Thank you for your ongoing support of our work under the banner of Omega Zone. The sections below are designed to bring you up to date with what we're up to!
Rocky's Plaice Holiday Club
After a very busy and exhausting term the holiday period began with a Holiday club in Knaresborough. I led the week on behalf of Knaresborough URC and we used the soon to be published 'Rocky's Plaice' Holiday club material that I've written for Scripture Union. I was really pleased with the week, all the children had a great time with an encouraging response to the story of the early church. The aim was to train and equip a team who can then carry on running such clubs in years to come. I feel very confident that they will be able to run a great club next year.
Summer
With all the money and time that was spent earlier in the year we were not able to afford to go on any posh holidays this summer. We ended up staying in my parents house in south London for a week or so, which included a trip to Menna's parents in Dorset. It was a good time, although the day I was most looking forward to (at trip to Colchester to see the best football team in the country—Colchester United) ended in disaster. As we were passing Chelmsford our people carrier died and we had to be towed back to York. The rest of the summer was filled with DIY—more DIY than I have ever done. I was quite pleased with the results!!
Omega Zone
September and October will include a number of Children's Ministry trips. We will be serving the Salvation Army conference at The Sage conference centre in Gateshead on 13th September. We also have trips to Manchester and Norwich coming up, as well as the Vision Training Conference for the York Schools and Youth Trust.
The first Multicoloured Praise Party here in York will happen on 31st October and everyone is very welcome to join us at the Salvation Army Citadel.
If you are thinking of joining us at Spring Harvest next Easter, please get your applications in now as the team is filling up really quickly! I have a Spring Harvest leaders retreat on 7th October which will help us prepare for next year's event.
Number Fun
This term is again packed with loads of events. Most weeks have at least two days on the road, with a big cluster of schools in Bolton dominating the next few weeks.
Over the summer our long awaited Number Fun Teacher Training DVD was published. This has taken two years to complete, but I'm very happy with the finished result. In the office today we are sending a copy of this new resource to every LA in the country, with the hope of helping the good news about Number Fun to spread! Please pray that this DVD will be well received and that we will have new opportunities to serve schools and local authorities across the country.
After two fantastic years, Hugh has finally hung up his Number Fun boots. He has been a tremendous help on the road and will be seriously missed. The good news is that Nige Hardgrave is now coming with me, and he's also up for doing all the driving which is a major relief—doing all the presenting is exhausting, and I might be able to have a nap in the van!!
Work has seriously begun on completing the Number Fun Assembly Resource Pack. 12 songs have been recorded by Gav and Dez in Newcastle over the summer and we have two small choirs of children from New Earswick Primary and St Oswald's Primary Schools in York practising hard before we record them on 26th September. Please pray for all the writing and preparation that needs to take place in the next couple of months for this product. I want to produce a really, really excellent resource that will equip teachers to deliver excellent Christian acts of collective worship.
MA
I am now entering the third and final year of my MA. The last two years have been really helpful and stimulating. My dissertation will focus on how teachers in Primary Schools are actually using the Number Fun songs. It will be intriguing to bring together all the studying from the last two years into one big project. The MA has proved really helpful in all our work and I am really looking forward to completing the degree this year
Other
There is still a considerable amount of work to do in our house and, with doing my MA assignment, writing a book and doing all the rest of our work, there is a danger of total exhaustion. Please pray that I will be really efficient in all I do, wise about how much I work, and that I'm able to relax and rest when I need to. Money is also tight at the moment, so please pray for God to dish the dosh in the coming months. Pray for loads of wisdom and anointing in all that we do.
I praise God for all the wonderful people that he has put around Menna and I. Thank you for your prayers and support.
- Please continue to pray for Menna, Tim, Anna and Esther.
- Please pray for all the activities listed on my diary page—may Jesus be really honoured in all that we do!!
- Please pray for Sue Mann as she heads up the work in the office!
- Please also pray for Menna, Joyce, Kay, Chris, Rachel, Sue and Nige, and everyone who continues to be involved in the Omega Zone.
Yours in Christ, Dave Godfrey