The contrast hit home as we came in to land at Manchester Airport and the captain address us over the tannoy “…the temperature in Manchester this morning is -5 degrees.” Minus 5, you’ve got to be kidding me! It was 32 degrees in Mumbai yesterday; that’s a 37 degree drop! But the extreme difference in temperature doesn’t come close the extreme difference in lifestyle between these two countries. In the UK, we feel hard done by if we merely have to demonstrate some patience in getting what we want. In Mumbai, kids come running at the promise of a boiled egg!

The pace and chaotic rhythm of life are the first things that hit you in Mumbai and I’m absolutely sure the £1.20 that I spent on our fifteen minute Tuk Tuk ride to our hotel was the long standing leader in the pound-to-trill ratio stakes!

Then, once you’re accustomed to the environment, the work of Vision Rescue blows your mind again, and for several reasons.

The first is their absolute passion and dedication. The need is so real, so in your face, so unavoidable and so expansive that you could forgive them for getting bogged down or lost in the vastness of it all. But they don’t; they put every single moment they have into demonstrating God’s love to as many people as they possibly can.

The second reason is simple, they truly demonstrate the God is enough. So many people there have so little – or even nothing – and yet you can see the sheer joy and peace that comes through knowing that there is a God, that He loves you and that he gave everything of himself for you.

Lastly, is Ps Biju Thampy’s inability to settle for things as they currently are. The Dream Centre is barely half built but Biju’s mind is already planning and dreaming not for the next project, but the project after that, and beyond! Meanwhile, his team are begging to consolidate, or just catch breath for one minute. Biju’s mind seems directly connected to God’s heart in a way that means he can’t help but step into the things of it and into the future with absolute certainty. His desire to see all people experience God’s unconditional love drives him never to settle until the battle is won.

Above all, there is one thing that struck me which will always stay with me. We serve the one true God and his love is for everyone, no exceptions. His desire to see all people experience his sacrificial love is what spurs us all on. We need to capture the urgency and desire to see the people around us experience God’s unconditional love, even those whose comfortable lives lead them to believe they don’t need it.

Let’s ensure we live in this unrelenting vision and desire to see God impact our community, as our friends at Vision Rescue strive to do the same.

- Rob Yates

Objection Two – How Can A Good God Allow Pain and Suffering?

This objection, also known as The Problem of Evil is probably the most common objection people hold towards belief in God today. It goes like this:

If God is supposed to be an all powerful, good God of love, how can he allow such great pain and suffering to happen to so many innocent people? What about the Haitian earthquake? What about the Japanese Tsunami? What about HIV and cancer? If God really was ‘good’, he would prevent these things from happening.

So, let’s firstly look at some of the problems with this way of thinking and then address how you might respond to someone who has this objection.

1. God may have morally sufficient reasons for allowing pain and suffering to occur. We all know of reasons where we would allow pain and suffering to occur in order for ultimate good to come about. It’s a very simple example, but imagine being so protective of your children that you never allowed them to learn how to ride a bike because they might fall off and hurt themselves. Obviously, we all realise that a few bumps and scrapes are worth it in light of eventually being able to ride a bike. Now, scale this up to a cosmic level and we can see that the same principle may apply to God. Just because we don’t like it does nothing to show that it can’t be true. Ultimately, we are unable to see the plan of God at work behind the scenes and have no idea what may come about in the future.

2. Humanity is often to blame. Quite frankly, natural disasters are responsible for a tiny minority of suffering in the world compared to preventable diseases and evil. In the case of preventable diseases, it is often humanity’s lack of action (for example, lack of financial contribution) that allows these diseases to continue killing millions. Along other lines, if we look at the Haitian earthquake, it is easy to see how, if the Haitian government and nation had been free from corruption and had appropriately invested finances into infrastructure and safer buildings, far fewer people would have lost their lives. This kind of human evil magnifies the impact of natural disasters.

3. Evil, pain and suffering is actually evidence for God. C.S. Lewis once said, “Pain is God’s megaphone to the world”. Imagine there was no God; where would we get our sense of justice from? What would be the foundation for our sense of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’? These concepts would simply be cultural constructs, whatever works for the most amount of people. But we do know that things really are right and wrong. There really are such things as good and evil. C.S. Lewis sums it up in this way:

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of ‘just’ and ‘unjust? … What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? … Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too – for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my private fancies…. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple.”

So how might we respond to someone who poses this objection? Above are three intellectual responses. However, in my experience, people with this objection – in fact most people who have a problem with God – are approaching the argument on an emotional level. Here are a couple of appropriate strategies.

Firstly, you could agree. Agree with the person that there is so much evil in the world, that much of it could be prevented and that much of it seems to be pointless. It is true that life can be full of difficulties, sickness, pain and evil. You could even share about some experiences in your own life that have been painful and ask them “What helps you get through those things?” By opening up to the person, you may be able to share about what gets you through the hard times in life – knowing that your Heavenly Father is caring for you and carrying you through. For Atheists, the only way to cope is to accept the pointlessness of the pain and try to find some reason for carrying on through it.

Secondly, share the Gospel. Share the fact that God experienced pain and suffering and tremendous evil when Jesus died on the cross, in our place, for our sins so that we could be forgiven by God and enter into eternal life, knowing and experiencing the infinite love of God forever. Jesus was no stranger to pain, and He knows exactly what it’s like to go through the worst pain and injustice you or I could ever imagine. Why not put your trust in a God who can empathise with you in your pain?

Objection One – There Can’t Be Just One True Religion

This is a huge objection in our society today, hence why we’re beginning here. Educational systems today tend to lead people to think that truth is relative - that truth is what you make it; what’s true for you isn’t necessarily true for me – and we are seeing a rise in the number of people who claim to hold on to this view. This is widely called post-modernism and the objection usually goes like this:

“How can you say there is only one true faith? Isn’t that arrogant, isn’t that exclusive?

What makes you think you have a monopoly on absolute truth?’

There are several problems with this way of thinking. Let’s look at some of them and discuss how you could respond appropriately to someone who holds this objection.

1. The statement “there is no absolute truth” is self-refuting. An absolute truth is one that is true for everyone and every time. But, by stating “there is no absolute truth”, you contradict yourself; you are yourself stating an absolute truth, that you have the absolute authority on the fact there is no absolute truth!
2. No one actually lives like this. For example, everybody believes in absolute truth when it comes to reading the label on a medicine bottle and they duly follow it’s instruction. Everybody holds to some absolute truth in life. People may like the idea of post-modernism, of creating your own truth, but ultimately nobody lives this way.
3. Just because someone doesn’t particularly like the solution in no way means that the solution isn’t the right one. For example, if someone is suffering with cancer and the only course of treatment is chemotherapy, they may not like the fact they need to undergo such treatment, but that does nothing to undermine the truth that chemotherapy is an effective treatment of cancer. The idea of there being an absolute truth can be uncomfortable for some people, but this does not deny its validity.

So if someone brings this up in conversation, how do you respond? Often, just barking out a three-point response like I have above is the quickest way to win the argument but lose the person! So we want to present our argument in a gentle, respectful way (1 Pt 3:15).

Perhaps the following approach would be a good one. Start with agreeing on some of the things that are preventing your friend from believing Christianity. Many times, underneath an intellectual objection lies an emotional one. I would admit thatreligion is dangerous, that religion does cause a lot of problems and that when religion claims to have exclusivity it can be extremely damaging. Then try and show how religion is different to Christianity; share how Jesus despised the religious of the day and spent His time instead with sinners and tax collectors. Christianity was never meant to be a religion that lorded power over people – it’s not a message of ‘turn or burn’! Then lead them to this place – it’s not absolute truth itself that is dangerous or exclusive, it’s which specific claims of absolute truth are dangerous and exclusive. The truth claims of Christianity are hugely inclusive - that God wants all people to come to faith (2 Pt 3:9), that Jesus died for the whole world (Jn 3:16). You can share the gospel at this point – point out the fact that yes, we do believe Jesus is the only way to God (Jn 14:6), but that Jesus Himself understood that there was one way to fix the situation we had gotten ourselves in. If God was going to save humanity, He had to die in order to bring us back to the Father (Mt 17:22-23).

Finally, remember that we do not win people with wise or persuasive words, but with demonstrations of the Spirit’s power (1 Co 2:4-5). During conversations like these at school, college, work or wherever you find yourself,  always be asking the Holy Spirit to soften the heart of your friends and to reveal the truth of Jesus Christ to them. It is God who saves!

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged on here, and plenty of people have recently been voicing an interest in a subject close to my heart, that I am very passionate about. That subject is Apologetics. 

Firstly, apologetics is not apologising! Apologetics comes from a Greek word Apologia meaning ‘to give a defense’ . 1 Peter 3:15 says that we are to always be ‘prepared to make a defense [apologia] to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect’. So Apologetics is simply the set of reasons that Christians can give to people for the hope that they have in Christ Jesus.

As Christians it’s important for us to know that there are good reasons for believing in Christianity, and it’s important in evangelism to be able to share those reasons! So for the next few weeks, I’ll be posting some answers to common objections that your friends, family and co-workers may have when it comes to Christianity in order to a) build your confidence in your own faith, and b) encourage you to keep sharing the good news of Jesus with those you know who are far from Him.

So stay tuned for more over the next few weeks!

And yesterday, Pastor Ed set out a challenge for all of us: grow by 20 in a week! We’re putting an extra 20 chairs out next Sunday in both services, and it’s everyone’s job to get them filled! Of course, it’s not just about filling seats… but every chair represents someone important to God, who He loves and who He died for.

So, who can you invite to church? Who has God placed in your sphere of influence so that you can have an impact in their life? Who is God placing on your heart even as you read this?

As Pastor Ed said yesterday, God has got opportunities lined up for each and every one of us this week. Opportunities to help connect people to Christ! All we need to do is look for those opportunities and take them! Let’s see the chairs packed and the curtains taken down.

See you Sunday!

P.S. Use the hashtag #20ExtraChairs on Twitter this week to spread the word!

Here’s a quick recap of Pastor Ed’s main points -

The Local Church should be -

1. The home for everyone. The doors of the church should be open for all and everybody! (Gal 3:28; 1 Jn 4:21)
2. The hospital for the injured. The church is not for the healthy, but for the sick! (Lk 10, Jam 5, Acts 3)
3. The forest to grow in. Get in community, and get planted! (Ps 92:12)
4. The palace of blessing. If you are a Christian, you are an adopted son or daughter of the Most High God! The palace is yours!
5. The engine room of war. We are a community mobilised for spiritual warfare! (Eph 6:10)

That’s a LOT of amazing truth! Keep coming back for frequent updates and info on church life.

Be blessed!

WE ARE IN! Today we received the final go-ahead on the planning application to turn Fourfields House into Ribble Valley Church! So, starting on Sunday, we will be holding our regular Sunday services there at the normal times of 10:30am and 6pm.

Are you free tonight? If so, why not help us move! We are meeting at the High School at 6pm to bring across all the gear in time for Sunday. And we’ll need help tomorrow to get everything ready, so if you’re free, please come join us from 10am.

Talk about just in the nick of time! We are in such an exciting season, so make sure you’re in church this week for the very first services to be held in our new building. We can also announce special guest speaker Richard Scholes will be with us in the morning to bring the Word.

You don’t want to miss it, because we’ll also be making some VERY exciting announcements about the next few months. Don’t miss this opportunity to invite friends, family and neighbours as we step into this amazing season that God has for us!

Praise God!
Ed & Michele

As you know, we have recently been approved planning permission to hold worship services at our new building! There were a few conditions we needed to meet, and after working with an architect we believe we have fulfilled those conditions. A big thank you to everyone who has been helping practically, praying, donating items (which you can still do! See the list here). We are still awaiting a response from the council for these conditions. This means we will not be moving yet!

So, at least for the next three Sundays, we will be meeting at our regular venue; Walton-Le-Dale High School, hoping to be able to move our services in to the new building by the end of August. This leaves us a few extra weeks to prepare and kick off the Autumn with style!

We’re in a very exciting season! So make sure that you’re in church every Sunday for God-encounters, powerful messages and opporunities to hang out with great people!

Be blessed

Ed & Michele

Please take a look:

Parent and Baby Area
- A High Chair
- Floor cover
- A changing table
- Changing mat
- Toilet accessories box/container
- Child table x 2
- Washbasin stool
- Stair gate
- Children’s books, book case
- Soft floor mat
- Blanket throw
- Scatter cushions
- Larger cushions
- Wall canopy
- Storage containers
- Children’s/tots toys

Tots and Explorers
- Soft play area toys
- Crash mats
- Kids sofas / bean bags
- White board
- Kids tables and chairs
- Craft materials
- Storage units / containers
- Large LEGO
- Computer
- Educational jigsaws
- Kids toys

Kids
- Storage
- Chairs and tables
- Bean bags
- Cool floor lights
- Whiteboard, pens and eraser
- Games equipment (eg foam balls, plastic balls, indoor cricket set)
- Gazebo

Youth
- Table Tennis table and equipment
- Uni-hockey set
- TVs
- Decorating equipment and paint
- Kettle, mugs, Toaster, Glasses
- Board games
- Basket Ball and hoop
- Beanbags / seating
- Note books, pens
- Football nets
- Gazebo
- Fairy lights
- Craft resources

Café
- Cake stands / holders / covers

Maintenance
- Mower (ideally Petrol, but electric would be good)
- Strimmer (ideally Petrol, but electric would be good)
- Compost Bins
- Spades & Shovels
- Shears
- Pitchforks
- Branch loppers
- Rakes (normal & leaf)
- Brooms
- Buckets
- Secateurs
- Lawn Edgers
- Mattocks
- Small Hand Tools
- Bin liners & Garden Refuge Bags

Other
- Please if you have anything else you feel may be useful please let us know, all is very appreciated by all of us!

We are so grateful for your generosity! You can either bring the items to church on a Sunday, or into the office on Mon, Tue, Wed or Fri (closed Thursdays). If you’re struggling to bring them in, get in touch and we can arrange pick up. Please call in advance before you drop anything off! And finally, please be aware that we can only take so much – we will try to update the list as items are donated so that we don’t get a lot of multiple donations of stair gates etc. and have to turn down the gift.