Alpha & Hope 08

Well Alpha Launch went really well, we had about 10 guests and there are a few guests that are coming to the course but could not come to the launch so we should hopefully have a good turn out. All that promoting may have paid off. On the night I didn't get home from work til 5.40 and I was meant to be down the church for 6 to set up and I still had to prep the canapes for the evening. Got home though and my lovely boyfriend had done all the canape prep for me and also made my dinner. How nice is that! so I had chance to recollect myself and get down to church and set up.

I have been put forward to lead one of the discussion groups at our Alpha course which is great. I have been a helper for the last 4 or so years and I think its time that I have the opportunity to develope a bit more in this area. There was some opinions given that it might not be a good idea that I lead a group due to my living arrangements with my boyfriend (we are not married and live together). I do get annoyed when people in church condemn me for this. I even left church a couple of years back cause of rubbish like this. I do agree that not all aspects of the way I live my life our typically 'christian' but I only became a christian 4 years ago and not all areas of my life at will immediately fit in with the stereo typical christian life ( I'm not sure I want to be a typical christian) and I had already met my boyfriend and already had sex with him. He is not a christian and it is very difficult to turn around and say: oh by the way we cant have sex now. But then the christian response usually comes back: well if he really loved you he would except that. I'm sorry but that is absolute crap!
Now I'm not saying my living situation is ideal, but I'm not gonna force my boyfriend to get married to me just for the sake of people at church, he will ask me when he's ready. I'm not condoning our situation and I'm not gonna go announcing it to the guests at Alpha. But in the same respect I'm not going to keep it a secret from them because I'm not ashamed of it and I'm still in 2 mines of my views on this. We do plan to get married but when WE'RE ready.
I was reading Brian's Heasleys blog again as I do most days and he has recently started do pod casts which I enjoy listening to. This weeks was quite relevant to this topic about how churches nowadays would not probably have Peter, Moses and David on their leaders ship team because they had done wrong things (adultery, murder etc) yet these are the exact people God used.
Check out Brian's Podcast
Also In 1Corinthians chpt 6 V9-11 when it talks about sex before marriage it does also talk about alot of other things like greed, thieves, adultery as well and I think that the church would not turn around to a 30stone person and say: you cant lead Alpha cos your obviously greedy, because you cant be fattiest but its ok to push your opinion of sex before marriage on people.
Had this conversation with someone before and its quite a valid point.

On a much more positive note, Hope 08 had its launch at the cathedral a few weeks ago where I live and we are looking to have a Christmas Festival to Launch it to the community. I really want to get involved in this and go out in to the community more with our church. Brian's podcast touches on this as well about going out and getting your 'hands dirty'. I like the idea of visual aid of getting your hands dirty in the dirt, think this could work quite well at our church so I might nick that idea!