JamesDuce.com

One year ON!!!

I can't believe that it has been a year since we took a leap of faith and responded to what the Lord had been saying to us about being a resource for the wider church.  Before I say too much - I want to say a huge thank you to all of you who have supported us as a family, in prayer, given emotional support and finances over the last year. None of it would have been possible with out your faithfulness and generosity.

 

I appreciate that we haven't been the best in keeping you all up to date with what we have been doing as a family and what ministry opportunities and doors have opened up.

New skills in personal tax, website writing, mail merging and office building are being developed. We've learned a lot this year, about ourselves, and about God's faithfulness. It has blown us away. Yet that shouldn't surprise us. He calls, He supplies. It's been a year of learning, and I do feel a bit like I did when I left home and headed off to Uni, or when I started my first real job. Excited about all the possibilities, and knowing that I'm in a place of greater trust and reliance, but still feeling a bit daunted if I'm honest!  It is good for us to be challenged and shaken from our comfort zones.

So, it's already a year!  There are so many people to thank, such good and faithful friends….where do we start?

One definition of friendship that I came across the other day was this, "A real friend is the one that comes in when the whole world has gone out."  I liked that. We want to thank all our friends, family and partners who have "come in" and supported us this year. We certainly couldn't be doing what we are doing without your investment, care and encouragement. So thank you.

What's God saying?

As you know we have a real desire to encourage the church, and see the church (especially in Scotland) come to life. A few years ago the Lord spoke to me about Jairus' daughter being a picture of the church in our nation.  People laughed and mocked because they believed that little girl had died, but Jesus said clearly, "she's not dead she's just asleep."  Similarly, with Lazarus, Jesus said, " we are going to go and wake him up!"  I've come to the conclusion that life and death are a part of our discipleship - some things need to, and must, die in us (and the church), before new growth and fruitfulness happen.

I guess that's what discipleship is about. Some things must fade away. John the Baptist said I must decrease so "He" must increase. Jesus talks of new wine skins, a new relationship; Paul in Corinthians says, "the old has gone the new has come!".  Some things in our lives need to die…some things in the church need to die…so that Jesus can breathe on us afresh, to equip us with a new expression of his love, a new way of declaring his message to our ever changing society. Jesus doesn't change, but our world does and we do…and so should our methods.

We need to see the body of Christ equipped and empowered to try new things, to have fresh confidence in Christ's transforming power (I know that's what I want ) so we will be compelled with compassion for the world around us being utterly convinced that Jesus will do what He says. Just like the four friends that brought their paralysed friend to Jesus. They didn't let a large crowd deter them, instead they showed amazing creativity and boldness in finding a solution - they broke in through the roof and lowered him down right in front of Jesus. Let's be more like that!

So what have we been up to…

I did a bit of a tally the other day and worked out that since June of last year I have had around 80 speaking engagements of all shapes and sizes. Around 50% of them have been evangelistic. Ranging from events put on by local churches, school services and assemblies, various Alpha courses ( we ran a small one in our local pub that was great fun) and varying Church services. It's been a joy and a challenge.  I've also invested time with a few churches and the University Christian unions across Aberdeen who have been interested in developing evangelism gifting and strategies within their congregations.  It has been such an honour to see people's hearts encouraged to bring Jesus into their everyday interaction. It's a great privilege to speak at events, but it's also important to be investing at a grass root level.
 

Another significant chunk of time has been invested in seeing Aberdeen Street Pastors come together.  We have 25 volunteers from over ten churches out on the streets every Friday night from 10 pm through to 4 am. As you can imagine we see it all. As anything between 10-20,00 people descend on our city centre. It has been an opportunity to connect with people from all walks of life, and for the church to show our city at every level that we really do care. It's been a great journey setting up the scheme, working alongside senior police officers and bringing together Church leaders from across the city. Seeing this vision become a reality has been very exciting. To watch our volunteers grow in confidence and learn new things every week has been amazing. Seeing people empowered, and equipped to get out beyond the four walls of Church buildings and engage with the world in a meaningful way is completely inspiring.

This all takes time, speaking at different churches, mail shots and the relational legwork that goes with it. Looking to the summer I will be at Clan gathering, Imagine Scotland and involved with a youth camp in Orkney! That's all in July and August. I'm really excited about what the Lord is going to do. Please pray that I am disciplined in investing quality time, praying and reading so that I have plenty in the tank

Cheeeeeeky......... its Indi Bindi baji

   

Well, India started school - she got off to a bit of a rocky start, but once we discovered that she's quite short sighted, things started to improve. Her reading has improved slowly and her confidence has grown. She gets her next set of glasses at an increased prescription in May and her sight will be reviewed every 3 months thereafter until we reach her final prescription.

Xanthe has been quite poorly off and on throughout the year culminating in Christmas morning dash to A&E. She's been diagnosed with asthma (although the doctors were reluctant to officially label her because she is only 2). So over the next couple of months we have eyesight appointments and a surgery consultation for India (she has a slight problem with her ears, which will require minor surgery); and a hospital consultation for Xanthe's asthma. So your prayers for the girls over the next few months would be greatly appreciated.
 

 

She takes after her mum.... Chocolate...I loveChocolate....ahhhahhh

Xanthe is at 2's group and loves it. She particularly enjoys it when it's my turn (Tori) to make the snacks and always announces very proudly how clever mummy is for cutting up apples and spreading cheese on crackers - I hope she is always as easily impressed, it'll make motherhood a breeze!!

India has been asking lots of life's easy questions about where babies come from, where God lives and why we can't see Him. Tonight's classic was ' are mermaids real mummy?'……….makes for very interesting conversation at the dinner table She has also started playing the piano every spare moment of the day - so I finally relented to giving her proper lessons.

 

Posh in Pink - Family Wedding....

We are evicting James from the house. His current office (the 3rd bedroom, affectionately known as 'the cave') will be vacated after he has finished building his new office (cave part deux) at the bottom of the garden. See his facebook page for photographic evidence of his endeavours. He's spent many happy hours outside in the recent whirling blizzards with his favourite power tools - life is never dull round our way. So we're busy and generally pretty happy.  We were very blessed by some close friends who took us away snowboarding over Hogmanay for a week. It was a fantastic. I did one black run and boarded the half pipe - which for me was quite an achievement, honestly! India was fantastic, she was skiing a green run and doing the poma tow on her own by the end of the week, I was so proud. Xanthe was desperate to join in, but we couldn't find kit small enough for her - so she'll have to wait a year or two, although I have to say I suspect she will take after her Dad in the adrenaline junkie stakes!

Prayers:

Street Pastors - safety, effectiveness, cohesive teamwork,effective development

Speaking - please pray that God continues to speak to me through His  word and fill me with His Spirit, so that I can impart His heart.

Church Work - pray that God will continue to open church doors to me so that I can work with the leaders in bringing a renewed passion for reaching outside into the surrounding communities.

Schools work - pray for opportunities to spend time alongside staff and pupils.

Family - please pray for health and well-being for our family and that God would continue to bless and challenge us.