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Here are a few shots from our first night of our exhibition, ‘(in the midst)’. Stay tuned for more, and make sure to check out our LIVE stream of night two tonight here!

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It’s exhibition time again! This week we will be showcasing the culmination of the January 2017 Art Internships. Join us for the gallery, live music, coffee and nibbles! 

Where: Notting Hill Community Church

When: March 16 - 17 / 6:30 - 9pm

Admission is FREE! 

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The new Sports and Fitness programmes: get physically & spiritually challenged!

‘’With sports you discover people’s personalities, reactions, and even their anger in ways that you would never discover in normal life!’’ Today I had a great interview with Ole Olsen about the new YWAM Radiant Sports and Fitness programmes in London and how sports can be used to worship God.

In the interview, Ole, one of the Sports and Fitness ministry leaders, explained about the two programmes they provide: the Sports and Fitness internship and Discipleship Training School, which are created to give people the opportunity to get to know God more and make Him known through sports. The internship is mainly focused on the sports tracks that you will practise where as the DTS is more focused on learning more about God.

It was funny to see how, even in the interview, Ole always wears his sport outfit! Somehow athletes are allowed to always wear their comfy sports clothes. It almost makes me jealous. Right.

When I asked Ole about who can apply for these programmes, he clearly stated that it is very broad: ‘’Our programmes are basically made for everyone who has sports on their hearts and is longing to grow and push limits physically, but definitely also spiritually by learning more about themselves and God and how to use sports as a tool for discipleship’’. The sports offered will differ in every season depending on the specializations of the students at the time. 

One of the questions that came in my mind during this interview was about the combination of doing sports and worshipping God, since in this world they are not really related to each other, right? Ole answered that he thinks that the world has created the relation very differently than it was originally intended. ‘’What we see around us is that people put man in the centre in sports, while I think it is so beautiful to put God in the centre and focus on Him in sports’’. Besides, Ole thinks that people can learn a lot about themselves with sports when they get hot-tempered and exhausted. ‘’With sports you discover peoples personality, their reactions and even their anger in ways that you would never discover in normal life!’’ He believes that this can really help you in growing in the way of using these sports for God.

Since these programmes are also about reaching out to other people, I was wondering how that works out with sports. Ole explained that you can really speak and preach through your actions! With playing together, you can disciple people into the same DNA that you created in the first part of the programme.

Obviously, in these programmes there will be a lot of involvement in sport events in London. ‘’London is one of the sports capitals of the world and is hosting great events, which we see as opportunities to spread His love by arranging tournaments, inviting people to join us in sports or just telling them about how we see sports.’’ At the moment, Ole himself is preparing for a marathon throughout London on April 23.

What I concluded from this? The Sports and Fitness programmes will challenge you to get to know yourself and God in a special way, they will encourage you to push limits and they will give you the opportunity to experience community through sports! What are you waiting for?

Words by Emmelie Munneke 

Photo by Deborah Stevenson

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Our dancers being fly, per usual. // “Beyond The Matter” Arts Exhibition

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Take a tour through this school’s art exhibition “Beyond the Matter”. 

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Preparing for the exhibition, Beyond the Matter. Come see us at Notting Hill Community Church on Dec 7- 9th at 6:30 - 9:30pm!

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European City Consultation, 18/11/'16-21/11/'16, YWAM Amsterdam

At two in the morning we closed the door of our house behind us to start our journey to the land of cheese, wind mills and bicycles. YWAM Amsterdam had invited us to come to the European City Consultation, where leaders from European cities would come together to receive teaching from Tim Svoboda (one of the leaders in YWAM San Francisco) and share their experiences doing ministry in a big city.

After a bus, train, airplane, another train and a short walk in the rain, we found ourselves on the doorstep of a massive building that YWAM Amsterdam has owned since the seventies. This was going to be the place where we would eat, sleep and come together to give and receive this weekend. The subjects that came by were 'theology of place', 'exegesis of city', 'creating movements' and 'micro-apostles'. Tim handed us tools and practical examples of things that he had seen working well in big cities, like the importance to love the city, to divide the city in slices in order to take it, and the different roles of leadership and how they are all significant.

After a full and insightful weekend, we stayed for a few more days in my hometown Amersfoort and we ended our trip with a short visit to the YWAM Brussels base. With a suitcase full of cheese, licorice and chocolate sprinkles, we flew back to our team to put the theory into action.

Words and photos by Jorien de Vries

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Mario

His hands were folded in his lap, gray hair pulled into a low ponytail gathered at the back of his head. A single candle sat shielded in a frosted glass on the table beside his stacked cards, a paperback copy of The Silmarillion lying face down on another, spine creased near to the end. A small stool sat across from him, empty, another couple of readers sitting down the line. His name was Mario, and on the last night of the 2016 Arts Gathering in Rome, God wanted to tell him He loved him. God still wants to tell him just how much he is loved. He sent three girls to do it, two from the states, one Canadian. They’d seen him as soon as they’d come, carrying their papers, a camera, a heart to do God’s will. They talked about books and reading first, his hobbies, his heart. They talked about worship too, God’s truth, being His son. Talking to Mario was one of my favorite things we did the whole time in Italy. I wrote him a note, passed it on. I hope he’s kept it. I hope even more that God has shown him more of His heart. I loved our time in Italy, the gathering, monuments, Rome. I also loved, even more so, talking to Mario. Read on and bless your heart, man. You are loved.

Words by Abby Morrison 

Photo by Deborah Stevenson

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International Arts Gathering / Rome / October 2016  

Last month the team travelled to Italy for the International Arts Gathering, a four day event of connecting to the Creator’s heart and encouraging other Christian artists from all over the world. 

Here are some pictures of us out during evangelism on the streets of Rome!

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#ThatRadiantLife Follow us on snapchat! 👻 ywamradiant

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Confessions of a new staff member

Hello, there. My name is Courtney. I have been on staff at London Radiant for one month. These are my confessions.

The excitement of living in London still hasn’t worn off

The first time I received a house key I felt ~ so official ~

Sometimes I don’t know the answers to the students’ questions

...OK. A lot of times I don’t know the answers to their questions

God has been wrecking me by teaching me that His strength works best in my weakness

I drink so much coffee I’m probably going to go into cardiac arrest soon

Although I’m a big time extravert, I have found myself escaping to the quiet of my room more and more

That being said, I love living in community so dang much

I can feel my heart for London - and England in general - growing

I still have no clue how the London Tube system works

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You Are My Child

You are always my child. When you doubt in me, when you doubt in yourself, you are my child. Don't let anyone take that away from you. You are my child, when you cry out of laughter. I laugh with you. You are my child with beautiful hair. I thought about every little hair and every little twist on your curls. You are my child when you are angry. Yell at Me, it will bring you comfort. You are my child, when you pray for others. I hear those prayers loud and clearly. I provide as needed. You are my child when you swim. I'm joyful with you. You are my child when you are confused. I will bring you answers. I will bring you comfort. You are my child when you are sad. I support you in your pain. You are my child when you get dressed in the morning. You are so beautiful. You are my child when you yell. I always hear you. You are my child when you enjoy the nature. I made you to appreciate it. You are my child when you sleep. I love watching over you. You are my child when you make people laugh. You are funny and I laugh with you. You are my child and you are full of love. You love me and you love others. I am proud of you. I love to see you grow. I love to spend time with you. You are always my child, you have always been and you always will be. I love you and I can't say that enough. I made you. I made your beautiful green eyes. You are weird, because I made you. You are love, because I made you. You are beautiful, because I made you. You are my child when you are full of pride. I forgive you. You are my child when you sin. I already forgave you. You are my child when you sin, because then you need me the most. You are my child and you are holy and loved by my name. You are loved and I love you.

Words by Chanette Laurberg