What an amazing week the New Wine conference at Newark was this year. This was my eighth New Wine (the last two on the Leadership Team) and I think this has been the best so far. It just seemed like God was at work every where. There must have been around 25 people saved (which in a Christian event isn't bad!), literally hundreds of healings, people sensing God's call to go - either into the difficult areas of this country or abroad and others just getting refreshed by the presence of God.
I have always New Wine to be a consistently positive experience, but this year I was just blown away by the grace and mercy of God in the way that he used me in different ways throughout the week.
There are three particular things in the week that have really encouraged and challenged me. On Tuesday night I led a policeman called John to the Lord. He then came to my seminar on Friday. He arrived early and sat at the front writing in a notepad. We had a chat and when I asked him what he was doing he said he was keeping a journal because he didn't want to forget a thing about that week. I just love the passion and desire of new Christians.
The second thing was Thursday night. We had Baroness Cox speaking in the evening on the persecuted Church and, to be honest, I really thought that this was going to be the low point of the week in terms of the evening meetings (there always seems to be a low point, except for this year!). How wrong was I!! Baroness Cox was an absolutely amazing and challenging lady who does incredible things for God. The worship and the ministry that night were just filled with the presence and power of God. To top it all we had an offering that raised £70,000 for the Message Trust to develop Eden projects across the nation.
Finally, I loved working working with the guys from the Message. For the first time we had set up an alternative venue for the morning Bible Studies which would have a more Urban feel. Andrea and I were hosting the event - which basically means we gave the notices! - and then handed it over to the people from the Message. These guys were talented, committed and amazing people of God who have given their lives to reaching people in the estates and city centres. Every day I was impacted by the challenge they brought, they just loved God and loved people.
