/thoughts summer 09

120 boxes each with 230 copies of /thoughts magazines arrived this morning!

It's jam packed full of goodness, from interviews with Shane Claiborne and Jahaziel, to exclusive manga art by Siku, to articles by Helen Smith, Jon Tearne and more.

Have you got yours? If you're a regular subscriber then it's on its way over to you in the post as we speak. If you've not signed up yet, never fear, just go to www.emergingculture.co.uk/orderthoughts and we'll send you copies of /thoughts for yourself, your youth group or your CU, totally free! Dont say we never give you anything! ;)

We really hope you enjoy it. If you have a spare minute and could help us with our /thoughts survey, that would be awesome! You can find it at www.emergingculture.co.uk/thoughtssurvey

Thanks everyone! Happy reading!

Last weekend was Pentecost Festival!

On Saturday Emerging Culture were hosting street teams of over a hundred people who were out on the streets of London chatting and praying with the public! Leicester Square was packed with people listening to live music on the open air stage and there were people in green and blue Pentecost Festival t-shirts EVERYWHERE! It was an amazing sight to see.

In the evening Emerging Culture went to Salsa! We had an awesome time learning some salsa moves and wiggling our bums to the live band!

We had some amazing testimonies from the day and some fabulous pictures. Take a look at www.emergingculture.co.uk/streetteams

If you would like a souvenir of the festival you can buy the official t-shirts for just £5! Email trisha@emergingculture.co.uk.

Make sure you keep 22nd May 2010 free in your diaries, so that you can join in the fun next year!

Yum Yum YUM!!!!!

I've just read an article about child labour in Bangladesh and it saddens me a lot that families have to rely on their children working to be able to survive.
Children are only supplied free education between the ages of 6 and 10 and only half of the children attend school! Some leave early and have a full time job before their 10th birthday.
When I was 10 years old I didn't have a care in the world. I went to school, had my meals cooked for me and played with my friends, just like a child should be able to. But I've realised just how fortunate I am! Most children have responsibilities at a really young age and through lack of education don't have the ability to change their circumstances.
We are so lucky that God has put us in a place where we have such great potential, an ability to make a difference and to thrive. He's blessed us with everything we could possibly need, plus loads of luxuries. In our comfortable states we must remember how fortunate we are and remember that we are the minority.
I'm going to praise God every day for the great things he's given me!

yum yum yum... News in Bitesize Chunks!

** BT to shed a further 15,000 jobs!
** Spanish Economy shrinks rapidly!
** US April retail sales fall 0.4%!
** Hitachi posts record annual loss!
** Sharp fall in exports from China!

These are some of the headlines under “Global recession”. The list goes on! We are always hearing about the credit crunch and the media is scaring us with all of their stories about businesses going bust, people losing their houses and lots of job losses.

I don’t know much about how the credit crunch happened or why. If I’m honest I wouldn’t really care about it if it weren’t for the news bombarding me with it!
Should we be scared by the recession? I don’t believe we should. God has his hand on every situation. The Bible says, "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." (Isaiah 58:11)
and "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matt 7:9-11)
You might think that God supplying for peoples’ needs is only a thing that happened in the Bible. Manna falling from heaven doesn’t generally happen these days! But I believe that God’s promises are as real today as they were back then.

It seems as if we can get by without God’s help in these times because when we are short of money we can do overtime or sell some of our stuff on Ebay. But when we really, really need him he will step in and help us out.
My mum has told me a couple stories about how God put food on our table. One of those was when both my parents were unemployed, they had no money at all, not even enough to buy my brother and I something for dinner and the cupboards were empty! My mum broke down and cried out to God, saying “You say you’ll supply us with what we need, but how come I can’t even afford to feed my kids?!” Then the neighbour came knocking on the door to tell her that her freezer had broken, that she didn’t know what to do with the food and would we be able to make use of it?! How cool is that?!
God listens to our cries and he steps in when we ask him.I really believe that the credit crunch is an amazing opportunity for us to learn to rely on God, like he intended for us to do. So give your financial troubles and job worries up to God and trust in him.

It’s the end of an era

After a five-figure number of gigs in front of a six-figure number of fans, Delirious are putting plans together for one final tour. Taking in six dates in the UK and further gigs across mainland Europe, the band who have helped redefine the very fabric of modern worship will make these dates their last.

These are not just the final gigs of one band or even the close of a remarkable chapter. It’s the end of an era. Delirious crafted for themselves a unique place in so many people’s hearts, much of the time built on the impact of their live gigs. As a fusion of open-mouthed spectacle and head-bowed wonder, any Delirious gig has always held the potential to capture and captivate, encouraging everyone in the room towards a closer connection with God.

And so these final gigs will be something special, but not just because of the nostalgia factor. Without any support act at all, Delirious will take the stage for an unforgettable evening, tracing the arc from the early days up to the latest releases. Not so much a Best Of…, the tour will be the Ultimate Delirious Experience: going deeper, flying higher and running faster than ever before.

A great trip for any youth group, CU or Church to attend!

www.delirious.co.uk

CRE

Well its been a great week here at Emerging Culture and SJI office. We've all been down at CRE (The Christian Resource Exhibition) where we have been pushing Thought's magizine, telling people about Fresh and networking with loads of Church leaders. Over 11,000 people and 350 exhibitors attend CRE which makes it a great place for Emerging Culture to be and network. Visitors come every year because they know they will find the latest resources, catch up with friends and be inspired.

The week has been fantasic and theres still one more day to go! So if you are around tomorrow do check us out in the Pivillon, we're next to Wellesly Owen bookshop.

CRE is a great place to find any Christian resource to help you in your Church. From book's and music to courses and art, CRE will provide just what your looking for.

Yum Yum... News in bitesize chunks!

*** One in 5 people who use sunbeds will be using them more this year because they can't afford to go abroad on holiday. Even though using a sunbed once a month or more can increase the risk of skin cancer by more than half, it seems that this is a price people are willing to pay to have an all over tan.

*** A man who weighs 40 stone has been warned that if he doesn't lose weight he will die. He struggles to walk and breathe and could have heart problems.


These two stories are both about the way that we treat our bodies. We have a choice whether or not to take care of them. Whether it is choosing to put beauty before our health or eating unhealthily, the decisions we make will affect our health in the long run.

The Bible says that the number of hairs on our head are numbered. God made us to look the way we do, we are perfect in his eyes, one of a kind, we were planned before we were even conceived. We shouldn't strive to be better looking or more skinny, we need to be learn to be comfortable in our own skin. By reading magazines and comparing ourselves to the beautiful celebrities, we are setting ourselves unreachable standards! Celebrities look as average as us without the expensive make up, hair dye and fake contacts. Paris Hilton, the blonde with blue eyes, for example, naturally has Dark blonde hair and brown eyes!
Please realise that you are naturally beautiful. Be confident in yourself and don't compare yourself with others.

Our bodies are a temple of the holy spirit. We should respect them, care for them and maintain them.