Progress!

Whoop, whoop! Much excitement. I've seen it!

James, in the Comms Department at Baptist House, has sent me the (almost) final draft of the publicity for LE 2011 and it's looking GREAT.

Of course, having proofed it, there are a couple of very minor changes I want to make, but all in all it is pretty much done... next step printing and distribution.

Hmmm... do I give you a teaser?

Oh, go on then...

We've got FOUR amazing speakers, including the President and Vice-President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, AND the England Director of the UK Evangelical Alliance AS WELL AS our much loved and respected General Secretary...

Got the names worked out yet?

Peace and Love

Jill

Snow... and publicity

...because of course the two things do go together. (Okay, they don't, I just wanted to give this post an eyecatching title)

That said, we have had the white stuff here in Norfolk. I reckon there were three to four inches - that's 8-10cm if you've gone metric - on my car when I set out for work this morning. Ironically, by the time I got to the office, there was barely a smattering, bizarre when the two locations are only around 15 miles apart.

Clearly the snow agrees with me creatively, as I've been able to discuss and send the text for next year's poster through to James at Didcot and the whole thing is well underway. I'm feeling quite satisfied.

I was thinking about the theme... Step Out of the Traffic, refuelling for living... and the two words that leapt off the page were STEP OUT.

I realise we need to move aside and have time with God, but we also need the faith and trust to be able to step out and act when God tells us to do so.

I honeslty believe that God is doing a new thing with LE and I, for one, am excited already. How about you?

Mondays come around too soon... oh yes they do!

Have you noticed how the weeks can drag, but the weekends always zip by at a rate of knots?

It was a great weekend in Eastbourne at the Youthwork Conference - around 50 Baptist Youth Workers came along to share tea and cakes and meet one another.


I was grateful for the opportunity to 'plug' LE, although I think I might have gone on a bit (Note to self: know when to shut up and sit down!) and we gave out some postcards with outline details for next year. 


Today it's back to thinking - trying to structure the publicity so it is the right balance of eyecatching and informative without being so wordy it's off-putting.


Plus - you heard it here first - LE is undergoing a transformation! The planning team are meeting in January to consider new ways of programming, while still retaining the wonderful aspects of Leading Edge... the community feel, the great kids and youth work and the encouraging and developing of people's gifts.
It's very much God's event... and we continue to seek Him in everything we're doing.


Keep praying with us.


Grace and Peace




Jill

More Edging forwards...

Sorry, do expect horrid puns and things in my writing, it kind of reflects my personality!

I'm at The Youthwork Conference this weekend, but LE is never far from my thoughts. I've brought some work with me - working on the text for the publicity - grappling with the issue of what would make people want to come to LE?

I sent out a mass Facebook request for inspiration, and I've gleaned some great ideas BUT I'm still very conscious that there aren't really enough words - you have to EXPERIENCE it.

I've been listening to a series of sermons from Mars Hill Bible Church on the topic of Kingdom, and pretty much the same principle applies... you can tell people, but until they get involved and experience it for themselves it doesn't quite have the same impact.

I want people to experience God, I want people to experience living in community, I want people to experience encouragement for their giftings...

I believe they can do this - not exclusively of course, but in large part - at Leading Edge.

So, between now and booking opening, I'm going to share my experiences of Leading Edge with as many people as possible. It may not be quite the same, but I can at least share and encourage. This afternoon, I'm going to stand up and talk to a load of Baptist youth workers at a reception... I wonder how many have never even heard of LE?

If everyboy who reads this shares with a couple of extra people, and they decide to come, think what an impact it could have - on them as individuals, on families, on community, on the town of Warwick and on the Kingdom.

So, I'm asking you all a favour... please, share YOUR experience in the hope of encouraging others.

Hugs and Blessings

Jill

Work in Progress...

Will it? Won't it? Is this what God wants? A lot of questions and a great deal of prayer went into the decision to continue meeting each summer and I, for one, am delighted that LE will continue.

Of course, that does bring its challenges as I volunteered myself to help with organisation and I'm just beginning to realise what a lot of organising it takes. 

Most pressing at the moment is publicity. 

I need to get this out as soon as possible, so all you lovely people can get booking and B.A.N - bring a newbie, yes, still going on about that!

The poster is with the designer, I've 'creatively thought' about the information and I hope we'll be sending it to the printer within the next week or so. Then it will be over to you!

Just a thought...

If you feel like chatting to people in your church, over coffee, about LE, I'd be very appreciative of the enthusiasm - word of mouth is, by far, the best way of advertising.

I sent a message on the LE Facebook group asking people for 10 reasons to come to Leading Edge.

My favourite so far comes from Alexandra Travis (thanks Alex) who says come to Leading Edge and meet your future husband/wife... well, her best friend did six years ago!!

Leading Edge Speed dating anyone?

Til next time - peace and love

Jill