24-7 Rewind "Life in the Movement" Sunday, 2 March 2014
Help Restore Lives in Manenberg - 24-7 Rewind
Pete Portal brings you Re:wind this week at 2:30 am from a Prayer Room in Manenberg (S. Africa).
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Help Renovate a House to Restore Lives in Manenberg
Adam Heather
Pete and Sarah Portal have worked for 4 years in the South African township of Manenberg, pioneering prayer and mission in an area saturated with extreme violence and poverty - in the last two weeks alone, they've had a bullet through their office window and four have been killed in a local gang war.
In the heart of the gang zone, they are looking to plant the first Boiler Room community in Africa and are giving their lives to praying and helping those looking to break free of the gang and drug culture.
The last 4 years have seen God move in incredible ways (if you joined us in Dublin for the International Gathering you may have heard some of the stories!), but they know that to see actual community transformation, they need to be able to open up their home and offer people shelter, family and demonstrate a different expression of life.
A dream known as the 'Manenberg House'.
But they need your help….
In a step of faith, they have brought a home - now they need to refurbish it.
Having consulted specialists, they know that they need to raise £24,800 to make the neccessary renovations to make the 'Manenberg House' a reality. Whatever money is raised will go directly into helping establish the house and impacting Manenberg.
You can help invest into this incredible vision by visiting their Indiegogo (crowd sourcing) campaign website.
Here is a little video which explains exactly what they are trying to do and how you can get involved...
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"It’s always been a Fusion dream to have a house. For the last 6 years we’ve become increasingly frustrated with dropping our young men and women, some of whom are new believers trying to come out of gangs and addiction, at home each afternoon to gang-joining, gun-toting, drug-smoking friends and family. The harsh reality of the home life of many of our friends often counters the breakthroughs in their lives – because whilst we work 9am-5pm hours (and then some), the majority of gang activity happens when darkness falls. Relapse happens in the night.
We’ve realized, through the ups and downs of the last 6 years, how desperately unlikely it would be to see the widespread gang reduction and community-level transformation we’re believing for, without somehow becoming the answers to our own prayers. A daily schedule of activities and prayer goes so far, but we’ve continued to hit the same ceiling over and over again. God began to speak to us about ‘re-parenting’ these individuals, and so what was needed was a house in which to base the ‘family’ – a transformational community.
Our house will enable the growing of our prophetic community of brothers and sisters that have come from lives in the drug dens, gang hq’s and street corners. We believe this community will be a visible, tangible redemption of the gangs. Rites of passage will be observed, breakthroughs will be celebrated, intercession will be offered unceasingly and, as Acts records, perhaps “the Lord [will add] to their number daily those who [are] being saved.” (2:47).
It would be so great for friends and family of 24/7 Prayer to get behind us as we stand as a generative contradiction to the prevailing culture of violence and division."
Pete Portal You can find out more about the work in Manenberg by watching this interview with Pete Portal during the International Gathering in Dublin
Adam Heather helps to keep 24-7 talking to the world as head of the communications team based in Guildford. He got connected with 24-7 after spending a year studying with a church in California. He loves stories and is easily captivated by any exciting new idea. You can catch up with Adam on twitter (@Adam_Heather)..
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Blogging
Trailer for the new Lent Podcasts
Adam Heather
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ANAGNORISIS
(an - ag - no - ri - sis; Ancient Greek: ἀναγνώρισις) "the moment at which a character makes a critical discovery regarding their identity and true nature."
Join us for a brand new series of Lent Podcasts.
Easter is the moment that Jesus changed everything, for everyone, everywhere.
Join us, every weekeday of lent for a brand new video podcast, as we explore stories in the Bible where lives were transformed through encounters with Jesus.
Each week will focus on a different character in the Bible and the way their lives were changed after meeting Jesus, then Holy week will follow Jesus' journey to the cross and look at a new character each day:
Week 1 - Peter Week 2 - Samaritan Woman Week 3 - Zaccheus Week 4 - Mary of Bethany
Week 5 - Woman caught in adultury
Week 6 - Judas Iscariot Holy Week:
Mon - Priest's Servant
Tues - Pilate
Wed - Barabbas
Thurs - Simon of Cyrene
Good Friday - Thief on the Cross
Holy Saturday - Doubting Thomas
Easter Sunday - Mary Magdeline
You can access the Podcast via iTunes subscription and YouTube. We will also be posting them via our Twitter and Facebook. Alternatively you can watch them directly on the Podcast page of this site.
Adam Heather helps to keep 24-7 talking to the world as head of the communications team based in Guildford. He got connected with 24-7 after spending a year studying with a church in California. He loves stories and is easily captivated by any exciting new idea. You can catch up with Adam on twitter (@Adam_Heather)
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What I learned about God watching the Lego Movie
Andy Freeman
During the last week I went to see the Lego Movie with my kids. I was quite expectant as this was to be more than your average cartoon - this was Lego coming alive - and according to many film critics, one of the best animated films made in recent years.
The prospect of a live Lego Batman alone was enough to get me excited.
And I was not disappointed.
But as I laughed with the kids I found myself thinking of some deeper things.
This often happens to me at the movies - there is something profound for me in that space, sparked by the imagination I’m seeing on screen. Who would have thought Lego Superman, Lego Dumbledore and Lego Abraham Lincoln would give me such food for thought?
The wider theme of the Movie is play and creativity. A battle between conformity and creativity, between instruction and flow.
Picasso was once asked the secret of his vivid and exciting paintings. He replied in this extraordinary way:
Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.
Whenever I hear this quote it makes me think of children. When you go play with kids everything is possible - everything is permissible. Dinosaurs can interact with Pirates, Vikings can make alliances with aliens and fictional wizards can converse with former American Presidents.
As my kids have grown up I’ve learnt new things about curiosity, about colour, about freedom and about life. I’m very grateful to each of my kids for that...
Jesus suggested that we would need to enter the Kingdom of God like a child (Matthew 18:3).
I know a lot of people react badly to this; why shouldn’t we be adult, be mature? What is it about God that he needs us to be young?
But I think these arguments miss the point.
The more I explore my faith the more I know that God wants me to smile and enjoy life as well as be serious and reverent and all those other things that religious people have told us are very important.
Play and creativity…a way to God?
In 2005 I wrote a book called Punk Monk about the story and values of 24-7 Boiler Rooms. In one of the closing chapters I wrote about the Boiler Room value of Creativity and suggested a few ideas and a liturgy to explore in our own lives.
I had a fresh look at them after the Lego Movie and had some ideas that you might find helpful…
Creative Retreat
Spend a week on your own creative retreat. This can be done in your normal pattern of life, but it involves moving wholeheartedly into being creative.
Discipline yourself to being creative in the way you respond to the Bible. Write poems and draw pictures rather than write notes. Take your friends to see a film and go for a coffee to discuss it afterwards. Go for a walk. Cook creatively. Dress creatively. Think creatively when problems arise.
From what you learn on your ‘retreat’, begin to build creative disciplines into your life.
You might also like to take a look at this Creation liturgy on our Ancient Paths pages.
Andy Freeman is 44 years old and a father to 5 beautiful kids. He lives in Winchester, England. Andy was part of the team that pioneered 24-7's first Boiler Room community and is a regular contributor to New Monasticism in the UK and abroad. Andy works developing resources and supporting those in pioneering mission in the UK Church. He's also a freelance writer. Andy loves reading, movies, music, cricket (the sport) and Arsenal football club. You can continue to dialogue with Andy on his twitter (@AndyF247).
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Going deeper
The Prayer Course
Six videos to fuel discussion and deepen the prayer life of your church
24-7 Prayer and Alpha have teamed up to produce The Prayer Course - six 10 minute videos, hosted by Pete Greig, to help you explore different themes of prayer found in the bible: adoration, petition, intercession, unanswered prayer, listening to God and spiritual warfare. Available for free download at www.prayercourse.org
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24-7 Prayer - UK Registered Charity 1091413
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