Last night I hung out with Kristian Tucker who is our outgoing (in both senses) Children’s pastor at church. We had a ball. And a chocolate lolly. We went to the Trafford centre and I bought him some comfy man slippers and an egg timer.
It was fun.
And before you write to me offering medication (because of the slippers and egg timer) they were for a talk he is giving this week.

Its lovely to just ‘get’ someone, to be able to see some of their heart and their passions. I feel like that about both Kris and his gorgeously, gorgeous wife, Pippa.

What amazing people there are on the earth! And thank you Jesus that I know some of them!

Like some other people we’ve connected with strongly, they are moving this week. Down south. Boo!:(

What has been lovely though is to see that we are deeply connected in spite of the change coming. I kind of feel we will know their kids. Well.
I do pray so. (insert nostalgic sigh- wow I am getting old.)

Kris and I were talking about ‘family’… the kind of family that church is and should be and was dreamt up by God. And we talked a bit about leadership too.

Family isn’t always comfortable, or easy or fun. Likewise leadership. But it is God’s way of ensuring that we are cared for and can care for others. It is His first line of defence against the enemy.. ” the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.” It is His best idea. And yet sometimes churches are dull, boring, and downright unholy. They hold life-sapping meetings, pointless activities and maintain relationships that God finds disgusting. The pastors get sucked into a ‘new building’ and not a ‘new disciples’ mentality, the elders spend all their time returning emails from grumpy members who don’t like the lighting or the colour of the walls.

And yet church, THE church, is God’s. He LOVES her. So must we. That word was MUST.

I remember once criticising the church I was in very heavily to the speaker and Salvationist, Phil Wall. He was very understanding, but came back with a never-to-be-forgotten-retort. It went something like this: “Ems, be kind to your leaders. Running a church is sometimes not fun in any way. It is tough and painful and lonely. You have the power to change that feeling for those in leadership over you.”

I have never once since then desired church leadership for myself! I have also tried my hardest to encourage and build up and protect and pray for those in church leadership that I know.

As Kristian and Pippa move on I will be praying for them that God provides all their needs according to His riches; that they will know His heart and trust in His plans for their lives. They will be sorely missed (not least by me) but they will go on to build God’s kingdom on a beach, in a home and in a University “daan sarf”.

I praise God for who they are, all they have done.

I love you guys. You have, well and truly, won your place in my hero bag.