Eternal Echoes

ROC Erdington Event

2011-08-01T16:42:00.000+01:00

Sunday the 24th July saw Brookvale Park host a community day to remember, organised by Stockland Green Neighbourhood Sergeant Simon Hensley to celebrate;

The conclusion of the Land's End to John O'Groats cycle relay challenge,
The Cross Channel Kayak Challenge
The official launch of the free@last canoe club on Brookvale
The second overnight spaghetti camping event and the tie in with the year anniversary of the start of the Olympics 2012

The weather was in fine form and the community turned out in their droves to see the attractions.

Free@last had a stall to showcase the new Canoe Club and were on hand to tell interested people about what dates and times the provision will be running, they also had trained instructors available in case anyone wanted to 'have a go' and it's a good job they did! In the end tickets had to be issued as people were queuing five deep to get on the water, over the day we had 250 people try their hand at kayaking! That's not bad for the launch of a fledgling canoe club!

Other attractions included;

A pilot for the West Midlands first Redeeming our Communities Cafe
The Midnight bus
Face painting by the Lock Gallery owner Emma O'Brien
The British Canoe Union (Kayakings governing body)
West Midlands Canoe Centre Shop
Various Arts & Crafts stalls
Childrens soft play area
Fairbridge were also present conducting consultation around the Old boat House restoration Project
Friends of Witton Lakes
BBQ food by professional chef John Ruddock
Coaching from Birmingham Mets basketball team
BRMB's street angels
and many many more

Overall the day was fantastic and it was great to see the community unite in celebration of the natural resources at their finger tips in the form of the park and the lake, I have high hopes for the canoe club and the potential ROC Cafe and the impact it will have on the community.

Further meetings are scheduled to look at making the Redeeming our Communities Cafe a permanent project developing partnerships between Redeeming our Communities, West Midlands Police, the Christian Police Association, West Mids Fire & Rescue Service, Brookvale Sailing Club, Friends of Brookvale Park and a number of other community members, organisations and faith groups.

Where is your focus?

2011-07-17T19:34:00.000+01:00

I have been reading a book recently 'The Pursuit of God' by A.W. Tozer and have found it a real encouragement if not somewhat challenging. Below is a quote from it, the language is a little old fashioned but enjoy:

As we begin to focus upon God the things of the spirit will take shape before our inner eyes. Obedience to the word of Christ will bring an inward revelation of the Godhead (John 14:21-23). It will give acute perception enabling us to see God even as is promised to the pure in heart. A new God consciousness will seize upon us and we shall begin to taste and hear and inwardly feel the God who is our life and our all. There will be seen the constant shining of the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. More and more, as our faculties grow sharper and more sure, God will become to us the great All, and His Presence the glory and wonder of our lives.

Publicity Photo Shoot

2011-07-12T04:20:00.000+01:00

Working nights tonight but am going to have to be up and at Brookvale Park, Stockland Green for midday today for a press conference and photoshoot in relation to the Brookvale Park Fun Day in partnership with Redeeming Our Communities and West Midlands Police. A number of activities are planned for the weekend of the 23rd and 24th July including conversations around the potential for further projects in the Stockland Green area under the banner of ROC. We will be looking to pull together statutory agencies, third sector organisations and volunteers to provide community projects for people from the surrounding communities. Keep an eye on your local press and check back here for updates on ROC West Midlands.

Redeeming Our West Midlands Communities

2011-07-08T18:58:00.000+01:00

ROC in the West Midlands - the story so far...

The official UK-wide launch of Redeeming Our Communities began in the West Midlands at the NEC arena in Birmingham in 2006. With over 7,000 in attendance from around the UK, this began a wide-spread movement of people inspired to work in partnership to see their communities transformed.

A few years later, a number of people from Birmingham were amongst the guests at the Echo Arena for the launch of Redeeming Our Communities: Merseyside on June 16th 2009. Debra Green, National Director of Redeeming Our Communities, was then invited to meet some church and civic leaders in Birmingham. It was decided that the time was right for a launch of ROC in Birmingham, which happened on 16 November 2010. Read more about this exciting event here.

We've seen exciting developments since this event including the opening of ROC Café Cobridge in Stoke as well as a developming relationship with the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Our ROC Regional Representative, Gordon Blake, has been busy spreading the ROC vision and keen to see more developments across the West Midlands before the end of 2011.

An update from Gordon Blake, ROC West Midlands Representative:

I have met with leaders from churches in the Bordesley Green area who are keen to get together to run a project in that area and we are looking into the potential of a ROC Café in Bordesley Green, making use of a church cafe already running in the area, there are still meetings to be had to establish whether they can provide sufficient people to run one successfully.

I have got involved in a project already running in the Stockland Green area, Erdington: this is a community outreach project making use of a local park and lake and involves the running of a Kayak Club, a local sailing club and potentially basketball coaching all based around Brookvale Park. As part of this project we are looking at the potential of a ROC Café also in the park to bring people in but also to signpost them onto more long term options for them. Take a look at this link to Brookvale Park Fun Day. ROC will be there to discuss with partners and churches the plans for a ROC Café.

One of the people who has got involved in this project is part of a community project in Perry Barr, Living Stones Embassy, and he is interested in getting involved with Brookvale with a view to starting a ROC Café in Perry Barr.

However following on from the above projects I have now been approached by people outside of the Birmingham area. In the last few weeks I have had conversations with someone looking to start a ROC Café in Wolverhampton, this project is in very early days so stay tuned for more information.

I am also in conference with a church in Coventry they are in the process of mapping the services provided by churches across the Coventry area and inviting others to join with them to launch ROC in Coventry, hopefully this will begin in September.

Behind the scenes I have been speaking with a number of organisations looking to develop partnerships that will help to add structure and value to ROC projects across the midlands providing long term solutions for the issues that we are looking to address.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord...

2011-07-07T10:47:00.000+01:00

Mk 10:43-44 (NIV):- …whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.

Eph 6:7-8 (NIV):- Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

There is a lot of uncertainty around at this time in many different areas of life. In times like these it is tempting to just do what is required, no more, no less or perhaps even give up completely. But be encouraged God is in control,
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" - Jer 29:11 (NIV).
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord - Rom 8:38-39 (NIV).

We are called to serve God in every part of our lives; we are not only working for earthly bosses or caring for earthly families, we are working for God. We are called to serve no matter what the circumstances, in all you do do it as if you were doing it for God, he will reward you.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving - Col 3:23-24 (NIV).

God is in control of your future not man, I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing - Ps 37:25-26 (NIV).

Fulfil your day to day duties to the best of your ability, with excellence and humility, working for the ultimate authority – God himself.

ROC Nottingham

2011-07-06T14:21:00.000+01:00

On the 15th June I had the privilege of being involved with the launch of Redeeming Our Communities, Nottingham below is an article about this fantastic evening including some photos from the event.

ROC Nottingham Launch

Event aims to inspire change through joint action in local communities

New ways of tackling poverty, addiction, crime and isolation were showcased at a special forum in Hucknall on Wednesday June 15th which brought together a host of local organisations keen to work together to make a difference across local communities read more

Sunday night Live

2011-07-03T16:13:00.001+01:00

In a belated follow up to my earlier post about Johnny Kinch and his book Johnny be Good take a look at this, Sunday Night Live I'll be in Loughborough tonight along with some fantastic live entertainment, if you're in the area come and check us out at Costa Coffee, Loughborough. Take a look at the archive post to find out a little more.

Sedgeley Park

2011-07-02T23:00:00.001+01:00

Spent the day at Greater Manchester Police's leadership academy today at Sedgley Park for a Christian Police Association national council meeting. Many things discussed including how can we publicise our existence to faith groups around the country, if you are the leader or member of a church group we want to link in with you so that we can support each other in making our communities a better place to live.

I'm back...maybe

2011-06-30T23:45:00.005+01:00

Hoping to get back into the blogging world to keep you updated on what's going on with these organisations:

Redeeming our Communities - ROC
Christian Police Association - CPA
Action in the Community - COACT

The Answer is Found in You

2009-01-22T14:01:00.000Z

I was watching the movie Kung-Fu Panda with my family the other day, I think I enjoyed it more than my kids did, apart from being just a fun film it makes some good points. If you haven't seen it and plan to don't read this post because it will ruin it for you.

For those who haven't seen it it is about a group of expert kung-fu fighters who have proved themselves in battle many times and their search for the legendary 'Dragon Warrior' who legend has it will be the ultimate warrior and right all wrongs. The five warriors and their master are waiting for the day when the Dragon Warrior will be chosen fully expecting it to be one of them. This warrior it is said will unlock the secrets of the mystical Dragon Scroll that will apparently make them all powerful. Well the day comes for the Dragon Warrior to be chosen and the honour falls to a bumbling out of shape panda called Po who apparently has no kung-fu skills at all. The master eventually takes him under his wing and finds the key to unlock his ability turning him into an effective if slightly unconventional warrior. Po then receives the Dragon Scroll but on opening it finds it to be nothing more than a piece of mirrored parchment which does nothing more than show Po himself. The point being the secret to all power is inside himself he only needs to believe in himself.

I have been reading this week Dr John Maxwell's book the 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day and I have been looking at the whole area of limits that people have put on them or put on themselves, Maxwell calls them 'lids' things that stop you reaching your full potential. There can be many different kinds of lids for example impatience, denial, impulsiveness, deceit, jealousy, anger, your family or friends can be a lid, your current leaders, background or youth and inexperience. But, the most limiting ones are the ones we put on ourselves for example lack of self confidence, negative/defeatist mindset, failure. These are just a few examples of things that can limit us however they can all be overcome, it may not be easy or straight forward and it may take time but if you never try you will never succeed.

The important thing is not looking for lids to excuse your lack of progress or development it is how you deal with those lids. For most of these the answer is found in you. Other people can also help you to deal with them, the right people

What limits your potential?

How are you going to overcome those limits?

An Historic Day

2009-01-21T22:00:00.000Z

I like millions of others was sat glued to my television yesterday watching the inauguration of America's 44th President, historic in many ways the obvious and the not so obvious. I was so caught up in the moment that I didn't even notice him fluffing his lines when he took the oath and despite the criticisms that have been in the papers today I thought his speech was excellent, inspiring and I hope a sign of things to come. The picture on the front of The Times almost brought a tear to my eye, his wife Michelle standing looking at her husband with such pride the first African American President of the United States of America. I also loved the fact that she is holding the Bible he is swearing on, I don't know if this is normal practice but I feel it shows her support for her husband and reinforces the fact that they are very much in this together.

To be honest if the only thing the newspapers can criticise is the fact he stumbled over the oath and that his speech wasn't as good as some of the others he has done then that has got to be a good sign.

I personally felt his speech was very well suited to the occasion, it was sombre yes but it was sincere and honest, quite a contrast to some of the speeches of the former president. I was encouraged to see detailed in his speech some of the changes he was talking about in his book The Audacity of Hope written in 2006. It is good to see that the vision he set out for America in that book is still top of his agenda and has not been diluted by 'politics'.

Yes he will have many difficult decisions to make and he will probably make mistakes but I do sincerely believe that his term of office whether that be 4 or 8 years will be a great period in America's history. I am excited to see what he is going to do and whether you like it or not what happens in America has a profound effect on what happens in our country and the rest of the world.

Despite not being American I can honestly say God bless President Obama and God bless America.

If you didn't hear the speech it is well worth a listen, check it out here.

Thought for the Day

2009-01-15T22:16:00.000Z

If you strive for something in your own strength, you will spend your whole life fighting to keep it. If God gives you something, no one can take it away. [Paraphrase] - People of a Good Report - Paul Scanlon

Danger of Discord

2009-01-13T10:38:00.000Z

I was listening to a seminar the other day by a man called Paul Scanlon he was talking about the dangers of gossip and discord these are things that can cause serious damage to people. He was saying that people who gossip and sow discord have no love for people, no matter how they dress it up to make it sound harmless there is no denying it can have far reaching consequences.

As an example he used the story in the Bible of King David and his son Absalom. Absalom set himself up with men and horses and established himself on a main road leading to king David's palace, when people would come to see the king, Absalom would intercept them and tell them that there was no one available to hear their complaint in David's court and persuade them that if he were ruler in Israel he would deal with their complaints. By doing this he was able to turn the hearts of Israel against the king, this ultimately resulted in Absalom leading a rebellion against king David in which 20,000 of Absalom's new followers were slaughtered and also led to the death of Absalom himself a short while later.

His point was that if you have a problem with someone take it to them directly not to anyone else who can then use the complaint to cause dissatisfaction and discord which only leads to damage.

The Importance of Empathy

2009-01-11T20:23:00.000Z

I'm currently reading The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama, written in 2006 before he was elected as president he has some very interesting and enlightening insights into his journey through life and into American politics. Some of his thoughts are very refreshing and I hope we get to see him fulfil some of them. Over the next few days and weeks I will be sharing a few of them with you, for example I read this today:

...a sense of empathy-is one that I find myself appreciating more and more as I get older. It is at the heart of my moral code, and it is how I understand the Golden Rule-not simply as a call to sympathy or charity, but as something more demanding, a call to stand in somebody else's shoes and see through their eyes...I find myself returning again and again to my mother's simple principle-"How would that make you feel?"-as a guidepost for my politics.

Not rocket science by any stretch of the imagination but I still agree it is a fantastic guide to live by. If we are to be a positive influence in our circles empthy is vital, we need to be able to understand people and their lives to be able to effect them. If we don't demonstrate it people will be driven away from us rather than drawn to us.

Try and take a walk in someone else's shoes today and see what insights it gives you.

Useful Insight

2009-01-11T14:12:00.000Z

I have recently read a book by a very inspiring guy called Johnny Kinch it is the story of this guy's life and it is no ordinary life. It's a heart rending book about an obviously extremely talented man who had so many opportunities but was not able to capitalise on them due to a number of addictions that had complete control over his life. It gave a real insight into addiction and how it will quite literally take over your life.

Many people who have the ability to have real influence in the world but are hamstrung at every turn by things they have allowed into their life. The book shows how this man overcame his addictions and has started to have a positive effect on the world around him.
I'm not going to steal his thunder but I recommend you read the book 'Johnny Be Good', it is only short and won't take you long, there is a link to it on my bookshelf to the right of the screen, also you can check out his website here.

Eternal Echoes

2009-01-10T23:12:00.000Z

The title of his blog is inspired by one of my favourite lines in, probably my all time favourite movie, that line is:

"What we do in life echoes in eternity"

In case you hadn't spotted it it's a line from the blockbuster movie 'Gladiator'. The movie, starring Russel Crowe, is about a Roman general who refused to compromise his values and ended up falling from grace and becoming a slave, a slave who became a gladiator and a gladiator who defied and ultimately defeated an emperor, consequently completely altering an empire that at the time covered most of the known world. (I'm sorry if you haven't seen it I may have just ruined it for you but hopefully you can forgive me.) I know it's just a story but I believe its message, what we do as individuals can and does have far reaching consequences...are those consequences ones we can be proud of or ones we would regret?

This line speaks to me because I know that I have been placed on this earth for purpose. I believe that each one of us has the ability and the potential to be people of influence, I strongly believe that we control our lives, our lives don't control us. Sometimes I look around and wonder am I really in control, can I really affect my environment, do I really have control or am I being controlled. Ultimately I come to the same conclusion, yes, I believe each one of us has a destiny to fulfil, a purpose to realise and the opportunity to become more than ourselves.

Each of us come from different walks of life, different countries, different cultures, different jobs, different abilities but each and every one of us has something to give.

Think about what you are going to do today, who you are going to see, what are you going to say, how are the ripples of your actions going to effect the space around you? Food for thought but who wants to simply exist, I would rather shine.