New Wine Leadership Conference 2016

I have been a part of the New Wine Movement since being persuaded by the curate of the church I was attending back in 2007. I encountered the Holy Spirit in such a powerful way at their week long national summer gathering that I thought I was going to explode. I have returned, every year since, to serve on the prayer ministry team to see what God was doing first hand. Every year the same wrestle would ensue, was I to serve in this way or not. It felt almost too good, to get to see what Jesus would do. I was converted to ‘tenting’ it and then ‘caravanning’ it, saying I would do this week holiday in a cardboard box if I had to. New Wine is far more than a Bible camp on an annual basis, it is a force for renewal across the denominations but beginning first in the Anglican church. I am now an Anglican church vicar and the New Wine movement invests in me, keeps me grounded and yet believing in the supernatural power of our supernatural God. When I need refreshment; when I need to be reminded to whom I belong, I head to a New Wine gathering. My family, two tweenage girls and a husband, have since joined me as those who identify with the movement and have our faith fuelled by it.

This March the New Wine Leadership Conference happened in Harrogate, England and brought 1700 church leaders together to listen to speakers such as Mark Batterson from National Community Church, Washington DC; Nicky Gumbel from Holy Trinity Brompton, London; Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury; Revd Dr Kate Coleman, President of the Baptist Union; Pastor Edward from Damascus and Charlotte Gambill, Pastor of Life Church Bradford. I will say a little about what four of these speakers had me hear. I say that because speaking and hearing seem to be such different mediums. What I heard is perhaps what God had for me, and as you will probably know too, is not always the same as what was said. I know that too now, as a preacher, myself. One person’s reaction to something spoken is rarely repeated in another and often I am told of things that have been heard that I never said at all, hence I still script out everything I am going to say, just so I am able to check and then give thanks to God that some of the rubbish didn’t get remembered and he spoke to people in ways that I hadn’t even explored.

Nicky Gumbel spoke to me about how Abraham had been a man who spent almost his entire life in God’s waiting room with his faith being tested, facing the fact that his body was as good as dead but empowered to give praise and glory to God so that his faith was credited him as righteousness. I was encouraged to remember that it is never too late to dream a new dream or get a new vision for my life; that God has a good plan for my life and in all things works for the good for those who love him. The bad stuff that’s been done to me, and my blips along the way, are all a part of the refining of my faith. I have known my struggles, I struggled in my first post with people who didn’t encounter God like me (I know, immaturity, for sure) and I struggled to say yes to God’s sovereignty in sending me on to a church that was very different to anything I had encountered before (this was for my maturation, likely).

I have learnt along the way to be less of a Joseph and it was only a few weeks ago that someone said to me rather seriously ‘Be careful who you tell your dreams to, Rachel.’ I still have a lot to learn. Some of my dreams have been realised, like my work towards the launch of a Street Pastor project but many are yet to be realised and maybe never will be. Nicky spoke to me about how it hadn’t been very wise of Joseph to talk about his dreams in the way he had.

Tags: 2016, conference, leadership, wine

Category: In Depth, Spring 2016