Years of working with children, then youth, and now young (and not-so-young) adults has led me to a conclusion:

We All Need An Adventure.

An adventure of risk, an adventure of faith, an adventure of learning, an adventure of experience, and an adventure that will shape us for a lifetime. So many of us have lives of ease and shallow living that we need a deep-dive into relationship, responsibility, and life. We need an event in our lives that will be an initiation into adulthood, something that we will never forget for the rest of our lives.

For me, that initiation was war: Surviving two deployments to Iraq shaped my thinking for the rest of my life and kick-started my passion and ethos to see men and women come alive by living life outside of their comfort zone. Blood, guts, and brotherhood.  Fight for something (or someONE) worth dying for.

For our ancestors, initiation was a rite of passage: Getting married early, and for life; hunting for food; building a home with their own hands; responsibility of protecting their family; or even physical scarring.

For most of us today: we have nothing. We have nothing that opens our eyes to the world past our computer screens and car dashboards. Nothing that pressures us into the responsibility of having other people’s lives in our hands. Nothing that teaches us to serve others with our whole hearts and commit to honest community.

So with the help of a great team, we’ve established Global Adventure.

The Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It

The mission of Global Adventure is two-fold:

• To plant the Kingdom of God where it doesn’t exist and to minister to the needs of lost & hurting people around the world.
• To give young adults an adventurous opportunity to see that there are needs in the world and that they have Christ-given authority and power to bring change.

The Global Adventure is an around-the-world mission to plant churches and develop men and women who are ready to make a change in this world. Our first trip leaves January 2013 from London and will take our first intrepid explorers to North America, South America, Australia/NZ, South East Asia, Africa, and finally Spain. Each stop will have a mission to serve and to learn. To serve communities struggling in the face of natural disaster or spiritual oppression, and to learn more about topics such as discipling, social justice, evangelism, community, and leadership. In Africa, we will spend two to three months first learning culture and language, then serving a community, and in partnership with a local pastor, plant a new church.

• Need life experience? Loads.
• Want to re-connect with real-life people? Spend 7 months with the same 12 people and you’ll learn about community and yourself in ways you never imagined
• Crave some adventure and fun? At each destination, there will be adventure challenges to complete with your mates.
• Looking for on-the-job leadership development? How about learning from experienced missionaries, pastors, leaders, and teachers as you work on projects around the world?
• Seeking something you’ve been missing? The Global Adventure might be it.

To Parents, Leaders, Teachers, Mentors…

This is internship to n^th power. We’ve specifically modeled Global Adventure to prepare young adults for a lifetime of leadership, service, and initiative. Our goal is to send each participant back home with the tools and experience needed to bring Christ to their village and city just as they brought it to the Andes Mountains, Cambodian jungles, or African bush.

If any of this has resonated with you, check out our website at www.GLOBAL-ADVENTURE.org and get in touch with our team.

Tweet

And there I was, standing in a tight lycra kit with mascara running adjacent to the sweat drops on my face. In my right hand was an extremely heavy, miniature cannonball thing. The stadium was full, and united in song. “Team GB, Team GB”.

The official signalled that I should step forward to throw. I replied: “Mate, I’m not a shot putter. I’m also not female. And finally, do you know why I’m wearing lycra? Seriously man, if my brothers see this I’ll be excommunicated from my family. Please help.”

The official laughed my comment off and escorted me to the throwing booth. Behind me were female athletes all scoffing at my lack of muscle and unflattering outfit. Their sarcasm didn’t dampen the crowd’s optimism though. One northerner shouted encouragement from the stands: “Go on Alex luv, throw the life out of that thing. Go girl!”

Though tempted to run out of the Olympic stadium and pray nobody was filming the event, I pondered the phrase ‘When in Rome’.

Subsequently, I threw the weakest and most dreadful shot put in the history of the sport. It was like baby vomit. I’ll be honest with you, the silence of the stadium crushed me more than the costume that was barely covering my decency. Never had I been more happy to wake from a dream.

A few hours after my torrid sleep encounter, I was chatting with a friend of mine who was talking about ‘Serious vision’ for their ‘Life Calling’. I don’t know why so many people share these sorts of visions with me. I often feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t have clear revelations about the goal of my life. But as my talented and gifted friend explained their passion for faith with phrases like ‘Heart’s desire’ and ‘Soul thirst’, he looked at me and asked me what sort of dreams I have for my life. Suffice to say, they weren’t the same as his.

It got me thinking, and here’s what I think. Guys, don’t worry if you have hardly anything in common with those you’re living your life with. Fear not if you feel like a slug amidst eagles. Despite the thousands of faith-based manifestos that ooze intensity, destiny and promise, God is also the one who created normality. He created you, whether you strive to change culture forever, or merely dream of lycra and shot puts.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

- Colossians 3:23-24

Peace

Tweet

50 plus blog is produced by a team of 10 writers, it’s a weekly blog that is published every Thursday. Eddie James co-ordinates the blog and is looking for a few more writers – interested?

We are encouraging the churches involved in level 1 and 2 events to broaden their activities to include community service (such as the Besom) and also to involve teams of men of all ages. It is important to show a wider spectrum of activities in the CVM presentations and also to encourage the church members to be involved in all age teams. Besom works in large geographical areas, e.g. across a city and across all denominations, so that small churches and individuals can be involved.

We are also looking for specialists and advocates to speak on behalf of the lonely, vulnerable, sick and the old. For example men in old people’s homes need activities such as invitations to football matches and pub quiz nights. A recent survey showed that men in homes were not being stimulated mentally or spiritually as they were outnumbered by women and felt ignored by the overworked staff. Many churches are not aware of this and don’t invite the men to their services. We need to encourage the older men who are housebound.

Another important and urgent area of communication to the churches is reaching the ‘Boomers’. The Boomers were born between 1944-64 and are the last generation in the UK to have a background of the life of Jesus. Many have left the church as they found it boring, unadventurous and irrelevant. Roger Standing in his book ‘Re-emerging church’ has researched this and I have found that the few churches that are focused on the Boomers are alive.

It looks as though we will need many advocates as the public sector becomes underfunded and overstretched during this recession. Jesus commanded us to preach and heal. Word and deed.

So far I have outlined only 3 areas:
- Social action
- Care for the elderly
- Adventure for the Boomers
but I am sure that this is only the start.

A big thank you to Mike Bartrop, Steve Martin, Kevin Cruise and Dave Lodge for their encouragement in this venture. And of course a big thank you to the blog team.

Tweet

It was on Easter Sunday that Jesus rose from death. Jesus had told his disciples before he was arrested that he would be crucified and on the third day he would rise from the dead.

Sunday was the third day from Good Friday (Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Day).

The second day after Good Friday.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Walter Raleigh

Tweet

One of the most disheartening reports from any war are injuries from friendly fire. Time and time again we hear about brothers in arms hurting and sometimes killing each other. In war it must be a horrible feeling to find out you have wounded one of your own team.

In many Churches, it is not so obvious.

The truth is that some of us spend so much time sniping at each other but because the wounds are not physical we feel little remorse. The desire to be right is far more appealing than the desire to be humble. Debates about doctrine draw us in to present our own opinion above all others, including the Bible. I wonder how much richer our lives would be if we invested that time in the promotion of the gospel of Christ rather than our own perverted gospels?

At the end of the day Christians are all on the same page, or at the very least the same book. Perhaps if we realised we all look out from that book in slightly different directions, and that that is something to be celebrated rather than feared, we could get on with our mission more effectively.

Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Tweet

In Luke 2 v49 we find Jesus replying to his parents as recorded in The Message: “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?” Jesus had put God’s work as his first priority. The question facing us is where do we put God in our daily order of priorities? And how honest are we going to be in answering it? Do we put him first in all things?

We have responsibilities to our family and employer if we are still working but do we sit down with our Father and sort out how He wants us to plan the activities we are involved in. Jesus knew His priorities but do we? And if we do are they in line with His?

To be able to make the right choice we must have clear and consistent communication with our Lord and know Him as our Father anchored by grace and mercy in his family. When we are sure of our position in Him we will find He will show us the order in which He wants us progress and how he will lead us to achieve them. As we follow Him and obey His commands He will show us the results that will be mind blowing.

Clarity of vision means clarity of purpose so that every time we step outside the front door we will recognise that we are going out and about on God’s business. As we make our journeys we are going to see how He is giving us constant encouragement as His agents for change.

Jesus knew His priorities and vision and through Him so can we. Are you up for the challenge that he has given?

Tweet

The battle is not won on microphones in venues with fancy walls. It is not won on the pages of new books or amongst the words of blogs like these. Like almost everything that has ever been, these words will fade like fireworks in the distance. Indeed the fingers that churn out the letters will one day be void of blood, and my bones will diminish into the ground from which they came.

The battle is not won amidst the scenes of powerful short films or across the airwaves on succinct podcasts and confident declarations. Our victory will not be found in atmospheric conferences loaded with the passion of the young and the wisdom of the old.

The battle is not won on the lips of foreign speakers building new kingdoms on the foundations of their ancestors. Our victory will not be found across the spine of new doctrines or in the eyes of newly elected bishops.

In fact, the battle is not even fought on external platforms. The battle is a silent one, raging non stop in one place only. The battle is fought right here on this bench, three inches below my collar bone, beneath my flesh and bones. Indeed, though we surround ourselves with the constant noise of Western Christianity, the battle for every man is fought silently in his heart.

Let’s be careful we do not allow our Christian faith to be carried by the external noises of those around us, but rather let it grow honestly in our unique walk with Christ. If we cannot face the Lord with thanksgiving, praise and worship when nobody is watching, then we need to question if our faith is ours at all.

This month Canon Roger Simpson said: “You’ll never have peace of mind unless you have peace with God”. And to that end I say Amen and Amen again.

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

Peace

Tweet

I couldn’t believe it; he was sat up against the cash machine. I’ve never been offended by those who ask for ‘spare change’ but this guy was actually sitting against the dispenser. I was tempted to walk around the corner to a different bank but I wasn’t going to change direction for anyone.

I approached the machine and smiled at the man. His hair hung at different lengths like an old mop. His eyes were bloodshot, with a strange expression of happiness. I assumed he must be under the influence of something illegal.

“Morning” I said quietly. Secretly I was hoping my pleasantry would mute any further conversation between the two of us. The man smiled at me as I took £20 from the annoyingly slow machine. I began to walk away when the man spoke. “After all I’ve done for you mate,” he said.

I don’t know why his remark annoyed me, but it did. In fact, it made me angry enough to stop dead in my tracks on Parliament Street. What on earth did this guy mean ‘After all I’ve done for you’?

I glanced over my shoulder with an air of nonchalance and met the man’s vacant stare. “Are you serious?” I asked him.

As there were no people around us, I thought I’d embark upon a conversation with this intriguing character. It had been a long time since I’d gone toe to toe with someone clearly in the wrong.

“It’s ok, you’ve nothing to worry about mate,” he said. Though his manner was one of peace, he may as well have been screaming at me through a microphone, because everything he said was making me wince with anger. It wasn’t the fact he had positioned himself by the cash machine. It wasn’t the fact he was overtly trying to entice people to part with their hard-earned cash. It was the fact that he was insinuating that I actually owed him something. For all he knew I might have been withdrawing cash to pay a ransom for some poor soul overseas.

“I’m not worried old friend,” I said. “However, I am interested to know what you mean.” As I stood over him like a schoolteacher approaching a kid in the naughty chair, I noticed he was clutching dirty tissues in each hand. (An obvious sign of an addiction there.)

He calmly replied: “I would stand up, but I find it uncomfortable, you can sit with me if you like.”

Incredible, in just three sentences this man offended me financially, emotionally and physically. When does anyone have the time to sit on the pavement and chat to a stranger in the middle of a working day? I’m all for social action, don’t get me wrong, but I’m also a big fan of working hard. And I’m paid to work hard.

“I’d love to sit and have a chat mate, but I’m in work at the moment. But feel free tell me what you mean by everything you’ve done for me.”

The man shuffled towards me like an injured dog. I crouched down to make myself look like I wasn’t too far above his status, which he seemed to appreciate.

“I’ve make myself available for businessmen, that’s all. Look mate, a lot of people are busy these days, I know that. But that’s why I’ve been making myself available for chats.”

I should have kept my mouth shut and walked away, but I couldn’t resist. “So you just happen to be sitting next to the busiest cash machine in York then.”

“No, this is intentional” he said.

“So why did you intend to sit here then mate?” I replied.

“Because most people are addicted to money these days, there’s always people here to chat with.”

Ok I’ll be honest; he won that round fair and square. I didn’t doubt for a second that he was simply a beggar interested solely in getting my money, but I definitely underestimated his level of eloquence.

I repositioned myself like a boxer preparing his final round of attack. I took a deeper breath than usual before responding. However, milliseconds before I unleashed my rebuttal, I saw that the tissues he was clutching in his hands were wet. On a closer inspection, I saw that it wasn’t dirt covering the rags, but blood. He’d been stabbed.

“Mate, you need a doctor, come on I’ll give you a lift to the hospital.” He smiled at me again.

“It’s not funny mate, you’re losing a lot of blood, we need to go,” I shouted.

The man looked at both his hands before using the side of the cash point to get to his feet. It seemed to take an age. He wasn’t wearing any shoes either, what a clown. Suddenly, I began to feel pangs of guilt. Moments earlier I was actually about to unleash the dogs of war on this disabled homeless man. I thought I’d cancel out my feelings of guilt by getting this guy to hospital. (That’s how my sin usually works, one good deed to erase the bad.)

He stood at about six feet tall and looked directly at me. Despite standing in severe discomfort, he still showed no signs of anxiety. He put his bloodied hand on my right shoulder, and said: “It’s ok Alex, these wounds are old. I didn’t mean any offence by what I said earlier. I just want you to know that I’m available for a chat if you’d like. Take it easy.”

He limped off with blood trailing behind him. I saw an open wound in his side and thorns in the back of his head. I looked towards where he’d been sat and saw an old sign that read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” In the distance there were countless armies singing his name. Crowds from every tribe and nation were on their knees on the horizon. I stared at the wet the crimson path and longed for another chance to chat with my saviour.

Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Peace.

Tweet

I am convinced that any form of meaningful faith has to last the duration of a man’s life. I’m not just talking about our faith in Jesus here. Men who say they ‘follow’ a football team but never check the scores or attend a game are not really followers at all. They’re uninterested onlookers placing palm leaves in front of a cause they’ll soon abandon.

The married man who boasts about the importance of commitment during his honeymoon but justifies his later adultery with the same fervent tongue. He’s not a man of his word; he’s merely a man of many words.

The guys who parade their girlfriends in public like gangsters showing off their guns but are emotionally abusive behind close doors. They’re not proud of their women, they’re just proud.

And then there’s me. Me and my half-hearted efforts to follow a flawless Jesus whilst constantly refusing his discipline, challenge and forgiveness. My limited investment into upcoming leaders in the shadow of my many shortcomings. My general attitude to everything if I haven’t had my precious beauty sleep. I’m not an Apostle, I’m just a pasty.

However, though I’m convinced that meaningful faith has to last for it to have any meaning at all, I am also convinced that you and I can achieve great things…in time.

In the early years of my Christian faith, I half-expected a wave of honour, nobility and peace to flow over my character to turn me into a Welsh Gandalf. I believed that just by calling myself a Christian I would somehow grow in wisdom. I thought that my church attendance alone would transform me into a fearless man of God with a strong jaw-line and a surfer’s hairstyle. (You know, like the typical modern day worship leader )

But recently I’ve held some honest chats with older men in the faith who have attained these qualities of peace, honour and wisdom. And it turns out that these qualities weren’t dumped on them during a spiritual fly-tipping session. In fact, only two things happened, and continue to happen daily.

1) God’s Spirit got on with the subconscious work of their character building.

2) They got on their knees and began praying and reading the Bible.

Us twenty-somethings; why are we constantly looking for shortcuts to internal peace? Why do we clamber all over big name Christians aligning ourselves with new teaching just to silence the niggling voice which whispers: “Son, this is about me and you, nobody else.”

Bloggers who ask their readers direct questions are more annoying than wonga.com adverts. But I believe that very rarely there is a time for it. So here we go. My question to you is this. When did you last close the door and face the invisible presence of God on your own?

The reason I ask this is because I have recently began to compromise in this area.

And what I’m learning is that you and I can shout about our causes and concerns all we like, but if our faith doesn’t last the distance, we’ll become the jokes in the memories of the people.

Our greatest hope is also our greatest challenge. It is simply the notion of steadfastness. My hope is that people will say that I was steadfast in my faith.

Proverbs 4:20-30

My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Dedicated to Daf Meirion-Jones, Jonathan Richards, Roger Simpson, Carl Beech, Matthew Porter, Christian Selvaratnam.

Peace.

Tweet

During a weekend of speaking and conferencing in London, Dean (CVM Managing Director) and I were heading back on the Northern Line to our hotel, when Dean spotted a woman being forced aggressively against a wall by a man. Our train was in the station with the doors open. It looked like it was going to get nasty and as Dean got out of his seat I saw the woman try to slap the man in the face to get him away. He was so close to her and so forceful that she couldn’t get get her hands free properly.  She looked terrified. Not good.

Tweet