Happy Day

Yesterday evening, as I went into the room for our mid-week church prayer meeting, the leader Andrew asked me: 'Well, have you done it?!'  I was surprised that he was so in tune with my latest crisis but he had read my last blog and knew the pressure of these last few days. The best part was that I was able to answer, without wishful thinking or fudging (which have characterized recent responses as to how I was getting on!), with a heartfelt  'Yes - I've sent the document off!'  It is heartfelt and I am so grateful to God for energy to keep going and the patience of dear Carol!

It was wonderful to hear someone pray about the manuscript later in the meeting giving thanks and asking that it might prove of value to God. That, of course, is the most important issue - that God might approve and bless all the effort over this last year of planning and writing. As a resource book for the New Kind of Preacher project in the US it will only be of use as God blesses its ongoing journey. A few new peer learning groups of pastors are starting this month.  For the first of two years, as they covenant to work with each other, they will work through the eight modules of my book using an accompanying workbook.  So much depends upon how helpful they find it! Their second year as a group is called a 'freedom year' when they will support each other in seeking to implement one major issue of a New Kind of Preacher!

I am glad to have met one prayer target but now a far bigger one looms ahead.  One of my tag lines has been: 'renewed preaching comes from renewed preachers.'   Renewal is God's gift and we must keep seeking it.