Crowds pour out of the venue on the promenade and roads. It's goodbye from me and goodbye to ECG 2010
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Sunday 13:12
Sunday 12:48
After the anointing with oil, people file out of the venue for the final time this year.
Sunday 12:17
In a typically inspirational final service, Ashley Cooper (ECG Exec) calls us to go and practice what we've heard during the 2010 conference.
Saturday 23:09
Philippa's final song of the night and probably the last song i'll see her play until (at least) ECG 2011. It's been a great night and i've seen enough live performances from her this week to last that long!
Sunday 08:12
A lot of people have had to get up early on this last day of the conference to pack up ready to leave. It's a nice day though and the Great Orme is lit up already like it was the middle of the day!
Saturday 22:31
Watching yet another Philippa Hanna concert, this one is at Café Revival. Here's a song which i'd heard for the third time this week but not blogged before.
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Saturday 20:43
Here's what i really came to see tonight: Kate John speaking in the Theatre. Her talk is based on Revelation, how God is outside of time, how God has created something wonderful for us even though we've rejected him, and how the character of God to make all things new can help us to repair our own broken world. The talk is based on Rev 21:1-8,22-23. But this clip is about the new name God gives to us as told in Rev 2:17.
Saturday 19:54
I'm in the theatre where roy crowne is speaking about HOPE, the charity he is now a member of and who organised the Hope08 initiative. It's to do with churches finding ways to work together.
Saturday 16:50
The venue is unusually empty...probably because everyone just went back to their hotels after Party On The Prom...
Saturday 19:17
The last night of ECG 2010 and a mist has fallen on the horizon, thankfully obscuring those horrible wind turbines to give a beautiful blue view. I should be going inside soon, but i don't love Kev Whitmore that much, so i'm better off out here talking to God and listening to the waves...at least until Kate comes on stage.
Saturday 16:19
ECG Chairman Roy Crowne now on stage enjoying the rendition of "Mr Ego", the final performance of Party On The Prom 2010.
Saturday 16:03
Back on the promenade...Phillipa has finished her gig. Dave is giving a talk on how, as Christians, God holds our life together. There's still a big crowd which is really encouraging.
Saturday 15:27
Phillipa Hanna is playing at Party On The Prom. Here's a clip of "Summer Bride" probably my favourite song by her. It went really well but a shame that the crowd didn't follow her instructions!
Saturday 15:13
I'm at the Party On The Prom on the Llandudno promenade. Fort Rocky are doing a kids competition and engaging the crowd well i think!
Saturday 12:10
In the Arena today, ron has been talking about the amazing things that God can do when we dedicate our lives to Him. And how the apostles felt they had no choice but to follow Jesus, and how we should be following in their example. We're just reflecting on this as the band play appropriate worship songs.
Friday 20:13
ECG Veteran Jude Smith is giving the talk tonight. It's a really clear and engaging message about leading the kind of life that Jesus lived: focussed, personal, and intentional. We've also been talking about Jesus's purpose, the fact that his mission covered his whole life, and how he understood that something often has to die for there to be new life (in his case, the resurrection).
Friday 22:26
Finally we have Abundant Life in the Theatre. They're really good too, and have quite a big sound. I think i'll go back to the debate though because that's the one i'll get most out of.
Friday 22:20
In the Arena are the much hyped "Tom & Olly" who describe themselves as "indie acoustic rap pop". They are interesting to watch, not my usual style though.
Friday 22:13
So much choice at the Fringe tonight! First off there is the live debate; tonight's topic is "Sex". There are some quite strong opinions in the room. Jude Smith is on the panel and feels like the church has made sex a mountain out of a molehill, and that people in church talk about sex as a big issue all the time when it isn't any bigger than any other issue. Another female panellist is arguing that the reason the church is in this situation is sexism within the church against women.
Friday, 9 April 2010
Friday 18:59
I'm actually early to the venue for once. A kinda strange video ("World Builder" by Bruce Branit) is playing on the screen as people arrive. Looks like Philippa Hanna (pictured) might be back!
Friday 12:01
Ron is talking this morning about gentleness and following Jesus's example. It's based on Isaiah 42:3 and also John 8:1-11.
Friday 11:31
Andy Baker is leading the worship this morning as Phillipa is ill with a bit of a cold! Aw we have to pray for her to be better by tomorrow! Andy is good though, he really gets us to focus on the words.
Friday 09:44
Back in Llandudno finally. Well nearly anyway; here's a picture of the promenade from the descent of the Orme.
Friday 09:15
Just on my way back now. This road stretches right around the coast, but i'm taking the short way back. Don't want to miss the service!
Friday 08:22
Here's a little church right on the seafront which i like to come to to pray at these times.
Friday 07:49
I'm at the top of the great Orme, having walked here from Llandudno town centre. So many times in the past i've come here for prayer, so quiet it is, that it feels a very spiritual place for me.
Friday 07:32
I can never resist taking a picture of this view! My lateness can be explained at least in part due to the fact that i met ron willoughby on the promenade and we got chatting...
Friday 07:11
Llandudno town centre is quiet as usual at this time of morning. Apart from the seagulls of course! Just going on my annual early morning Orme climb for prayer and reflection. It's not even that early, but the Orme is not quite so easily accessible from our new HQ and so i had to grab some breakfast first.
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Thursday 20:16
The talk this evening is given by Mark Ritchie. He's a really great Scottish evangelist. Mark is talking about forgiveness and how God welcomes us back with open arms even after we've rejected him, using a passage from Hosea to illustrate this. And how even though we are forgiven, this doesn't give us licence to reject others who have not yet been saved.
Thursday 17:22
After the seminars, i'm taking some time to hang out at the marketplace while the sounds of phillipa hanna practicing ring through in the background. I'm amazed by the sheer number of joyce meyer books - an author i hadn't heard of until recently.
Thursday 16:36
Mike rayson is talking on leading worship. He contends that there are no real worship leaders, that Christ is the only true worship leader and that we are all just facilitators. When leading worship we are merely pointing people towards God.
Thursday 14:41
I'm at a talk by Graham Cray which is rather cryptically titled "Putting discipleship at the centre". Graham puts forward the idea that discipleship is not about following commands but instead an "instinctive reaction" to the grace of God. Kind of deep, but what did i expect with a title like that?
Thursday 12:24
The response to this morning's talk asked us to identify with either the outcast and desperate woman, the selfish and careless crowd, or the healer Jesus. Here we can see the makeshift "road" covered with the names of people we have "trampled on" in our hurry through life.
Thursday 11:41
Ron willoughby is speaking based on Mark 5:21-30, the story of the woman who touched Jesus's cloak to be healed. It's about how she was desperate for healing and was prepared to be undignified to see God's healing power. Ron challenged us as to when we were last undignified for God.
Thursday 11:30
Phillipa Hanna is leading worship with some slower songs to prepare us for Ron's talk.
Thursday 10:57
An even more beautiful day over Llandudno. Missed the morning seminar but i'll probably go to the repeat mid afternoon. I'm just on my way to the Arena for some more worship and teaching and the sunshine helps me to feel even more excited about what today will bring!
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Wednesday 23:36
Everyone's left the venue now after the Fringe events. The end of another amazing day!! I really feel like the event has started and this day will be tough to beat!
Wednesday 20:09
Rachel's talk is based on Genesis 3. She's asking why Adam and Eve decided to throw away their perfect world. And why God puts that temptation there in the first place. It's about God wanting to have a relationship of giving as well as receiving. "We need to give the apple back to God and put God back in control of our lives." It's also about how even after this event, God was still with them as he is with us while we repent.
Wednesday 19:15
I'm in the Arena where a prerecorded video from YFC National Director Gavin Calver is being shown. He's explaining his reasons for not being able to personally attend ECG 2010 and explaining the vision for YFC. The session has only just started; earlier this afternoon i was at a seminar on sexuality led by Rachel Gardner. She was really good so i'm looking forward to her talk in the Arena tonight.
Wednesday 13:01
It's a beautiful clear day in Llandudno. Wow is that the time? I'd better get a move on or i'll miss lunch!
Wednesday 12:26
In the latter part of the session, the audience each drew "polaroids" with chalk, on a defining moment in their lives. So many stories from so many people hanging up at the front. The idea is that we need to understand where we've come from before we can figure out where we're going.
Wednesday 11:59
After a lively worship session led by phillipa hanna, now ron willoughby is talking about the symbolism of jesus washing his disciples' feet and how Christ's attitude to giving differs from our own, especially with regard to being kind to the unkind and loving to the unloving. "The giving was about him and who he is, not about who they were or how they were going to behave"
Wednesday 11:12
Dave and Jude are just doing the notices in the Arena venue...I think everyone is in a lively mood and ready for what this week will bring!
Wednesday 10:56
Llandudno town centre. I'm just heading down to the morning worship. There was nothing really caught my eye for this morning's seminar streams, so i've been able to take my time a bit. Weather is much nicer than yesterday!
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Tuesday 23:25
Seems all the other Fringe events finished a lot earlier than mike's. This one looks like it's been empty for a while. The group i'm staying with are nowhere to be found! Looks like it's time to head back to HQ...
Tuesday 23:14
Mike Rayson is just winding up his concert in the main theatre. Mike's also been talking about his personal experiences of the problem of pain and suffering.
Tuesday 22:09
One of the Fringe events tonight is a live debate on Christianity in the workplace. So far, we've heard that it's about "being" rather than "doing". It's not so much the things we do which make us a "good Christian" in our workplace, but more about living out our Christian lives and putting what we hear on Sundays into everything we do.
Tuesday 20:46
"The way to get rid of the fear is to let the love of God into your life."
-- Roy Crowne
Tuesday 20:29
If you read my blog last year, it should be no surprise that i've chosen the Arena as my first session. Roy Crowne is talking on evangelism and what happens when we get saved.
Tuesday 20:06
Well anyone who knows me will know i'm not the world's greatest timekeeper... Just arrived at the venue an hour late! Oh well it could be worse! Here's this year's banner, a bit more stylish than last year's i think!
Tuesday 18:43
Finally i'm at the Welsh border. This lateness means i'm going to miss the start of the evening events! Oh well it's only one day, i'll be in Llandudno before too long.
Tuesday 12:32
Still at my parents' house where i've been staying over Easter. The skies are very overcast here, hopefully it will be nicer weather in Llandudno...but maybe that's wishful thinking!
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