Today I am reflecting on the above verse and slowly realising just how powerful the 'endurance and encouragement' of God actually is!

There was a sense that 2015 was going to be a heady mix of challenge and exciting possibilities and I thank God that He started to prepare us for 2015 quite a while ago.

Anyone who is in youthwork will tell you that challenge is often not far away, but so too are exciting possibilities.

For me personally these two things are very much part of our year and the image I have in my head is me standing on two chairs with one foot on each, and someone is slowly nudging them further apart! So through my reflections and prayers God has been speaking to me and helping me see the full meaning of these verses from Romans. In the same way that our challenges and exciting possibilities are often entwined, so too is God's endurance and encouragement. It isn't that God encourages us one day and then enables us to stand the next, like two colours of Playdoh mixed together, they are inseparable and part of each other.

So as 2015 continues on I thank God for His endurance and encouragement, but more than that I thank Him for a group of people surrounding the project that are seeking to be of one mind and voice and who are all about Jesus.

n e w s l e t te rM A R C H – A P R I L 2 0 1 5

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6

So much to give thanks for, it has been a busy couple of months and God has been blessing us in so many ways...

• ‘More?’ started really well and we have had some new people along who have been significantly encouraged by the cafés

• On our 7-11’s weekend we had 43 children, 4 amazing young leaders and 13 awesome ‘older’ leaders. This weekend really showed why we believe 267 exists; so many children and leaders encouraged and a significant number from smaller less-resourced churches.

• On April 18th we are having a fundraising ‘Cheese, Wine and Auction’ event, and already we have had a number of excellent items donated. We thank God for the generosity we have seen and pray that the event will be well attended and a lot of fun

• FUEL and FUEL Team continue to be a hugely exciting part of our ministry and God is massively at work in both areas. Last month Charlotte spoke at FUEL in Harpenden and inspired many with her honest and perceptive teaching. We continue to give thanks for the Harpenden groups and pray the FUEL here will continue to grow and be a useful tool for the local churches

• We had our first ‘Children’s Ministry’ lunch last month and 12 people came along. Our hope is to meet once a half term and gather people who are specifically involved in ministry with under 11’s. We also hope to put on an event together some time in the autumn

• I had a great visit to St Paul’s last week and got to share a bit more with them about what we are up to. It was also great to thank them for all the support they have given as a church since the very beginning of the project

• Recently I took away a group of 5 youth leaders for a day retreat. This was a chance to ‘get away’ a bit, pray, reflect and also chat through some of the challenges facing the ministry they are all involved in together. I found the day really inspiring and I hope to do more things like this and seek ways to build up teams and resource the ministry they do

• We continue to feel hugely welcomed by the High Street Methodist Church in Harpenden where our new offices are. It is clearly a ‘God-thing’ and many new doors have opened for us since moving here. I also have got to know the Costa staff quite well!

G O D A T W O R K :

If you would like to volunteer with the267project then drop us an email – director@the267project.com or pa@the267project.com

Thanks

• ‘More?’ begins on 23rd Feb and our theme this term is ‘Who Am I’ looking at how our identity is sometimes shaped by different environments, both positive and negative ones! Pray for each of the sessions, the speakers and opportunities to invite new people along.

• Pray for our trustees: Sean, Nigel, Jane, Paul, Alan and Penny. They work really hard for the project and give much of their time, energy and wisdom to it.

• Please pray for wisdom as we seek a further 2 or 3 trustees to join us. The project is growing and we would love some more people to help us with all that God is doing

• Please pray for the preparations for our 2 upcoming events: The Conference and The Cheese and Wine Evening. Both require a fair bit of planning and also need to be continually spoken about and shared so we get enough people to attend. Please do consider getting a group together and coming to our fundraiser, it promises to be a superb evening

• I am working with a couple of churches who are going through some significant changes and challenges. Pray for me as I listen and walk with them. Pray for wisdom as I consider the best way that 267 supports them

• We still require some storage for our resources in the Harpenden/St Albans area. We are currently paying £140 a month to store some of our resources and we would like to reduce this as much as possible. If you know of anyone who has somewhere we could use please get in touch. It needs to be dry, secure and accessible easily and regularly

• Pray for our FUEL event this month as we look at the ‘Journey to the Cross’

• On Saturday 21st March the trustees are going on an away day to think through some big picture stuff for the future of the267project. Pray that God will be at the very centre of our discussions and that the Spirit will guide and inspire the day

• Pray for Mike, Claire and Tracy as they work together on the ministry of the267project. We also thank god for trustee Penny who is giving 1 day a week to support us all

• Pray for Mike as he takes some time out to write a book!

O U R P R A Y E R R E Q U E S T S :

May we warmly invite you to our Evening of Promises with cheese and wine.

You can bid for anything from a spa trip to weekend in a holiday home or

even professional cakes made for a month, and many things in between.

Not only that, you will be treated to a delicious selection of cheeses

and wines from around the world ~ served and expounded on by our very own sommelier!

Saturday18th April

The ChapelHighfield Oval, Harpenden, Herts.

AL5 4BX

the267project.comCheese and Wine flyer-A6.indd 1

13/02/2015 19:31

May we warmly invite you to our Evening of Promises with cheese and wine.The Chapel – Highfield Oval, Harpenden

M A R C H – A P R I L 2 0 1 5

P R A Y E R D I A R Y

• Monday 16th March – ‘More?’ Week 4: Who am I... ‘In God’s eyes’

• Tuesday 17th March – briefing for leaders on the 11-14’s weekend away

• Saturday 21st March Trustees Away day

• Sunday 22nd March – Fuel St Albans, 7.00pm - 9.00pm

• Monday 23rd March – ‘More?’ Week 5: Who am I... ‘and what am I good at’

• Tuesday 24th March – TTS. 7.45pm - 9.30pm at Forest Town Church

• Saturday 28th March – Youth and Children’s Ministry Conference at Forest Town Church

• Monday 30th March – ‘More?’ Week 6: Who am I... ‘Any Questions?’

• Wednesday 1st April X:Site Planning

• Thursday 2nd April – Youth leaders breakfast at Panshangar Church, 9.30am – 11.00am

• Tuesday 14th April Trustees meeting

• Saturday 18th April – Cheese, Wine and Auction Fundraising Evening

• Tuesday 21st April – FUEL Team Training, 4.30pm – 8.00pm at High St Methodist, Harpenden

• Friday 24th April – 11-14’s Weekend Away at Newland Park

• Sunday 26th April – FUEL Harpenden, 7.00pm - 9.00pm

• Wednesday 29th April – Christ Church Consultancy

IMPORTANT DATE: Saturday 28th March – Youth and Children’s Ministry Conference, Forest Town Church, 9am-4pm

Encouraging and equipping your youthwork

STRATEGY

INSPIRATION

LISTENVISION

The aim of the conference is to resource, encourage

and equip you and your youth and children’s ministry

but also to provide opportunities to partner with

nearby churches and organisations in some aspects

of the work you do

The cost of the conference is £12 per person, this

includes lunch and refreshments

For more details or to book your

place contact Tracy Cripps:

pa@the267project.com

The Conference is organised by the267project in

partnership with local churches and STEP

More information about each ministry will be

available at the conference

www.the267project.com

www.stepschoolswork.org.uk

www.younglife.org

An opportunity for training, encouragement and networking

Saturday 28th March, 9.00am - 4.00pm

Forest Town Church, Lyon Way, St Albans AL4 0LB

Youth and Children’s Ministry

Conference - Sat 28th March

Encouraging and equipping your youthwork

Telling the Next Generation