We're on the move...

Last Sunday morning (13/9/09) I announced that after 30 years in Wimbledon we will be moving to King's Church, Catford. In April next year I will join the leadership team at King's Church where I will be responsible for overseeing all the ministry areas e.g. pastoral care, small groups, youth, children, membership, baptisms, newcomers, deaf ministry, courses, work with the homeless etc. It is a big role and everything will be two or three times the scale that I am used to. The church currently has around 900-1000 people attending every Sunday and at the present rate of growth is expected to reach 2000 in the next 8-10 years. My new role will certainly be challenging.

This was obviously big news for the Queens Road Church congregation and was received with a mixture of emotions. At a time like this you are not sure how you want people to react! On one hand you feel that everyone should be sobbing but on the other you want them to be positive about the future. The staff joked that we would need some strong coffee after last Sunday's meeting or even gin and tonics. One of the elders went further and mischievously suggested some might want to crack open a bottle of champagne! (Thanks!)

Cathy and I took over four months to make the final decision - we have had to process a lot of emotions - we have got a lot of good friends in Wimbledon, although we are not moving that far away. But in the end we felt that it was the right move at the right time and I'm looking forward to making a contribution to building the church in SE London.

Back in 1996, just before I started leading QRC, I was given an encouraging prophetic word. At the end there were two sentences which indicated that God would use my time in Wimbledon to prepare me for another future role. The move to Catford certainly seems to fit that word given to me 13 years ago. When we shared the news with some of our key leaders just over a week ago, one of them said she'd had a dream a few months ago in which God told her we were moving on. I wished she'd told us earlier, it would have saved us a lot of agonising over the decision!

I am confident that God also has great plans for Queens Road Church in the future. The church is in good heart and we have strength in depth with regard to the wider leadership. Join me in praying for a smooth transition from one leader to the next - greater things are yet to come...

Like London buses...

After waiting for a good while, like London buses, two new elders arrived at about the same time last week. The season for elderisation is definitely upon us!

First, it was a great joy to join the congregation of King's Church, Kingston as they finally appointed their new lead elder, Simon Virgo on Friday September 4th. Simon's surname may have a familiar ring to it, and yes he is related to Terry and Wendy, who were there to share in their son's special evening. He takes the reins after a four year gap since the last full time leader. Simon was, until recently, working full time at New Life Church, Biggin Hill and before that he served as the student pastor at Westminster Chapel. It was good to see the church move into a new era having been personally involved in its inception 15 years ago. Simon has a strong preaching gift (some of his sermons have been featured on Premier Radio) and is a fervent pray-er who inspires faith. He will be a great asset and complement the existing eldership team well.

Then last Sunday I went over to Sutton Family Church to appoint Steve Musters to eldership (plus three new deacons). Formerly a recording engineer / producer, Steve has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry - e.g. Amy Winehouse. From now on he will work alongside one of the biggest names in Sutton Family Church(!) - Pete Cowgill - who has energetically led the church from its beginning five years ago. Steve has a wide range of creative and adminstrative skills, plus a developing preaching ministry which will help the church to grow to the next level.

Mwah, mwah!

My wife and I took our annual jaunt to Paris at the beginning of August. The weather was too good to traipse around museums and art galleries, so we sat in shady spots in parks and cafes and watched the world go by. As usual we had a wonderful time wandering the streets, reading books and eating breakfast on our ninth floor apartment balcony, overlooking the Louvre and the Eifel Tower!

We've found the Parisians to be a friendly and courteous people. On one occasion we stepped out of the apartment building lift on the ground floor and came face to face with a young couple waiting to go up. With spontaneous, Gallic flair the young guy laughed, gestured with his hands and embraced my wife, kissing her on both cheeks. Surprised (and delighted to have the opportunity to kiss a young man) she happily responded in like manner. But then he turned to me and to my amazement repeated the greeting! I was somewhat put out that his attractive girlfriend wasn't in a similar gregarious mood. It certainly wasn't the kind of thing that would happen in London but when in Paris...

This episode reminded me of a mortifying moment in a deacons' prayer meeting before a Sunday morning service several years ago. One of our brethren had been inspired by New Testament references to 'greet one another with a holy kiss'. Being a literalist he obeyed this newly discovered instruction by greeting one of his fellow deacons with a kiss on both cheeks. Everyone else in the room froze and earnest but nervous prayers followed (I think we kept our eyes half-open just in case!)

What works in one country isn't necessarily culturally acceptable in another country. New Testament Rome, Corinth and Thessalonica were presumably more like Paris than London in a cultural sense (see Romans 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 1 Thess. 5:26)

This highlights one of the challenges of interpreting the bible. Which bits are culturally bound (and therefore only relevant to that era) and which are principles for all generations? It is a distinction we have to make and often the line is drawn in the wrong place. We must recognise a degree of cultural relativity and that means we always have to apply some (hopefully consistent) hermeneutical process to bible texts. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart have a helpful chapter on the problem of cultural relativity in their outstanding book 'How to read the bible for all its worth'.

Hopefully someone will explain it all in heaven one day but until then avoid biblical literalists and elevators in Paris.

Ecuador Adventure

Not to be outdone by either of her two older brothers, my 17 year old daughter trumped them both by performing one of her own songs to a crowd of 70 people in the middle of the Amazon Basin!

After months of planning, Joanna and a team of 21 others from Esher College travelled to Puma Runi, a village in the heart of Ecuador. Their mission was to construct a filtration tank to filter river water and bring it into the village. This involved hauling sandbags and cement up a steep hill and long hours doing hard physical work in humid conditions. Joanna regularly quoted to herself Philippians 4:13 - 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'.

Currently villagers use water directly from the river. It was an ambitious project which wasn't completed but they made sufficient progress so that the locals will be able to finish it off and enjoy a clean water supply. There were plenty of challenges - two of them lost their rucksacks en route and had to cope without their kit for the first 3 days - and a lot of experiences that were deeply moving. However it wasn't all hard work. They did manage to do a day's white water rafting and a mini jungle trek. Plans are already forming for a return trip next year!

Meanwhile back in Camden...

Not to be outdone by his older brother, Son Two, launched his new extended play CD at a gig in Camden on July 3rd. Andy Kyte and his new band played a 20-25 minute set at Proud Galleries in Camden - sadly I was unable to be there. The new line-up is an unusual combination featuring Andrew on lead guitar/vocals plus drums, bass and two cellos! If the results of the CD are anything to go by, the eclectic mix works well. With relatively little money at his disposal, Andrew decided to make the EP a prayer project. Its production was a minor miracle in that most of the costs were covered for free - studio time, sound engineer, mixing and CD artwork. A loan from a friend covered the cost of CD printing and the result is four tracks for the bargain price of £3!

If, like me, you missed the launch gig, the band are headlining at Dublin Castle, Parkway, Camden on Friday September 25th (£5)- so put the date in your diary. In the meantime if you want a CD contact Andy Kyte - andykyte@hotmail.co.uk

'Theo's Door' launch CD

New Album - Navigate The Infinite: Promo
I am very pleased to announce that the band 'Theo's Door' has finally given birth to their first CD 'Navigate the Infinite' - after a four year 'pregnancy'! Two of the band members are ex-Queens Road Church members - bass player Ben Kyte and lead singer Emily Woods. This group of former Brighton uni friends originally got together to make music and weren't necessarily looking to gig or record. Ben expressed his surprise at how the project had taken off but is really pleased to have a record of several years of creative writing - which in many ways expresses a personal journey through the songs he contributed. The CD is really well produced by the talented Mr. Lumgair and the songs are God focussed, worshipful and, at times, intense. There are some great musical moments - I particularly like the intro to 'Something True', Luke's guitar work on 'One-Sided', the funky bass lines on 'Electric Vibes' and the 'face-melting' lead guitar solo by Duncan Spear on 'Defects' - awesome!

The CD is available from all good band members (except Ben Kyte who was the last to hear the finished album and has taken our copy!) To hear clips of some of the tracks and find out more go to www.myspace.com/theosdoorofficial

Moyles talks up church...

I saw a cyclist waiting at a red traffic light the other day!

I realise that the following information may come as a big surprise to some cyclists, but someone needs to say it: there is a set of rules that govern the use of roads - it's called the Highway Code! Cyclists are not exempt from the rules despite the fact that most of them clearly believe they are! I have got so used to seeing cyclists disregard the law that I was amazed to see a cylclist waiting at a red light the other day! As a car driver it is somewhat unnerving. I've got a pretty good idea what other car drivers are likely to do but I haven't got a clue what the average cyclist is thinking once he or she dons the obligatory cycle helmet (which evidently has the effect of scrambling all the 'common sense' neurons in people's brains).

Several times cyclists have headed towards me going the wrong way up a narrow one way street. On one occasion I turned right on a one way street and nearly hit a teenager nonchalantly cycling the other way. What annoys me is that he demonstrated a total disregard for his safety but if he had been injured you can be sure that I would have been blamed.

So what does the bible have to say about cylcists?! Well nothing. But it does have something to say about obeying laws. Both Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 affirms that every human authority that exists has been established by God. Romans 13:2 states quite clearly 'he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted'. So cyclists next time you are tempted to ignore a red light...don't!

The ghost of 'Cold War Past'

Some while ago, in one of my sermons, I talked about the endless variety of things to do and see here in London. I commented that you could go to a different museum, concert or event every day of the year and you wouldn't have seen half of it. As an example I said I had never been to the Imperial War Museum despite living in London for 30 years. As soon as I said it there was an audible gasp from one of our Kiwi contingent - he loves the museum and couldn't believe I'd never been to this great establishment!

Anyway a terrible oversight on my part has finally been corrected. I have now been to the museum and it has to be said - it's very good. Considering the somewhat morbid theme, it is light and airy and the exhibits are well presented. It neither glorifies war nor does it manage to entirely depress you.

One of the first exhibits I looked at was the V1 flying bomb (aka 'doodlebugs') in the main hall. One of them hit a tall chimney opposite my dad's house in Windsor and the debris knocked down the front of his house. Fortunately he was playing up the road and other family members were in the back of the house, so no-one was injured.

As I looked around the museum my strongest emotion was enormous gratitude that I haven't had to live through a major war. That was closely followed by a deep sense of sadness (even anger) that human beings can spend so much time and money inventing countless ways to destroy other human beings. Every generation seems to be hell-bent on annihilating one another.

The recent announcement from North Korea - that they have revoked the peace treaty that was made with South Korea following the Korean War has sent a shudder through the diplomatic world. Having flexed their military muscle with an underground nuclear explosion, North Korea has revived the ghost of 'Cold War Past'. Today nations have the potential to wipe out entire nations. We can expect increasingly apocalyptic headlines if the nuclear threat grows.

But we shouldn't be surprised. Jesus warned us that there will be wars and rumours of wars (Mark 13:5-27) but they will not mark the end of the world. All kinds of natural and man-made disasters will occur but none of them will cause its demise. Jesus will return and he will wrap up everything. After the Judgment a new earth and universe will be created. War, earthquakes, floods, pain and suffering will be things of the past.

The question for all of us is this: 'will we be ready for Christ's return?' Jesus said, 'At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens (Mark 13:27)

Will anyone vote in the European elections?!

Given the current expenses claims scandals that are being drip-fed to us daily by The Telegraph, I predict a dismal turnout in the European elections on June 4th! My wife works in Westminster and passes the House every day. In the last few days she has witnessed a frenzy of media reporters and cameras conducting numerous interviews on the lawns opposite.

But if the MPs expenses claims system needs reforming in the UK, there is a good chance that the European equivalent needs the same treatment. Concerns about the expense claims of MEPs have rumbled around for years. The general dismay over some MPs behaviour combined with general British ambivalence towards the European Union may not be a recipe for success. But we should never take democracy for granted, however disillusioned we might currently be with those who represent us. It isn't perfect, but at least with a democratic system we all have a voice - unless we choose not to use it.

Many years ago a Christian organisation used to hold meetings at our church. It got dubbed 'the Conservative Party at prayer' because so many of their views were straight out of the Conservative Party manifesto. There was an assumption that true evangelical Christians would, of course, align themselves with the policies of the Right.

I think it is good and healthy for Christians to be involved in a range of political parties. Of course we need to be aware of the different policies but more than anything (in the current climate) we need men and women of integrity who have genuinely gone into politics to serve other people and not themselves.

'The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.' (Proverbs 11:3)