20:20 & Fusion

This seems to be the week where all the cool people have their Birthday! So today i send out Birthday greetings to:

and tomorrow it's Happy Birthday to:

Another year older and wiser folks!

Tomorrow I'm off to Bulgaria for a week of snow boarding - how exciting!

Hi there folks, ive just heard that there is a bit of a birthday party happening tomorrow night which includes most of our 20:20 young people. I had a speaker lined up to come but don’t feel it would be appropriate to let him come and speak to a half empty room! Therefore we have decided to cancel 20:20 worship and speaker. If you would like to still come along to the mobile at 9pm then myself and some of the leaders are going to grab a chip together and have a bit of a laugh.

FUSION will be happening as normal from 7-9pm tomorrow night.

As you are probably already aware, Fusion and 20:20 will be taking a break until after Easter and will resume as normal on FRIDAY 20^TH APRIL.

We are planning a bit of an Easter Sunday Night thing (8^th April) in the mobile involving some worship, sharing the Easter story and prayer. More details will follow closer to the time and will be posted on the blog so please keep checking it:

Have a great Easter,

Neil

Happy Birthday to me! I am now at the grand young age of 27 - yeah! Not that exciting really as i totally do not feel that age at all - i still feel like i'm about 23! So far my presents include a tool box (complete with tools) courtesy of my parents (now that makes me feel old!) and a T-shirt from my sis!

Much more exciting than my birthday is the fact that i share my birthday with another member of the 20:20 tribe so I'd like to take this opportunity to wish a...

Hey there everyone! For those of you who made it to 20:20 last night i hope you had not just a good experience but a God experience. As promised, I said I would put the questions for reflection up here for you to complete on your own or as part of a small group activity. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Questions for personal reflection: James 1: 1-18

1. The certainty of trials – v2. What current trial has caught you by surprise? In what way did the surprise impact the way you responded?

2. The benefits of trials – v2-4. As you think about this particular situation, how can you see God using it to challenge or change you? What would you not have without this trial?

3. The need for wisdom – v5-8. How has your prayer life been affected by this trial? Does the knowledge that God truly understands, change the way you handled your situation?

4. Two kinds of trials – v9-12. Can you see that both difficulties and blessings can be trials?

5. Temptations and trials – v13-15. What temptations do you face in the midst of a trial? How does this passage, with it’s focus on the individual and the heart, alter the way you think about your situation?

6. Avoiding a negative attitude – v16-18. What has become clearer to you about the goodness and grace of God as you have gone through trials? Has your affection for Christ increased or decreased as a result?

Hello all! I'm sure you all know that some of us leaders were away over the weekend at an event called 'NUA' (which means 'new') We were down in sunny Co. Mayo, and on Saturday watched Ireland fail in the rugby at the very last hurdle - oh it brought tears to my eyes!

Anyways, first thing to say is: how much I missed 2020 on Friday! I had an amazing weekend, but somehow missing all you guys and the craic from you all left a little hole in my heart! I look forward to coming down on Friday nights throughout the week and I know that the rest of the leaders feel the same! Hopefully you all have the same sense of 'Roll on Friday' as we all do!

Secondly, I thought I'd impart some wisdom that I have been thinking about this week! At the weekend there we learnt lots of new worship songs (hopefully they'll make their way to the 2020 scene soon!). One of them went like this:

'You are the everlasting God
Everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary!'

It's based on Psalm 40 v 28 (go have a read of it). Isn't it encouraging though to know that even when we grow tired of life, and sometimes even tired of faith, and weary from the busy-ness of it all, that God himself, who is everlasting, never grows tired of us, of loving us, of desiring to know us! Isn't that awesome!

So next time you grow tired and weary of school, of life, or work etc, just remember that those who trust in the Lord "shall run and not grow weary"!! Renew your strength with God and you can rise on wings like eagles. . .

Hope school is not too much work ( it is Wednesday night and I have 1 more hour of class this week!!!) Cya Friday!!

Chris xoxoxoxoxox (see Jenny!!)

Ok folks, i was thinking of making up a playlist on my ipod of the worship favourites in 20:20 but i need your help! Here's five tunes i can think of that would definitely be on it but i need you to add to this list by leaving a comment below with your suggestions!



1. You are Holy (Prince of Peace)
2. We must go (God of Justice)
3. Shackles
4. Whole world in his hands
5. Dancing Generation

It's over to you! Here is a quote of the day...

A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hi folks. Just wanted to tell you guys and gals a little of what’s on my heart. Firstly, I never ever ceased to be amazed at how God uses so many forums to speak the same message, all around the same time…maybe cos I talk too loudly and he knows it, so he has to shout a little more with me!

Why am I telling you all this…well basically God has been speaking to me about ‘identity’ for quite a while now and particularly in the last year. If you were in church last night, Philip spoke about how we need to make sure the Cross defines us and determines our identity. It’s so easy for us, even as Sons and Daughters of God, to allow our identities to be determined by other’s opinions, appearance, performance, status. What we look like, what subjects we study, what career we choose, who we hang out with…these are things we can care too much about and seek to be known by.

I love being a mum and nurturing my wee loves. But that became more important to me than God and only when Rose died did I understand that. I trust that he has the best plan for my life and if I am seeking his will DAILY, then even if I am not sure how things will work out, I know and believe God does….that’s fantastic because times when it’s been me in charge have always gone badly pear-shaped! God wants my identity to be first and foremost as a Daughter of his, and being a wife, mummy, sister, friend comes next.

Folks I urge you to be honest with yourselves and particularly with God. He is always there waiting for us and offering his forgiving grace lovingly, if we have been finding our identities in areas other than in Him.

'So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. '
Colossians 2:6-8.

Praying for you all and don’t forget we value your prayers too!! Love Jenny xox (ha! see the boys don’t do that…ah well I love hugs and kisses!)

I was reading Exodus 20 last week and verse 24b says this:

'Build altars in the places where i remind you of who i am, and i will come and bless you there.'

It's one of those verses that caused me to stop and think for a moment. Where are the places that i am reminded of who God is? Where are my altars? For me these are mostly places of great beauty and tranquility where i am reminded of our Creator God and all that he has done for me. Oxford Island would be one, the Mournes another. White Park Bay is also a favourite. Ive built a few altars in Castlewellan Park down through the years too as a place where i have connected with God and He has blessed me. Most recently i had a God moment in Donegal, late at night on a isolated beach sitting around a camp fire with a group of young people sharing life.

I need places like this in my life where i can go and be reminded of who God is and be blessed by Him there.

What about you? Where are the places that God reminds you of who He is? Where have you built altars and experienced His blessing? I can't wait to hear your comments.

Bonjourno! Chris here!

It's 2am in the morning and I can't seem to sleep - it's either because I had 2 pieces of pizza too many just hours ago or it's the fact that I can't stop thinking that you guys (yes 20:20 AND fusion) are making me so excited about whats going to happen in the future of our little land!(Our little land is where you want it to be - it could be Waringstown or the whole of Northern Ireland, all the same it's our little land.)

You all know it's election results day today, and although my political knowledge is limited, I do know this - I gave Jesus my vote a long time ago! And you know what is amazing - I have full faith that whatever He's doing in this country and in my life, right now and in the future, He's definately in complete control of.

Jesus needs us though, He needs fusion and 20:20 to work with Him and fulfill this future He so desires for us! We have to act as His "Ambassadors" on earth and follow through with all that He asks of us.

Our "little land" has a future depending on YOU! Something I know for sure is that the campaign has started, and everyone so far is doing a great job! Keep striving to continue on the great work that you have already started folks.

Now I'm away to sleep but I can't seem to find my bed....

I thought it would be good to get a wee photo up on this blog just for everyone's enjoyment! This one is taken at the Castlewellan Castle Weekend, so if you were there then you should be able to find yourself! Everytime i think about that weekend it makes me feel happy - what about you? I'm gonna try and get some more photos up on this site over the next few weeks so if you have any good ones then e-mail them my way!!!

Welcome, welcome to the new blog for WPC Youth Ministries! I hope you were able to find it easily enough. In order to make it easier for future visits i want you do do one of two things right now:

1. Set this page as your 'home page'; or,
2. Bookmark this page so you can get here in one click!

So what's the purpose of WPC-YM blog i hear you cry? Several answers to that question:

• I guess it's really to engage in conversation and dialogue amongst ourselves using the resource of the net.
• It's an opportunity to carry on discussions that may come up in Fusion or 20:20 on a Friday night.
• The blog will be used to point you in the direction of other net resources that may be useful for your spiritual journey.
  
• This blog will be a place where we as leaders can make you aware of upcoming events or trips.

I hope you will not be afraid to leave comments on posts that appear here. If you do make a comment then it won't appear until it has been approved by me or another blog administrator (Chris or Jenny) - we will try and do this on a regular basis. Also don't forget to leave your name on comments that you leave - it helps with the conversation!

I hope this becomes a useful resource to keep us all in better contact during the week and I will try to post new stuff regularly!