Alan first spoke at Passion for God 2011 and was well received and was a fantastic speaker. Alan is back with us again in 2012. We took this opportunity to catch up with him before the busy Christmas period. Click here for more information about Alan

1 – What have you been up to since PFG 2011 in March?

I have travelled to Africa, the Far East, Singapore and the USA, working with ministries and Churches by promoting training, providing strategic support and participating in Prayer retreats with leaders across the continents.

2 – What do you like so much about PFG that you are returning for a second year?

I am blessed by the sense of earnestness for God and His Word. It is a truly hospitable time of fellowship together across the age groups and churches.

3 – What has been pressing on your heart and mind recently?

I am stirred in the current climate to inspire people to hear from God and to encourage them to fellowship in a meaningful way with the person of the Holy Spirit.

4 – What are you looking forward to the most at PFG 2012?

I am trusting for an insightful time and a genuine heart, searching together in the presence of God. I am praying that teh weekend will have a transforming effect; that the sparks of the Holy Spirit will ignite a passion across the people which will cause them to engage with His eternal purpose of spreading the gospel of the Kingdom across the world. I believe God is searching for such people to engage with Him. 

To book tickets for Passion for God 2012 take a look at the 2012 webpage

Duncan is married to Beth and they have three children, Freya, Charlie and Tom. Duncan attends Isca Church in Exeter where he is a Family, Kids, Youth and Student worker. Duncan brings direction, wisdom and drive to the Passion for God leadership team.

Duncan loves to play football, especially winning and he wants to play for Tottenham Hotspurs.

Duncan’s favourite verse is John 6:68; “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”.

Duncan worked with Tim for many years, leading boys camp (a Christian activity camp for boys in Devon) and he learnt how to crash and burn then get up and get on with life and rely on God. His all time high whilst serving on boys camp was working with amazing guys and seeing God do amazing things. The all-time low, after many years or boys camp was losing his wicket on the last day of his last year in the daily cricket match, where he was paired with Tim.

Duncan thinks that one of the main successes behind Passion for God is the good looks of the leadership team, but more importantly that God is good despite the team. It is also the hunger of the generation. If people are hungry God will do something.

Asked which ‘celebrity’ christian he would like to see at the main Passion for God weekend, Duncan said Malcolm Duncan. Not just because he has a great surname but he feels he is a good man of God who always has a way of bringing something at a high level in a new way.

Pete is married to Libby and they have a daughter called Charlotte. He works as a GP, helps commission and coordinate heath care strategies and he is a clinical tutor at the University of Liverpool. Pete goes to Jubilee Church Liverpool and with Libby they are house-group coaches which means they look after 3 hours groups and their leaders.

Pete’s favourite verse is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Amen.” Philippians 4:13.

Pete’s role in the Passion for God Team is to get alongside the other leaders and contribute to the vision. Pete is so enthusiastic and get’s excited about all that Passion for God does.

Pete was right there in the beginning when he formed Passion for God however God made it clear that it was time to hand the baton over to Tim Cross and he feels that it was the best thing that happened to PFG. Pete says it wasn’t hard because PFG is God’s, he was just the lead steward. Once Tim and Paul grabbed the vision, I felt it was a smooth transition. A good team is where people can step up and step back as God requires.

Pete feels that the main success behind Passion for God is down to getting the priorities right. We could list 20 reasons why PFG has been a blessing to so many people but the number one reason is because God has given us a mandate and we want to be obedient to Him. God first, then everything else a beautiful, second. It’s very easy to think strategy, programme, ways of doing things, this should never be the focus. The more people put God first, the better the strategy, the better the blessing, the better the outworking of everything.

The highs have been to see people break through into new areas, to know we were doing God’s will and the privilege of speaking into people’s lives. It’s been fantastic to havbe some great guys behind us, like Larry Hill and Gbile Akanni, these guys are amazing and we were and are so pleased they are part of PFG and have had a positive influence into people’s lives. We’ve made mistakes along the way too. We may have inadvertently upset a few people and at times I’ve prayed “God, is there just me and ten other people out there who are not slugged down with apathy, who actually care about meeting up, encouraging one another and doing exploits for you?” The lows are where God teaches the most and stretches your faith. Sometime people haven’t bought in to what we are about, and I’ve thought, “hey, I know what I am doing here is right, it doesn’t matter what they think”. Other times I’ve felt I’ve lost someone because of the way I’ve dealt with something, maybe a different opinion etc. That’s been hard. We are not professionals, we are stewards, disciples, partners, servants. The fear of failure is not a reason to not do something.

The vision God laid on our hearts ten years ago was to be the people who actually did something about the lack of opportunities for our generation in the Churches we were in. We wanted people to grow in their gifts, from weedy saplings to massive great big oak trees. We wanted unity to spring forth and passion to bubble over. This is still core to the vision but now the vision has gotten much bigger and the equipping much wider. It’s got to move on from a weekend, to a network, from a network to partners, from partners to a movement that mobilises a generation, no matter what the age is. I would love God to use PFG to unite Churches once again, and for gifting to emerge through both anointing, discipling and training that takes PFG beyond the Church into impacting the world outside.

Asked if there was a christian ‘celebrity’ he would love to appear at PFG, Pete’s answer is Terry Virgo. I love his preaching and he’s total grace, total purity, total visionary, and his total confidence in God. He’s totally drenched in the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The sign of a true man of God. He speaks with the authority of God with unwavering insight and passion, but yet is so humble when one to one.

Paul is married to Beth and they have a young lad, Sam. Paul is a member of Clifton Community Church where he is a part of the leadership team and overseas the youth work together with Beth. Paul works as a Financial Director. Paul’s main role is to oversea the main weekend and make sure all is in place to make it a successful and enjoyable time.

Paul loves to Run, play guitar, preach and be with his family.

The high’s whilst serving on the Passion for God team has been seeing God move when we had faith to see 120 people attend and moving to a bigger venue and changing things around. An even bigger high was seeing almost 200 people attend the 2011 weekend when we hadn’t quite expected it and then seeing God heal and restore people throughout the weekend and seeing people have so much fun. The main low point was when we didn’t have very many people booked in last year and thought we would have to cancel spaces and end up with a big bill, but God stepped in at the last minute.

Paul feels that the main success behind Passion for God is a God thing, and that’s how it should be. In one sense it’s not that we are doing something unique and there is nothing special about Passion for God in itself. But we have a rel heart and vision and believe that God has spoken to us that the weekend is to be a place of healing and refreshing and equipping, and this is what we see God do each yer. There is also something in the way we do things which is passionate. Whether it’s worship, preaching, having vision and believing God for it right through to even having fun and enjoying ourselves. There is something infectious about that, we’re not doing things in a half-hearted way and each time we are taking a risk for God which I believe He honours. It’s  bit scary to think where this sort of approach might take us.

In terms of my vision for Passion for God, I can’t speak for the others but God gave me a vision  few years ago where I saw a picture of fire and rain right in the middle of a map of England. That for me was a picture of God’s healing and equipping during the weekend and people were t go home with a fire in their hearts for God and to see His kingdom come where they are. A few years on and this vision is still strong and my belief that this is for main weekend each years still stands. Beyond this we have people that are part of the Passion for God team that have a vision for Men’s (Patrick Wakeford) and Women’s (Beth Cook) ministries and in 2010 we saw the first women’s weekend and in 2011 we saw the first men’s weekend which were both an absolute success.

In terms of a christian ‘celebrity’, there are so many I find inspiring and would bring something fresh to the weekend but we can’t have them all. I would love to hear Pete Grieg speak and Aaron Keyes lead worship. What God has done through 24-7 Prayer is amazing and Pete is a leader for this generation. Aaron is just so cool and he lives and breathes the worship book of the Bible, the Psalms. God will speak to His people no matter who we have lead us.

Tim is married to Helen and they have two boys, the eldest, Nathan and their youngest, Reuben. Tim is a member of Eltham Green Community Church where he leads the worship team and is also part of the Church leadership team. He is a Director of Technology and Enterprise at an Academy in Kent. Tim is the overall Team Leader at PFG and overseas the work.

Tim loves to play football, cricket, eat food (all types) and travelling to the Far East, and he hates DIY.

Tim’s favourite verse is, “I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me” (Phil 4:13)

His aspirations for Passion for God is to see God move powerfully in our nation, breaking people out of their focus on themselves and and getting missionally involved with people. Sharing the Gospel. And seeing broken lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In 2009/10 Tim took over the leadership from Pete and Libby as they both felt it was time to hand it on to others to take PFG forward. The same year at PFG, Larry Hill was speaking and had really felt God had given him a word that God had not finished with PFG and had a plan to help resource, equip and fire up people with a passion for the Lord, which would then impact the local Churches around the UK.

As the leader of PFG, a school director, a husband and a Dad it is difficult to balance time, me and Helen prayerfully consider how to use our time and always talk and make sure we are on the right page. Sometimes this means that if Church should come first, we put that first, other times it could be PFG and sometimes we prioritise time to spend as a family. Paul Cross (aka Dad), once gave me some great and sobering advice “God gives you enough time to do everything He wants you to do. If there’s not enough time then you’re not doing the right things”.

The main reason for the success of PFG is Jesus. The fact that it is for Him and was birthed out of vision from Him is the key factor of it’s success. But we have some brilliant people on team or associated with PFG, just some mentions are, Steve Deaville, Helen Williamson, Davis Wilcock, Jason Emmett, Louise Platt, Beth Cook and Patrick Wakeford for running the Women’s and Men’s conferences respectively. Last but defintely not least, the guys who serve of the leadership team with me, Paul, Pete and Duncan.The lows each year is a common one in the team at PFG – thinking that each year we will lose a lot of money on the weekend, but God always turns up and we always get a late surge of people booking tickets and we don’t lose the money. This is really a faith enlarging experience but at the same time a worrying and sleep depraved time. Our highs have been to see the main weekend grow from 80 people to 200 people in just a year as well as seeing a second Women’s conference and the launch of a Men’s conference. It is absolutely brilliant to see a momentum of something really positive that is drawing people together, that is impacting people’s lives, helping them to go deeper with God and serve their local church more effectively.

When Passion for God started the vision was all about a weekend that helped give people a fresh passion for God. We still hold this at the core but God has expanded the vision to be more about equipping both spiritually and practically for works of service in the local church. We have also felt that God has added a Past, Present and Future dimension to the vision.

Past: To help build bridges with the past so that the lessons learned by those who have gone before are not wasted or lost. To help ensure that the foundations God has given us are not left behind as we foolishly invest in building new things that are already there.

Present: To equip people to serve God effectively in their Churches. To inspire people to be passionate about Christ and His gospel. To network others together for friendship, support and challenge.

Future: To support the development of the next generation of leaders.

I would love to have two ‘celebrity’ Christians at the main weekend. One is Matt Redman, the other is Bill Hybels. Matt is a very Godly guy, who has faithfully served the Church through his song writing for nearly two decades and is still really fresh and totally relevant. Bill is clearly an amazingly gifted leader but who seems so humble and willing to share his wisdom and what he has learned over the years. I would love to spend some time with him.

Check out the blog here.

Passion for God: About Us

Kilgoris Brothers Fellowship is a Church in a remote village in the Rift Valley, Kenya and is pastored by James Nyangute who has recently been in touch with us to ask for prayer and to make known the situation with the Church in Kenya.

Kilgoris Brothers Fellowship has been meeting under a tree for the past three years.

Pastor James has shared with us that it is difficult to meet together as there are no roads in the region therefore making it difficult to travel to meet together without 4×4 vehicles. It is especially hard to meet without a building as meeting under a tree is determined by the weather. Also during the recent elections there was violence and many were killed, leaving orphans, widows and homeless families. Kilgoris haven’t been able to help financially or by providing shelter but they have been there to share the gospel and pray with those that have suffered due to the violence.

You can find out more at http://premiertv.agilex.co.uk/

1) Please tell us your name, where you’re from and which church you are a part of?

I’m Paul Cross, pastor of the River Church which is a church plant in Orpington, Kent who for the last ten years has been known as Tim’s dad.

2) What’s your day job and outside of that what are your hobbies and interests?

For the last 3 years I have looked after Knockholt Station between 6am and 10.30am each weekday which gives me the rest of the day to lead the River Church. Other than that I love the people of the church and like watching sport particularly cricket.

3)Tell us your claim to fame or something about you others wouldn’t know?

I have two claims to fame. At 14 I won a radio 1 competition and had my name read out by Noel Edmunds and at 17 I had two personal net sessions with regular Australian test cricketer Ian Redpath. Unfortunately I then never played cricket again seriously as I got saved and could not find the time.

4) How did you end up in a leadership role and what’s your greatest challenge at the moment?

In 1992 I was made redundant as a building site manager, re-trained as a Further Education teacher but still could not get a job. Then a United Reformed Church about 7 miles away, where I occasionally preached, asked me to be their pastor. After 6 months of uncertainty and getting nowhere we decided it was right so we moved to St Paul’s Cray with a house to live in but no regular income. However God met our every need as a family and I was able to be mostly full-time in the ministry for the next 11 years proving that if you have the call of God He will provide without a regular income.

We decided it was right to move on in 2005 and again had to trust God for a house, a new church, somewhere to meet, an income and a role. He provided all and 17 of us started meeting in a school portacabin and called ourselves the Ramsden Family Church. However in 2008, again sensing it was time to move on, the Lord graciously provided a council run youth centre with much better facilities to meet in and we changed our name to the River Church.

My greatest challenge at the moment is to see our core membership of young adults develop into church leaders in the coming years.

5) Tell us what you’re reading or listening to at the moment? (What is inspiring your or what is God speaking to you through at the moment?)

I often listen or read transcripts of sermons by Mark Driscoll as I appreciate his contemporary approach coupled with a strong scriptural base. I also appreciate books by Tim Chester, the latest being “Everyday Church” , for the same reasons above although I wish he had a greater charismatic emphasis and just recently I have been reading again some of Charles Finney’s lectures on revival.

 6) Can you tell us what God is doing at the moment in your local church?

Our church is a good place to be at the moment as we are having some good worship and prayer meetings, challenging preaching and people seem happy being together. Yet we recognise that we need to become more consistent in evangelism so we are taking the following steps to readdress this balance.

1. The Lord has been speaking about using spiritual gifts more
2. We have seen that prayer and sharing the gospel must go hand in hand in the same way that artillery complements foot soldiers in battle so we are a praying church and want to be more of a witnessing church
3. We are planning to do some street witnessing as a team of particularly men in the next couple of weeks
4. We are going to be re-visiting some homes we did a door to door survey with in the near future
5. We hoped to appoint a youth worker to head up the outreach to the youth of our estate but we are yet to find the right person. If anyone is interested then please contact me.

7) What is your vision/ hope for the future of the church you are part of?

The strapline of our church is developing people in Christ and our goal is to see people turn into authentic men and women of God. However our church is planted in the midst of a council estate and we see we must reach out to those around and we hope in time to see more and more local people coming to the Lord. To that end another goal is to have home groups spring up on the estate in local people’s homes.

These things are not mutually exclusive as it will only be as we develop people in ministry will we see people saved from the estate and we want to see them in turn develop into Christian leaders

 8) Do you have any wisdom that you would share with young leaders?

Young people who aspire to leadership should

1. Develop a routine of daily prayer and bible reading becoming dependant on the Lord
2. Ask the Lord to deal with them over “questionable” things in their lives
3. Become given to your local church leadership and do whatever is asked however trivial it seems
4. Talk to older men in the Lord and form a close bond with at least one.
5. Go through with God in your secular work learning His lessons and the balance between work, family and church
6. Read around the things that interest you
7. Take very opportunity to minister the word of God both inside and outside of the church.