How will it be in 2009?

During the 28 years of my Christian life, I have had various seasons of success and failure when it comes to the vital discipline of a daily quiet time. My constant new years resolutions and then subsequent feelings of guilt and failure became a common pattern.
I also found it extremely unhelpful when those in positions of spiritual leadership sought to encourage us by saying that "it's not so important to have a QT every day". Surely the Biblical ignorance that prevails in our churches and youth groups today can be attributed to the lack of time spent reading the most important book of all "God's Word"!
Over the years I have tried many different reading systems; daily Bibles, reading plans, reading notes, devotional books, Bible in a Year, etc. (Some of the most popular notes used today are giving people a 'Happy Meal' when what they really need is a Christmas Dinner...)
This past six months I have been using 'Explore' Bible reading notes and they have blessed me more than anything I have ever used before. Here's why:

• they are meaty and theologically reformed
• applications are often for those in Christian leadership
• there are no unhelpful anecdotes - just precious Bible
• verse by verse exposition and application
  
• they are written in a contemporary but reverent style
• readings are based on the beautiful ESV text (the perfect companion to an ESV study Bible :) )
  
• the 'Bible in a Year' chapters are listed below each page
• the back flap can be filled in as a weekly prayer guide
• a year's subscription costs only UK £12 / Overseas £15 (I have it sent to me in Germany, it always comes in good time and I find it great value!)

Several friends and colleagues have also started to use 'Explore' and have testified to it's helpfulness. Try it for yourself and let me know about your experience.

• Download a PDF sample
• Pick up your copy at Inspire Books, Lisburn, N. Ireland 028 92621133
• Order now from the Good Book Company
• Find out more

Christmas Greetings

Gary, Claudia, Joel and David would like to thank you for all your prayers and practical support during 2008. Thank you to many of you who sent us Christmas cards and personal greetings.
We trust you will have a Happy Christmas and a blessed New Year.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Clip recommendation for leaders

Illustrations for new JYC manual completed

These past two weeks I have been working in Kilchzimmer alongside Marek from the Czech Republic. He has just completed all the illustrations for our fifth and final manual - 'The World'. Marek has now redrawn all the illustrations for all 5 manuals in the JYC teaching cycle. We are so grateful that he has been willing to use his God given gifts in this way. It was also great that his wife (Veru) could travel with him this time.

Marek, Veru, me and Brent

CEF IN2 short-term mission teams 2009

If you know any young people looking for short-term mission opportunities this summer. Then please let them know about this.

Enjoy your meal

The following is an article I have written to be published in the next newsletter of the CEF European Headquarters (the Kilchzimmer Echo).
Around the Atlantic coastal waters of Europe, there has been a recent increase in sightings of the second largest fish in the world. Commonly known as the basking shark (because they move lethargically near the surface), these fish can easily be distinguished by their large, gaping mouth, which they use to filter seawater through their gills while feeding on the tiny plankton. Experts estimate that a single basking shark can filter enough seawater to fill a 50m Olympic swimming pool – every hour!
That’s a lot of water and perhaps a fair picture of many of us – spiritually speaking. We look back with thankfulness to God that we heard the Gospel right from our earliest years. We praise God for the regular teaching we received in church, Sunday Schools, Good News Clubs and Junior Youth Challenge groups. Week by week these teachers fed us good spiritual food from the Word of God and challenged us to repent of our sin and to give our lives completely to God and His service. Now in our adult years we continue to take in thousands of litres of good biblical food in our own churches. Truly we can say we have been well fed! But so often after we have eaten a large meal, we sit down in our favourite chair and nod off to sleep. I wonder are we in danger of becoming like the basking sharks – taking in so much and yet happy to just relax in the comfort and warmth of the calm waters? Have we neglected our calling to pass on to others what we have been taught?

The principle of multiplication
“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2
Paul urged his young disciple Timothy, to make sure that he passed on the things he had learned to faithful people who would in turn teach them to others. In CEF we understand this principle of multiplication. The vast majority of the 220 million children in Europe have yet to hear a clear presentation of the Gospel. We realise that 570 full-time workers cannot reach them all on their own, so that is why we commit much of our resources to training others and providing them with quality teaching materials for the task.
Last year 17,000 people in Europe received some form of CEF training. During the past 12 months, 58 people from across Europe have attended our Junior Youth Challenge Instructors’ Courses in Ukraine, Romania, Poland and Russia. These people, many of them already CEF workers, have committed to take the teaching they have received, to train other teachers in the evangelism and discipling of 11-15 year olds. (Another course is planned for Kilchzimmer, 11-19 January 2009.)

Providing resources for the teachers
‘Following Jesus’ is our latest teaching resource to be published for use in our Junior Youth Challenge (JYC) Groups. Part of a 5–year cycle, these new eye-catching Bible-studies are packed full of solid doctrinal teaching and personal application for the junior teens. You can download a sample PDF lesson at www.cefyc.com.
We currently have over 300 JYCs in Europe reaching around 4,000 young people. Pray that many new JYCs will commence as our workers go out to train others, and that many of the junior teens will repent of their sin and begin to follow Jesus.

JYC Instructors' Course in Russia

Photo album
I have just returned from Kursk, Russia where I was teaching a Youth Challenge Instructors’ Course. The 17 eager students and 5 staff traveled from Latvia, Azerbaijan and from right across the Russian Federation. Two young women even traveled from Vladivostock in the far east of the country (a flight lasting 10 hours). Another came from near the border with Mongolia. One of my co-instructors Tatanya came from Siberia. You may remember that in October 2007 she made the 4 day journey by train to be one of my students in the Ukraine!
It’s so thrilling to know that these students (mostly CEF full-time workers) are now going out across this vast country to train hundreds of people in the work of evangelising and discipling 11–15 year olds.

Preaching in Kursk, Russia

Red Square

Autumn clear up