North 09
A review of the Newfrontiers North 09 conference
Together @ North 09
35+ churches, 1800+ campers, one big barn, one massive field, and a hog roast
Redeemer Central Belfast @ North 09
19 people, an overcrowded mini-bus, 9 tents, gas cookers, eggy bread & bacon, red wine, chilli, campfires, pimped out welly boots, tagging…
God is in a good mood today.
North 09 is a conference for all Newfrontiers churches in the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. At North 08, Redeemer Central Belfast was in its embryonic stages, and was represented by David & Trish Capener. One year on, and Redeemer’s core team stands at nearly 30, with 19 of us attending North 09!
The philosophy of North 09 was very close to Redeemer’s own – all about relationships and community. Lots of time to spend with each other, get to know people better, hang out, relax. Redeemer does this well. We learned that Ian is an expert at a cooked breakfast, and that ‘Ruffles’ likes to sleep – a lot. Ollie & David discovered a gift for ‘tagging’, and the Redeemer logo started popping up in the most unlikely of places. We found out that Leah & Julia make a pretty mean chilli. And that the Redeemer football team (‘doing it Belfast style’ – right, lads?!) could do with a little practice.
And we were reminded that God wants to take us further than we thought possible – that his plans for our lives are so much more than we can comprehend. That he is a God of miracles. We stood back and watched him at work as people all around the barn were healed of a whole variety of illnesses and injuries. Deaf ears were opened, and painful fractures were suddenly pain-free. We experienced the Holy Spirit at work in our hearts, healing hurts, and calling us on to more. We learned that God wants to smash open the glass ceilings that we can have in relation to our calling and our gifting, and that he intends to take us on to new heights, beyond what we can imagine. We listened to churches from across the North expressing their excitement about what God is doing in Belfast – breaking new ground, pushing boundaries, challenging traditions and legalism, pouring out grace.
And we were reminded, several times, that ‘God is in a good mood today’.
That’s my lesson from North 09. God is in a good mood. He loves his children, and he loves the city of Belfast. And he is smashing open the boundaries, and pouring out his grace on the city in the most extravagant way.
Redeemer Central Belfast @North 2010…
Bring it!
Tags: Christianity, Church, Life, Made me laugh
Images
Caption: lying in a field
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