The Circuit Riders

My team and me spent the last couple of weeks involved with a school here called ‘The Circuit Riders’. This was a two-week course aimed at greater freedom in Christ and intentional evangelism (www.ywamharpenden.org/training/circuitriders). We had about 200 people join us here in Harpenden for this, which was pretty intense. We spent time in worship and intercession everyday, as well as receiving teaching focusing on our relationship and identity in Christ. We also went into Harpenden, Luton and St Albans to offer prayer and talk to people about God and life.

I really enjoyed the two weeks and felt like I gained a much better understanding of what my faith means to me and why I do what I do. We had a really great time, and were challenged a lot in whom we are.

Our times out in the different towns were also amazing. I got to have a number of really good conversations with people about what it means to live a life after Jesus, and to pray for a number of people. I am not sure that the area really knows what hit it, with over 200 young people dividing between the three locations and sharing the love of Christ in each different place over the two weeks. God was amazing over the time and we ended up seeing over 70 healings (from sprained ankles, to a lady who was partially sighted getting full sight back). We also had 129 people invite Christ to be their saviour over the two weeks.

I am sure it will be one of those times that I remember, and I know it has helped to give me a push into more of seeing God’s kingdom come.

A Week of Transformation

My DTS (Discipleship Training School) team and I spent our final week of our outreach working in an area of Bolton called Daubhill with a ministry called PFJ (Passion For Jesus). We spent this week on a plot of land, which used to be a community Garden, but has not been touched for a number of years, meaning it was massively overgrown and full of rubbish. It took us three days to clear the weeds and rubbish, trimming all the hedges, cutting the grass, tiding up the rose garden and replanting the old flowerbed, to transform it into an area for playing and enjoying. The other encouraging thing is that the church which is next to the plot of land were wanting to take on the responsibility of maintaining the land, they just needed a bit of help to get it going.

It was really nice for the team to be able to do something practical, something in which you can see visible results happen in the time we had available. Especially as this was the final week of our time as a team, so to achieve something together was really valuable.

The local community were also really enthusiastic about it, they would come and talk with us as we worked, making sure we were kept well hydrated and fed. One woman who has lived in the are all here life (nearly 80 years) said she has watched the area go downhill over the last 10-15 years, and it is just amazing to see something positive happening. It is also such a blessing that such a diverse team, from so many places would be willing to come and do something like we did.

We also spent the evenings in a couple of the local parks with a slack line, uni-cycle, and other items of sporting equipment. This was a really great chance to meet more people from the community and just have a bit of fun.

For me the week was not just about making a nice green space for the community to enjoy, it was also about being able to help bring a bit of joy and hope to an area of the city that has slowly been neglected. These people as much as anyone else deserves something to brighten up there summer!