October prayer update

Thanks so much to all of you who've been praying for me over this last month - it's been a really encouraging month in which I've been learning a lot.

Here are some highlights to give thanks for:

• I led the Sunday morning service earlier in September, which didn't end in disaster! It seemed to go OK I think and a few people were encouraging afterwards.
  
• I've began to get to know some of the youth in YL (the youth group that I'm working with) - they're a pretty amazing bunch! I also led my first youth group Bible study last week, on Jesus as fully man, which I was quite nervous about but I think was fine in the end. It was a very encouraging subject for me to look at, at least.
  
• Last Tuesday I began the south central ministry training course (SCMTC - catchy, I know!). It seems like it's going to be a very useful time in which I'll learn a lot - so you can thank God for that... and I guess pray that I do!
  
• Some of you might have prayed for the Formation conference that I attended at the beginning of September. Thanks! It was an excellent conference - gave me lots to think about and was a huge encouragement.

Someone mentioned that it might be useful for you to have a rough idea of what my week looks like, so that you might be able to pray more specifically for me. Things are still up in the air a bit, but here's a rough idea of some of the things that will be going on (each day starts with a prayer meeting with Andy and David - can't be bothered to write that every time!):

Monday am: Bit of a lie in... study/prep
Monday pm: Prep/Study
Monday evening: Can I do without God? course (see below for info)

Tuesday am: SCMTC
Tuesday pm: SCMTC
Tuesday evening: YL

Wednesday am: Study/prep
Wednesday pm: Staff meeting
Wednesday evening: off/prayer meeting (alternate)

Thursday am: Optometry day
Thursday pm: Optometry day
Thursday evening: off/housegroup (alternate)

Friday am: Study/prep
Friday pm: Community Bible study group, study/prep
Friday evening: off

Saturday: Day off

Sunday am: Church
Sunday pm: Church lunch, variety of things in afternoon
Sunday evening: Church, followed by meeting for students that I'll be leading (social, discussion on applying the days teaching, praying)

Hope that's helpful!

Here are a few prayer requests for this month:

• David, the new pastor, starts today. This afternoon we'll be meeting together to think about how we'll work together. Please pray that over the next month we'll learn to work together well as a team, and that we'd get foundations of grace in right from the beginning.
  
• I'm preaching next Sunday evening for the first time at Woody Rd, on Amos 7 + 8 (nice easy one to start with eh!). Please pray for me as I finish my prep this week, and that I would preach with a desire to exalt Christ and glorify God, not with a desire for people to think I'm a good preacher. Also, please pray that I would be faithful to the scriptures.
  
• This evening I'm starting a 10 week evening course at the University of Oxford, entitled 'Can we do without God?' (click here for a summary of what I'll be learning). Please pray that I'd become better at answering people's questions about Christianity, that I'd meet people on the course who are searching for truth and that I'd be able to get alongside them and point them to Jesus, and that I'd make some genuine, lasting friends through it.
  
• I'm hoping to starts some one-to-ones with some of the young people/students at the church. Please pray for discernment in who to ask, for wisdom in how to ask them and boldness when it comes to asking!
  
• Please pray that I'd continue to get to know people in the church and in Oxford, and in particular that I'd find one or two who I 'click' with, who I can get to know well.

That's probably enough for now. Do let me know how you're doing and what I can pray for for you. Thanks for praying!