Worshipping God, Following Jesus, Loving our town.
MBC Magazine
Please note that the copy date for the next issue is Saturday 27th July for a special summer Aug/Sep bumper edition. Submissions to Colin or Rosalie as usual please.
The Wellspring Ledbury
Saturday 20th July, Quiet Day Based On Psalm 63, Led by Cathy and Joe Silmon.
For further details or to book for either event visit www thewellspring.uk or phone 01 531 635727
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Saturday 3rd August from 10.30am to 11.00am in Great Malvern Priory Churchyard, a Vigil to remember both the nuclear devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and also all conflict in the world today, organised by Malvern Churches Justice & Peace Group.
St Matthias, Malvern Link
Is screening “The Chosen”, a film dramatisation of the Gospel, on Sundays at 5.00pm during July and August
From Vicky Ayling
NavCon24: Navigators of Canada National Staff Conference
The Carleton team had the privilege of attending NavCon24 in the last week of June. For this we traveled to British Columbia and stayed at a Young Life camp. We had daily talks from a missionary in Turkey on the theme of "Faith. Fully. Present." I really appreciated hearing her stories of how God got her family and people that she works with through some really difficult experiences. Her faith was so evident and her passion to be all in for the people that she works with and the desire to stay and be present despite persecution were inspiring. After these talks we had time to chat with our cohort - this was a group of about 7 people from different life stages and types of ministry. We also got to do some silly games with our cohorts to build relationship - I loved that we got to repeat some of the activities from Basecamp!
The Navigators present are involved in university campus ministry, everyday discipleship (walking alongside friends, neighbours and colleagues), the marketplace (business leaders) and churches (helping to foster discipleship focused church communities). There were also many missionaries present who are involved in communities overseas such as Thailand, Cuba, Ecuador and Chile - and even "closed" countries like China. It was amazing hearing their life stories, why they do what they do and why they take the risk to spread the good news in dangerous places.
There was an appreciation evening where we heard about Navigator staff who had been serving with the Navs for many years - the longest was 50 years! And we also got to spend time with the new team of interns that will be working at the University of British Columbia this autumn.
We were given lots of free time in the afternoons during which we could go on adventures and talk with each other. I really benefitted from the wisdom that I learned from talking with the older staff. I am still thinking about some of our conversations and how their insights can help me to better serve and love people and God.
A sticky conversation
One of the conversations from the conference that has really stuck with me was with a couple who are Team Chaplains for the hockey team at Saint Mary's University in Halifax. They shared with me a tool that they share with their students, that there are 4 levels to life - a life pyramid, if you will. The foundational level is "Whom" - whom do you belong to? Most fundamentally we belong to God, to Christ, then family and friends, our community. Think about what life would be like if you didn't belong to anyone? It is such good news that we have the stability of God as our firm foundation. Next up is "Who" - who are you? This is your character, the inner choices that you make. This is not who others say that you are. And then it is "How" - how are you going to get or achieve the thing(s) that you want. This is often through skill or opportunity. And lastly we have "What" - what do you want to do? This could be a career goal, or to have a family, etc. This is what the "How" is going to accomplish. If you're unsure what this is for you, you could ask yourself: What would bring me joy to look back on life and thank God for at 70? (Or older if you're already at that age!)
The lower levels inform the upper levels. A life focused primarily on the "What" is an unsteady pyramid that is likely to collapse - for the hockey players this could be a career-ending injury - what might this look like for you? We need firm "Whom" and "Who" foundations to keep us steady even when the "What" can't be got or is lost.
What does your life pyramid looks like? How are your foundations?
I think this idea has really stuck with me because I have been thinking about what I want to do in the future. Spending time with university students is fun because they are (mostly) excited about their field of study and what they will do next. This idea of the life pyramid captures the big decisions that we will make in life (the "What") and what is needed beneath to ensure stability amidst insecurity. I am considering retraining in healthcare and due to not being certain of this, spending time reflecting on how firm my foundations of "Whom" and "Who" are and how I might grow in these areas has felt important.
Coming soon
I finish the internship in July and am transitioning to be an associate staff with the Navigators. This means that I will be working in a more conventional job (God has already been providing opportunities!) and I will volunteer with the Navs at Carleton University. Next time I will reflect on the internship, my experiences, what I have learned and what I want to take with me into the future.Praise and Prayer Requests
• Thank God for the strengthened relationships that resulted from our time in person together at NavCon24!
• Praise him for the Wave Interns (campus mentors) who are joining the Navigators of Canada this fall - their funding is progressing well, God is so good in his faithful provision! One of these Wave Interns is Mandy Wall who will be joining the Carleton team!
• Praise God for his amazing loving character! He is so faithful and so good, sometimes it is hard for us to see that, may he open our eyes to see it!
• Please continue to be praying for safety for students as they travel, work and study.
• Please also pray for the Carleton campus staff team as we continue work on personal development and discipleship this summer.
Thank you for your interest in my internship with The Navigators! Please reach out via email if you have any questions or if there is anything that I can be praying with you for. I am so grateful to be with you on this adventure!
Love and blessings,
Vicky Ayling
And finally…
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. Ephesians 3:18 NLT