Passionate about kids work…Jesus said –
‘let the children come to me’. Matthew 19:14
When I was 8 I decided to live for God. I will never forget experiencing God's presence. Children can experience God, can hear God, can know God, and can be used by God. Often children can inspire us adults by their simple faith.
Around 5 years ago I heard a bloke called Dave Sharples speak, he runs a huge kids club in liverpool. He was speaking on 'the cost for the lost' and about the work he did. To this day I have never met a man more passionate. His heart and vision to see children reached with God’s love grabbed me. He said that there were some of us who needed to step into the role of be spiritual fathers for children. I had never done kids work before.
A few months later, a small group of us from xlr8 (rach cole was one of them!) ran a kids club every night for one week in Ordsall estate. Ordsall is rough. We went into the local primary school, did a few lessons and invited the kids to the club. By Friday we had over 50 kids turning up. It was amazing. I will never forget seeing the kids legging it over to our building as soon as school finished. We taught them about God.
In September 2002 I started working in a school in north Manchester. Here are just a few of my memories...
Most weeks when I came into the classroom there was glass on the floor because the windows had been smashed in… I remember a 9-year-old lad getting caught for breaking in to the local newsagents and nicking the cash machine… I remember two 11-year-old kids getting caught threatening children from another school with metal bars… once a 5-year-old kid told me his dad had shown him his gun… I heard a mum often threaten her child that she would get Social Services to take him away if he carried on misbehaving… one child had seen his dad murdered right in front of him… when I asked a 9-year-old girl what she wanted to do with her life - she said she wanted to have a baby and get a flat… I remember pale faces, young children aged 5, swearing and talking about sex.
I will never forget one girl. Every day she came in at least 2hours late for school. She always came in with a packet of crisps for breakfast or was complaining about being hungry. Her hands and clothes were always dirty. Once I was walking home and saw her on the other side of the road. Will never forget seeing her older sister screaming abuse at her.
I was with these kids day in day out. Many of them had no feeling of self worth, no knowledge of identity, or hope for a good future. Some of these kids did not understand love. None of them had ever heard the name of Jesus, other than in a swear word. None of these children had ever had the chance to hear about Jesus. I knew in my heart that God hurt when he saw these children. Their experience was as far away from God’s Kingdom as you could get, and they were just children.
Teach your children to choose the right path and when they are older they will remain upon it. Proverbs 22:6
It was during this time that I also became aware of how our lives are shaped and moulded by the environment we grow up in as children. That the experiences we have as children affect our whole lives. I learnt that working with children is extremely powerful because you never know where your influence will end.
There was no way I could understand what some of these kids went through but I knew that my influence could change their future. I realised that there was power in me loving them. That I could influence them massively by simply being a good role model for them. I realised the huge significance of putting them in the way of Jesus, giving them the chance to experience his presence, and hear his word.
Over the years I have worked with hundreds of different children who have come from many different backgrounds. My intent has simply to be an older brother who can teach them how to live.
Me and Judah moved into Brunswick in 2002. Our vision was, and still is, to see the Kingdom of God come to the estate, simply by us living as salt and light. I now know over 60 kids who live here.
God loves every one of these children so much. He has a plan to use them for his Kingdom. Some of them one day will be leaders in God's Church. My heart and vision is to see children growing up in the knowledge and reality of God's awesome truth and promises for their lives. They belong to God. I want to see fruit, result, children saved, and continuing to walk with God and mature in God throughout their teenage years.
There is a lost generation on our doorstep waiting to be influenced. My prayer is that God would envision more people, especially more men of God, to see children reached with God’s love and thrown into His purposes, that more people would realise how significant and important working with children is.
Every Tuesday we have about 35 kids, who come from some of the most deprived council estates in the uk, all piling in to kings house, learning that they are loved by God. Please pray and get involved.
Who does he think he is?!I am loved by God
I am a child of God
I am God's chosen posession
I am a friend of Jesus
I am God's workmanship
I am a new creation
I am forgiven
I am free from sin and condemnation
I am holy and blameless
I am accepted
I have direct access to the throne of grace
I belong to God's people
I am a citizen of heaven
I am a pilgrim
I am God's temple
I am chosen
I am called by God
I am sent by God
I am annointed
I have the authority of Christ
I am seated with Christ
I am an abassador of Christ
Ok, let's be honest guys, I am amazing! The People of God are people who know who they are!
Submitting to Eldership - say hello to my 5dads!It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11 - 12
We are so blessed to have such awesome Men of God leading us at Kings. It is important that we value them and bless them for all they do. Here are three ways in which we can submit to them...
Obey ThemObey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Hebrews 13:17
Authority and submission in God's Church is not a negative thing. It is something that brings release and blessing. I passionately want to live in all God has for me and I have learnt that for this to happen I need to submit completely to those God has put above me. God blesses those who recognise and live under His ordained authority.
When approaching an elder with an anxiety we must be prepared to take on board whatever they say, entrusting that their wisdom is best, regardless of their answer. - Nick Duncan.
Run With Them God wants a people, who are all 'together' in one heart and purpose. Jesus is not coming back for a passionate Eldership team, He is coming back for a People. A way in which we can really bless our Elders is by making sure we as individuals have caught hold of their passion and vision, so that we might run together with them to see it fulfilled.
Pray For Them
It is so important that we continually pray for our leaders. Because of the great responsibilty they carry, it is important that they and their families are covered with our prayers of blessing, protection, widsom, and annointing. Praying for our leaders should be a priority for us.
Random Acts of KindnessThere are so many ways in which we can serve our leaders, be it a card, a meal, some money, a word of encouragement. Whatever it is, we should always be practically demonstrating our high regard for them. Not only will this bless them hugely, it will also be a witness to the world.
Always Speak Well Of ThemFor example:
I know I can trust my Elders completely. I love them and would do anything for them. It is honestly like having 5 extra dads!If we, as a Church, do these things, it will make their job of leading us so much easier, and thus we will be able to move forward as God's People seeing His Kingdom forcefully advance.
Me being bothered can result in people being added to the Church daily... The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Matthew 9:37
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me.' Isaiah 6:8
As the father has sent me, I am sending you. John 20:21
My friend asked me, 'What was the one thing I wanted praying for?' I told him I really wanted an opportunity to tell a friend at my new work that I was a Christian. The first conversation I had went as follows...
'How come you get a fancy laptop then?'.
'Actually, don't know if you knew this, but I am a Christian. Ages ago I really needed a computer for my work and so I prayed to God. A mate offered to sell me his laptop. I didn't really have enough cash so I prayed again. My friend then gave it to me!'
'No way?! I dont really believe in the man upstairs but can you pray for me? I am having problems with where I am living at the moment and really need somewhere to move into.'
'Of course I'll pray, and God will answer because He is real.'
God seeks those who want to be used by him. Simply by getting out of bed in the morning, aligning one's priorities, and saying - 'Father I really want to be used you today', can result the lost being saved and our Church growing to thousands.
You are reading the words of a man who is blessed...
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7, 8.
I am a blessed man because I trust in God and unashamedly find my confidence only in Him. People can see that it is God Almighty who sustains me, and gives me what I need to live. I do not need to fear anything, even death. I will always be healthy and look good. I have no worries when things are hard. I will always produce fruit for the glory of my God.
I love situations in which I can do nothing but trust in God and be completely dependant upon Him. For it is in those times that I am at my most strong.
... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not percieve it? Isaiah 43:19
Sometimes we do not see it, but the truth is, if we have given our lives to God, He is continually working in us, shaping us, and doing new things in us.
Today is my birthday! It is so good to know that my life rests in the hands of God.
Let the world take a good look at Jez Davey, for I am the daily workmanship of an awesome God. And it is all for His glory.This year I am going to do all I can to make His work easier.
A God of Covenant Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13: 8
God never changes. His love towards us never changes. His promises never change. His nature never changes.
If there is one thing I have learnt over the past few years, it is that God is a faithful God. Why is God so faithful? It is because we are a people in covenant with Him.
I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God but also with those who are not here today. Deuteronomy 29:14-15
To know that I am in covenant with God is to experience a life of peace beyond comprehension.
God is always speaking to His children. The question is - do we turn to hear Him? Welcome to my new blog - my journal of God's words to me.
Passionate about kids work…
In September 2002 I started working in a school in north Manchester. Here are just a few of my memories...
It was during this time that I also became aware of how our lives are shaped and moulded by the environment we grow up in as children. That the experiences we have as children affect our whole lives. I learnt that working with children is extremely powerful because you never know where your influence will end.
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