July is such an interesting time of the year. Those who are studying normally finish their school year during the month. There are graduations for so many age groups moving from one stage of life to the next. It’s also a month that people begin to go on summer holidays to get renewed for the next half of the year.
Our Connect Groups and Follow Courses also take a break for the summer. I like this time of the year because it can be an “all change” season or an “out with the old and in with the new” season! So many people and things can get refreshed over this time and I love seeing what God prepares and brings in over the Summer months.
My housemates and I have been living together for over 10 years and the house we are living in was beginning to look and feel a bit tired. Over the Summer, our landlord has promised to do some much needed refurbishments. We are so looking forward to how it’s going to look! Our Every Nation Hub is also getting refurbishments at this very moment as well. We have been shifting around and stepping over things for weeks now and little by little it’s starting to look amazing!
I love how when we come into a relationship with Jesus 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Jesus just didn’t do “refurbishments” in my life – He made a whole new me! But just as you do in a new house, you begin to collect things or build walls, etc that in the end aren’t very useful or might actually become space wasters or might actually prevent you from getting to move around at full capacity and making the most of what you have. Some areas of your new house might actually get worn down. This can all happen in your own life in Christ over time if you aren’t careful. Maybe this Summer you might actually need a clear out, an “all change” or “out with the old and in with the new season in your spiritual, physical and emotion life.
I want to encourage you to ask the Lord if you need a clear out or refurbishments in any area of your life. If you are taking a holiday – don’t turn off God during that time – take time to ask Him to hit REFRESH on your life! Go deep with Him!
As promised from my last letter – Here is the group picture of our Campus Boot Camp.
Lots of love,
Traci
Our theme this year at our church here in London is ‘GO!’ And this past month has definitely been a month of ‘Going’ and equipping others to ‘Go!’
At the end of June I headed off to preach at our Every Nation Church in Gent (Belgium). The last time I preached there was about 5 years ago and what a blessing it was to see how much it has grown and what God is doing
there! I had a wonderful time encouraging
them that God is Faithful always! Sometimes
we need to look back at the Markers of Faith in our lives and remind ourselves of what He has done so we can be encouraged that He can and will do it again!
After the evening service I went back for a
quick nap before I jumped in a car at 2:15am
with 3 twenty-some-things to drive 13 hours
down to Marseille (France) for our Annual
Campus Leaders Boot Camp! This is a 5 day
Boot Camp to equip Camps Ministers and
Campus Leaders from our Every Nation
Churches across Western and Eastern Europe to be more effective on sharing Jesus and mentoring students on their campus.
I don’t have a group photo of everyone who
attended yet but I did have the privilege of
doing two sessions with them. The first was
a session that I am quite passionate about -
Practical Mentoring Tips. Sometimes we share Jesus with someone and they show interest in wanting to learn more but it’s what we do after that point that can sometimes make everything
go downhill. I loved teaching this session and
sharing things that I have learned over the past
27 years – things that worked and things that didn’t!
The second session I spoke on was
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Our churches have really benefited over the past few years by becoming more emotionally healthy as well as spiritually. Our students and student leaders have definitely been helped by being more
physically, emotionally and spiritually
healthy! I would highly recommend the books and courses by Pete and Geri Scazzero.
This coming Sunday I will be preaching in our Slough Congregation and on Monday teaching the final session in our Follow Two Course!
Thank you so much for your prayers and giving! As I ‘Go!’ you are ‘Going’ with me to reach and touch so many people for Christ!
One final thing – HERE is the video from our Unashamed Campus Weekend back in March!
Lots of love,
Traci
Summer has finally arrived (sort of) in London! This past Sunday at church I actually saw many people with sunburns and suntans just from being outside the day before. I have really missed the sun, can you tell?
Over the years people have always been
surprised when they find out how old I
am. I always joke that I stay young by
hanging out with young people. I know
I joke about it, but I do believe that it is
partly true! This past month I have been
enjoying the presence of some amazing
young adults!
When I came back from Poland last
month, we had 3 twenty-somethings
come to stay with us from America. All
3 of them have a passion to reach
students and two of them specifically
work on a campus in Nashville. People
across the world are beginning to have their hearts stirred up for Europe and these 3 young adults flew to Poland and London to pray and scout out the land for what God has in store for their futures.
I have also been meeting up individually with all of our students to pray with them about what is next after they graduate or for next year’s studies as well as personal things. I am always so amazed at how God is transforming so many of their lives!
This month we also have a new addition to our house. Esty, who is 18 years old and from Ukraine, has come to volunteer for 2 months at our church. She has just finished
her first year at university in Lithuania and loves Jesus!
She is bringing life and new ideas to our house and to our
staff and I look forward to seeing what God is going to do
in and through her this month.
Thank you so much for praying for London and for me during this intense time. I’m sure that many of you have seen the events that have happened over the last few months as well as the elections that have created a lot of turmoil.
Your continual prayers and support financially are such an incredible blessing! You are reaching so many generations and nations!
Lots of love,
Traci
