Visit of South Africans to UK - June 21st to 29th
Ministry in London and Birmingham
As
a prequel to the Scottish Reform Conference we welcomed a group of 10 people
from the Harvester Church in Cape Town. This is the first time
in many years that such a team has travelled to minister in Europe. Those who came were the
members of the worship band, and leaders of the dance.
Aje
and Chantal Pelser arrived first with their two children, Cherie (8) and
Ethan (6). We were happy as a family that they had chosen to stay with us. It
meant a bit of shuffling around but from the moment they arrived we felt
family had come to stay. Ethan couldn’t believe that he had a choice of two
Play Stations to choose from!
Sunday
they went to minister in London at Greater Life Church in
Walton-on-Thames led by Paul Van Essen, one of the most welcoming churches I
have ever been in. Reports back were good and they enjoyed an Aussie style
barbeque after the service before driving to Huntingdon to visit friends
overnight,
Monday
the rest of the team arrived, Leigh and Lynette Collins with their
son Kristofor (10), who lead in the dance; Dale
Collins, Leigh’s brother and lead guitarist; and Jean-Pierre, Canadian and
bass guitarist. After a good rest and a meal they were duly delivered to
their hosts for a good nights sleep.
Tuesday
was a full day. First visit was to Wylde Green Primary School, where my wife teaches.
We arrived just after 9 to set up and prepare for a school assembly and mime
workshops to be led by Leigh and Lynette. The assembly
consisted of mime and a story. Kristofor, dressed
with mime makeup, told the story of a thief stealing treasure. He was
brilliant and portrayed the story without words so clearly. Chantal asked the
children what they treasured, there were some interesting answers. She then
told them that where their treasure was that’s where their heart would be and
how God wanted them to be His treasures having paid the price for them on the
cross. Aje ended with prayer and thanked God for the teachers who laid down
their lives for the children. I heard from my wife later that this had an
effect.
After
assembly Leigh took two workshops teaching mime to the children. I was amazed
at how much he got them to join in. The band improvised on their instruments
providing background music and effects. Incredible! The kids really enjoyed
it especially being dragged along the floor by an imaginary rope!
After
a walk around the two of Sutton Coldfield we went to the second school of the
day, Plantsbrook High School. Our contact their was the leader of the recently formed CU, George.
The session was taken by Aje and was just a chat and some words about laying
a good foundation from Hebrews 6 verses 1 and 2. We were able to pray and
encourage the kids in their walk with God.
After
a game of soccer in Sutton Park we went to the Way Inn to
meet with the youth worship band from Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church. George, the CU guy, was
also the contact for this event. The band and dancers brought a challenge to
those there. Some ‘oldies’ had also been invited to the meetings so it wasn’t
only young people. People were exhorted from scriptures to enter into song
and dance. It was a little hard work and stretching for some but many joined
in. After a while several groups were formed and leaders appointed to scribe
as we shared prophesy for those there. It was good to discover God in that
time and see the reaction as God’s Spirit ministered. One young man who had
remained quiet throughout testified that although he didn’t enter in he
wanted to and was asking God to give him what he needed to change. Other
testimonies from the evening were also encouraging. George shared this : -
I found the
worship on Tuesday awesome!!! I would love to see it in action in our church!
I felt it was really led by the spirit and the worship was all about God,
instead of it all being about performing or looking good. I was awed by the
way the band just improvised - it was great. The dance was amazing and ever
since the moment when we were chucking the "dirty garments" off I
feel released from certain things in my life. One of the things is hay-fever,
originally my dad prayed for it to go and immediately it lessened,
however in the dance I feel it just went completely and was no longer part of
me. I was clothed in Christ!!!
Pray
for this group of young people who are seeking to step out for God that they
may discover how to bring what they are seeing into His church.
Scottish Conference
Wednesday morning we
set off for Kilsyth in Scotland and the Kilsyth Community Church, our venue for the event. It was a rainy day
but we decided to travel via the Lake District
and drove through some beautiful countryside lunching in Keswick. As we
stopped the rain stopped and the sun poked through the clouds. Fish and Chips
were the order for the day. The beauty of that region was awesome,
I’d forgotten how lovely this area is.
André Pelser, Nola his
wife and their son Hilton joined us in Kilsyth with two more from the Cape Town church making a total of 15 from South Africa. The stories of how each
ones air fare was met was incredible. Imagine if they had to pay for
15 people’s air fares! The Scottish people moved out of their homes to
accommodate them and met all of their food needs. Only in the Church! This is
a tribute to the Body of Christ in Kilsyth and a reward for André for the
years of sowing into the UK.
The first meeting
was at 2 PM on the
Thursday. Prophet Barbara Smith of Abigail Ministries was hosting the conference. She opened up by
saying that God had spoken to her recently and told her, ‘put down your
agenda’. Many had called her and asked, ‘what’s the program?’ She told them
there is none. This is how it worked out. The Spirit led the two day
conference from Thursday afternoon until Saturday morning and it all flowed,
no program. The team from South Africa flowed and interweaved with the Body in Scotland.
There are already
many testimonies of the conference. Movement in worship was led by Apostle Leigh
and Lynette and as the days unfolded most of the people
there joined in. People were healed and delivered in the worship, warfare was
done in the worship, prophetic insight came out of
the worship. The teaching was profound. One person who had many questions testified
that all her questions were answered. There are too many things that went on
to explain them all and many things will unfold in the coming weeks and
months. Tears were shed, many released and set free. On the Friday evening
the local band took over and walked in the same Spirit led way, they flowed
just as the African band flowed and didn’t get to the intended first song for
over an hour. That evening the dance and worship entered another dimension
and a great breakthrough took place for the town and nation.
DVD’s of the meetings
will be available and if you can you should get them.
Sunday Meetings
The group from South
Africa stayed in Scotland taking a
couple of services, one in Kilsyth and the other Troon.
I attended the Kilsyth one. The church there has a more traditional service
in the morning but not that morning. As the worship started the dance
started. Those who attended the conference quickly joined in and several
others who hadn’t seen this before. It was as if we took up where we left
off. I know for some that service would have been difficult but it was done
with sensitivity but challenge. Aje spoke summarising the conference and I
shared on what I had seen and taught a little on the dynamics of change. The
Pastors wife, Aileen testified on how she had been set free. She was
sceptical and said she had no intention of dancing. She said it was as if God
laid a table before her and she had become choosy. She did dance and was set
free. She shared that as a child her mother had constantly told her to hang
on to her dignity. This meant she had never been allowed to enjoy the freedom
that comes with childhood just to enjoy life. The conference changed that and
for the first time in over 40 years she felt she could be childlike with God,
she was free.
At the end of the service I saw people in tears as
God touched them. Not all would have approved but when you measure the work
that was done in some people you can’t allow that to stop the challenge God
brings in reforming the church.
Last October I was in the Church there and prayed
for a young man with a demon who was taunted with homosexual thoughts. He
came and testified that that evening God set him totally free. I rejoice with
this young man that his life has been changed by the power of the Spirit.
I left with Aje and family to travel back to Birmingham
immediately after the meeting. We were tired but amazed at the goodness of
God. I heard from Prophet Barbara the next day who testified that in the
evening service immediately the worship started the dance began. The worship
was powerful and free. Leaders of the dance emerged and were released by
Apostle Leigh. Pray for this Church that God will continue His work and that
unity will be formed in the people. Pray for its leaders :
Pastors Mark and Aileen Fleming and Ian Paget. Ask for God’s wisdom for them.
I am still excited by what has opened up. The people who attended
will never be the same again. Already I am hearing that. My two children Ben
and Jenny have changed, I have changed. God is on the move taking back His
Church and re-aligning it with His word and plan. It will become a Church
where the whole Body functions and healings and miracles occur through the
whole people of God. A Church that is real and brings the reality of God to a
needy world. It will bring many challenges and release people from the
religious ways of ‘doing Church’. Most of all Jesus will truly be glorified
as Head of His Body.
Praise and glory and honour to Him
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