Minister Steve Hughes tells us about his Biblefresh Campaign - Bibleland Tour!
Do you read the bible everyday? Every week? Every month?...
If you're not feeling inspired at the moment, The Evangelical Alliance and The Bible Society's 'Bible Fresh Campaign' coinciding with the 400th anniversary of the King James' publication is for you.
Bath pastor, evangelist and soon to be ordained Anglican minister, the Reverend Steve Hughes tells editor Emma all about this national campaign...Along with the associated 'Bibleland Tour'. Find out if your church sign up to this national campaign?
(PICTURE: REVEREND STEVE HUGHES)
"What I'm thinking about, is; what is it that I can contribute to this tour? I want people to have an adventure on the tour. They're going to meet new people, experience new sights and smells! and I want this to be a spiritual journey. Part of my contribution to them is to help them not only to encourage them to read the scriptures but experience God as well - get into God's presence. Experiencing His presence makes the bible come alive. I want to help people on their journey grow and grow deeper in Him."
"I have been to Jerusalem before and you can almost tangibly feel the presence of God. There is something special about going there, whoever goes will see things in a different way." says Steve.
BBC Songs of Praise broadcaster Pam Rhodes, Premier Christian Radio's Reverend Cindy Kent and the Biblefresh Network's Manager, Reverend Rob Cotton will be amongst the tour's key leaders. Reverend Hughes, who worked with Reverend Cotton to promote the Sons of Korah's tour to Bath last year, will be helping to lead the June 2011 visit, following the first tour which is heading out in October.
"I was invited to help lead because I'm in relationship with Reverend Rob Cotton. Rob is heading up the Biblefresh Campaign. Pam Rhodes will be going on both tours and filming parts of it for the BBC's Songs of Praise programme."
Capernaum, Massada, Tel Megiddo, Caesarea Maritima, Chorazin, the Jordan River and Jesus' boat are amongst the Old and New Testament locations of the trip.
Not simply about having a holiday, the Bibleland Tour is part of the Evangelical Alliance and The Bible Society's national Biblefresh campaign, aimed at encouraging more confidence in the bible.
Currently gathering momentum via its online sign up campaign for churches to
commit to: 'Read the Bible together as a church', 'Invest in Training the whole church to understand and apply the Bible, 'Raise money to translate the Bible for Burkina Faso' and 'Help people experience the Bible in new and creative ways', hundreds of churches, Christian organisations and even Christian Festivals have signed up as either 'Partners' or 'Bible Champions'.
"People are not reading so much nowadays and there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of basic Christianity in the church. The Evangelical Alliance and The Bible Society are going to develop more new ways to help people - via the internet and mobile phones. The Biblelands Tour is part of the fourth strand of the campaign - to help people experience the Bible more creatively." Reverend Hughes explains.
Due to be ordained as an Anglican Episcopal minister on the 18th September at Bearfield Church in Bradford on Avon, Reverend Hughes began his ministry life in the Church Army, before becoming a church pastor. He has just finished pastoring a church in Bradford on Avon and is the British representative for The Ark Community - an international inter-denominational convergent community of believers.
"Being ordained is really important to me as it gives me some accountability to the Bishop and will help me to network across the different denominations in the Bath area. We can share more and encourage people to be working together across the board." says Reverend Hughes.
His passion for uniting Christians, evangelising and keeping Jesus' message and the experience of Jesus simple is obvious.
"The Ark Community is really about a group of people gathering together primarily
Christians wanting the Lord – sharing a simple faith and being one together in Jesus. This is what I want to model to other people.
"We celebrate diversity and the starting place is what we've got in common. Whatever your expression of Christianity we'll meet with you. Jesus says the world would know His love through the unity believers share with each other. We want to show our love for one another to the world. We meet together worship and eat."
Also a Trustee and team leader for HOTS Bath, Reverend Hughes has seen Jesus operate in healings on the streets of Bath.
"Walking with Jesus is really dynamic. With HOTS we go out into the marketplace like Jesus did and enable people to experience the presence of the living God. We don't argue with them just love them and see people healed every week. We also see people come to faith."
"I never had any church experience at all as a child and when I became an adult, began to explore for myself and became a Christian on 21st February 1983. I left one house not a Christian and walking down the street cried out 'if you're real show me' and God answered. It felt like I was walking in a warm shower, knowing Jesus died for me and it was a really amazing experience."