I can honestly say that this week away has been one of the highlights of my year for the past 10 years now (how scary is that?!) and if all you did was hop in on my life for this one week every year, for the past ten years, you'd pretty much be around for all the big life events!!!
This week is jam-packed with incredible Gospel teaching, fantastic worship, brilliant seminars, free concerts, gigs, cinema trips, sports... You name it! I have experienced some of the most amazing communion with God there, had my eyes opened to new truths... felt his presence in tangible ways... It was also the place where God humbled me like never before (painfully so) when my childhood faith was put to the ultimate test (some day I'll blog about that) and I felt further from Him than ever before... a painful but VITAL part of my journey of faith. The memories of that year are bittersweet. 3 years later, NWA was the place where a three year friendship blossomed into romance (with the guy I then married) and the place where I have joyfully served on team with some of the most godly people I have ever met. I have felt deep joy, utter brokenness and had so much fun all on this one week.
I am so grateful to God for the way he has used this conference in my life to challenge me, break me, grow me, teach me and give me so much joy. I am SO very excited to be going back... This year as a punter for the first time since I was a student (for the past 5 years we have served on the 11-14s team!) and with two babies in tow, and leading a party of 101 from church, it promises to be just as eventful as the last 9 years have been...
You can follow what we're up to next week on the blog! Live from North Wales!
Thank you Lord for the incredible blessing and ministry of NWA over the last few years... this week, would you teach me, challenge my heart, lead me to wonder at the beauty of the good news of Jesus once again...
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| 2006 - My third year on Word Alive as a student, aged 20... the Skegness days |
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| 2007 - the gang. Good friends waiting for the "Student Celebration" |
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| 2007 - the year the "romance" began... me bottom left and Dave top right! Never looked back! |
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| 2008-2012 - leading the worship for the 11-14s |
2008-2012 - amazing team, awesome teaching... what a privilege to serve these young people
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| The year we made it on to main stage - 2009... we managed to persuade them to let our 200 11-14 year olds perform a reworded Oasis cover with our live band in front of a couple of thousand... Ha! I was on backing vocals but it was the last day, and after a whole week of leading worship morning and evening, my voice was next to gone! |
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| 2012 - Ava M's first NWA... she joined the 11-14s youth team after a sudden onset of conjunctivitis scuppered our plans to send her to creche! She was Ignite's youngest ever member! |
What will this year hold?!
Really sad I can't be there this year. Have a great time. 10 years! We're old!
ReplyDeletehope you have a wonderful blessed time! x
ReplyDeleteThanks guys! I'm sure we will!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful blessed time x
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