6 MONTH REVIEW

Ezekiel 36:25-27; 37:1-10

This is the only sermon I am preaching at Alder Road in ten weeks. I tend not to preach in August, using that month for preparation and holiday, and since the middle of June we have had an incredible line-up of guest speakers (downloads available here).

For those who really cannot cope without me for a few weeks the download of my sex seminar at TOAM is available here, and I guess the ones I am doing at Newday will also come online at some point.

As this is my only preach until September 7th and as I have now been in Poole for 6 months this morning seemed a good opportunity to have a review of what has been happening since January.


1. Things we have done
Since coming to Alder Road I have encouraged us to increase the prayer temperature in the church. I have also encouraged us to grow in thankfulness. We have spent a lot of time talking about prayer and praise. An increase in prayer and thanks leads inevitably to an increase in faith, and the more faith we have the more that seems to happen (it has been great to see a number of people healed recently).

We have also made some decisions about the building, undertaking some relatively minor works that will make our premises more useable and allow us to get more seats in.

I hope that everyone will now have a clearer idea of what it means to be part of Newfrontiers, as friends from around the world have come and ministered amongst us.

In all that we have done I have repeatedly emphasised that we need to be people of adventure, purity and compassion.


2. Things about me
Churches often stop growing when they reach 150-200 people. To a large extent this is because churches of this size are perfectly engineered to keep the pastor just slightly too busy tending to the pastoral needs of the church to do the things that would see the church keep on growing.

I strongly believe that Alder Road should be larger than 200 people and see my priority to be leading the church in mission and developing leaders. These priorities mean that I will not be able to do all the pastoring! This doesn’t mean I don’t care about the pastoral needs of the church but emphasises why having a team of elders, with different strengths and gifts, is so important.


3. Things I have learnt
There are hurting people in this church. Some people are hurting because dreams they had in the past have not worked out. As was prophesied last Sunday, now is the time to throw these hurts and disappointments into a big hole. It is a new day!


4. Things God has spoken
At the beginning of this year God spoke to me about the church needing to have wider horizons – rather than being narrow and introspective we need to see the largeness of what God is calling us to. More recently God has spoken to us about our need to climb some hills and kill some giants.

Other words have come encouraging us to unblock the stream of God’s blessing here and purify the waters. We have had words about revisiting the foundations of the church and it has been prophesied over us that God is giving us a key with “new era” written on it – we are to see things unlocked.

When Guy Miller has been with us he has prophesied dramatic change.

Last Sunday evening Keith Hazel, a prophet based in Canada, was in Bournemouth and brought a word for Alder Road at a meeting some of our church attended. It was tremendously encouraging! Keith had no knowledge of our church, and I have never met him, so there was no spin to this word. (You can listen to it here.)

Keith prophesied out of Ezekiel 37. These are the headings:

There is a new initiative of the Spirit among us. I really believe that God does want to do something new amongst us, which isn’t simply the schemes of man but is inspired by the Spirit.

New life. Where some have been disappointed and grown weary God wants to breathe newness of life and purpose into us.

Tendons joining to bone. This speaks of relationships being formed and strengthened amongst us. We really are to be an army together on a mission.

Flesh covering the bones. This speaks of growth. God wants to add more people to us over the coming year – we are to expect it.

Skin covering flesh. Skin is shape giving and speaks of a new authority in the church leadership. As the leaders give leadership the church will be given shape.

A gateway for Poole. Poole is a gateway town – we are a port, a gateway to the continent, a gateway to commerce and to leisure. Poole is also a gateway to the South West of England – we are the last big town before Exeter and Plymouth. And we are to be a gateway to the kingdom for people in this town. We are a gateway, not a fence!

A house of prayer. God is calling us to pray, and to become known as a people who pray. It is as we pray that things will happen.



Application Questions
• How do you feel about the last six months at Alder Road?
• What has God spoken to you out of all the prophetic words we have received?
• Are there things that cause you anxiety about the future of the church? Why is this? What can we do about it?
• What do you need to do to help the church move into all that God has for us?
• If we truly are to be a gateway church, what things will need to change?