#soul61

Mike Pilavachi, founder of Soul Survivor and pastor at Soul Survivor Watford has been accused of abusing young men, aged 18-21

A few choice excerpts from the article, detailing the abuse (I recommend reading the whole article if possible):

Hey guys!

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, I would say I have an excuse but I don't...oops!

Anyway I've been back in Watford for a few weeks now after a lovely break over Christmas. It was so lovely to see family, friends and everyone from church again! 

It's been a busy couple of weeks back as I've gone straight back into my Soul Action placement and back into teaching but it's been great fun as always!

In teaching I've been hearing the other guys from Soul61 give 10 minute talks which they have prepared and I gave mine last week which was on how God uses people. It was great to have the opportunity to share my thoughts on this with the rest of the group. We've also gone through some crazy things about prayer with Jeannie Morgan and have been looking into the Gospels with Andy which has been great!

I've got such an exciting few months ahead with a few trips planned to Centre Parcs for SoulNet Retreat for (which is next week!) and Momentum Weekend in March.

I've also recently booked flights to go to California in May with some other Soul61s which is stupidly exciting! A load of us are heading there for two weeks at the end of May/beginning of June to work with some amazing churches in LA and help on the kids and youth team at a retreat in California! 

I'll try and update this more regularly this year!

Hello!

After a lot of phone calls to people from Gloucester tonight, I suddenly realised that I haven't updated you all for a while (or what feels like a while!)

So the last couple of weeks have been as busy as the first but it's been a really exciting time. I have had some amazing opportunities given to me which have been great experiences!

A few Sundays ago I got the chance to go to Holy Trinity Cambridge for the day with Mike Pilavachi (the pastor of Soul Survivor Watford) and one of his interns which was an amazing opportunity and such a great day! I had such a lovely tour around Cambridge by the Vicar's wife and had a really nice time at the services at their church!  

I've started to get really stuck into my placement already and I've been really enjoying it! I've been getting into writing emails for the Soul Action newsletter and currently doing a fair bit for the lead up to Christmas (I can't believe its so soon!) It's been such a great chance for me to see first hand what Soul Action and Soul Survivor get up to!

The teaching we have been getting has been so amazing and, I have to admit, before I came I didn't think I would enjoy it due to me not being very academic but it has been so great and I've found the subjects covered, especially the theology, to be something I'm really interested in!

Overall everything has been such a great opportunity (I need to think of another word instead of that!) and I really can't wait to see what's going to happen over the rest of the year!

To everyone from Grange/Gloucester, I'm really looking forward to seeing you all in about three weeks when I come home for Christmas for a few weeks!

I am so grateful for everyone who has been praying for me and I have one quick prayer point for you to include..

There are two trips next year with Soul61, one to South Africa and one to California. I am currently in the process of applying for grants to get the money to go on at least one but currently don't have anything towards them. It would be great if you could pray for me while I'm applying as they are quite expensive trips! 

I'll probably post something else between now and the time I get back to Gloucester but I will definitely speak to some of you before then!

Hey!

So this is just a little update to say that last night I found out that I will be on the SoulAction placement (which was my first choice)!

I have to admit, I was quite nervous about getting this placement as only one person on the course could get it so I am so over the moon with this and really feel that this is where God wants me to be!

That's all I really have for you today but I'll keep you all updated soon!

So, I have officially spent my last day in Gloucester before I move to Watford tomorrow to begin Soul61!

I know I've said this so many times before but I really appreciate all of the support given to me over the last year or so as I've been raising money for this, whether people have come along to a fundraising event or helped me out in any other way, it has been very much appreciated!

Hello everyone,

As some of you may already know me and Tom will be leaving Nottingham to move to Watford on the 1st November 2014. We are so excited about moving, Everyone that has helped us raise all the money to go, we just want to thank you all so much, we are so greatful for everyone who has supported us.

I will be posting on here over the next year or so. Just so that everyone at home (that we're not going to see) can see what we are doing on a day to day basis.  

I will post on here again soon to tell you more in depth about what each of us will be doing whilst we are away and hopefully we'll post loads of pictures and videos for you all to see.

See you soon

Megan

After turning off my 5 (yes, 5) alarms this morning and getting an extra hour and a half of sleep,  wondering whether to get up yet, God popped this verse into my head:

1 Peter 5:8 ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (NIV)’

Recently, I’ve found that even though I’ve been busy, there have been times where my mind has seemed to be in ‘overdrive’. These times are sometimes when I am alone, or at night, or just random points throughout the day. Because God is speaking a lot to me recently, I’ve found it really important to start writing things down – both to record what God IS saying, plus anything I think may be Him, or even me and my dreams and ideas. I can then gradually mull over them and see if God confirms them later.

However, because of this, I’ve been getting excited and sharing some of the things God has been saying with people, or mentioning that he’s talking a lot. God is a creative being – He brings things all things into existence.

Colossians 1:16 says: ‘For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.’

Now, the enemy is not the opposite to God in power. He does not hold creative power, but uses only what we give him. For example, he cannot read our minds, but uses what we share, and can begin to twist it. So, where I say God is saying certain things to me, the enemy can be allowed in to twist these things.

Ultimately, once God showed me that verse this morning, I asked him ‘Why did you show me that?’ and He said ‘Because you need to be aware of what is going on, what I am saying and what I am not saying. To do that, you need to be awake and aware.’

Sure enough, God has been increasing my awareness of myself and the things going on around me more recently. Now I’m realising it is for my benefit that I will be able to know when something is God, and not let anything other than God determine my dreams and future.

Romans 12:1-2 says:  ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’

We need to physically do what God says – for me, that meant physically getting up when He told me to this morning, but it also means looking after yourself physically – in terms of food, exercise, and obeying God. We need to constantly be renewing our minds by taking things to God and asking him what His will is. When we know someone well enough, if we hear they have said something, we will know if that is likely to be true or not since we know the character of that person, and it’s the same with God. The more we talk to him about things, and listen, the more we will know what is Him and what is not.

The passage in 1 Peter carries on to verse 9-11, saying this:

‘Resist him [the enemy], standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.’

Overall, it is all about bringing glory to God, the one who created us and determines our paths. He wants to be second-to-none in my life. And my strength comes through the lessons I am learning in the times where it is particularly hard – through him I am becoming strong, firm and steadfast. Bring it on.

I'm Emma and this is a blog to keep track of my journey over my gap year doing Soul61.