Waking

From Publishers Weekly

Eldredge, who helped to redefine the Christian men's movement with Wild at Heart, broadens his scope to offer this more general spirituality title on being "fully alive." Such a state of total animation is achieved only when Christians can integrate all four "streams" of their lives: discipleship, counseling, healing and warfare. (This last part may surprise some readers, but Eldredge insists that awareness of spiritual warfare actually "may be the most critical" aspect of being fully alive.) Throughout, he argues that there is glory hidden in each Christian's heart, an echo of how Christ has "ransomed and restored" every person. The goal, then, is to capture and maintain a sense of liberation from that restoration. Eldredge fans will find that he has not departed much from the formula that made Wild at Heart so successful; he culls examples from popular culture (The Perfect Storm, The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz) and tells vivid stories from his own experience. Despite the careful formula, the book rarely feels formulaic; it has an unguarded heart and an opinionated lucidity that may surprise readers. Eldredge is honest about the fact that life can be arduous, confusing and filled with despair, but he also affirms a deep Christian hope. Established Eldredge fans will be pleased with this new offering, and it will gather some new readers, especially women.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

There is a glory to life that most people--including believers--never see. In this insightful new book, John Eldredge presents the heart as central to life. Not only is the heart essential; the heart God has ransomed is also good. Building on these foundational truths, Eldredge shows readers why real Christianity is a process of restoration, where the broken parts of our hearts are mended and the captive parts are set free.

Waking the Dead leads listeners to understand how to live from the heart, care for their heart like the treasures of the kingdom, and give from fullness instead of emptiness. This message also shows how living from the heart can energize people to love God and others in a way they've never experienced, revealing to them life's purpose: fighting for the hearts of others.

Victoria

Dear Victoria

Hey there! Pastor Robert here and may I say on this damp Monday afternoon that I do hope you are doing well. This is just a wee not to say how good it was to speak 2 u about The Spring, and to put your detials on our database! (Actually, the nice thing about our 'Back Office' system is that it gives you COMPLETE control over your details and emails - I will tell you a bit more about that later)

So anyway, we have added you to our database and then from that, have put you on some relevent group mailing lists the communications from which I am sure will be of interest to you. However, as I said, the nice thing is you are in complete control of this communication and with the click of a mouse, you can 'Unsubscribe or change your preferences for receiving emails even for things like this one! As Alexander, my favourite Meerkat would squeek- S'h' imple!

The Groups we have added you to you are:

• The Spring Church Group (This will give you some insight into what's going on)


• A Childrens Group - Urban Saints Childrens Group (So you know what's available for the wee one)


• Refresh (Our great Womens group that meets for Breakfast once a month)


• WhisperingWord (some Daily Devotional Material so you can see our heartbeat!)
  
  I am also going to send you a login to our 'Back Office' system and then should you wish, you too can communicate, get involved with discussions, download files, share, make requests, and edit and shape all your own contact details. Its a bit like facebook - only better! Enjoy! (Oooh and of course, when you get the details, to get to the Community login Button simply go to:- http://www.thespring.org.uk/content/home.html

I do look forward to receiving your application form
God bless you

Waking

Product Description
There is a glory to life that most people - including believers - never see. Here, the author presents the heart as central to life.

One Amazon reviewer writes:Waking the Dead was for me a life-changing read. It spoke so deeply into the struggles which we as Christians experience in life; the 'I know I am saved, but why so often does if feel like I'm in the middle of a battle?' issues. Well, this wonderful book gives it to us straight: the fact is, we are in a fierce battle for our hearts, and our enemy wants us to give up, or at best just limp through life. On the other hand, our wonderful Lord wants to 'give us life in all its fullness', and John Eldredge is passionate about making us understand that we need to fight for our hearts. The book begins with a great quote from St Irenaus, who clearly was on the same wavelength: he says, 'The Glory of God is man fully alive'. Absolutely!! I personally am desperate for that kind of life, and for me, this fantastic and inspirational book hugely helped me on the way to trying to grasp hold of it.
_________________________________________________________
Phil has already said - About halfway through this book now and have got more into it - very challenging and at the same time encouraging. Good choice !

Full Review to follow!

The Words and Works of Jesus Christ

Traces the events of Jesus' life from his birth to his ascension. Frequently cites the best of other works written about Christ. Contains an expanded outline of the life of Christ, historical and geographical background material, indexes, and studies.

From the Back Cover
The life of Jesus Christ takes on fresh clarity and meaning in this masterful work by Dwight Pentecost. The words, the miracles, and overarching message of the Messiah come alive in flowing and detailed chronology, set against the cultural, political, and religious setting of his day. You'll gain new understanding of why Jesus came, how he operated, and what he accomplished. Above all, you'll acquire a deeper appreciation for the love that guided his path, beginning in a manger in Bethlehem, leading through three and a half years of ministry that ended abruptly at the cross on Golgotha, and blazing forth in eternal triumph at the resurrection. Drawing liberally on the works of others who have written about Christ, such as Alfred Edersheim, J. W. Shepherd, W. Graham Scroggie, and Frederick Faraar, Dr. Pentecost reveals in his own writing a familiarity with the subject that comes from years of teaching. Yet he writes, not as one who knows all there is to know about Christ, but with the restraint of one who knows that Jesus is to be worshiped and adored as the great King, and that no book can do more than begin to tell all the wonders of his being and his love.

This is an older book - 1981 I believe, but is the best book I have read on the life of our Lord - drawing heavily on a couple of the old masterful worls on the life of Christ. Take you time with this one Jess- enjoy and learn MUCH!

PDC Critique

Jess- Make no mistake that over the past what, ten years this book and methodology had caused serious debate and continues to do so. Her's an example - Of course the answer is not to bandon the movement but to inculcate the good stuff and ditch the bad stuff - the debate will no doubt continue!

Michael J. Penfold
http://www.webtruth.org/articles/church-issues-30/the-purpose-driven-church-(a-critique)-59.html

It’s a depressing statistic. A majority of Western churches do not see a single addition through conversion in a typical year. So to try and turn things round many are rejecting traditional methods of evangelism and adopting a new ‘church growth’ model. Market research has convinced them that unbelievers stay away from church not because they reject Christ, but because they reject the church’s boring presentation of Christ. There’s no need to change the product – just the packaging – and the crowds will come flocking back.

The new packaging is all about replacement. A ‘stage’ with a moveable Perspex lectern replaces the old wooden pulpit. PowerPoint graphics replace the hymn books. A rock band replaces the organ. A casually dressed and jovial audience replaces the reverent congregation. A charming minister in a t-shirt and jeans replaces the suited ‘preacher’. Fun replaces holiness as the tone of the service. Loud music, side-splitting drama, multimedia presentations and a humorous ‘talk’ replace hymn singing and preaching. But, we’re confidently assured, the message remains the same.

Judging by numbers alone the new model has certainly proved a success. Prominent ‘church growth’ pastors like Robert Schuller (Crystal Cathedral, LA), Rick Warren (Saddleback Church, California), Bill Hybels (Willow Creek Church, Chicago) and Joel Osteen (Lakewood Church, Houston) attract thousands to their churches each Sunday. Though a majority of this ‘growth’ occurs by transfer rather than ‘conversion’, multitudes of other churches have adopted this model and have seen their congregations rocket numerically. Small wonder anyone questioning the movement is told, “Never criticise what God is blessing.”1 Truth never stood a chance against success.

How widespread is this new phenomenon? Consider this fact; over 400,000 pastors from 162 countries have been trained under Rick Warren’s church growth seminar material alone. (Warren calls his philosophy a “stealth movement flying beneath the radar that’s changing literally thousands of churches around the world ”). His book The Purpose Driven Church, which espouses this new philosophy, has sold over 1 million copies in 20 languages and is a standard textbook in hundreds of Bible Colleges. Yet despite the incredible popularity of Rick Warren and others like him, there are numerous problems with the church growth movement, starting with its history.


Problem 1 — The Origin and History of the Movement

The father of the church growth movement was the relatively unknown missionary Donald McGavran, whose writings had a 'dramatic impact' on Rick Warren. The day in 1974 when Warren first read an article on church growth by McGavran was the day he decided to "invest the rest of his life" discovering the principles of 'church growth'. McGavran's best known student and successor at the Fuller School of World Mission in California was C. Peter Wagner, a founding member of the Lausanne Committee on World Evangelization. Wagner, a close friend of the late John Wimber (Vineyard), calls himself an apostle and is one of the world’s leading promoters of charismatic ‘signs and wonders’. From Fuller Seminary the church growth philosophy spread worldwide.



The first pastor to ‘make it big’ using modern church growth techniques was Robert Schuller. “An indisputed fact is that I am the founder, really, of the church-growth movement in this country...I advocated and launched what has become known as the marketing approach in Christianity.”2 How did he do it? “The secret of winning unchurched people into the church is really quite simple. Find out what would impress the nonchurched in your community [then give it to them].”2 Yet Schuller is a false teacher of huge proportions. An unashamed universalist, he rejects Jesus as the only way to heaven. He states that making people aware of their lost and sinful condition is the very worst thing a preacher can do. As for the new birth, to Schuller it simply means changing from a negative to a positive self-image.



Schuller’s landmark 1975 book Your Church Has Real Possibilities impressed Warren and Hybels who both visited Schuller to learn more. Hybels called his first meeting with Schuller a “divine encounter.”3 Kay Warren, Rick’s wife, said that Schuller had a “profound influence” on Rick, who was “captivated by his positive appeal to unbelievers.”4 Warren has since shared the platform at several of Schuller’s leadership conferences and an endorsement by Schuller appears at the beginning of Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Church: “I’m praying that every pastor will read this book...Rick Warren is the one all of us should listen to and learn from.” Today Warren, Hybels and Schuller all operate their churches on the same market-driven principles.


Problem 2 — The Business-Church Marriage

The second major problem with the church growth movement is its love-affair with the business world. Warren, who partners with marketing agencies like CMS in Covina, California, a company that helps giants like Isuzu Motors and Quaker Oats “grow their businesses,”5 follows the advice of secular business guru Peter Drucker, with whom he has engaged in a bi-annual consultation for 20 years. The focus of Drucker’s recent consulting has been to teach churches and charities to behave more like corporations and Warren has adapted many of his ideas.6 For instance, the Drucker Foundation has a ‘Self-Assessment Tool’ for business leaders. Warren has a ‘Health Assessment Tool’ for readers of his Purpose Driven Life. Anyone familiar with the ideas promoted in business books will easily spot their cloned ‘Christian’ versions all through Warren’s writings. Forbes Magazine publisher, Rich Karlgaard said of The Purpose Driven Church, “This is one of the greatest entrepreneurial books I’ve ever read, and if you merely substitute the word ‘business’ for ‘church’, it’s just a terrific guide that can be taken to a secular and business audience.”7 Bob Buford, founder of the Leadership Network in Dallas, Texas, has spent over 20 years integrating Drucker’s business ideas into churches. Another friend of Warren and Hybels, Buford calls himself “the legs for his [Drucker’s] brain.”8


Compare all of this to Paul’s pivotal message to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. He mentions nothing about marketing, growing or adapting. Instead he warns them to teach the whole counsel of God, to beware of false teachers and to preach the gospel of faith and repentance - which introduces the third major problem in the church growth movement, the corruption of the gospel message.


Problem 3 — The Dumbing Down of the Message



Church growth advocate Lee Strobel recommends reaching ‘un-churched Harry and Mary’ by starting with their ‘felt needs’. (Rather than with righteousness, self-control and judgment to come as Paul did with Felix in Acts 24). Thus “If you discover that unchurched Harry suffers from a sagging self-esteem...you can tell him how your own self-esteem has soared ever since you learned how much you matter to God.”9 Or if he’s a thrill seeker tell him there’s “nothing more exciting, more challenging and more adventure packed than living as a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.”10 In other words, discover what a sinner wants out of life and give it to him ‘in Jesus’. In a chapter in The Purpose Driven Church entitled ‘How Jesus Attracted Crowds’, Rick Warren states: “The most likely place to start is with the person’s felt needs...this was the approach Jesus used...A good salesman knows you always start with the customer’s needs, not the product.”11 In the previous chapter Warren claims, “Whenever Jesus encountered a person he’d begin with their hurts, needs, and interests.”12 Yet simply noting how the Lord dealt with Nicodemus, the rich young ruler, the Syrophenician woman and Levi, to name but a few, shows Warren’s selective exegesis to be very misleading.

Christians have always known that when witnessing to different types of individuals from diverse backgrounds it is useful to understand the presuppositions they bring to the table and adjust one’s approach accordingly. Clearly the Lord dealt with Nicodemus differently than with the woman at the well. Again, Paul addressed the Jews in Acts 13 differently to the Greeks on Mars Hill in Acts 17. So why all the fuss about Warren? Because Warren is not simply recommending that preachers bear their audience’s background in mind; he is advocating a total change in the technique, style and form of historical evangelical preaching, and he’ll even twist scripture to make his point. He favours a rendering of Col 4:5-6 which reads: “Be tactful to those who are not Christians...Talk to them agreeably and with a flavour of wit, and try to fit your answers to the needs of each one.”13 Yet the context of this passage is not about public preaching and the translation Warren favours is not in the least bit accurate to the original Greek text.

While no pastor would ever admit to watering down the gospel message, that is exactly what has resulted from preaching positive needs-orientated sermons that entertain and amuse. For instance, an evaluation of Hybels’ preaching reveals that in a typical month three out of four weekend messages are about God’s love. A mere 7% of messages mention God’s holiness. The truth of God’s wrath against mankind’s sin is virtually never heard.14 What isn’t preached is more revealing than what is.


Concluding their weak gospel presentations, many church growth preachers lead their audience in a model ‘sinner’s prayer’. Warren advises sinners that, “Real life begins by committing yourself completely to Jesus Christ. If you are not sure you have done this, all you need to do is receive and believe...bow your head and quietly whisper the prayer that will change your eternity: ‘Jesus I believe in you and I receive you.’ Go ahead. If you sincerely meant that prayer, congratulations! Welcome to the family of God.”15 No conviction of sin, no repentance, no forsaking of the sinner’s way, no counting the cost – just ‘accept and receive’ and the job’s done. Do these false teachers actually understand the true need of the sinner? Clearly not, for sinful man’s first and greatest need is repentance (not self-esteem as Schuller teaches). Man needs salvation from sin, deliverance from wrath and cleansing from guilt. The ‘consumer’ is actually a rebellious unclean sinner who, far from being ‘always right’, is always wrong. He doesn’t feel his need for the ‘product’ because he is spiritually dead. He only thinks he loves God and wants a relationship with Jesus, but actually he knows nothing about his true sinfulness and God’s righteousness.

The true gospel is not about making people feel better about themselves, but about making people realise they are lost, guilty and perishing. It does not attempt to bring people to Christ to meet their felt needs - rather it proclaims forgiveness and justification to meet their real need if they will repent and trust alone in Christ. A product that exposes sin, condemns pride and strips away self-righteousness can never be ‘marketed’. It is foolishness to the lost (1 Cor 1:18). Yet the new gospel is being presented as an attractive item to the sinner because it liberates his self esteem, fills his emptiness, gives him an exciting life, meets his needs and heals his hurts.

In the false gospel of the church growth movement the sinner is told that Christ died for him because he is so valuable to God. But this is a denial of grace. There is nothing in us to merit God’s love. Again, the idea that the sinner is friendly towards God but just turned off by the church is a denial of human depravity. Man is an enemy of God, alienated in his mind by wicked works (Col 1:21). Yet the false gospel says, “You may not believe in God, but God believes in you and you need to believe in yourself.” (The Bible says that Jesus did not believe in His hearers, John 2:24).

Problem 4 — Employing a Worldly Approach


The fourth problem with the ‘purpose driven church’ is its creation of a worldly ethos within the four walls of ‘the sanctuary’ in order to make the church more appealing to the world. Apparently since unchurched Harry has to dress smartly at the office all week, he insists on the casual look at weekends. To make him feel comfortable the saints must remove their respectful Sunday best and go for the casual or even the scruffy look. Then there’s the ‘music problem’. Unchurched Harry hates organs and choirs. A cappella singing makes him cringe. So, the music must be contemporary and loud. According to Warren, Saddleback exploded with growth after loud rock music made its entrance. People want to feel the music not just hear it.

Herding all the flock together three times a week for nothing more than hymn singing and Bible teaching doesn’t work anymore. Ministries, programmes and small groups must be introduced to meet people’s needs for counselling about poor self esteem, depression, infertility, singleness, weight loss, co-dependency, addictions and more.

According to Warren, providing the primary issues are in focus (Christ and His gospel) the secondary issues (the church model/methods) can be as varied as you like. What works (pragmatism) is all that matters. “I contend that when a church continues to use methods that no longer work, it is being unfaithful to Christ.”16 So just as Jesus ‘targeted’ the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Paul targeted the Gentiles and Peter targeted the Jews,17 at Saddleback Warren uses multiple venues to ‘target’ different markets. A jazz service for jazz lovers. A rock-n-roll service for rockers. Based on a mistranslation of Acts 5:42, Warren claims he’s following the apostles who provided different kinds of services in separate ‘courts’ of the temple.


Warren even claims that God enjoys rock music.18 “I reject the idea that music styles can be judged as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’...no particular style of music is ‘sacred’...There is no such thing as ‘Christian music’, only Christian lyrics.”19 Yet just as clearly as a march tune fits a military scene, jazz fits a night club scene and rock fits a festival scene, so there is a certain kind of sound that suits a prayer meeting - and it’s not the rock, rap and jazz sound that the purpose driven church has borrowed from the world. Music that has a corrupt origin, employs sensual rhythms and is accompanied by a fleshly breathy style of singing, with singers who scoop and slide from one note to another, is utterly unsuitable for the spiritual praise of God (Eph 5:19).20

Conclusion

At the root of the entire purpose driven church paradigm is a fatal misconception. As John MacArthur points out: “The notion that church meetings should be used to tantalize or attract non-Christians is a relatively recent development. Nothing like it is found in scripture; in fact, the apostle Paul spoke of unbelievers entering the assembly as an exceptional event (1 Cor 14:23).”21 In fact, the church at Jerusalem was so holy and God-fearing that nobody dared to join it (Acts 5:11). The New Testament preaching of Paul “kept back nothing” (Acts 20:20) and involved reproving, rebuking and exhorting with patience and doctrine, bearing in mind a future time when people would no longer “endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth” (2 Tim 4:2-4). That day has surely come.

The first few decades of the church growth movement have clearly shown the naiveté of those who thought that the true gospel could survive the introduction of a marketing philosophy which says the customer is king. Does style affect substance? It actually does much more. The purpose driven style has completely subverted the true gospel message. Exposition has surrendered to entertainment, preaching to performances, doctrine to drama and theology to theatrics – and the fallout has been catastrophic.

Doctrine has been trivialised and expositional preaching abandoned, leading to the introduction of multitudes of false converts and shallow members. A former Willow Creek counsellor admitted “Willow Creek is a mile wide and one-half inch deep.”22 Those who grieve to see their churches adopt this model have been marginalized. Separation from sin, worldliness, false doctrine and false churches has been deeply compromised. Speaking of his church members an unconcerned Warren states, “Are there unrepentant pagans mixed into Saddleback’s crowd of 10,000? Without a doubt...That’s okay. Jesus said...Don’t worry about the tares…”23 When George Barna surveyed Willow Creek’s weekend participants he found that while 91% stated that their highest value was having a deep personal relationship with God, of this same group 25% of singles, 38% of single parents and 41% of divorced individuals “admitted to having illicit sexual relationships in the last 6 months.”24

The answer to this movement is to abandon it altogether and return to biblical truth, biblical living, biblical preaching and biblical church principles. The idea that these new ‘purpose driven’ methods will restore the power of God in our midst is a red herring. Warren might just as well say that if only instead of being a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet 2:5) Noah had done some simple market research and built a ‘purpose driven ark’, more than eight people would have come aboard. When holy living, Spirit empowered preaching, loving unity and faithfulness to truth doesn’t seem to bring ‘results’, turning to the new methods advocated by Warren will only spell disaster. There will be results – but all of the wrong kind. A generation ago A.W. Tozer wisely said, “One of the most popular current errors, and the one out of which springs most of the noisy, blustering religious activity in evangelical circles, is the notion that as times change the church must change with them.” Since faithfulness to God’s word, as opposed to what evangelicalism calls success, will be the standard of reward at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor 4:4-5), obedience to the command to preach and teach, without trimming our sail to the wind of the world, is the most pressing need of the hour.

Notes:
1. Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Church, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995), p. 62

2. G.A. Pritchard, Willow Creek Seeker Services, (Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1996), p. 51

3. Lynne & Bill Hybels, Rediscovering Church, (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1995), p. 69

4. Tim Stafford, A Regular Purpose Driven Guy, Christianity Today, 18.11.02, Vol 46, No. 12, p. 4

5. www.christian-ministry.com/aboutus_who.htm

6. Forbes Magazine, April 5, 2004, p.110

7. CBS News, Early Show, 22 Mar 2005 www.cbsnews.com

8. Jack Beatty, The World According to Peter Drucker (New York: The Free Press, 1998), p. 186

9. Lee Strobel, Inside The Mind of Unchurched Harry & Mary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1993), p. 92

10. Ibid. p. 124

11. Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Church, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995), p. 219 & 225

12. Ibid. p. 197

13. Ibid. p. 293

14. G.A. Pritchard, Willow Creek Seeker Services, (Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1996), p. 263-264

15. Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Life, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), p. 58-59

16. Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Church, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995), p. 65

17. Ibid. p. 158

18. Ibid p. 240

19. Ibid p. 281

20. For further info read K. Smith’s book, Music and Morals, (Enumclaw, WA: Winepress Publishing, 2005)

21. John MacArthur, Ashamed of the Gospel, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway), p. 83.

22. G.A. Pritchard, Willow Creek Seeker Services, (Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1996), p. 268

23. Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Church, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995), p. 237

24. G.A. Pritchard, Willow Creek Seeker Services, (Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1996), p. 236

The Purpose Driven Church

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

Jess- this book is the first one given to you as we want you to know about our launch strategy and means of crowd gathering and assimilation!

I know you've just about finished the book, so when you have if you could write a brief review here then that would be great!

From the Back Cover
Every church is driven by something. Tradition, finances, programs, personalities, events, seekers, and even buildings can each be the controlling force in a church. But Rick Warren believers that in order for a church to be healthy if must become a purpose-driven church by Jesus. Now the founding pastor of Saddleback Church shares a proven five-part strategy that will enable your church to grow. . .- Warmer through fellowship - Deeper through discipleship - Stronger through worship - Broader through ministry - Larger through evangelism. Discover the same practical insights and principles for growing a healthy church that Rick has taught in seminars to over 22,000 pastors and church leaders from sixty denominations and forty-two countries. The Purpose-Driven Church® shifts the focus away from church building programs to emphasizing a people-building process. Warren says, "If you will concentrate on building people, God will build the church." --

Night of The Hunter

Jess!- I hope you enjoy the film. The reason I am giving you this is I want to begin to unpack the subject of revivalism and its present day effects as seen in the charismatic movement and American Evangelism in general. It's over here in the UK right now and ios getting ever more established. This movie will help begin to uncover some of the roots. Frankly, its brilliant and FULL of Scriptural analogy.

Amazon says:

In the entire history of American movies, The Night of the Hunter stands out as the rarest and most exotic of specimens. It is, to say the least, a masterpiece--and not just because it was the only movie directed by flamboyant actor Charles Laughton or the only produced solo screenplay by the legendary critic James Agee (who also co-wrote The African Queen). The truth is, nobody has ever made anything approaching its phantasmagoric, overheated style in which German expressionism, religious hysteria, fairy-tale fantasy (of the Grimm-est variety), and stalker movie are brought together in a furious boil. Like a nightmarish premonition of stalker movies to come, Night of the Hunter tells the suspenseful tale of a demented preacher (Robert Mitchum, in a performance that prefigures his memorable villain in Cape Fear), who torments a boy and his little sister--even marries their mixed-up mother (Shelley Winters)--because he's certain the kids know where their late bank-robber father hid a stash of stolen money. So dramatic, primal, and unforgettable are its images--the preacher's shadow looming over the children in their bedroom, the magical boat ride down a river whose banks teem with fantastic wildlife, those tattoos of LOVE and HATE on the unholy man's knuckles, the golden locks of a drowned woman waving in the current along with the indigenous plant life in her watery grave--that they're still haunting audiences (and filmmakers) today. --Jim Emerson, Amazon.com

The River Boat Scene

FULL OF THE BIBLE



Apart form the amazing cinematography, the use of light and dark, shadow and streaming moonlight, the song and music are magnificent. Anyways here are some of the things i see in this scene alone, never mind the whole film.

Moses in the Bulrushes
Moses in escapes in a boat/basket
Pharoah kills the Israelite Children
The Constant repetiiton of the word 'Children'
The Jospsh and Mary look of the Kids escaping form Herod carrying the treasure doll - Christ child
Mitchums devilish roar as the children escape - the slaying of the innocents
The boat as an ark
The Christ at the rear of the boat
The stars fighting in the heavens
Children flying away- from Curses- snare of the spider - plagues-frogs
Continual pursuance of the enemy
Safe in the boat- safe on the flowing river
Arriving the the bleating of sheep - pasture- peace and sleep and provision
arriving to a song of safety
mention of home - john- the apostle of love - the protector of Mary - resting on the breast of Jesus
Arrival in stable
Climbing Jacobs ladder to safety
BUT the devil never sleeps and is in Constant pursuance and so after a brief rest the 'PEARL' of great price is moved on yet again

Dear Hearts

LOVE AND HATE



Love this...same message - most Evengelists only have a few very well worn messages! Look at the phraseology - Its as though he's in a pulpit...

Leaning on The Everlasting Arms - The Battle of Song

LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS


I love this battle of songs! Mitchum sings the words of this hymn but with the absence of the name of Jesus. Gish - retorts in song with the name of Jesus. The whole scene calls forth maturity with the ackowledgement that 'It's a hard world for little things'

The Spring Steppers 001

Well hello everyone!

If you get this email it is because you are on the Steppers Mailing list!

Last night was great night and despite Manel locking herself out of her house we still managed to get a pint at the Sir Alf Ramsey anyway!

Now we are under way, I do hope you are enjoying the sessions and all the variety and complication of dances we are beginning to undertake. be assured that this will increase in the coming months!

As you are all on our back office system now, if you want a login, just email me and then you too will be able to chat as a group, send dances to each other etc etc. I suppose its a bit like facebook - only better!

OK Here's the first dance for your records FROM YOU TUBE OF COURSE

GOOD TIME!





Advance Notice - We want to get a live group in for a Christmas dance so watch out for this!

my kind regards

Robert

Compare The Meerkat

Naomi

_____________________________







_________________________________

Nuttals Mintoes

Hey Clare

• Great to see you last night, hang out and get to know you a little more!
  
  OK this is what we said :-



• How does that sound!!
  
  Blessings

Welcome To WhisperingWord

Welcome to WhisperingWord!

We are very pleased to receive your information and look forward to being a blessing to you in the Kingdom of our Lord.

We shall also be sending you a login which will enable you to get onto our system and get hold of other articles as well as both comment on items and communicate with other folks.
Once you get the login you can access the community login button at:

http://www.thespring.org.uk/content/home.html

If you have been with WhisperingWord a while - you will now see that the upgraded system allows you to opt of the mailing as well as request login details. Click away dear friends! Ckick away..

If I might be of any further help to you, then please don't hesitate to drop me a line.

your friend in Jesus

Robert

Fair

OK these are the best priices I can get for the day having done some extensive research

This does not include a bouncy castle which we should be able to get for 60-90 quid

There is NO VAT on the following prices
__________________________
On Behalf Of Jason Moody

http://www.funfairgames.net/

http://www.funfairgames.net/html/funfair_games_for_hire.html

http://www.candyflosscrazy.com/

VISIT THEIR BLOG www.funfairgames.net/weblog

After my many calls I sent this email -

Great To talk with you Jason - Like I say - I am working on a budget
around £944.99 (Don't ask why!)

6 Stalls then - maybe -the following but I know you will send me a list nearer the time

Shooting Gallery 149 insurance 50 prizes
Coconut Shy 149 insurance 50 prizes
Can Can 149 insurance 50 prizes
BALL BUCKET 149 insurance 50 prizes
TEST STRENGTH 149 insurance 50 prizes
HOOPLA 149 insurance 50 prizes

SPLAT RAT FREE

Anyways - Look fwd to receiving the quote -Up the workers and come the revolution brother!

____________________________

Hi Robert,

I can't do much with the catering units due to staff costs (I would need to bring catering staff to operate them due to H&S Gestapo, what I can do is let you have one of our splat the rat units for free to add an additional game.

And this would come in at the £850 mark. That would leave you with some of your budget or we can supply pre made 1 litre tubs of candy floss, these are £0.50 per tub.

Invitation Cards

http://www.outreach.com/print/DetailPage.asp?R=9194&N=41

A6 Front Map to be included on RHS maybe?

There is a new church in town
The Spring – warmly invites you to come and enjoy their launch day celebrations!
We are so excited that frankly one day to celebrate is just not enough! So we’ve taken a whole week to party! Please accept this as a formal invitation to com and join us at any of these 7 events – see back for details!

1) Sunday Night August 30th - 5:30pm
SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE @ COSTA COFFEE With JOHNNY KINCH – hard man from hit series ‘The Bill’& current BBC Radio Presenter – Hear his remarkable Journey through drugs – gambling & Homelessness

2) Saturday September 05th 8:30am
COWBOY B’FAST @ The Smith & Western! –Only £5.00 per ticket – Guest Speaker to follow!

3) Saturday September 05th 11:00-4PM-
ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR! -Hotdogs, Burgers, Candy Floss, Toffee Apples, Drinks, Clowns, Balloons, Hoopla, Coconut Shy, Jakarta, Shooting Gallery, Test Your Strength, Face Painting, Can-Can, Ball in The Bucket and Coffee Bar!

4) Saturday September 05th – 7pm onwards
EVENING FAMILY COMEDY SHOW With Magician-Comedian, & Escapologist –Steve Legg!

5) Sunday September 06th – 10:00am
OUR CHURHC LAUNCH SERVICE- Free refreshments- Kids catered for – Great Music – Inspirational Message – Free Buffet lunch to follow!

6) Sunday September 06th – 10:00am
OUR CHURCH LAUNCH SERVICE- Free refreshments- Kids catered for – Great Music – Inspirational Message – Free Buffet lunch to follow!

7) Sunday Night September 6th - 5:30pm
SLAM POETRY COMPETITION @ COSTA COFFEE -Poets registration 5:30-6pm- Live Music – Trophy & Prizes Costa Coffee – Event at Costa Coffee - 1 Grosvenor Road T/Wells

Courier

Now be sure - this is just the opening shots
I am hoping to negotiate a 25-30% discount on thuis - ( i KNOW that is possible)
This will give us a weeks coverage from the date published
This will put us in the GO section of the Newspaper
This will give us wide exposure

On The Page entitled Chines Take away
The black boxes - bottem left are the smaller
5*2's

On the page with BITS & PIECES, the bottom right yellow add is the larger - 10*2

TO BE PLACED IN FOR THURSDAY August 13TH – 5*2 - £138 (blue background – white text – see Logs for colours - Logo A)

THE BIG QUIZZ @ COSTA COFFEE
Sunday Night August 16th 5:30pm
All Comers Welcome – Teams of 3-6
Winners Trophy & Prizes
For More Info - 01892-533796
thespring.org.uk


TO BE PLACED IN FOR THURSDAY 27th – 10*2 - £230 (logo A or B!)

SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE @ COSTA COFFEE
With JOHNNY KINCH – hard man from hit series ‘The Bill’
& current BBC Radio Presenter – Hear his remarkable
Journey through drugs – gambling & homelessness
Sunday Night August 30th 5:30pm
For Info - 01892-533796
thespring.org.uk

TO BE PLACED IN FOR THURSDAY September 03rd – 10*2 - £230 (logo A)
SLAM POETRY COMPETITION @ COSTA COFFEE
Poets registration 5:30-6pm
Live Music – Trophy & Prizes
Sunday Night September 6th 5:30pm
Costa Coffee –
1 Grosvenor Road T/Wells
For Info - 01892-533796
thespring.org.uk
Sponsored By
PerformingPoets.com



TO BE PLACED IN FOR THURSDAY September 03rd 10*2 - £230 (logo B1)

The Spring
Funfair Open Day
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 5th 11:00-4PM-
All The Fun of The Fair
Hotdogs, Burgers, Candy Floss, Toffee Apples, Drinks, Clowns,
Balloons, Hoopla, Coconut Shy, Jakarta, Shooting Gallery, Test Your Strength, Face Painting,
Can-Can, Ball in The Bucket and Coffee Bar!
EVENING FAMILY COMEDY SHOW – 7pm onwards
With Magician-Comedian, & Escapologist –Steve Legg!
The Spring - Broadmead- Tunbridge Wells TN2 5RW
admin@thespring.org.uk
Church Office-01892-533796
thespring.org.uk



TO BE PLACED IN FOR THURSDAY September 03rd 10*2 - £230 (logo B1)

The Spring
A NEW CHURCH
For Tunbridge Wells
COME TO OUR LAUNCH
CELEBRATION ON
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6th
STARTING 10:00AM
FOLLOWED BY FREE
BUFFET LUNCH!
We want to get connected
We want you to be refreshed
COME AND SEE!
The Spring - Broadmead- Tunbridge Wells TN2 5RW
admin@thespring.org.uk
Church Office-01892-533796
thespring.org.uk

TROPHYS

I want to use these guys in the future as well

JAYCEE TROPHIES

http://www.jayceetrophies.co.uk/

Unit 2
Pywell Court, Pywell Rd
Willowbrook Industrial Estate
Corby
Northants - NN17 5WA
UK

Tel: + 44 (01536) 408850
Fax: + 44 (01536) 408850
Contact = Matthew Clarke

Thanks very much for contacting us. Below is a breakdown of cost:

1 x JC004 (7.5") - £9.99
1 x SRS95 (8.25") - 25

Artwork (one off set up charge for logo) - £9.99

Glass Engraving (logo and text x 1) - £8.99

THE SPRING @ COSTA COFFEE
2009 - QUIZ MASTER
WORLD CHAMPIONS

Oscar Engraving (logo and text) - £4.50

2009 Costa Coffee
Tunbridge Wells 2009
SLAM CHAMPION
PerformancePoets.Com

Delivery - £7.99

Total Cost = £66.46

We should be able to engrave the logo on to the gold centre on the oscar but i must stress that should you wish to, the logo will be extremely small as the engraving area is approx 1" in diameter.

Book of Hope

Did you know we are in process of getting 40,000 bits of informaiton form UCB
Oh yes
In a couple of months we shall be getting hold of
10,000 Word for The Days
Target audience 5 - 8 years


This 32-page book uses the popular concept of the Salvation Bracelet,

explaining the story of Jesus in 5 colours:

• Gold reminds me of God

• Dark reminds me of Sin

• Red reminds me of Jesus

• Clear reminds me of getting rid of the bad

• Green reminds me to grow to know Jesus better

The book includes the plan of salvation in a special section entitled 'A Gift for You'
Target audience 8 - 12 years


The new 32-page Children's Animation Edition of the Book Of Hope is a prime example of the research, organisation and design that goes into a new edition or version. The new book features graphics from the animated Book Of Hope film, The GodMan, which will enhance the book and film. In this way the children will be excited about reading the book once they have seen the movie, and vice versa.

Mar-26-The Costa Doing Business

Well it has been brought to my attention that there was almost revolution last night. At one of connect group meetings. New. It would appear that I need to communicate even better, with respect to why we are spending £50 per week on cost a costly.

To give you some context regarding this yesterday, I approached the Courier Journal and ask for a 6 cm by one column and for 52 weeks of the year in the community pages advertising the presence and services of the spring I was told that the cost of bad miniscule ad would be £2500 will stop

so there we have some context. We are spending £50 per week on cost a costly which works out roughly to 2 1/2 thousand pounds per year. What do we get to the back?
Well, I think we get two things on the downside number one. Not the warmest and not the best costly! However, this is completely tweaked double and fixable! This is not an issue. We can fix this immediately. It just needs tweaking. The mid-term, though we get the very best of delicacies and cakes and muffins, we don't get the mouse. We are certainly not getting the biggest bang for our book! This is fixable! All we need to do is supplemented by our own cooking and baking. Easy Paisley.
On the plus side of things. This is what we get.
The opportunity to commit to contribute to the cost foundation, a charitable foundation run by cost a costly
the ability to be able to use the premises of castor costly in the centre of town at the heart of downtown, with a view to connect evangelism! Most churches would give their right arm, they are right leg, and a right kidney! To be able to engage in connect evangelism in the centre of town
while we're doing this we can also advertise the spring.
While we're doing this we can also invite people to assimilation process is to get them into the church
while we're doing this we have an open channel at the heart of the Tunbridge Wells community, telling them about the spring church
while we're doing this we get the opportunity to use castor costly as branding and logo. This gives is much more street credibility in or advertising with non-Christian post-modern man who we are trying to reach!
While we're doing this, will get the opportunity to invite people to further evangelistic processors such as an Alpha course, we hope to run at the spread Eagle!

In all of these things, it costs money. Make no bones about it to do business, even evangelistic business in the 21st century is not cheap. We are making every endeavour, to make the best use of the money is entrusted to worse for the furthering of God's kingdom. I assure you that there are constant checks and balances within the eldership, and we are confident, but this is a good spend of our money.
That if there are any problems with respect to the money is that we are presently spending on evangelism, and will be spending in the near future on evangelism, let me say right now that I will be more than happy to four goal. I pension plan for 2008 2009 and 2009 and 2010. That is, I'm saying right now, having consulted with my wife Bridget, take the money is due to me. From July last year, up until July 2010 and put them in to evangelism. If needs be put into costa coffee. Make no bones about it church, we really must row the spring and I am prepared to pay any price to ensure that we do are both in terms of prayer and practicalities.
God bless you all and join us in this tremendous opportunity of connect evangelism, taking into account that the cost of doing this is a mere £50 per week