TKC Building Project - Progress Report

It has now been about 6 weeks since we completed on the purchase of our new building in Burgess Hill.  Click on the following link if you have not yet seen the video which gives you a tour of our new premises. http://www.vimeo.com/15098459


Phase 1 of the development has begun.  This is to refurb the existing office areas so that we can vacate our current offices and, also, to create a meeting room (capacity 80-100) that we can use for prayer nights, community groups, leaders meetings etc


We have contractors in the building and working as I type; I thought you may like to see a few pics of what's happening!

Office Corridor

Corridor with wiring for fire detection system and lighting



New Office



Another new office

Downstairs Meeting Room




We have the keys - a new building, a new season...

Friday 17 September 2010.  What a day!  The day when we, The King's Church Mid-Sussex, got the keys to our new building in Burgess Hill. 

I had the joy and the privilege of opening it for the first time - it was very humbling to walk around the massive spaces again dreaming of all that God might do through this resource.

Its been a long journey - I have a file in my office with letters dating back to June 2003 which mark the start of our search for our own premises. 7 years later and we now own 27,000sq ft of warehousing.

Of course, there is much still to do.  We need to turn a tired industrial warehouse into a contemporary church centre with cafe, meeting rooms, office space and auditorium.  There is at least a years worth of building and development ahead of us (though we hope the offices and some meeting space will be ready for use before Christmas).

However, last Friday felt like a hugely significant day. In February 2009, Julian Adams was with us and he prophesied over our church saying:

As I’ve been praying for you I believe that God wants to break off an old identity that this church has had, and it’s almost like I could see your signs changing; it’s almost like I could see letterheads changing; I could see a change in image; I could see a change in the face of this church.  There will be a greater release of creativity, there’s going to be a greater release of the presence of God, there’s going to be a greater release of the identity of this church. It’s almost like, and I don’t mean this in a horrible way, this church has been known as a safe church, a good place where people can come and receive and get pastoral help and be cared for but I believe God is about to propel this church into a place where you begin to have an authority in every sphere of society and begin to bring dramatic change as the Kingdom of God breaks out…..he’s going to cut through some old tradition, even in this church, some old tradition in this town, some old wine skins really, God is going to give you faith to break right through and propel this church. And I believe there’s something right at the foundation of this church where God is going to put a missional heart in this church, God is going to begin to release something, even for church planting in a new way. I believe you’re to get ready for that because God is going to break open some incredible opportunities of favour and faith for you. 

A change of image, new signs, greater release of the identity of this church, a place where you begin to have an authority in society...these things seems so huge but so exciting.  I am convinved that the permanence and presence that we will have with our own building will be a key factor in seeing some of these things take place.  A new season is ahead of us.

We are not simply re-locating, we are beginning the next part of our adventure together as a church.  God is very faithful indeed.

Prayer & Fasting Week and Building News

We begin each term at TKC with a week of prayer and fasting!  Sunday night was a great start as members of TKC gathered to worship, prophecy and pray.  The last 30 minutes were full of people all round the room praying powerfully for Mid-Sussex.

The week continues on Tuesday, Wednesday (Ldrs only) and Thursday - gathering each evening at 7.45pm in the Age Concern Building in Haywards Heath.

Tuesday evening will focus on our new building - it will be good to pray in to this in such a significant week for the project.  We'll be sharing more news and info on the development.  Then we will pray for God to work through our building in more ways then we could ask or imagine.

Hope to see you there!

The Autumn Term at TKC...

September always feels like a significant time of year for TKC.  After the summer break there seems to be a change of gear in church life. The beginning of a new term and a new academic year is also a good chance to remind ourselves of all that God is calling us to. 

This coming Sunday (12 Sept) is our Vision Sunday - an opportunity for me to preach into the next season of TKC life and remind us of all that God has called us to be together. This will also be the launch of our new teaching series called 'Disciple' - over the next couple of months we will be looking at what Jesus taught his followers about what a disciple is and what a disciple isn't.


This will lead into our week or prayer and fasting - amazing times together - the engine room of church life.  Join us on Sun 12, Tue 14, Wed 15 or Thu 16 - for more info see http://www.tkc.org.uknight/

Our Alpha course begins with a meal at The Bent Arms Pub on Wednesday 29 September.

Out Parent and Toddler Group - 'Little Fishes' - are starting a parenting course on Monday 20 September - for more info see http://tiny.cc/os0u0

We welcome Mark Ritchie and his show - Tale of Three Journeys - on Friday October 8 at The Hub, Haywards Heath. See http://tiny.cc/wmhcn

They are just a few of things happening at TKC this term.  And I haven't even mentioned the building project.  We will soon become the owners of a 27,000sq ft warehouse in Burgess Hill and we plan to have all the offices developed and occupied before Christmas! But more about that in another post.

Being part of TKC is thrilling, challenging and hugely rewarding. And God is so amazing and faithful in it all.  Here's to an exciting term ahead. 

John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer

Was reading an excellent and challenging book by Simon Guillebaud over the summer called "More than Conquerors".  In the book he quotes this covenant prayer by John Wesley - it has lived with me ever since I read it...


I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will,
Rank me with whoever you will.
Put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for you,
Or laid aside for you.
Exalted for you, or brought low for you.
Let me be full,
Let me be empty.
Let me have all things,
Let me have nothing!
And now, O Father,
You are mine and I am yours. So be it.
And the covenant I am making on earth,
Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

What a prayer to pray! 

Why fast?

At TKC, we begin each term with a week of prayer - our next one starts on Sunday 12 September. These weeks are key in the life of this church as we seek God, worship him, pour out our requests and hear his heart. We recognise, however, that in recent times we have not practiced the biblical discipline of fasting.


We want to introduce fasting to our weeks of prayer and these guidelines have been written to give some biblical and practical guidelines. Please read the following and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as to how, when and for how long He wants you to fast and pray.


Introduction

The primary motivation behind fasting is to seek the Lord. Fasting is a biblical discipline which aids us in the seriousness of seeking God.

Jesus fasted and in Matthew 6 v 16-18, he teaches his disciples about fasting. He assumes that fasting is something they will do and encourages them to do it without a show, but with integrity before God.


Types of Fast


1. The Absolute Fast (Est. 4:16; Acts 9:9)
• Where people have no food or water for up to three days

2. The Partial Fast (Dan 10:2,3)

• A determined cutting back of food or certain drinks to say, vegetables/fruit only, or one meal a day, or no delicacies. This is a practical fast for those involved in heavy work or who have medical reasons for requiring regular food intake

3. The 40-day Fast (Matt 4:2)
• No food is eaten and drinking only water. Most people can fast for up to 40 days, though some changes to lifestyle would be required. This needs serious consideration and planning.

4. The Juice Fast (or soup/juice)
• Some prefer to have a liquid only fast which allow for more physical work. Many use this type of fast for their first long fast

5. Others: be creative!
• Fasting literally means “not eating”, but we can give up other things too
  - Facebook/Twitter/Internet
  - TV
  - Video games

Caution

Some people should NOT fast e.g. nursing and pregnant mums, diabetics, ME sufferers, growing children & teens (apart from the occasional meal).

Others should seek medical advice FIRST e.g. the elderly, those on medication, etc

Spiritual Guidelines


1. All fasting is about knowing God and choosing to act on our belief that he is more important to us than anything else. Receiving from God or seeing situations changed are secondary matters. Be sure your motives are appropriate as you enter into your fast. Desire to meet with God, to be more Christ like and for the holiness of God to be more evident in your life.

2. Schedule in time to pray and read the Bible. If you don’t, you may miss wonderful opportunities to hear from God.

3. Be prepared for opposition. We are in a spiritual battle and prayer and fasting are spiritual things. It will also come from your own body, which is used to three meals a day!!

4. Headaches, dizziness, tiredness, touchiness etc are all part of fasting too! Beware of intensified temptation - especially at your weakest point.

5. Be open to hear God in dreams, visions, and revelations and through the Bible in new and exciting ways. If it’s relevant to the church let us know through your Community Group Leaders or any of the Leadership Team.

Practical Guidelines

This is not a comprehensive list of guidelines, but only helpful hints. If you are considering a long fast, i.e. more than a few days, it is advisable to read Arthur Wallis’s book, God’s Chosen Fast.

1. Fast with someone else. There is strength in numbers, especially if going on an extended fast.

2. Make a commitment and set a duration. However, be willing to review the duration if health or circumstances change.

3. If drinking juice, drink low or non-acidic diluted juices. Watch your intake; schedule it so you are self-controlled. Juice fasts may hinder you on longer fasts as your hunger mechanism does not ‘shut off’, it may make a longer fast more difficult than a normal fast.

4. If underweight or ill, consult your doctor even for a few days fast.


5. If considering an extended fast, consult your doctor first so he can monitor you in the later stages of the fast. Also confide in a strong Christian friend who can support and monitor you too.

6. Don’t boast about your fast. It is to be done in secret, but don’t be legalistic about this. Tell those who need to know.

7. Prepare well for your fast. Cut out coffee, tea, coke, chocolate and any other caffeine foods/drinks ahead of time. If going on an extended fast, begin to reduce your food intake 3-5 days before starting and cut out rich, greasy and high cholesterol foods. The meals two days prior to the fast should consist of salads, fruits and fibre rich foods.

8. Schedule in regular rest breaks as you grow weary and exercise only lightly.

9. Break the fast gradually, especially prolonged fasts.

10. On a long fast, when your hunger returns, it is time to break the fast.

As we enter this week of prayer and fasting together it’s important that we remember that:
• we are expressing to God that His agenda is more important to us than our own
• we are under grace not law. If at any point you feel you need to break the fast, be released to do so. Fasting is to meet with God, not to damage our bodies and bring condemnation
• we do it in faith, believing that God will hear our cry to Him

If you want to talk to someone about fasting, please feel free to speak
to any of the Leadership Team of The King’s Church Mid Sussex

Awesome healing story at TKC...

On Sunday morning at TKC I heard a story.  It was a true story told by a 15 year old called Jenn.  It was one of those stories that stops you in your tracks, that takes your breath away, that reminds you again just how awesome God is.

Jenn had just returned from Newday - an event run by Newfrontiers for young people.  This year 6500 people attended including a group of about 60 from TKC.

Jenn was part of that group because earlier in the year she attended a Youth Alpha course at our church, met with God on the away day and signed up for Newday.

That is wonderful in itself.  But then another extraordinary thing happened.  One night at Newday, in the evening celebration, Adrian Holloway prayed for the sick and those with illness. Jenn had suffered with a form of dyslexia for years which had meant that reading was a significant challenge.  So significant that she had never read publicly and required additional tuition.

So she prayed, with her friends. Prayed that God would heal her.

How would she know if anything had changed, if God had done anything?  She picked up her Bible and read, out loud to her mates, for the first time....ever.  She read clearly with no hesitation and no struggle.  God had done something wonderful.

On Sunday morning at church Jenn shared her story and then, as the preach began, she stood up in front of 250 people and read the Bible. She read the verses that we were looking at together. It was one of those moments, one of those stories. God is doing some amazing things.

For more info on Newday check out http://www.newdaygeneration.org/Groups/108677/Newday.aspx

Adventures in Kenya

Last year, at TKC, Edward Buria (Kenya) and his wife Frida spent a weekend with us along with some other great people from Kambakia Christian Centre in Meru. A friendship began that weekend and we as a church were so blessed by having them with us.

Over the year I have stayed in touch with Edward and I am delighted to say that he will be back with us again at The King's Church Mid-Sussex, with some other guys from Kambakia. He will be preaching on Sunday 4 July 2010.

However, before then, I have the privilege of visiting Kenya myself. I, with a good friend (Peter Marson), will be flying out on 23 May to spend 10 days with Edward and the church in Meru to see some of the amazing work they are involved in.

I am grateful to God for this relationship with Edward and want to be very open to hear from him when I am in Kenya. Being part of a global family of churches like Newfrontiers is sometimes hard to grasp, however, what it actually comes down to is relationships. Where you know God is joining hearts and joining vision to see his Kingdom plans come to fruition. I sense that is happening here and am excited to see what God might do!

Nehemiah's Prayer

My last post was a long time ago. I have a good reason - a new 3 and a half week old now resident in the Partridge house. In my last post I spoke about Habakkuk's prayer, now I turn my attention to Nehemiah.

Nehemiah is a hero of mine. Passionate about the state of Jerusalem, unwilling to be a distant spectator, he prayed, prepared and planned to re-build the walls of Jerusalem. He faced significant opposition and distraction, yet he mobilised a massive labour force to rebuild the city. In chapter 1, before he takes any action, he prays. And his prayer gives us a great model for our own prayer life.

1. He looks at God

He starts off by recognising who it is that he is praying to. Before making any request or speaking about the state of Jerusalem, he focuses on God.

'O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God....' (Neh 1 v 5)

He gets everything in perspective first. The God that he is praying to is great and awesome, bigger than any obstacle, greater than any project.

If we start our prayers focussing on the issue, the request, the need or the obstacle we may never get to focus on the God who is bigger than them all. Nehemiah does not make that mistake, he firstly focusses on God.

2. He looks at himself

He then recognises that he, his family, and his nation have not lived as God has required. The problems in Jerusalem are not his fault, he is not to blame, he lives 800 miles away. But he does not abdicate himself from all responsibility. He recognises that his life has not honoured God and therefore, he and his family, are in some responsible for the way things are.

'I confess the sins, we Israelites, including myself...have committed against you' (Neh 1 v 6)

3. He looks at the promises

Next up, he recalls the promises of God over the Israelite nation.

'Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses...' (Neh 1 v 8)

He turns the promises of God into his own prayers. God you said..... Have you ever struggled to know what to pray? Copy what Nehemiah does. The Bible is full of promises of God that we can turn back to him in prayer.

4. He focus' on the main thing

He knows that any project he embarks on in Jerusalem is not for his fame or reputation, nor is it for the fame or reputation of the Israelites. It is all for the fame and reputation of God.

'....who delight in revering your name' (Neh 1 v 11)

What's our motivation? Jesus - his fame and glory - that's it! Nehemiah was a man desperate to see the name of God honoured and glorified.

5. He makes his request

And it's quite a simple one.

'Give your servant success today by granting him favour....' (Neh 1 v 11)

Nehemiah didn't ask about resources for Jerusalem, or workers, or for insight as to the task ahead. He just asked about the next hurdle, the next step. He needed favour before his boss, the King. Sometimes we may just need to ask God for the next thing, not everything.

Nehemiah was a man of prayer. His model in chapter 1 is helpful to us in many way. Look at God, look at yourself, look at the promise, honour his name, make your request!

Part 2 of the TKC Teaching Series from the book of Nehemiah takes place on Sunday 14 March 2010.

Praying like Habakkuk......

I have just returned from two amazing days in Peterborough. I travelled with Steve Cornford, Reuben Lyons and Luke Williams from the team at TKC and we joined with about 800 leaders from across the UK (and even across the world) for two days of worship, prayer and fasting. They were incredible days!

A couple of weeks ago I preached at TKC from Habakkuk 3 v 2 where Habakkuk prays:

"Lord, I have heard of your fame;

I stand in awe of your deeds, o Lord.

Renew them in our day,

in our time make them known;

in wrath remember mercy."

I feel stirred to adopt this prayer of Habaukkuk in 2010. What we need, more than anything else, is for God to do in our day what he has done in other places and at other times in history.

Being with 800 leaders this morning, calling out to God for him to bring fresh revival to the UK was humbling and inspiring, a privilege and a provocation. I cannot remember being in such an environment, where there was such hunger for God to come again. The passionate prayers of hundreds of people has left me envisioned again to keep reading, keep praying and keep believing God that there's much more for us to see.

With this in mind, I bought a copy of "The Ulster Awakening" by John Weir. An account of the amazing move of God in 1859. I want to keep feeding on stories of what God has done before becase I genuinely believe that he will do it again. Let's pray like Habakkuk prayed...

"Oh God, will you do it again"

This coming Sunday (31 January) I will be preaching at King's Church, Uckfield.