RELAY

2010-04-06T10:58:00.001-07:00

Claire Livingstone

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2010-04-06T10:14:00.001-07:00

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2009-12-21T13:34:00.001-08:00

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2009-11-05T02:39:00.000-08:00

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Oct 09

You've learnt it, live it and keep going....

2009-10-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

My first month of relay is officially over...so am i starting to get the hang of things? Far from it!!

Although our RELAY ONE training week seems like a lifetime away, Im still trying to digest what Gods grace actually means, what it looks like everyday as my diary for the week fills up-how can i keep motivated?

Im going through one-to-one studies with students on Colossians. I think its easy...its so obvious what Paul is trying to say- how can we not see it and understand it? Yet how often are we applying it? Paul constantly has to point the church to Christ to remind them that they don't need any extra special priveleges to know God, they know Him already because of the cross.

Hold on...does God not expect more from us? The answer is NO (a big, fat NO so its loud and clear)!! All we have to do is accept! Accept that he has qualified us as His children, adopted us into His Kingdom by choosing to rescue us from the punishment we deserve in being part of this world, a place where He has been rejected. (Col chap 1)

How? Because He sent His Son to die, instead of us (Mark 15 v39 cf John 16v28)

Our response? Love, love and love again, because we want others to know the hope we have found in life and to share the joy that comes from knowing we are made clean, pure, justified! This is how we live for him, this is how we are motivated, knowing that there are so many who continue to reject God, who try to please or impress him through their own efforts without knowing that the gift He is giving, that we could never repay nor have to repay...the gift of His grace.

"But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy..." (Titus 3v4+5)

Donations...Relay Giving Form

2009-09-28T03:38:00.001-07:00

Relay Giving Form

2009-09-28T03:35:00.001-07:00

Claire

That RELAY feeling... (7th Aug 2009)

2009-09-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

Hey! How are you? I hope this email finds you well and that you are getting to enjoy some of the sunny (or perhaps not so sunny) weather as of late. I just got back last week from helping lead a Christian kids camp in the Czech republic for a week-awesome time! However, as you have probably guessed, I am now in the process of starting to prepare a few things for my year ahead in the Relay programme with UCCF (Universities and Christian Colleges Fellowship: see http://www.uccf.org.uk/about-us/), and thought this would be a good time to update you a little.

You will be aware already that I have decided to spend my year in Relay back in Dundee. I feel this is really the place that God has guided me to be but I'm going to be honest with you, as a non-student, I am quite anxious about going back. In one sense, I know its going to be back to the same surroundings that I have been used to during my university years (life on the perth road; late night jaunts to the chip shop and hang outs at the all-night bakery) but I have to admit that in another sense it feels like I'm just starting all over again.

Staying in Dundee, I want to make sure that I don’t get caught up in the organisational part of the Christian Union (CU) but allow God to use me beyond the role I adopted as President there in the past-being able to go to a deeper level with students. To help, guide and support those attending the CU to discover what their faith really means to them and how to put it into practice by being able to go beyond an acceptance of biblical teachings into an actual out-working of what the Bible says! To follow, but at the same time share Christ’s teachings with others so that we are no longer taking the “I’m a Christian, what do you do” kind of approach but that we are getting to a much more serious and intimate level with one another.

Its asking the tricky questions that will prompt their non-Christian friends to see out of the box. If students aren‘t able to do that now, then in 4 or 5 years time (some even less than that) they will find themselves leaving uni asking the same sort of questions that I did: Have I really made an impact on those people I met at uni that don’t know God? Did or do they even know that I am a Christian? What if I was the only chance they ever had to hear about Jesus Christ?

I have as much teaching to give myself as I do to the students I work with. That’s the part of Relay that I’m looking forward to, that as I’m learning I’m passing on...but it’s not always going to be easy. There will be no UCCF staff worker in Dundee next year so it will be strange to be able to find a balance in the support that UCCF are able to give. Mark and Joanne Ellis, James Muir (another relay worker for Dundee) and I are all hoping to be able to create a team front. One that will be ready to get the sleeves rolled up, to encourage, support and keep the work of Dundee CU alive for the year and indeed years to come. Can I continue to ask you to be a part of that?

I have enclosed my prayer and support leaflet with more information (see Claire Livingstone file attached). It would be great if you could print this off, even share with a few friends and if you feel you could contribute finanancially in anyway (either monthly or on a one-off basis) you can do so by returning the support form (see Relay Giving document) to UCCF at the address given. But even if you do not feel you have the capacity to contribute financially I do not want you to think that your support is in ANYWAY undervalued! Your prayers and encouragements already have enabled me to take up this position in the first place, I can honestly say that I couldn't have gotten this far without you! For that I praise and thank God for the friends He has given me and I will continue to look forward to keeping you updated with life in Dundee as well as hearing about how things your way are going. I would love to hear about the ways I can be supportive of you. Being able to prayer for one another as each of us seek to be disciples for God's kingdom, no matter how signficant a part we feel we sometimes play.

I head back to Dundee on the 23rd of august and begin my first week of training on the 25th of august. This is held in the Quinta centre in Shropshire (just on the border of Wales-for those of you whose geography is as poor as mine is!!). There we will be looking at the theme of spiritual growth and the subject of discipleship (being and making disciples) to understand our role and motivations as well as our agreed plan of study and support. Following this week we will remain in the Quinta centre for FORUM, the UCCF conference for CU Leader's all over the UK. Returning to Dundee on the 7th of September, where I will be able to update you a little more :)

Until then, sending love, prayers and God’s blessing your way,
Claire xo

Ephesians 4 v11-13:
“It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers., to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

13th May 2009

2009-09-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I hope this email finds you well. First of all, let me begin by saying a HUGE thank you for all of your encouragements, prayers and support over these last few weeks (since the news of my last email). They have really meant a lot to me and I thought that it would be a good time to up-date you on my plans for next year and what now lies ahead!!

In short, I attended my interview for my postgraduate in primary school teaching. I was successful and gained acceptance to Dundee. However, after weighing up my options and praying over the decisions needed to be made, I had to reject their offer, concluding that if a postgraduate is right for me then one year won’t hold it back! The RELAY program that I have been offered by UCCF is a fantastic opportunity that I don’t want to miss out on...for the postgrad its not a now or never... it’s just a “not yet”

I’m only 22!! What’s important now is to find my feet a bit more, to tackle the bigger picture in life, before I think I can settle down into it. Being able to get to grips with the bible message of who Christ really is and what the impact is of choosing to be a Christian today. Not by relying on someone else to tell me -but trusting that God himself can do it. That Pauls message to the church in Philippi can really ring true today:

"That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Philippians 3 v10-12)

To take time to study God’s Word will help me build a foundation for any path in life I choose to take.

So...a bit more info...

RELAY is a 10-month discipleship and training program. Relay workers stand alongside one or two CUs (in my case this will be: Dundee University Christian Union and Abertay). I will be expected to take an active part in CU life: through one-to-one meetings with students, bible studies or any other ways which will make Jesus known and seek to encourage Christians to grow in their relationship with Jesus. The key concept of the program is that of receiving and passing on (as runners in a relay race pass on a baton): learning and investing in people, so that they, in turn, will learn, grow and have a greater influence in the gospel, to pass it on.

500 plus graduates have completed Relay and have been challenged in their understanding of God's Word. The program is much like that of a self-study, but in meeting up regularly with a UCCF supervisor, I will be able to talk though and get to grips with the modules I am studying. I will also be held accountable to what I am spending my time on as well as what I do with my money.

You see Relay workers are "self-financing" volunteers. They live by faith with regard to finance, depending on God and his people to provide for their needs related to their ministry. It costs, on average, around £6,000 to cover living and ministry expenses.
As a guide, this equates to:
10 people giving £25 per month,
15 people giving £15 per month
20 people giving £5 per month (and I think you can do the maths from here on in)

Check out the link below for more info on how people give or download the attached form
http://www.uccf.org.uk/relay/give-to-relay-workers.htm
Should you feel you are able to donate yourself I pray that God would reveal to you and provide the means for you to accommodate this. However, I don’t write this in pursuit of your money, I write this to ask you to join with me in prayer for the year in acknowledgement of the financial struggles we all face today. I’m not going to deny that I am nervous about my year ahead but I pray that through it, I would be reminded of God’s greater provision

I would love to keep you on my mailing list as I to update you on my work here in Dundee, however if you feel you do not want to be included in this, I will completely understand. Please just advise me to remove your email address.

With thanks again for your continued support and love,
Claire xo

PS Should you have missed out on my first email, I send my apologies for the confusion this has caused-but in trying to finalise my contacts, ask you to request a copy of it from me!

11th February 2009

2009-09-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

To all my friends and family who have supported me throughout my student years... I say a BIG thank you!

Im getting to grips with final semester and although feeling the stress of studies,the end is in sight. It’s more in defining that “end” that I am writing to you today. To just take a moment to share some thoughts with you on my plans for next year and in doing so, ask for your prayers for it!

It was 4 years ago that I packed my bags and began my journey of discovery into the student world. The location? Not necessarily the first of my pickings:

The place where men wear skirts and women wear trousers (I will accept my scottish punishment for that)
The place where they sell animalpieces in a sheep’s stomach and call it a delicacy… the place where they produce the most addictive orange drink of the century and label it Irnbru… but, perhaps more uniquely, the place where the wonders of the Beano and the Dandy began….a city called Dundee.

So…. Have my 4 years been enough to ready me for agoodbye? Maybe not just yet…

As president of the Christian Union this year, my involvement has not only brought challenges in an organisational and practical front, but what I would describe as a moulding process: one of refinement to my faith and of re-shaping the values I hold as a Christian. To understand what it really means to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, not just on a one-off basis, but EVERYday!

Our vision and mission statement for the year has been to Known Christ Intimately, Know eachother deeply and make Him known passionately. We have tried to focus our meetings each week to enable us to actually get to grips with the gospel message and understand what the Bible is really saying, so that we can know the God we believe we were created by and be equipped to share that knowledge with others. Planning for next year… I only want to know more!!

UCCF (the organisation that works to support all of the CU’s in the UK) run what is known as a RELAY programme. This is basically a year of studying theology, as well as working alongside a particular CU, taking on female students to mentor, discuss and pray with about their faith. I signed up last semester after being approached about taking it on in the Dundee area. I had my interview just before Christmas and received confirmation of acceptance for the next academic year. In accepting the position I will be assigned to a UCCF staff worker who will supervise my studies, stewardship of money and time management. Taking part in the programme is completely voluntary. I will have to raise funds of up to approx £6000 to cover my living expenses for the year.

To be honest, practically, I don't know how it is all going to work out. I just know that I believe and trust in a God of provision so I would ask you to please pray for guidance in taking these next few steps: in working out accomodation and even confirming that Dundee is the place God actually wants me to be. That its not just in my "comfort zone" to stay, but that it would be the desire to further the work that God has already been doing and being able to build upon relationships and friendships already established, as well as my own personal growth and maturity through church life.

If not in Dundee, there is the potential for me to be placed in Edinburgh,working with the Queen Margaret CU, which would also be a fantastic ministry to be involved in. Currently however, I am also awaiting feedback from an interview I had for a pgce in primary school teaching for next year so this opens another door where waves of indecision will flow.

I turn to you for support. For all of your prayers,thoughts and comments at this stage as I seek God's direction in the year or years to come

Galations 2v19+20 “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified withChrist, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loves me and gave Himself for me.”

With love in Christ, Claire