I was leading a Baptist Church in Kent when a Pastor from London visited the church while on holiday. He talked to me about his church in London and the way that they had been helped by the ministry of Terry Virgo. I'm interested and we have a very stimulating conversation. Some weeks later he rings me up about 9 in the evening, apologises for the late notice but says he'd like to invite me to a leader's meeting next day in Sussex where Terry will be teaching. I know it's impossible for me to go as I have my own leader's meeting at home at 8 am the next morning. But in the middle of the night I have this overwhelming conviction that I must go. So I'm on the road before 8 the next day leaving a message with my wife for the guys who'll now find I'm missing when they arrive. I'm bowled over by what I hear and really in a moment I know I'm going to be on a new path in my ministry.
A couple of months later my whole leadership team are with Terry for another Saturday morning teaching session and together we agree we need to do something, but what? Frankly, we're nervous of asking Terry to preach at our church as that might be a bit controversial. But on Terry's team is Henry Tyler, an older guy who himself used to be a Baptist Pastor. Even better, he'd led churches which some of our own members had previously been part of. This seemed to be a safer route to go, but then another life changing moment. "Henry, we'd like to introduce ourselves and invite you to preach at our church. You'll know some of the people in our church already." "Sure," said Henry, "I'd love to come but I'm about to go into hospital, but I know Terry would be delighted to come and preach!" At which point he calls to Terry, introduces us and assures Terry we are wanting him to come and preach at our church! And so the rest is history... I've often wondered what would have happened if I hadn't responded to the urge to go to that first meeting and how different my life would have been.
After a few years I joined the leadership team of the Brighton Church (at that time called Clarendon Church). About 18 months later we had an Elder's prayer meeting one morning and Terry read a letter from a Pastor in Cape Town who wanted to spend time in the UK during a sabbatical. Could Terry send one of the Pastors he knew to lead the church for 3-4 months? Terry told us that he couldn't see that as a possibility at all. But in the prayer time that followed there was another life changing moment when I felt totally convinced that I should do it. Our 4 month visit to South Africa was the first of many that we have made there, with the country finding a special place in our hearts, and strong links being forged with a number of churches that are now part of NewFrontiers. Our contact with South Africa has profoundly affected our lives and indeed those of several of our family. Our first visit was also a link in a chain that was to see Simon Pettit moving to lead the church in Cape Town which was to become Jubilee Church. But that's another story.
In the middle of the night, in a short conversation, in the context of a prayer meeting, in a moment of time God springs a surprise and your life takes a new direction. To be 'in Christ' brings so many blessings but it's also an unpredictable adventure.