BCDO Festival

A few friends who are associated with Willesborough Baptist Church went along to Big Church Day Out last weekend and here are some of their highlights!

We hope you enjoyed!

See you soon,

Here I Am To Worship

Picture from Google.

Imagine you walk into a room and in front of you are a bunch of randomers singing and dancing and playing along to a whole variety of songs. If that's all you see and all you feel then you've walked into a club. Imagine you walk into that same situation and something about the atmosphere catches you in a good way, filling you with love and peace. This can feel and look different to all of us but one thing is for sure: there's something more than just songs. You've entered into a place of worship.

Picture from Google.

When we enter into a space of worship inside ourselves we surrender to Jesus, to God, to Him. We humble ourselves before Him. Ultimately we worship for an audience of one: Him.

This brings freedom to our worship whilst also bringing unsettling mystery. What if someone hears my off notes? What if someone notices I can't always sing in tune? What if I mess up so badly that I put everyone off?

It's right to respect other people in their worship but who's to say that you shouldn't sing loud and jump high for your God? He's your audience. He marvels over every aspect of your worship to Him. Every single sound or movement or thought that you have for Him - He loves them all! If you can sing in the shower, you can sing to God. If you can run really fast or walk really slow, you can run and walk for God. If you can breathe, you can breathe for God.

Picture from Google.

Be encouraged. God doesn't judge us in a worldly and negative way in the here and now. In fact, He loves when we try and He loves when we freely want to meet with Him.

So close your eyes and focus on Him, sing Him your song, bring Him more than a song - bring Him your heart and your life and your love and all else. Bring Him you! Nothing more and nothing less.

All of God loves all of you (singular). Perhaps at first it seems a challenge for all of you (singular) to love all of God but the journey will be an exciting one!

Picture from Google.

See you soon,

Behind The New Logo...

Here's a little post answering some FAQs about our new logo.

Why lightbulbs?

When thinking about a new logo for the Furnace it seemed only sensible to go to the short vision statement. This was 'knowing and showing that Jesus is alive'. A symbol of 'knowing' something or having an idea is a lightbulb (hence the phrase 'lightbulb moment'). But what's also great about lightbulbs is that they shine light to 'show' people where things are.

Is there a reason you chose three loops inside the lightbulb?

(okay, so this isn't an FAQ but it should be!)

When you don't look so closely at the lightbulbs the 'three loops' look much like a cross. It's our way of incorporating the cross into the logo without it being 'in your face' and becoming a barrier when we run social events with this logo.

Why is one lightbulb brighter?

Artistically speaking, having a brighter lightbulb helps to balance the logo and had some dynamic. Symbolically speaking, the brighter logo represents the Furnace whilst the dimming lights are the dispersion of Jesus' light and love into the community and our friends around us. Everyone has the ability to light up through Jesus, no matter how 'switched-off' the lightbulb might seem, we can bring light into their lives by shining next to them.

Why are they connected together?

The answer to this question follows on from the 'brighter lightbulb'. The squiggly lines are wires which represent the connections that we have with other people, these connections are sometimes simple and sometimes more obscure. 

Plug in us. Plug into God. Plug into others.

Is there a new vision statement/slogan?

Plug into the Furnace. Connect with God. Shine for others to see.

Do you have any additional ideas as to what else this logo might represent? Is there something that might've been done unintentionally that has a great meaning behind it?

Let us know in the comments or at Furnace!

Love to you all, see ya soon!