Word Alive

Word Alive is the name of the Bible Teaching Week at Spring Harvest. Spring Harvest is 12,000 Christians at a coastal holiday 'resort' living together, learning, praising God and having fun.There are 6 weeks of this altogether, in two different sites, but you choose one week to go to. We always choose Word Alive.

At Word Alive last week we had morning teaching from Charles Price which was excellent. One chapter of Philippians a day. During the rest of the day there were talks, seminars and worship celebrations. (And swimming and walking on the beach.) There were groups for children and youth and a whole track aimed at university students. Brilliant. What a great idea! We had a blast!

Unfortunately, Word Alive is no more at Spring Harvest. That was the last one. The Spring Harvest Organisers no longer wish to support Word Alive. I guess it's just too Bible-based for them. They want all the Spring Harvest weeks to be the same, so Word Alive is out.

It's moving though. The remaining two sponsors, (UCCF and Keswick Ministries) are doing it themselves. Next year, it will be called something different and it will be in North Wales instead of England but plans are underway for it to remain Bible-focussed and contain all the fantastic elements it has always had. Speakers next year include Don Carson and John Piper. We'd so love to go. I wonder if we'll be able to afford it? Check it out. newwordalive.org

Grace managed with her large youth group very well. They had teaching in the morning, followed by small group activities they chose. Some of the things she did were worship vocalist training and dance. In the afternoon she went to new song workshops with Kristen Getty, the Irish 'new hymn-writer'.

Jack's group was similar. He chose some sports sessions for the electives and went with Jamie to workshops on sound systems in church and a seminar on how to use AV equipment! We all had dinner back in our little flat with the ladies we were sharing with and then went off to various different praise and worship celebrations of our choice. It was wonderful that there was so much choice. It gave the kids a great sense of independence. And uniqueness. We felt it helped them develop their own personal, authentic relationship with what was going on. They have both been propelled much further along in their walk with the Lord. It's wonderful to see them returning from their sessions bubbling over with excitement and both wanting to share with us the things they'd been taught.

Late in the evening, there were gigs to go to. Or theatre or comedy cabarets or opera singers. But my family chose the rock gigs, naturally. Except for me. I chose to sleep. {g} Word Alive is hard work. All the places we needed to be were far apart and required miles of walking in between. Fast walking. My hip gave out briefly, but then recovered, thankfully.

It was good and were were all re-invigorated and refreshed.
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