oxygennews

Borough thon 2009

The Oxygen One Big Weekend is a physical, mental and spiritual adventure for young people from across Kingston Borough. Taking place on May 1st -3rd, it is a weekend residential organised by Oxygen, but open to youth and community groups from across the area. It comprises of a range of challenges and team games designed to test and stretch young people, encouraging them to learn more about themselves and hope they can learn to live better together.

The Oxygen Boroughthon is a chance to raise money to support this weekend away. Taking place on Saturday April 4th 2009, it a sponsored challenge whereby Oxygen workers, volunteers and friends aim to walk to everyone of the Oxygen projects in just 7 hours. To achieve this they will need to cover around 20 miles come rain or shine and will endure blisters, tiredness and angry road drivers!

However they head out on this walk knowing that all monies raised from 2009’s Boroughthon will go towards subsidising places at the One Big Weekend for young people who need it most. So please consider either joining in with us on our walk, or if you cant join in, then why not look at sponsoring us as we take on our own physical challenge in order to do the same for Kingston’s young people.

Sponsor us online at
http://www.justgiving.com/boroughthon2009

Bible Reading Excitement in Kingsnympton

So, where I left you all last week, I was all excited about meeting one young person, with the possibility of more, to look through the bible, do a bit of reading together, explain a bit and have a little pray for them (since they were already open to that). I was very excited about the possibility of just having one, as you may have guessed.

I got 3.

Now at the time of writing the week before, that would have really shocked me, but when I saw them on Friday (the same 3) they asked me to open our time of 'hanging out' with a prayer because, and I quote " We know you like praying and we know it's really important to you so we'd really like it if you did that with us." So once I'd been hit with that bombshell, I think I became unshockable with the sort of little surprises God seems keen to slip in.

That doesn't mean that Tuesday wasn't challenging. One of the young people, who is occasionally unpredictable, decided he wasn't in the mood, and when the other boys refused to stop discussing the bible he flipped out and eventually left early. I don't want to lose him with this though, so please keep praying for him and for me, that I'd know how to handle it best in a way that reflects Jesus.

However, that's not what I want to focus on. I want to focus on how excited the other two got. They actually wanted to read allowed, which was crazy - they requested it. It seemed an odd request, but there was something about it for them, clearly. And I'm not going to argue with that - God's made them how he's made them and as long as he keeps working, that's all that bothers me!

I want to leave you with this. After reading a fair bit around the gospels, we ended up in Acts, and I left them with Acts 2 to have a little read of. When they left, they were due at club in an hour. In that time, they would have had to have taken a bus, got in and eaten dinner at least. However, in addition to that, one of the boys had already read most of the Chapter before he'd gotten to club and was really excited about it! To have the kind of excitement to want to pick up the bible again straight away... that's what reading the bible should fill you with. I could certainly learn from that!

Needless to say, I'm extremely encouraged! Please keep praying for them; I can't wait to see what happens next.

Prayer Meeting and Meal missings

As was mentioned our Monday Prayer Mailings last week, we as a team have been challenged to join with others in praying and fasting for the work and the workers throughout this year. We don’t want our work to be good work; rather we are seeking after God work.

Each week several of us are missing a meal on Mondays as part of this desire to see personal and community transformation in the projects and people we work with. Giving up our food is a sign and a prayer to God that what happens here is as important as our daily bread. For some people this means missing out on breakfast and using that time travelling to work or college as a prayer time, for others it is skipping lunch and finding space within the day to take 2 minutes out with God. Maybe you could join with us in sacrificing one meal and giving one or two minutes to pray. If so email us and let us know that you are taking part.

In addition to missing a meal on Mondays, we are relaunching our Oxygen prayer meetings. The first of these takes place on Thursday 5th Feb at thebasement of John Bunyan Baptist Church. It will be a time when we can gather together, pray and ask God to inspire, bless and guide the mission of Oxygen and the young people of Kingston Borough. Email for more details.

Finally, please do continue to pray for the team and the prayer requests below. The team are always inspired to know that people are remembering them in prayer!

Richard

What's in a dream

Do you know? does it exist, how is it composed- will we ever find out?

Carol's Contemplations: The Pink ‘All Stars Converse’ Trainers

Former ID worker Carol Clack was a regular at writing for the Oxygen website. She was often submitting her Carol's contemplations, with poems and prose based on observations of the world. Now making a return to the Oxygen site from outside the world of youthwork, Carol shares a new contemplation....."The Pink ‘All Stars Converse’ Trainers"

18 moths ago I bought a pair of pink ‘All Stars Converse’ trainers almost on the spur of the moment because I liked them. However, once I got them I wasn’t so sure as they were bright pink and should someone my age be wearing them and they weren’t really that comfortable – I wore them less and less. Recently I find myself wearing them much of the time –they are so comfortable and I really like wearing them. This set me thinking about the process involved from buying the ‘All Stars Converse’ and how when I first bought them they felt like taking a risk and how they no longer are a risk to me.

Download the The Pink ‘All Stars Converse’ Trainers here

Deeper up the Hill

At the time of writing, we're only a couple of days into the actual working weeks (After a brilliant time in Wales of hanging with God and just plain chilling), but that doesn't mean things can't start with a positive bang, despite the nasty cold I am currently suffering of.

Last night (Tuesday) at the Kingsnympton club was my first night taking over from Kurstie (A former Gap Year worker who was doing her Uni placement with us) as heading up that project and was greeted by boys with lots of news and... a thirst to come in and pray and tell me about the praying they'd done over the holidays... which all took me by surprise! These were some of the boys I regularly meet up with, but I wasn't aware that communication with God was something they believed they could do. Turns out, thankfully, I was proved wrong! It may seem like a small thing, but to be it brought a big grin to my face as it was only a couple of months ago that they saw God merely as something to be supersticious of and to be feared. The fact that they've taken such a significant step towards him is just awesome in my eyes!

But that wasn't the end; before Christmas one of the boys had mentioned he'd acquired a Bible and we'd talked about looking through it together. Yesterday (Tuesday) I was able to follow this up and set up some time to hook up and do this; to which I got an enthusiastic response and the request if he could drum up interest in a couple of the other boys.

This means that, next Tuesday before club, I don't know if I'll have one or more, but whichever way it goes, will be so cool! I can't stress enough the importance of prayer into this - that I'd keep my eye fixed on Jesus with every bit of Scripture I share.

Please pray that he gives me boldness and courage, and that the spirit will continue to soften these boys hearts. I passionately believe that, God will continue to be at work in this, and all I ask is that you join me in prayer for this.

THE NEW YEAR BRINGS A NEW ID

As I look ahead to the New Year, I am especially excited at the birth of a new ID group for year 7 students at Tolworth Girls' School. We begin this Monday with 8-9 girls, all brand new to Oxygen.

Please pray for wisdom for us leaders (myself, Helen, and Jean) as we discern the needs of this new group and seek to meet them with sensitivity and love. Join us in offering this group to the Lord, inviting Him to direct its growth.

Thank you! Katie

RM1 Christmas News

Rm1 is Oxygen’s after school club, currently being run at Coombe Boys and Holyfield Schools. These after school clubs provide for a wide range young people a safe place where they can go. Whilst there they are given a chance to study, chill and play. These great after school clubs have been developed with the great support of the Jack Petchey Foundation, Surestart and the Kingston & Wimbledon YMCA.

You can now download and read the Christmas newsletters from the two Rm1’s by clicking the links below. They provide a great chance to get an insight into the regular activities and the achievements of the young people who have been involved.

Rm1 Coombe Christmas Newsletter

Rm1 Hollyfield Christmas Newsletter

7 nights of Prayer Events

7 nights of Prayer Flyer
Originally uploaded by Oxygen KB YFC

The Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) network are running 7 nights of prayer across London in Jan & Feb for and with young people. They are everyone along so they can both pray and also get a better feel for how the youth stream of GDOP is developing.

These prayer meetings are not just about GDOP but are about local churches coming together in unity to pray. See the flyer for more information on times and places