friends with lots of great Christians or understanding how churches operate and run. Whilst all of these are useful, none of them are signs of Christian maturity.

Christian maturity has to do with growth from worldly to spiritual (1 Cor 3) becoming more like Christ in our thoughts and actions. Maturity comes through increasingly Christlike responses to the situations and circumstances life throws at us. Let me ask you: is your thinking as a Christian any different to those you work with or are around every day? Do you handle career progression, material wealth or conflict differently to those around you who don’t know Jesus? In the book of James, trials are sent to help us develop to maturity; in that sense they seen as positive aspects of life that we should receive with joy! (James 1) My prayer for Beacon church, like Epaphras’ prayer for the church in Colossae, is that we may stand firm in the will of God, mature and fully assured.

Last week:

I ​had a number of Newday meetings and conversations; the reality of my new role has begun to take shape. For me, Newday remains such a significant event, we have such potential to not only reach young people all over this nation for Jesus, but also to equip local churches in their desire to reach young people where they are. That has certainly been our testimony in Brixton.

The Easter weekend was a big moment for us as a church as we celebrated Good Friday very publicly in Brixton by the David Bowie memorial.  We had a short time of worship, handed out flyers and Easter eggs and Jon Bryars spoke.  This was followed by a special service on Easter Sunday where we included a song by Beacon Kids and a powerful and encouraging testimony of a life lived in faith by my Father in Law.

Hylton update:

The family were home for the Easter weekend and will be around this week. The wider family came over for lunch on Sunday.  I have taken a couple of days off to be around and catch up with the girls.

29th April to 1st May:​­ Beacon Church weekend away. Angela Kemm is our guest speaker this year.

As we lead up to our weekend away at the end of April, we will be running a short series around the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer points:

Please be praying for God to send helpers to serve us at the weekend away.

Please also pray for Newday for the youth and for all the various roles that need to be filled by Beaconites.

[beaconchurch]

Beacon Update

21st March 2016

Serving the community, through building the church, to the glory of Christ.

10 minutes of focused prayer a day will change your life!

​Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Col 4:2

​Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer life, being both alert and intent in your praying with thanksgiving. 

In my Thursday afternoon discipleship group we are coming to the end of the book of Colossians. We have been walking through it slowly for a number of months. Focusing on that which is clear in the passage, with regards to God and our relationship with him. The last few have been powerful and inspiring as we recount clear truths that we are to live by. Last week was no exception. We read the first few verses of Chapter 4 and got stuck on this one. What does it mean to devote yourself to prayer?

The truth is most of us pray, we talk to God all the time, as we walk along, on the train, the tube or the bus, as we busy ourselves around the home, when we go to bed at night. In many and varied ways we do pray. This passage encourages more. It is not just praying all the time that counts. At some point in your daily communion with God are you devoted in prayer? Are you earnest, focused, alert and intentional in prayer? This need not be for hours at a time but it ought to be so everyday. That’s why I want to encourage you to devote yourselves to prayer for at least 10 minutes in the day. Find a room, a corner, a secret place and spend 10 minutes focused on God. Being watchful means to be alert and specific, careful and thoughtful, not careless and thoughtless. In that context give thanks and ask God for specific things for that day. If you do this and keep going and don’t give up I promise you three things will happen: firstly God will begin to speak to you during that focused time, secondly you will see an increase in your answers to prayer and thirdly God will begin to guide you personally. All of this will lead to your faith in God’s ability to lead your life and  gradually increasing, you will trust him more.

Last week:

​ I had a varied week last week. I had a meeting with a guy about a ‘leadership for life course’ that he is keen to run in Lambeth for unemployed adults and vulnerable young people. I spent a day with Don from the church as he looks to start a course at bible college in Sept. This was a day of encouraging faith stories and testimonies, as we shared what God has been doing and saying to us.

The churches together group have decided to continue with the lunchtime services after Easter, which is really exciting. I also had various meetings and meals with people in the church, which is always such an encouragement.

We are looking forward to this Easter weekend. On Good Friday we join with people from other churches in an Easter open air service, 5pm opposite Brixton tube. Jon Bryars will be speaking. On Easter Sunday we are hoping to have visitors with us, as we celebrate the risen king!

Hylton update: ​Last Friday we celebrated Rhianna’s 20th birthday! I remain grateful to God for my three girls and also very proud of them. Rhianna is home for two weeks and this weekend Yasmin comes home for a week. We will have the wider family over for dinner on Easter Sunday.

25th March 5pm: ­ ​Churches together Open Air service

27th March: ​­Easter Sunday guest service

29th April to 1st May​­: Beacon Church weekend away. Angela Kemm is our guest speaker this year.