SPIN LIKE THE WIND-the blog of Nigel James.

EXTREME BALANCE

The T.D. Jakes book I'm reading a the moment has a section about achieving a balance in your life. Jakes describes the challenge of a balanced life as like constantly shifting weight when walking on a tightrope in order not to fall off! I have to admit I'm a little confused as to balance- only because so many books on Christian discipleship tell us to be radical, full-on, extreme, and not to be moderate, half-hearted or ambivalent. Not that any of the second set of attitudes necessarily mean the same as balanced. I'm just aware that 'balance' for some can be an excuse for laziness, compromise, selfishness, lack of intensity, and drives them further away from the no-holds-barred sacrifcial lifestyle that Christ call us to.
I guess that, to use Jakes' image, tightrope walking is a pretty extreme lifestyle choice and to be successful as a tightrope walker you just have to be balanced.

PEACE

Here's an audio file of the sermon on PEACE that I preached at the Beacon Church last Sunday morning. Due to a recording glitch it doesn't kick in until about a minute or so.

I THOUGHT WEEKENDS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE RESTFUL!

For many people the weekend brings a welcome time of rest and relaxation from the busy-ness of weekday life. For those in Christian leadership this isn't always the case, and weekends can often be the busiest and most demanding times. As the bullet point, list-style of blog always seems to go down well, here's a summary of my busy but immensely fulfilling weekend:
* Our son James is back in the UK from Dallas, about to embark on a month in the London office of his new employers. He's looking good, life is on the up for him, and it was good to see him home with us for a few days. Hopefully we'll see him again during his time in London which will be followed by three months in the Rome office before he heads back to live and work in Dallas.
* The shocking news that Pakistan cricket team coach Bob Woolmer was murdered. The reason? Matchfixing scandal? His soon to be published book revealing too much? Argument with a player or players? Fans annoyed at the teams abject performance? Random act of violence and robbery? Only time will tell.
* Candlelit dinner on Friday night at the home of Martin and Danielle Evans. This was something I had bid for in the fundraising auction for the India School back in November and we finally got around to fixing a date. Martin and Danielle are exceptional hosts and, along with another couple from our church, Gill and I really enjoyed the night.
* Nick Redman and I were fairly equal on the Pool Table, but were both outclassed by Martin.
* The steak plus accompanying sauce were delicious!
* We didn't get home till about 1 o'clock... not good for ...
* The 6.45am start on Saturday to go to the Evangelical Wales New Generation Leaders Day in Welshpool.
* A fantastic day encouraging and impacting 80 individually invited younger leaders from all over Wales.
* Working together with other Welsh based ministries -Ignite sharing the day with Going Public, Urban Saints, YWAM, and of course EA Wales- an opportunity to model partnership and collaboration, to showcase some of our own opportunities but not feel like we were forcing the agenda of any one ministry.
* I'm excited about the quality of emerging leaders God is calling.
* Sharing a seminar with Rob Burns of Connect- he's a top quality man and becoming a very trusted friend.
* A great contribution by Phil Wall of Signify - a contemporary from The Evangelist's Conference in the 1990's.
* Poor old Lois from Rhiwbina Baptist church being sick on the journey home, just after the 4 of us in my car had eaten a MacDonalds. Fortunately I stopped just in time for her to .... well I won't go into details. Graciously, she blamed travel sickness and the winding roads of Mid Wales. I think my driving might have had something to do with it.
* England beating Kenya and qualifying for the Super8 stage of the Cricket World Cup.
* 12 people of varying ages, backgrounds, and Christian experience coming into membership at City Temple this morning- from Nigeria, Botswana, Uganda, a couple of places in England, Finland, and of course Wales! One couple coming into membership celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary next week!
* A generous resonse to the Mission Offering this morning and evening- at Bryon Castle's suggestion ( he came to India with me last October and is an elder at City Temple) the money is going to help pastor's from Gateway ministry to go to Elim's first ever all-India conference this coming October in Bangalore. It's likely that Bryon and I will take a team out.
* Changing my sermon tonight at City Temple at the last moment after prompting from the Holy Spirit. I spoke on The Rock of Ages, using some Bible study notes I'd gone through with Third Day on tour last November. No real sermon preparation, no powerpoint slides, yet feeling a freedom, an authority, and the anointing of God. He really touched a lot of lives- not least mine!

SERIOUS4YOUTH MINISTRY

Yesterday saw me complete my teaching of the Communication in a Youth Setting Module at the Elim college in Nantwich. I've really enjoyed lecturing, and this being the second time I've taught the course it's been less nerve wracking than last year. I've tried to focus on answering a series of questions during the lectures and here they are:

What context do young people live in?
Who competes with us to communicate with young people?
Which styles of learning to young people display?
How do we balance media and message?
How can we optimise the use of story?
How can I use my own story?
What am I trying to communicate?
How can I be a better teacher of Biblical truth?
What is the best way to use Powerpoint?
How do I use non-verbal communication?
How can I optimise the use of questions?
How can I encourage a response?
What cultural issues should I be aware of?

It's likely that when I begin to teach the module again later in the year that I'll also be developing a level 2 module of the same subject. Nine of the current students are staying on for the full degree course, so the aim is to offer them at least one youth-specific module. Mark Pugh, the National Director of Serious4God, and the Serious4Youth Ministry co-ordinator, has become a good friend and working with him has been a real pleasure. Most of all, I'm looking forward to bumping into some of these students in years to come and seeing them flourishing in ministry.

REST IN PEACE.

Sad news today that the Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer has died tragically at the Cricket World Cup.
I was speaking at St. Mellons Community church this morning on the theme of Peace and then settled down after lunch to watch the England v. Canada cricket game. It was announced that Woolmer had been found unconscious in his hotel room, and then a while later that he had died. He was 57 and yesterday had seen his Pakistan side, one of the tournament favourites, being beaten by part-timers Ireland. He described it last night as the worst day of his cricketing life. Bob Woolmer played for Kent and England, was an innovative and winning coach of Warwickshire, successful coach of South Africa, High performance manager for the International Cricket Council, and finally coach of Pakistan throughout a turbulent time. In the last 6 months Pakistan were accused of ball-tampering, had two players banned for drug use, one of which had a stand-up row with Woolmer, the Pakistan authorities decided the team would only reply to interviews in Urdu rather than English, yet Woolmer remained passionate about the game he loved. Interestingly, he was coach to the two most 'religious' teams ever; Hansie Cronje's South Africa of the 1990's was full of committed Christians, and the present-day Pakistan team had re-discovered a Muslim fervency. In times of controversy or defeat, Woolmer would remind the media that 'it's only a game, and it's not a matter of life and death'. Sadly, it seems likely that the game he lived for became the game that killed him. Bob Woolmer, rest in peace.

I'M A STUDENT AGAIN!

Nearly 15 years after last studying at University (part-time in Cardiff University for a Diploma in Pastoral Studies), I'm now officially a student again. This week I've been on an orientation course in preparation for 2 to 3 years of part time study towards an MA in Pentecostal and Charismatic Issues. I feel quite excited but also slightly daunted. Looks like the first module I'll be taking will be The Holy Spirit in Luke and Acts. The course is run by Regent's Theological College, which is Elim's national training centre, and is validated by University of Wales, Bangor. I also lecture at Regent's College so it's strange to be both a member of the faculty and a student at one and the same time.

GOOD AND BAD...

The last few days have had some high points and low points:

BAD- being banished to our caravan so that my daughter Bethan could have her 16th birthday sleepover at our house!
GOOD- the rest I got at the caravan for 24 hours.
BAD- having to pay £78 to replace 2 gas bottles for the caravan.
BAD- watching the Wales rugby game against Italy, especially the ludicrous last 10 seconds.
GOOD- Steve Ball's sermon on Moses, Sunday morning at City Temple.
GOOD-the feeling I had about the sermon I was going to preach at the baptismal service next Sunday.
BAD-City Temple's baptismal service has been postponed!
BAD- the after effects of 3 strong Cafe Americano's this morning in a catch up meeting with Gary.
GOOD- Gary's back from Sabbatical looking slimmer and rested.
GOOD- buying a new computer for Bethan as a birthday present.
BAD- the price of the computer.
GOOD- arranging 2 meals with friends for Gill and I over the next couple of weeks.
BAD- the price of dental treatment to fill the gap where a tooth was taken out a few months ago.
GOOD-the Cricket World Cup starts tomorrow. 51 games over nearly 7 weeks. Bliss!
GOOD- starting my Master's degree orientation tomorrow.
BAD- being away for my wife Gill's birthday on Wednesday. Oh dear!
GOOD-I'll never plan 17 days work without a break again!

A WEEK OF FIVE CITIES.

Well I exaggerate a little bit- last week was actually a tale of five cities or towns. It went like this;
Monday- Nantwich, lecturing at the Elim College.
Tuesday- Cheltenham, Elim missions India focus group.
Wednesday-Cardiff, prayer meetings and office.
Thursday-Belfast, visiting IPFW mission team.
Friday-London, EA Essential Project meeting.

The trip to Belfast gave me an opportunity to catch up with students from Indiana/Purdue University, Fort Wayne campus. Ben Gates is the Campus Chaplain and has become a great personal friend and advocate of Ignite over the last couple of years. Introduced to me by mutual friend Andy Booth, Ben has been using the US Spring Break vacation to lead mission teams overseas for the last 11 years. In 2006 he brought a team to work with Ignite in Cardiff and this year many of the same students travelled with Ben for a mission in the Mourne mountain area just outside Belfast. Ben and I hope to lead a team from IPFW to India in 2008, so we spent some time planning that trip. Wherever I go I'm always touched by leaders who pour their lives into a group of young people long-term. Ben is a great example of that. I was privileged to be part of the mission team's feedback session last Thursday evening and heard just how God was working in the lives of the students. I look forward to the India trip with excitement.

KISS MY HEART

Today was a significant 'prayer' day in Cardiff. In fact it's been topped and tailed by prayer. Early this morning about 250 of us meet in the Wales Millennium Centre for the National Prayer Breakfast for Wales. A surprisingly good breakfast was served, and the formal style of prayer-time was actually very encouraging. I set next to a man who is a chief superintendant of South Wales Police and a strong Christian. Then this evening I went along to the Cardiff Citywide prayer meeting- more out of a sense of duty than anything else, to support other leaders who were involved. Sitting in front of me was an old friend by the name of Chris Collins who I haven't seen for years. When we were in pairs, and supposed to be praying for the pastors of our churches, Chris felt the Lord prompting him to pray for me. Immediately I felt the intense presence of God as Chris continued to ask the Holy Spirit to fill me. Chris also spoke some very powerful and timely words into my life. I'm coming towards the end of a 17 day period without a break (bad, bad planning I know) and am tired, running on empty, and still concerned about future direction. Chris urged me into God's presence, without carrying with me projects, plans, ministry stuff, and then said "I was going to ask God to blow His Spirit onto your heart, but I think He wants to kiss your heart". Chris prophetically said that there were some barriers to my future fruitfulness in following God's plans but that most of these barriers were really only made of cardboard. He asked that I would have the discernment to see which barriers weren't substantial at all and to be able to knock them out of the way. AMEN TO ALL THAT!

SONFLOWERZ ENJOY GILL'S SUNDAY LUNCH

My wife Gill is a consummate cook and hostess, so this lunchtime we've been enjoying the company of Becca and Elissa from the Sonflowerz and their parents Don and Thea. Joining us as well have been Michelle and Abi from the Ignite team. Abi has been an honorary Sonflower this weekend for events in Narbeth last Friday and two church services today in Cardiff, doing a great job filling in on drums for them. Here's The Sonflowerz Welsh line up!
The Synchronize event in Narberth, West Wales, on Friday night was organised and run by a bunch of teenagers who have a real passion to see Jesus be honoured in their area. Wales has such a rich history of Christian revival, especially amongst young people, that it's very emotional to see young Welsh people passionate about Jesus today.
For all my American readers you must check out The Sonflowerz- in UK terms they aren't 'well dodgy' but are splendid! In US terms; 'Dudes! They rock! They're awesome!' If you ever need a humble, talented, Godly couple of girls to lead worship or perform a concert then Sonflowerz are your girls! Check them out at www.sonflowerz.com