Drew Van Tiem Manchester, England - Living Out and Advancing The Kingdom

Recent Happenings

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I have to apologize for not updating this blog in so long.

The month of June has been a very good month. The first half was spent with my parents. They made their way over here for the first time and we were able to do a lot of great things with each other. The first few days of their visit was spent in and around Manchester, and I was able to show them a lot of the places they have been hearing about for so long and also introduce them to some wonderful friends of mine in the community.

From there, we headed to Scotland where we spent a week and then off to Ireland for a few days. It was wonderful to spend time with them and have them experience the life and culture over here.

Upon returning, I've been involved in all of the normal activities.

Back in May, Chad (a teammate the first year and staff member this year) headed back to the States. He regularly met with a young lad from St. James, teaching him guitar and also mentoring and hanging out with him. Ever since May, I've been meeting with him and continuing the challenges and lessons put forth by Chad. It's been a joy to get to know this young lad more and to become friends with him. Last week, rather than go out to eat which we normally do, we went to the park and played basketball, a sport he's been practicing a lot. It was loads of fun, and this weekend, we're going to go see a movie together. Please be praying for him!

This weekend, we are moving out of our house. We're keeping busy with sorting through things, cleaning, packing, etc. You can pray for us that our transitions will be smooth and easy. We've all found other housing for the remainder of out time here.

God bless and Keep well!

Drew

Sainsbury's and St. Andrew's

Thu, 8 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

One of the major grocery stores here in England is a chain called Sainsbury's. Sainsbury's has some great food, but more importantly, it tries to do what it cans to make a difference in the communities it is in.

In Blackley, where St. Andrew's church is, there is a Sainsbury's nearby. Each year, they have a charity that they raise money for. Just recently, St. Andrew's youth work was named Sainsbury's charity of the year! This means that St. Andrew's will be given a good amount of money over the next year to continue the great youth work that is done there.

This past Saturday, some of us from St. Andrew's were able to go to Sainsbury's in an attempt to raise money. We were able to take part in an activity that we can't do in the States. Here in England, at grocery stores, there isn't a bagger like there is in the States. Usually, the shopper bags their own goods. Sometimes the worker at the till counter will help, but not always. Sainsbury's allows groups from charities to come in and offer their help packing bags for customers. At the end of each counter, there is a bucket for funds to be given. It's a great way to raise money and to chat with people as they are coming through with their groceries. I had a great time doing it. Some people were very intrigued when they found out I was an American and I was able to share with them about St. Andrew's youth work (which we were raising money for) and invite them to come along on a Sunday. It was fantastic!

After our two hours of helping out, I was encouraged as I sat with a few members of St. Andrew's for lunch as we talked about the different things God is doing in Blackley and the things we would like to see happen. It was very encouraging and exciting!

Altogether with about 15 of us helping pack bags for two hours, 315 pounds were raised for St. Andrew's youth work. Plus, Sainsbury's also gave two hundred. So altogether, 515 pounds were raised! That is over $1000! How exciting!

Please be praying for St. Andrew's and their presence and message in their community. Also, please be praying that the youth work at the church would continue to impact lives and make disciples!

Take care and God Bless
Drew

If you want to check out Sainsbury's web page, copy and paste this into your tool bar.
http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/home.htm

Budapest, Hungary

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This past week I was able to have a great opportunity to take a few days off and travel to Budapest, Hungary! This was my first time on continental Europe and I loved it!

While the sights, the weather, the history, and the natural thermal baths were all great, the best part of the trip was the time I was able to spend with Andrea, Chad, and Christine. I have spent 17 out of the last 20 months living and working alongside these three. We all started out as participants of the FYM program and all joined staff this year. We've made some great memories and I will forever cherish the nearly two years I've had with them.

Last Autumn, we talked about the four of us taking a trip somewhere. Finally, we made it happen. Budapest was the cheapest available option (we like cheap!) so we took it. It was fantastic! Here are some pictures...

Chad and I along the River Danube

Christine (left) and Andrea (right)

Budapest- West (Left) of the river is Buda- the older part of town. On the right, Pest.

Parliament- I've tried to think of my favourite structure in the world, and I can't think of one that I like better than this one. Unfortunately, there is some scaffolding on the right side, but hey, it happens.

A street on the Pest side

Now, on a more serious note, please be praying for the next three weeks. The participants (Josh Jacobs, Katie, and Hilary) and Chad are all leaving on either May 15 or 16th. They all have two weeks of ministry left in which it is vital to end well and finish strong. Please be praying that they do! And also, please be praying for those of us that are staying through the summer (Andrea, Christine, Josh and Shannon Edwards, myself) as we continue at our various ministries.

I cannot tell you enough that God is impacting lives and hearts are being changed. Please keep praying! You are making a difference!

Blessings!

Drew

Albert Park Youth Club

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Every Wednesday and Thursday night from 6-9 some of our team volunteer at The Albert Park Youth Clubs. Albert Park is a park a few minutes from our house. There is a football pitch (soccer field) there that was recently re-done and greatly improved. The building we use for the club also holds the changing rooms for the pitch.

Over the last couple of years, Dave Fraser, the director of the club, has done a lot to improve it and make it something that the young people of Broughton would be proud of and interested in. At the club, the most used pieces of equipment are some table top games, table tennis, and a pool table. A few months ago, Dave was able to get a 100,000 pound (a little more than $200,000) grant for work on the youth club. Since the grant was given, the club has undergone many changes and it looks great! This past week and this week coming, the club is closed for final renovations and additions.

I am very excited about everything that has taken place. The building now has a full working kitchen, a new pool table, a new table tennis table, a new foosball table, a recording studio for young people to create and record music, an IT room with laptops that will be used for an after school club, and more lighting and cameras for better safety and security. I look forward to seeing the young people's reactions when they see the nice, new equipment.

Please be praying for the work at the club and all the great things that are happening there! Lives are being changed!

All the pictures below are taken by Chad, one of my teammates.
Drew

The newly renovated kitchen

This artwork is in the front room and was partially done by some of the young people from the club

The front room and main entrance

The new computers (there are 7 more) that will be used for study and internet purposes

The new pool table!

The club from the outside

The football pitch

Dave Fraser and I

God bless!

Rugby and Oxford!

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey All!

This past week, we were able to take the week off. It was a much needed time of rest and it's certainly re-energized me for the continuation of ministry here. Many from our group had visitors and spent time traveling around different parts of the UK and Europe. I stayed home most of the week, which was wonderful, relaxing and refreshing!

I did have the opportunity to attend a Rugby match! I'd never been, so I was excited about the chance to go. I asked a friend of ours from the St. Clement's (a church we work with in Broughton) if he'd like to go with me (as I had been given two free tickets). He used to play rugby for the Salford City Reds, which was the very team we were going to see! So he was enthusiastic about going. We went out to lunch before the 3 o'clock start and the game started! I felt like an alien from another planet while watching it, but as the game progressed, I felt as though I had a good understanding of the rules and play. It was a fun experience and I am very glad I was able to go! The Reds played a good game and won 42-12.

Also, on Thursday, I headed down to a little college town called Oxford. Perhaps the name rings a bell! It was a gorgeous day and I absolutely loved my time there. Oxford is full of history and great architecture. Many of the buildings of the University and churches throughout the town were beautiful! Also, there were loads of bookstores, many of which were second-hand stores. I've enjoyed reading and writing for a while now, but I've never wanted to read and write so much as I did while I was there! I also was able to see the entry to a castle (it cost 7 pounds [$15] so I didn't go in-oh well), walk around campus a bit, eat a Krispy Kreme donut (!!), and just enjoy being in such a historic place where so many great minds have studied and lived.

To top it all off, I was able to eat at the Eagle and Child Pub for dinner (Pubs here are more like restaurants, rather than a bar in the States). C.S. Lewis (famous author- most well known for the Narnia Chronicles and Mere Christianity) and J.R.R. Tolkien (most known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and other authors (known as the Inklings) regularly and often went to the Eagle and Child pub to read and discuss through their most recent writings. C.S. Lewis is one of my favourite authors and I was elated to be able to eat at the pub he and his fellow Inklings frequently visited. Overall, it was a fantastic day and Oxford is close to the top of my list of favourite places I've visited here in the UK.

The week off was certainly refreshing. The break was a great time to refocus and makes changes that I needed to make in my life. On a personal level, I'm doing better spiritually than I have in a while, and that of course directly improves ministry I'm partaking in. So, indeed, God used the time off for His glory!

I hope you are doing well! Enjoy the pictures!
God bless!
Drew

The Reds preparing to score

They did! Here the player in the red on the ground is making a "touch" which gives his team 3 points- they equivalent of a touchdown in American football.

Part of the campus of Oxford University

Outside the Eagle and Child

Eagle and Child again- Referred by the Inklings as "The Bird and the Baby"

A church in the distance in Oxford

One of the streets

Take Care!

Easter Weekend

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I'm a few hours late, but happy Easter to everyone! How great that we serve a God that conquered even death itself!

This past week, Holy Week, has been an excellent week of ministry. During the first portion of the week, things were as they normally are with the youth clubs, lunch clubs, etc. The later portion of the week was a bit unique. On Friday, there were different Good Friday services in both Broughton and Blackley. While some members of our team sang at the service in Broughton, I went up to Blackley for a very full day of activities.

First, there was a service of reflection which emphasized the wounds of Jesus. Articles were read about the different wounds of Jesus and we had a lot of time of meditation through music or silence. It was a very powerful service for everyone there. Towards the end, five of us performed a drama to music. Essentially in the drama, a girl looks for love with two different men, all the while Jesus is declaring his love for her. Finally, once her heart has been ripped and crumbled (we had paper hearts), she gives the pieces to Jesus and He gives her a new heart. The comments afterward were very encouraging. Many said it was very simple, yet incredibly moving.

Shortly thereafter, we went to a service that was held outside with a few different churches. Again, we performed the same drama and had good reactions!

By this time, it was around 1 in the afternoon. We had a great lunch of fish and chips (delectable!), and prepared for a children's event that took place in the afternoon. We saw 26 kids come through the doors for the two hour service. It was fantastic. Many of them are involved in children's programs during the week that St. Andrew's puts on, but a few were new as well. During this, we sang songs, did some crafts, played some games, and watched the ending of The Miracle Maker, a movie geared for children about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Finally, for the last event of the day, a few of us started collecting wood from the cemetery of St. Andrew's and built a large bonfire for St. Andrew's youth group. The bonfire was great! We had pizzas, hot chocolate, smores, and some time of reflection and worship regarding the death of Christ.

All in all, it was a long day, but absolutely fulfilling and worth every ounce of energy!

And of course, yesterday was Easter, where we had a communion service of celebration proclaiming the resurrection of Christ. It was a great service and many people came and were told of Jesus' victory over death.

Now for this week, we are taking the week off. Many of our team members are off traveling around the UK and other parts of Europe. Many also have visitors from home here to see them and travel with them. I will be getting down to Oxford one day, but other than that, I'm not doing too much... which I am more than okay with! I'll spend most of the week reading and relaxing.

I hope you're all doing well and I hope that you had a great Easter weekend! God bless all of you!

-Drew-

BBC's Passion

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hello!

This past week, I had the opportunity to go to a night of prayer for the city of Manchester and the whole of the UK. It was held at the Manchester Cathedral and there were hundreds gathered together for the evening. It was a great night of worship and prayer!

One thing that was announced was a program during Holy Week (which, of course, just started today with Palm Sunday) that will playing on the BBC here in Britain. Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday evenings of this week, there will be a program simply called Passion. It is about the last week of Jesus' life. I'm very excited about it.

While we don't have a TV in our house, it's likely people I know will be watching it or seeing parts of it. What a great opportunity this is to share what Christ did for us! Many, I'm sure, across the country will be viewing, pondering, and asking questions. Please pray that God would use this program in a mighty way throughout all of the UK, but especially in Manchester.

Also, that night we sang a song that has been on my mind since. Here are the words of it:

Can a nation be changed?
Can a nation be saved?
Can a nation be turned back to You?

We're on our knees
We're on our knees again

Let this nation be changed
Let this nation be saved
Let this nation be turned back to You

I really do believe that this nation can be saved and I trust that this week's showing of the Passion will play a part in that. It's good to sometimes take a step back and get a picture of what God is doing in more than just my local area of ministry. At the same time though, a revival begins one heart at a time. And for the hearts of those I know and love here in Broughton and Blackley, I am praying. Please join me in prayer for them!

In Him
Drew

Lent Groups, Earthquakes, and Clubs

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey friends!

Well, as you may have heard, last night (around 1 AM local time) an earthquake hit in a large area of England. If you haven't, you can read about it. Copy and paste this into your toolbar...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7266136.stm
No fatalities were reported, but some damage was done close to the epicentre. I was in bed and had recently fallen asleep when it happened, but woke up as a result of it. I heard some noise and my bed was shaking which, in my groggy state, I thought was just weird. It was over after about ten seconds, so I quickly went back to sleep. I've never been through a noticeable earthquake before last night. Maybe next time, I won't be sleepy, so I'll know what's happening!

One of my favourite parts of the week during the season of Lent is the Lent Group that meets at St. James church. Every Monday during Lent, a group from St. James meets for discussion concerning a certain topic. This year, we are working through the Lord's Prayer. Each meeting, after grabbing a cup of tea and probably a few biscuits, we all sit down around a table and discuss answers to questions about a line in the Lord's Prayer. It's been great joining in with believers and exploring all the ways in which those lines effect us and the people around us today. I've been very encouraged by the wisdom of some who have been Christians far longer than me.

Today, in our lunch club at a local primary school, we talked about the significance of the Bible. We told them why we thought it was important and we had them look up the memory verse for this week. It was a great meeting!

Please be in prayer for all the ministry here. Your prayers are what are going to make a difference.

Hope all is well with you, wherever you may be! God bless

Drew

Refreshed!

Sun, 3 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As I'm looking over my day planner from the last week, three events really stick out to me and made it a great week!

First, on Tuesday, I was given the opportunity to be at a high school Bible Study (6th-10th grades) in Blackley. This is something that I will be continuing on a weekly basis. There are four lads who are consistently there each week and the three I met (this was one week when one of them wasn't there) are fantastic! This is exciting for me because for a long time, I've longed to have younger guys here who I could befriend and mentor a bit. So this will provide such an opportunity! Currently, we are working through the book of James. Good stuff! Please be in prayer for these young men and for Ian and I as we lead this study.

On Friday (our day off), a few of us went to a place on the coast called West Kirby. Right off the coast, there are two islands that are accessible during low tide. So Ian, Chad, Katie and I all walked out to the islands when the tide was low. It was a lot of fun, however, we were walking against extremely high winds. We estimated that they were 20-30 mph. Below are some pictures.

Then, on Saturday, I made the trip by train and bus to Glasgow, Scotland. To start off my journey, I had to leave for the train station in Manchester at 4:15 AM. When I woke up, it was snowing! Snow is rare in wet and rainy Manchester, so it was nice to see! The whole purpose of my trip to Glasgow was to visit a Bible College that I'm interested in. International Christian College was having an Open Day for anyone interested to learn more about it, so I checked it out. And I must say, I loved it! It looks like a brilliant school. I was able to meet some good people and had some great times of "Taster Lectures" and worship that were very encouraging to me. As the day was coming to a close, God gave me a deep level of peace about my future. And though I don't know my plans at the moment, God has everything in His hands and in His time, it will become clear to me. Easier said than lived out, but He's working on me! After the day was over, I headed back to Manchester and was thankfully able to catch up on some reading!

Overall, this week has been great. The last two days have especially been good. While physically tiring, they have been emotionally and spiritually refreshing! Thank God that He knows when we need a bit of a change of pace and refreshment.

I hope you're doing well! Feel free to get in touch with me. I'd love to hear from you!

In Christ,
Drew

The Islands that we walked out to. This view was from the coast.

Once we got to the Islands, I took this picture. The furthermost land is the coast. I was trying to be really artistic by taking a picture that had landscape at three different distances. What do you think? Artistic or no?

Snow falling outside our house at 4:15 AM at the beginning of my trek to Glasgow.

Back Again!

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, hello there! I apologize for such a break between posts. Many of you know, I returned to the States in mid December to be home for Christmas and New Years. It was a wonderful break and I am so thankful to God for such a great family and such wonderful friends that I was able to spend time with over break.

But now I'm back and ready to go!

I came back about a week ago and spent time catching up on school (I'm taking an Old Testament Survey course), reconnected with some of the folks here, and getting over jet lag, which is way harder than it seems it should be.

Right now, I wanted to share with you something I came across the other night. At SEVEN, the young adults group that meets once a month in Manchester, we were given a sheet titled "Twelve Signs of the Resurrection." There are surely more than just the twelve on this list, but this covers a lot. Here it is

Hearing where there was inattentiveness

Belief where there was unbelief

Mirth where there was mockery

Acceptance where there was rejection

Magnanimity where there was vindictiveness

Synergy where there was obstruction

Compassion where there was indifference

Confidence where there was insecurity

Generosity where there was avarice

Passion where there was lethargy

Hope where their was despair

Community where there was dissociation

Our goal in England is to advance the Kingdom and to live out all of these things that the Resurrection brings. I thank God that the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son accomplished so much and affects not only our eternal lives, but our lives here and now! May we all strive to live in such a way to bring about all of these wonderful, Godly truths!

In Him,
Drew

Christmas Fairs

Tue, 4 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Greetings! I hope you are excited and enjoying the preparations for Christmas and New Years! I am very excited about Christmas and have already finished all of my shopping!

One of my favourite things about Manchester is all the fairs and festivals that take place throughout the year.
The biggest and best of all of them is the Christmas Fair. Throughout the City Centre (downtown), there are five locations with loads of booths set up. The booths primarily have gifts, souvenirs, food from different parts of the world, etc. It is a load of fun to walk around, try some bratwursts, look at everything, and just enjoy the atmosphere of it all.

Last Saturday, which was supposed to be the busiest day in Manchester for the Christmas Season, I went around the Fairs and had a great time! Here are some pictures from my day out

This is the fair in St. Ann's Square... as you can see, it was very busy!

Inside the Arndale Center, which is a large Shopping Centre here in Manchester

The Fair in Lincoln Square... Above the roof of the nearest booth, you can see the statue of the great American President

Again, I hope you are enjoying your preparations for Christmas.

Please be praying for us as we finish up our ministry this week and head into Debrief next week. After debrief, we will be coming home for Christmas. I'm very excited to see many of you! God bless!

Drew

Hope '08

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

One of the things that angers and saddens me the most about many churches here in our Western Culture is how many churches let differences come between them and other churches- so much that we have numerous denominations doing their own thing rather than working together. Apparently, I wasn't the only one...

Last night, we had the chance to go to the Manchester Cathedral to hear about something called HOPE 2008. Basically, the idea of it is bringing churches from all over the UK together to work with each other to share the Gospel and advance the Kingdom. This is something that has been in the works for a while now, and it's finally coming together. The leaders of Hope 08 were hoping for 500 different regions where churches are joint together, working for the Kingdom alongside one another. As of now, there are 997 of those regions throughout the UK. 16 of them were represented last night at the Manchester Cathedral for a night of worship and intercession for the lost and prayer for preparation for this year.

This night was partly set up to be a time to gain knowledge about Hope 08, but mostly for prayer and intercession concerning it. We had a time in which we prayed for the churches who are joining together, the Christians who will be reaching out, and for the lost that we hope to reach and share the Gospel with. We also had a great time of corporate worship through singing.

I am absolutely excited about this upcoming year and what could happen in the UK as a result of it. It is going to be amazing what God does with it. I truly believe that this can start a revival that runs through the entire UK. I'm also hoping and praying that this is the first year of many that will see churches who are very different from one another working together to see the Kingdom advanced.

One of the greatest things of the night for me was the chance to be a part of something so much greater than just me. It's so easy to get wrapped up in myself, my ministry, my whatever. In doing that it's easy to forget the bigger picture of what's happening. I've been in the Cathedral many times in my 14 months here, but never for a worship service. It was such an inspiring moment when the organ began playing "Crown Him With Many Crowns" and the whole place erupted in singing. Worshipers have been coming to the Manchester Cathedral since the 12th century to praise the Father. Knowing that fact, hearing everyone singing, and looking around at the historic building gave me great sense of heritage and excitement, knowing that I am a part of something that has been going on long before me and will continue long after me. It was also humbling knowing that this whole Hope '08 is far bigger than just me. Overall, it was a wonderful and very refreshing evening.

All that to say, please be praying. Not only for my work in Broughton, but for the churches in Manchester, and all of the UK. One heart at a time, I believe revival is going to happen. In a book I'm reading by Elmer Towns, called Fasting For Spiritual Breakthrough, he shares three things that historians attribute to the Great Awakening in the 1800s in America. He writes,
"First, interdenominational unity (was a factor that sparked the revival). Second, the revival came not through preaching, writing, or any other sources but through prayer. Third, the revival was inspired by the laity, rather than the clergy."

I believe that revival will come to Manchester, including Broughton. Please be praying for Hope 2008 and for it to have an impact on the UK. And if you to see revival come to America, I think we need to practice unity between denominations, we need to be on our knees, and we need to be the ones going out and making a difference. We mustn't depend on our pastors, teachers, and church leaders to do it. Everyone has to be involved. God bless and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Drew

Manchester Cathedral

A View of the Neighbourhood

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Well, it's a beautiful day here in Salford... the sun is shining! It doesn't happen all that often, so when it does, you enjoy it thoroughly. However, the nights are getting colder and longer as we move into Winter... I must say though that I do love the cold!

Over the last few weeks, we've wandered about our neighbourhood to meet the neighbours and make ourselves known. It's been very beneficial and we've already had some great times of contact with many of them. Yesterday, I was able to enjoy a great 2 hours or so with another neighbour that I've only seen for a few minutes before.

For school (yes, school- I'm taking a few classes through correspondence), I had to write a paper on the reasons behind John's belief that Jesus was the Son of God (The course is a study of the Gospel of John). Part of the assignment was to take the paper to a neighbour or friend, have them read it, and discuss it. So I decided to find someone nearby that I could ask read it. This neighbour of mine that I went to see is an elderly widowed man who has lived here since 1958. He is an Irishman through and through and it was absolutely great to get to know him and talk with him (I love Ireland, and the Irish people as well; If Jesus hadn't been from the Middle East, He probably would've been from Ireland- Ok, probably not, but it is a great place).

I read my paper to him, and we were able to talk about it very openly and candidly. He said he remembered a lot of the stories that I mentioned and that his interest in all of it was sparked again. He is a very smart man and loves to read, discuss, etc. about pretty much anything. It was a great chance to minister and share my faith with him. I actually look forward to writing more papers now if I get the chance to read them to him!

Please be praying for me as I continue to get to know him. And of course, please pray for him as well, that he would be open to a personal faith and trust in Christ. I look forward to telling you more about our meetings and conversations about Christ, faith, life, history, football, and of course, Ireland.

Speaking of the neighbourhood... why not take a look?

Here is our house this year. It's fit us quite nicely. Still cramped with 11, but not as cramped as the old house.

The cross street by our house. We live in a much quieter place than last year, which has been great!

The view from our house if you come out and look right.

Be praying as we do what we can to impact not only our community, but our immediate neighbourhood as well!

Blessings!
Drew

Llandudno

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Heya mates! It's hard to believe that it's already at the end of October. Autumn is in full swing and soon Winter will be upon us. Over here, some of the leaves have begun to change and it's beautiful to see. Reminds me of the landscape back home, which is nice.

This past week has been a very good week. Some of the highlights include, but are not limited to:

-Discovering that the local McDonald's is now offering free wireless internet. (Free anything here is hard to find- free refills, free restrooms, and especially free WiFi). This is nice especially since we've been trying to get internet set up at our house for over a month now and still have been unsuccessful.

-Talking with my parents on the phone for the first time in about a month. We just recently got our phone up and working here in our new house.

-School was out, so that gave us the opportunity for more outreach in City Centre Manchester and times together as a team.

-A night of pool and hanging out with some of our neighbours.

-A weekend retreat in Llandudno, Wales, with the Young Adults group (SEVEN) from Manchester.

-Finally getting over a cough that I had for about 3 weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, all of us went around the neighbourhood to introduce ourselves and offer assistance for anything. One of the houses is a house with four young men in their 20s who said that we should come on over and hang out anytime we wanted. So, last Thursday, Robby (one of the FYM participants) and I went over to their house and hung out with the two of them that were there. We had some tea, sitting by a real fire place (it's a pretty nice house), getting to know them, talking about cars, their jobs, their girlfriends, what we're doing here, etc. It was great talking to them and sharing our lives with them. We then went downstairs to where they have a nice pool table and played pool with them. And well, I used to think I was good at pool, but now I realize I'm not the greatest. Regardless of my less than stellar pool playing, we were able to build that relationship in a matter of one evening and are looking forward to share more in depth with them about Christ and the life He offers all of us. They've invited us over for more nights of pool which we are very excited about. They have people over a lot, so we're excited about that opportunity as well. Please be praying for Robby and I and any other guys from our group that are going to be getting to know them and share with them. Also, be praying for them and that they will be open and receptive to Christ.

Another great thing that happened this week was a weekend retreat to Llandudno, Wales, with the young adults group in Manchester. Last March, I was able to go to this same place with the same group (called SEVEN), so it was great to be back there and be with many of the people from last year. This group meets once a month in Manchester for a meal, some teaching and worship, and for just fellowship and community. I love this group and what it could become- there is a load of potential in it to reach out in great ways throughout all of Manchester. So this weekend, there was about 40 of us that went to Wales. We had some gatherings of worship and teaching throughout the weekend, and otherwise just spent time with each other and saw some of Llandudno and Conwy (another town nearby). It was wonderful to further my friendships with some of the members of the group and to start friendships with others.

Not only that, but I had a good opportunity for some solitude with the Lord during Saturday afternoon. I went up to the top of the Little Orme in Llandudno, and sat there looking out over the Irish Sea. There are two ormes in Llandudno, a big one, and a smaller one. Read about it at dictionary.com if you're interested in what it is. Basically, it's a big rock thing. (good description, eh?) Anyhow, I have an inherent to climb things that look remotely climbable, so I climbed to the top of this one and spent some great time in silence, reflection, and listening prayer. It was very rejuvenating and God (as He typically does when we give Him the chance) spoke to me and provided what I needed.

As I hope you've read, there have been some great things happening here. Please continue to pray for the team and myself as we minister here.

Here are some pictures from the weekend retreat

Llandudno, Wales

Our Team- L to R
The Guys (Back Row) Josh, Chad, Myself, Josh Jacobs, Robby, Jarred
The Ladies Shannon, Christine, Hilary, Katie, Andrea

Part of the Big Orme

View from atop the Little Orme overlooking a neighbouring town of Llandudno

The big rock on the edge of the land is the orme I climbed up this year

An Uncreative Title

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hey Everyone! Well, these past few weeks have been great- busy, but fruitful.

Back a few weeks ago, we had the Fun Day in Blackley. We estimated that 1500 people came through the event, which was very exciting! Thank for your prayers for that event.

Also, the work in the schools has been back in full swing. Last week, on top of our normal activities in the primary (elementary) schools, we had an assembly each day at the local high school. This gave us great chances to see a lot of the students we knew from last year. Parts of our team have also been involved in the after school club at the high school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's a great chance to meet with the students, share with them, and show them the love of Christ. In particular, I've gotten to know one lad very well who regularly attends church. I'm really hoping to pour into him and encourage him in his faith. Please be praying for this lad and that I would have the chance to speak with him about Christ.

One of the greatest lessons and challenges God has been instilling in me over the last two months is the idea of dying to self. Dying to our desires, dreams, ambitions, wants and anything else is not appealing or enticing really. But the less we die, the less of Christ can live in and through us. When people look at me, I want them to see Christ. I want the Holy Spirit to shine through me more than anything resembling me. So I must die. And the more I let myself die, the more control the Spirit can have in me and Jesus can shine through me all the brighter. It's great in theory, but it sure is tough to live out each and every day.

I challenge you to find ways each day in which you can die to yourself and let Christ live through you. Like I said, it's difficult, but how great would it be to be able to echo the words of Paul, saying, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me"? I pray that is the desire of your heart.

God bless!
Drew

First Week

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

We have officially been together in England for a week now. It's great to finally all be together, staff and participants. This first week has involved a lot of orientation, a few ministry sites so the team can get their feet wet, getting to know the area, etc. It's been a very beneficial week and all together we have a promising team. So far, we've been able to work well together and have meshed nicely.

Tomorrow, we have a day in Blackley- the new area we are working in this year. There is a big Fun Day event that is taking place tomorrow afternoon which we will be helping out at. We're hoping that many people from the community will come. The event is directly related with St. Andrew's church which is having "Back to Church Sunday" this weekend as well. So our hope is that many families who come to the event will feel encouraged to join us on Sunday. So please be praying for us as we are involved in Blackley for most of the weekend. Also, pray for Ian, the vicar (pastor) of St. Andrew's as he has a lot to take care of and has been feeling a bit sick this week.

Starting Monday, everything will be running at full speed. We'll be back staffing the youth clubs, in the schools for clubs and assemblies, starting the weekly events in Blackley, starting the teaching sessions with the team, etc. It's going to get very busy, but the team where we as staff wanted them to be in terms of preperation and working together, so we're expecting them to do great! And of course, we're excited to get back in the swing of things too!

We just moved in to our new house and that being the case, we don't have internet at home. Once we do, I will be uploading some pictures from the first few weeks and of all eleven us, so you have an idea of who's who.

Please be praying for all that's going in Blackley this weekend and also the start of next week which will commence most of our ministries. Hope you're doing well! God bless!

Drewski

Training!

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hello from Georgia! For the last two weeks, I've been here in Georgia, living at the AIM office. The first part of my time here was spent being trained as new staff with Adventures in Missions. It was a great time to be given resources, ideas, but most importantly relationships with other new staff that will be serving in all parts of the world and staff that are serving at the office in Gainesville. It's wonderful to know who works here in the office and others who will be out in places like Jeffery's Bay (Africa), Swaziland, Kenya, the DR, Mexico, and others countries.

Once that staff training ended this past Monday, I was able to take the day and visit a few very close friends of mine. It was a wonderful chance to catch up with them and see them before I head out for the year.

On Wednesday, our new team arrived in Georgia for their training camp! It's been great getting to know them this week and seeing God work in their lives before they head out to the field. Please be praying for us over these next few days as they are tired and would really like to get to England. However, this time is great for them to develop and work through things individually, so I'm very excited for them to remain here until England.

Please be praying for team unity and growth as we learn about each other and start this nine month journey of sharing life and ministry together. It is desperately needed for spiritual survival/growth and effectiveness in ministry while we are in England.

Below are some pictures from this week

Team England! L to R Chad (staff), Robby, Jared, Joshua, and myself. In front, in the orange, is Katie, our one brave female.

One of the sessions under our favourite big blue tent

Some of the students practicing a Listening Prayer exercise with one another

L to R Heather, Holly, and Tag- 3 of the leaders from the Jeffery's Bay team that I've been able to get to know over these last few weeks

It's been a great week! Please be praying as we finish up this week and head out to England on Wednesday, September 19th. God bless!

Blackley and Training

Sat, 1 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hey Everyone!

The last two weeks in England have been great. It's been a wonderful time to be back with the other staff getting things prepared for this next year.

One thing that looks great about this year is going to be our work in a new area called Blackley. One of the pastors we worked with last year in Broughton, Ian (pictured on the right), moved to a new church about three miles away called Blackley. We will be expanding into this area and working with Ian and his new church (St. Andrew's) and also a school in his area. We're all really excited about this new place and opportunity.

Last Tuesday, Andrea, Chad (two of the other staff) and I went over to Ian's for dinner to talk about what our involvement will be. One exciting thing that we'll be helping out with is a Fun Day put on by the church on Saturday, September, 29th. There will be different stalls and events for families to come and enjoy. The next day is "Back to Church Sunday," so we're hoping this Fun Day event will encourage new families to be come to St. Andrew's the next day. Please be praying even now for this event and that many people will be open to God and church as a result of this.

Currently, I'm back in Georgia until the 19th. From now until the 10th is AIM's New Staff training. Then on September 12th, the new FYM teams come for a week-long training camp for their year on the field. I'm really excited for our new team to come and to get them over in England and engaged in the ministry there.

Thank you all for your prayers and support- you make this ministry possible.

Back Safely

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hey Friends! Greetings from England! I made it to Manchester mid-morning today (Thursday). From there, I had some lunch and then went straight to a VBS that is being put on by St. James. No time to waste!

I've had a great summer, but I must say I'm greatly excited to be back here and get back into the ministry here. It was good to take a step back and really ponder over things in England this summer. And more and more, I am amazed and humbled at what God did last year and what's continuing to do now. Lives are being changed!

Some of you may be confused as to what my schedule is for the next month. Understandably. Here it is.

Now-August 31^st, I'll be in England with the rest of the AIM staff here. We'll be spending the time getting set up for the new team coming, getting responsibilities assigned to each person, setting goals, etc. I'll also be involved in a few of the ministries that don't require the entire team (ie. Urbis)

From August 31-September 10^th, I will be in Gainesville, GA at the AIM offices for their New Staff Training. From September 12-19^th, I'll stay at the AIM offices for the training camp for the new participants.

From there, everyone will be heading to England for the year.

I know it's confusing, and it doesn't seem to make a ton of sense to go to England for two weeks and then return, but it's what needed to happen. We as a staff all needed to be together for a time in England before the team came. Also, it'll be good to reestablish relationships so that we can get rolling immediately once the team comes in September. Thankfully, God provided an employee Buddy Pass for an airline ticket, so it was considerably cheaper than normal. God's good like that.

Well, it was wonderful to see many of you this summer. I hope you're allowing God to do great things in your life! Have a great rest of the summer and keep in touch!

In Christ

Drew

Commissioning

Fri, 3 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hard to believe that in under two weeks I'll be back in England. I must say, I'm very excited to be getting back there and continue all the ministries from last year, while also starting some new ones.

I will be heading out on Wednesday, August 15th and arriving in Manchester the following morning. But I wouldn't want to go without a time of prayer and commissioning. So, on Monday, August 13th, at 7 PM, feel free to come to my house for just that. We'll meet then for prayer and I can get sent off properly! It's quite informal (as are most things at my house) and we'll just spend some time praying, maybe have some singing, and it should be great. So if you'd like to come, please let me know so I have a rough idea of how many people to expect. Also, if you need directions to my house, email me and I'll let you know how to get here. Looking forward to seeing you!

I could really use your prayers this week. As you can guess, moving to another country involves a lot (even if you have done it before). I'll be gone for most of this next week and actually only have four days left at home. So they will be spent packing, organizing, seeing people one last time, etc. It'll be kinda hectic. So you can pray that I get everything done that needs to be done.

Also, please be praying that all of my funds come in. I still need about $11,000 to come in either immediately or in pledges for the next twelve months. So please be praying and if you want to contribute, please do! Click on "Support Me" in the main menu column or email me and I'll give you info on it.

I hope to see all of you I can before I take off! God Bless!

Drew

Hey there!

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hey there friends! Welcome to the first post of this here blog!

As you know (I assume), I'll be in England this year. To keep you posted, I'll have updates on this blog. I'll put pictures here, share some stories, talk about what God is teaching me, comments on books I've read, basically anything and everything. I'm writing to keep you updated, so if you're interested in hearing about something, please leave a comment or question for me to answer at some point!

Also for more information on what's happening in England, I'll be sending out email updates periodically, so if you want to be put on that list, please let me know.

And if you want even more information on what's happening and how you can be praying, you can be on one of my prayer teams, praying for specific areas of ministry in England. On the next post, I'll put all the major areas of ministry down and if you'd like to pray for one, let me know!

All right, well the next 3 weeks before I leave are going to be busy, but I'm excited! I'll be seeing some good friends, taking a short weekend vacation, and going to a wedding of a good friend, all before August 15th when I take off. Please be praying that all the preparation for England will come together despite the busy schedule. Thanks!

Stay tuned!

In Christ,
Drew

Prayer Needs

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Prayer Needs

CHURCHES- We work closely with 4 local churches. There are many things that you could pray for including events, outreach, strength for the leaders and much more.

SCHOOLS- We are heavily involved in some of the local schools. In 3 elementary schools, we have lunch clubs which are set up like a mini VBS or Sunday School- We'll have a Bible lesson with any combination of a story, game, skit, music, etc. This a great opportunity to teach kids about Christ and the Bible.

Also, in two of those schools and a different elementary school we have assemblies every two weeks which are based on a Bible story, teaching the kids about our faith.

Also, we'll be starting to help with after school clubs at the high school in the area which will be for a place for kids to hang out and stay off the streets for two hours after schools.

Prayer would be focused on these things and for the students and faculty.

COMMUNITY YOUTH CLUBS- We work in community youth clubs which are for any youth in the area. It's a time to build relationships with the local youth and share with them the love and Gospel of Christ. Prayer would be focused on those relationships we have with the youth, calmness at the clubs, etc.

BLACKLEY- Blackley is a new area in which we'll be working. It is nearby and we have a strong friendship with the pastor of a church there. We'll be working with the church and the local school. Prayer would be focused on a great relationship with this new church and school and for lives to be changed there
as well.

GREATER MANCHESTER- We are going to be starting to work with a pastor who is a pastor who oversees Evangelism and Outreach among the entire Manchester Diocese for the Church of England. We're thinking of having some sort of lunch time service for anyone, geared towards nonChristians to come and discuss issues of faith, God, etc. We're still brainstorming to see what God might have for us there.

Also, this pastor is starting a Young Adults Group for young adults in the diocese. The group is going to start out meeting monthly. There will be teaching, food, fellowship and eventually the goal is for the group to be involved in outreach and evangelism together. Great things could happen with this group.

Prayer would be focused on ideas, direction, and this young adults group.

FYM TEAM- Right now, there is a team of 4 participants that is coming to England in September and staying until May. They will be involved in the local ministries as well as be discipled and led by the staff. Prayer would focus on unity, effectiveness in ministry, growth, etc.

FYM STAFF- We have a staff of six working in England (yes, I know, more staff than participants- a bit unconventional but we're okay with that). This includes Josh, Shannon, Andrea, Chad, Christine and me. (All of us were over there this past year as well). We'll need prayer for unity, strength, wisdom in leading, and effectiveness among other things.

URBIS- The Urbis is a place where skateboarders and gothic kids hang out in downtown Manchester on Saturdays. I have built some friendships with a good number of them and I'm excited to see what God does in there lives over this next year.

Prayer would be focused on those I'm friends with, and wisdom and direction about where to take this ministry. Anywhere from 100-200 kids will be there on a Saturday, so something could be done there.

If any of these stick out to you and you'd like to be praying for them throughout the year, please let me know and I'll put you on that prayer team. Thanks for your involvement in this ministry!

God Bless
Drew