Dear Friends

If I have not love…

Jesus I could sing, with the tongues of men and angels

But if I have not love I am just a clanging symbol

An empty sound…

(Lyrics by Matt Redman, ‘If I have not love, taken from’ Facedown’)

Work without love is not true work, certainly not if we’re aiming to glorify God. The Word makes it clear that all that we do for God should be done from a place of love, for the God we love and the people that He loves.

“The Lord loves a joyful giver” – surely in order to be a joyful giver we need to love to give or at least love the person or project we are giving to.

If we serve it should be because we love to serve and we love the people we are serving. If we teach it must be because we love to teach and we love the people we are being called to teach. If we worship it should be because we love glorifying God because we love the God we worship.

All of these things without love would be meaningless. Christ died for us because God loves the world, not for the sake of dying. He is love and we love because He first loved us.

So, may you each know that love for you, may you offer that love, serve with that love, give with that love, pray with that love, teach with that love and may you love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind and all your strength. May you love your neighbour as yourself, for there is no commandment greater than these two. As Mother Teresa famously said, “We can no great things, only small things with great love.”

Egypt…

Jon is now no longer going to Egypt … “It’s a bit of a long story but basically the Lord has led me to pull back this time. Having invited many of the young people I know, several expressed keen interest but in the end none was able to come with me. Beccy and I feel this is for the best, that instead we need to pull back a little and invest in our family this Easter. Chris is home for nearly a month and Jess faces her ‘A’ levels and then possibly leaving home for University in September. The Lord knows what a key time this is for us.

“I am content, knowing that He knows best and His timing is perfect and I am encouraged by all the positive responses and the possibilities for the future. I intend to follow up all the young people with details of planned future trips (Oxford in April, possibly India and the US in July).

“Please pray for us in all of this and for our family time this Easter. Thank you!”

Carl, Linz and Phoebe…

As many of you will know, Carl and Linz have little Phoebe who is now just over six months old. Whilst the rest of the time she is an absolute joy (!), she has been the cause of much loss of sleep! We have been praying about this, especially recently and there has been some improvement.

Please would you join with us in prayer for them all and for more settled, restful nights. Thank you!

Mel’s move…

Mel and her family have recently moved again, but into more temporary accommodation. Their new flat has a few things that need to be sorted out in order for it to be a comfortable living space. Please would you pray for God to provide for their needs and to give them peace. This has been in a trying time for them all, with the upheaval of moving and trying to settle in a new place for an unknown period. But the Lord knows and He is with them in it.

A new look…

Our new website is now almost finished. As we write, we are just waiting for it to have more of a unique ‘Turning The Tide look’ but the content is all up and running. We have launched our new resources page which is for all those who work with young people especially those who work in schools; please do take a moment to have a look and let us have your feedback.

Schools work…

Praise God! It has been a good month in schools. We have seen steady growth in two of the clubs and they seem to be going really well. Easter week was good and the gospel was preached in many of the schools that out partnering teams go into.

Please pray for growth at Hove Park Upper and for opportunities to share Jesus at Blatch 6^th Form college.

New work…

You may perhaps know of a school or group who you think may benefit from our services or maybe you would like to start something yourself but don’t know how. Why not contact Jon or Carl and perhaps we could work together on it, in seeking the Lord to turn the tide in what is happening to our young generation.

The next TTT Prayer Morning…

We were all very encouraged to have eight people at our last prayer morning and it was a powerful time.

If it’s at all possible, why not join us for our next Prayer Morning; it’s planned for next Wednesday, 9th April (from 10 a.m. until noon at St Luke’s Church). You’d be most welcome to join us for some or all of this time, to pray for: the young, rising generation, TTT, St. Luke’s, our city, the nation and the nations.

Please would you pray anyway, even if you can’t join us?

Thank you so much for your support; we are more aware than ever how important our prayer partners and supporters are. We are very grateful for all who pray for us regularly and who share our vision for the youth, the rising generation. May many, many of them find their purpose and destiny in the Lord Jesus in the coming months and years.

Thank you for partnering with us in the Gospel.

With our love and prayers-

Jon and the TTT team – Carl, Mel, Beccy and all our partners including you!