Over the weekend my wife Gill and I cooked a Chinese meal for Lois Richards and Paul and Amy Read.Paul spent 18 months working as an intern for Ignite about 4 years ago, and Lois spent a year with us about 3 years ago. Both of their stories are featured in 'Ignite- God's Purpose for this Generation' and the meal was the first time for ages that we had been able to catch up.
Paul is now happily married to Amy, he works in a managerial position in a local finance company, and along with Amy he runs a Sunday night youth group at his church. He's also the lead vocalist in our Ignite worship band and leads worship at our "Igniting a Passion" events.
Lois has recently returned from the Toronto Airport Church in Canada, where she was firstly a student on their school of ministry, and then later a small group leader. Whilst out there, Lois met a Brazilian called Junior and love is in the air! She's got plenty of God-given dreams for the future.
I get a real buzz out working with young adults and seeing them grow and develop, but often it's very hard to release them onto other things. Usually, they are so gifted and have so much potential that we'd like to keep them all for Ignite, but that's not always possible. Our interns in Ignite stay the same age each year, but I'm getting older so that doesn't help either.
Two other people featured in the first Ignite book are also really flourishing: Matt Gregor is the youth pastor at City Temple in Cardiff, and Pete Joyce is a teaching assistant and one-to-one mentor at the Bishop of Llandaff High School in Cardiff.
Over a delightful meal of blackbean chicken and hoisin plum pork, it was great to listen to Lois, Paul and Amy, and to see their passion for serving God burning strong. I felt privileged to have played a small part in 'fanning into flame the gift of God' that is in them.
So great to hear about the old gang...I can practically taste the Chinese food!
Keep doing what you do - investing and releasing. We appreciate it so much!
Posted by: Naomi Hill | 05/22/2006 at 03:16 PM
Nice one Nigel - I still think about that night you chatted about legacy to the SoulTrip team at our house.
I think in ministry in order not to get disillusioned you have to take the long term view.
Isn't it great when you get to see fruit in those you have been sharing with. One conversation like that covers over a lot of "seemingly mediocrity" in ministry!
Posted by: Andrew J. Booth | 05/25/2006 at 02:53 PM
Nigel James - thanks for the shout out, I can safely say i would not be the man i am today if it wasn't for friends and role models like your good self. You never can tell - maybee we will be the new Gary and Nigel!
Posted by: Pete Joyce | 06/03/2006 at 07:10 PM