Category: News

I am fascinated how much chatter my last blog about Stoneleigh Bible Week has produced! Thank you to all those who left comments on the Friends of Newfrontiers Facebook page where I put a link. Lead worshippers Many of you mentioned how much you loved the worship. What an important part worship rightly played at Stoneleigh. After all, that is one of the key ways we can both honour God and hear from him! How grateful I am (we all are!) for God sending us such a wonderful team of musically trained worshippers to give us the lead. In these days, when so much of sung worship has become ‘performance’, I look back on those days at Stoneleigh with great gratitude. To quote Matt Redman, the singers and worship band…

‘Is there a place called C-O-V-E-N-T-R-Y?’ Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak stopped in the middle of speaking at the first of our biennial leadership Conferences at the Brighton Conference Centre held in early October 1990. ‘I see a funnel between heaven and earth, and great blessing being poured through it onto great crowds below’. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. He knew nothing of our recent prophetic leading. Acting on the propheticAdrian Willard and I (Adrian had started working with Terry and the Newfrontiers team a few years earlier) had recently visited the National Agricultural Showground at Stoneleigh, just outside Coventry, in response to a prophetic word given in a prayer morning at Terry’s home a few weeks earlier. ‘Start a new Bible Week in the heart…

At this time of year it seems particularly appropriate to recall the impact of worship on the Newfrontiers family as we prepare to celebrate Christmas! But since I have been focussing on the 80s so far in this series, I will recall the worship only at the Downs Bible Week. Black and white to colour When I was baptised in the Spirit in 1972 worship took on a new meaning; it was like going from black and white to colour! I came to understand that the whole of life should be worship to Jesus. But I also recognised that worship through music and singing had a particularly special place, both individually and corporately. Golden oldies Through the 70s many new hymns and songs were being written, many being scripture set…

Robert Glover I first met Bob, Liz and their children over 20 years ago while on holiday with my family in Devon. They were staying on the same farm in preparation for leaving for China. As he told me his story, I was inspired not only by his vision to see thousands of orphaned children in China placed in foster care instead of being placed in institutions, but also by his passion and energy. One million children I have been captivated by this recently released book As Many as the Stars. Through it I am reminded of the background but now have also learnt what has happened since I first met him; how he registered a charity in the UK, Care for Children, and how over one million children in…

This week I share the second of two parts of the conversation that Terry and I had recently reflecting on the first 40 years of the family of Newfrontiers. We have sought to honour what God has done in our midst and to consider some of the changes that have taken place over this period. As with part 1 this is about one hour long and so is also presented in four parts as an option for busy people. However, we do feel that watching the whole conversation at one sitting is probably the most beneficial to feel the flow; the breaks into shorter parts were made after we had finished. An amber warning?As you watch consider whether some of the changes that are discussed represent an amber warning light.…

This week and next I am taking a different approach in the history of Newfrontiers, which I have been writing from a personal perspective. A few weeks ago Terry and I met up to reflect on the first 40 years. This was not primarily to be nostalgic (although it was fun reminiscing!) but more to trace and honour what God has done in and through the relational ministry which became established around Terry’s apostolic gift, and also to consider issues facing the church today. An excellent team in Emmanuel Church, Brighton, particularly Yohaan Philip, to whom we are very grateful, kindly recorded and edited the conversation and we are making it available as two one-hour videos. Each part has also been edited into four shorter videos (15-20 minutes) which may…