Reflections on New Wine 2008

As a true ‘Brit’ let’s talk about the weather first to get it out of the way! Yes, it was very wet, but we all had an uplifting God ‘raining down’ time at New Wine Christian conference at Shepton Mallet at the beginning of August. 36 of us from Ashtead, across the congregations, camped together and joined 12,000 fellow Christians to worship God, learn more about Him, ourselves and each other.   We heard from some amazing speakers who had experienced God working in their lives, some in very dramatic ways and others in more practical, but inspiring ways.   I felt very encouraged by hearing Ellie Mumford speak about her love and passion for the church. It is so uplifting being part of a massive ‘congregation’ at New Wine and having the time and space to concentrate on God. I realised that I sometimes get bogged down in every day church life and that God can sometimes feels far away. I felt my love renewed for our own church and excited about the future. We are so very blessed here in Ashtead. The part of Ellie’s message I took for myself was to ‘be kind to one another’.	Ashtead at New Wine 2008
Bridget Murray and Karen Goodridge tie-dying	God healed many people physically at New Wine this year which renewed a desire for my own healing, but I felt strangely resistant in going forward for prayer whilst there. Following on from Ellie Mumford’s talk about the church I felt that I wanted to be healed ‘at home’. On returning to St Giles’ 10am on the Sunday we got back, Christine Bailey was talking to the children about planting seeds and waiting patiently for them to grow. I felt God saying to me that he had planted a seed of healing in me and I had to wait patiently, but he was healing me and felt His warmth and love as the St Giles’ prayer team prayed for me after the service.
I have also been given a desire to worship him in a deeper way and am again so grateful for our own church and the wonderful worship leaders God has blessed us with here in Ashtead.   A quote from Christine Stansfield “I have returned to having a quiet time each morning – New Wine was exciting and amazing and the worship still rings in my ears, but spiritually I had been running on ‘empty’ and New Wine gave me the determination to do something about it”.	Claire and Christine Stansfield and Bridget Murray
Malcolm Leighton	Barbara and Malcolm Leighton and Anne Murray were working on the Teams at New Wine.  Here are Barbara and Malcolm’s stories:   With 11,000 people to steward and 1200+ workers to feed during the week of New Wine B, Malcolm and Barbara Leighton took up the challenge once again to play their part in helping to ensure the success of this amazing week where people came together for worship, learning, prayer and fellowship. Barbara - "Having responded to a call for help during New Wine '05, this is now the 3rd time I have been part of the 'Hospitality Team'. This is the team that feeds 3 times a day the 1200+ workers who take on the many roles needed to host such a large and diverse amount of adults and children coming to enjoy the week. This year being part of a team of 45 (should be 60 of us) we worked very hard to keep the workers going by providing breakfast, lunch and tea every day, even a reduced number of essential workers on the day off.
Starting at 7.20am (some started earlier) we do a 12 hour day with only about a 1 hour break in the afternoon.  The preparation of vegetables and salads kept me well occupied in the mornings stopping only for a quick cup of coffee at 10.30am.  Meals times were a major undertaking not only dishing up the food but also keeping the plates, knives, forks, bowls and spoons rolling round to accommodate such a large amount of people coming through in around 1 1/2 hrs. A brief break in the afternoons was soon replaced by preparing, serving and clearing up tea. I was able to make most of the evening celebrations, listening to some very good speakers, even if at times I was 'dozing in the spirit'! However, every day as a team we gathered together at 9.00am for worship and word, the word given by a retired clergyman, who came each year to make the porridge for breakfast!   Malcolm- "For a second year, I was one of the lucky team members, grateful to be kept going by the wonderful meals prepared by my dear wife and many others. As a steward, I played my part in keeping everyone safe on site, manning the gates and car parks, walking for miles on mobile duty around the site with a radio to help track down lost children and provide assistance as required, as well as the more mundane tasks of litter-picking, handing out freezer packs (when the sun shone!) and filling sandbags (when it rained - and it rained a lot!).	Mark and Charlie Searle
Gemma Goodridge and Holly Sefton	For me, the best moments were the wonderful team spirit, established so quickly amongst a very diverse group of individuals, and the unscheduled conversations with delegates and fellow team members, frequently opening up about deeply personal issues, encouraged by the sense of mutual trust and support for each other, which comes from being part of such a large gathering of God's family. An exhausting but great time! Are we going back next year? The caravan is booked, we must just convince our bodies that we can do it one more time. In fact of course, time is the healer, but not as much as the strength that Jesus gives to us in order to be part of this ministry. Please consider joining us - it is such a rewarding experience."   The children and young people had a great time too. As well as having a fun time messing around in the tent with Holly Sefton, Gemma Goodridge says “I enjoyed the quiet times with God".    We enjoyed spending time with each other to reflect on the day under the shelter of a gazebo or the offsite tent and look forward to spending time with even more from St George’s and St Giles’ next time.

New Wine Blog 5

Thursday 7th August   The sun has been shining! The worship increasingly powerful and the sense of the presence of God growing. There were two highlights from today. Firstly, attending a feedback session from members of the New Wine team who had been out to Florida to experience what God was up to out there. They offered a helpful framework to perceive what God is doing when the packaging is uncomfortable for us. But perhaps more importantly they had all returned with a greater hunger for the presence of God. Secondly, drinking coffee with a best friend whose company I enjoy and who has shared some of the recent Christian journey with me. Ended the day with a little wine in the good company of folks from Ashtead.

New Wine Blog 4

Wednesday 6th August   Day off today so we escaped to my parents house in search of hot baths and solid walls. (They are great, Dad even sent us back with a picnic.) On site for the evening session and we are in for treat. New Wine leadership have been very brave and invited Heidi Baker to speak. She has been a missionary in Africa for 30 years. She opened by singing for 10 mins, welcoming the presence of the Holy Spirit - it was very very clear. He was someone who was walking with Jesus and it showed. The challange came as Heidi unpacked the need for Mary to surrender to God as the angel appeared to say she would carry the Son of God. This was more challanging than I am able to write here. We moved to a time of ministry and invited God to "overshadow" us. God is in the house.

New Wine Blog 3

Tuesday 5th August

There is talk of the kingdom all around us. Not a another revival, not something extra ordinary and not even a special out pouring of the Holy Spirit. But the NORMAL, living, kingdom of God. The Luke 4:18-19 and the Acts 2:17-21 kingdom. It's a kingdom beyond our reason, beyond our well constructed theologies and beyond our religious assemblies!     There are stories coming in of healing, lots of healing. And with that lavish expression of God's love, the desire to walk out God's kingdom in the world, in witness, power and love. The tent has leaked! I think its a sign ... That I got it on the cheap from ebay - opps. What is so encouraging about all this (aside from the tent) is that there are loads of anglicans here and loads of vicars. Even the vicars are encouraged, upbeat and expectant - the Lord must be on the move. Come Lord, restore in us your kingdom call.

New Wine Blog 2

Monday 4th August   On a field outside Shepton Mallet we are getting soaked. Not just by the rain, but by the spirit of the living God. The day began early, to early - little people don't sleep well without the benefit of blackout blinds! But as I took them out for an early walk I remember why I come here in the rain. Its because at every turn I bump into God, so many things to help me turn to him and have my expectations rasied. Early in the morning walking with the little people, the sun come out, God's glory revealed all around. Later dropping the older children off at their morning groups I cry. What a way for them to start the day, funky worship, relevant teaching. I cry because I want my children to walk in all that God has for them and this is helping. It's not that they can't get this in the local church but that the bar is raised here so they leave wanting more. Being here does that for me to, I need the bar to be raised, I get tired, but God has so much more. The day has included, battling to set up another tent without instructions, meeting old friends and making some new ones. Having brought the camper stove with us but with gas still in Ashtead, we tracked down more supplies and the coffee has been flowing ever since. God is good. Attended a helpful session with John Coles who heads up New Wine on the GAFCON meeting from earlier in the summer. (A gathering of Bishops from around the world to make a statment pre Lambeth.) John offers a helpful framework with which to reflect on the current shifts in Anglicanism. What is clear is that the church has survived the summer, there is hope, God is at work. As I sit outside the tent, I have just finished listen to Bill Johnson on New Wine radio (live from half a mile away). He has been talking about "the responsiblity of every believer to bring the kingdom of God". This is challanging stuff, it's the second time I have heard this talk and God is still stretching me on it. The radio off now but I can still hear the session going on. Bill's style is to get the body of the church to pray for healing, training them in the stuff he has just taught. It is rare to see someone so anointed who is also so committed, not to building his ministry, but to making disciples. Some might question attending events like this because they raise people's expectation in a way that the local church can't fullfil. But that's the point. The church is the body of Christ, in him there are no limits, we should be doing nothing less than representing him to the world. I am happy to have the discomfort of my raised expectations, for that sake of continuing to pursue Jesus. The "spring" clean of my mind and spirit has begun.

New Wine Blog 1

Sunday 3rd August   We left Ashtead with its occasion showers and sun to arrive for the New Wine summer conference at Shepton Mallet in torrential rain. Help arrived to set up our tent and create somewhere dry. Then a cup of tea and hot food - even life in the rain can look up. There are about 36 of us here from Ashtead for 6 days of worship and teaching and great community (along with 12,000 others). As ever the children's and youth work is fab and very high octain. We did not make the main adult worship and teaching having arrived a little late and in the wet. But before collecting our older kids from their evening group we took a walk around the site with our two little kids. Delights included dancing in the puddles, seeing loads of people being prayed and bumping into old friends who are dispersed across the country. 10pm and the rain has stopped, we are settling down with a glass of wine. Looking forward to soaking in the presence of God and hopefully some sunshine. Mark