Whoa! We're half way there! Whoa! Livin on a prayer!

I recently blew the candles out on my fiftieth birthday cake with friends and family at our ‘proper local’ - The Black Eagle pub. Then, on my new karaoke microphone, Anji and I led a rousing rendition of Bon Jovi’s rock classic ‘Livin on a prayer’. The words rang strangely true in a way, as most of our adult life together we've been living on a prayer. Whether we are only half way there or not, however, is beyond our control! 

This year is a significant one for Anji and I. Not only do we both turn fifty (me on 13th July and Anji on 9th September), but we will celebrate thirty years of marriage (2nd December). We also interviewed with Youth For Christ in December 1989 and that would lead us into what will be 30 years of urban ministrystarting in youth prisons and then Springvale (Melbourne) for over 13 years, before 12 years in Klong Toey (Bangkok) and now 5 years in Winson Green (Birmingham). It’s been a wild ride on three continents and well worth celebrating. 

I would not be honest if I didn’t also acknowledge real pain and loss through these years. We have been stretched personally, with our family and friends, as well as in community life and ministry. Often, we were in harm’s way through circumstances or choices. At times I’ve felt so overwhelmed, and even ‘punch drunk’, by conflict (internal and external) that I have wanted to withdraw and live a safer, more controlled life.   

As I look back, however, I know these very challenging commitments and connections have been the making of us. God gave us people, places and passions that have filled us, brimming to over flowing, with real life. We’ve seen that God doesn’t waste anything and stand ready again to bring all we have to this next season of life.  

Will we do anything differently? The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that the only things that ‘remain’ after we die are what we do in ‘faith, hope and compassion’ and that ‘everything else’ will ‘pass away’. Saying ‘no’ to the ‘everything else’ is different for each of us, but for me there is a kind of gravitational force pulling me into the kinds of numbing, controlling or trivial activities that avoids the real cost of compassionate connections. However, if we can resist through Jesus and focus our best time, attention and energy to see the potential of God realised in the people, passions and places in our unique lives, it will be worth it. We might still be living on a prayer after all these years, but sharing our God given lives now, means sharing life beyond the now and for forever. We might not be anywhere near ‘half way there’ after all. 

Anji and my lives now have unique opportunities based here in Winson Green, but we can’t focus on the people, places and passions that God has given us without your help. Your prayers, financial support and encouragement continue to make these possible for us. We are so grateful for you and hope you too get opportunities experience life to the full.   

Shalom, 

Ash Barker

PS. Please stand with us with prayer points below and with giving options here. 

PSS. Did you see the follow up of us on BBC Songs of Praise here? Pray God would inspire and open doors.

Please pray for the People, Places and Passions in our Lives

> People: Growing into Fullness of Life. 

‘The glory of God is a human fully alive.’ (Irenaeus) 

Ash is grateful for his 50th Birthday Party at the Black Eagle Pub as well as the family’s gift to send him to the Holy Land to walk the Jesus Trail. It was a lifetime dream. Pray especially that he can give his best time, energy and attention to Jesus and growing leaders and their initiatives. 

Anji is grateful for the opportunity for her 50th birthday to go to Greece with Mum and friends Sally and Jess to write her memoirs and to rest after a huge Summer with local families and youth. Pray especially for her leadership of Newbigin Community Trust in its renewing of Winson Green.  

Our daughter Amy is now 22 and is a community support worker living in Melbourne. Pray for her very challenging work as well as ongoing education at Bible College. Amy visits Birmingham in December with boyfriend Bobby. 

Our son Aiden will soon turn 16 (17th October) and is about to start his final year of High School. Aiden especially enjoyed a visit from Granny and Gran Pa Barker. Pray for him as he grows up in Newbigin House with us and a crazy household!  

Pray for growing teams of trustees, staff, volunteers and students in our key organisational entities including NewbiginTrust.uk, UrbanChangeMakers.org, RedLetterChristians.org.uk and NewbiginSchool.uk.  

Pray as emerging leaders grow into fullness of life and use their gifts to serve their communities. You can see short clips of some of our Urban Change Makers from East London here. The picture shows UCM from London, Luton, Scunthorpe and Birmingham who graduated recently.

> Places: Harmony with God, Neighbourhoods and Neighbours

‘Seek the shalom of the city where I have sent you, for in its shalom you will find your shalom.’ (Jer 29)

Praise God that football has returned to our local Black Patch Park after years of the park's neglect. Our Soho Albion FC junior teams attract over a hundred young people for training. Six of our boys have also been signed for West Bromwich Albion academy.

Praise God that our Yurt tent was blessed at our annual Newbigin Public lecture. Krish Kandiah gave this lecture with a blessing by the Community of Aidan and Hilda's Ray Simpson. You have see Krish's inspiring lecture here. The Yurt has been a real blessing for church, support groups and even massage!   Thanks to all you gave to make this possible! 

Pray especially we can secure our home and base at NewbiginHouse.uk in Winson Green to help renew our neighbourhood. 

Please pray too for much needed secure housing in Winson Green. There are places we have identified in Winson Green with local Council that could be developed as a kind of urban village in partnership with YMCA Birmingham and Black Country. Pray for a break through! 

Pray also for a base for NewbiginSchool.uk where a possible residential campus has been identified and a partnership possible. Pray for decisions soon so we can go deeper, mobilising more leaders in a long term way. 

Pray too that our dream of being planted and linked comes true. Various ‘Seedbeds’ for leadership development are being established around the UK this year including growing Urban Change Makers in East London, Luton, Sheffield, Dundee, Scunthorpe and Birmingham. 

Praise God for the opportunities to link with key leaders in significant places nearby. For example, Ash went to Cambridge to address the Newbigin Summer School, as well as Oxford to address Baptist Educators and Durham for the Celtic Summer School. Anji often speaks with Methodist groups too in cities around the UK. There are around 40 million people within a 2 hour drive of Winson Green so a day trip to minister in places like Cambridge, Oxford, London, Manchester and Liverpool are possible.

> Passions: Gifts and Visions Expressed

"Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you. Before you tell your life what truths and values you have decided to live up to, let your life tell you what truths you embody, what values you represent."― from Parker Palmer, "Let Your Life Speak”

Praise God Red Letter Christians UK was launched in 7 UK cities with Claiborne, Campolo & included public events, actions, media and sculptures made from confiscated street knives. See report of thousands engaging with the call to follow Jesus into justice more deeply here.

Praise God Anji got back in Klong Toey in July to lead an exposure course around social enterprise and to support friends facing the imminent demolition of their homes. Please pray for Klong Toey and read more here.

Praise God that Ash got to Kiev with Dave and Sally Mann, teaching a Master’s programme with Russian speaking leaders on urban ministry at the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary. Opportunities to serve leaders in Europe are opening up with Ash going to Frankfurt in November for an NTC Masters programme and Bishkek in October for a Christian Leaders conference.

Pray for Newbigin House as we seek to be a household community that can demonstrate the welcome of God through hospitality. We often host hundreds of people a week in community meals and events. Pray especially for the wellbeing of our multiple-generational household.

Pray especially for Winson Green's projects by local people for local people. These include a Community Cafe at the Prison Visitors Centre, Community Hub at Benson School, Youth and Kids club, Community meals supported by NewbiginTrust.uk and Fresh Expressions churches and discipleship opportunities as part of the local Parish. 

Pray too for the NewbiginSchool.uk and leadership development streams. Pray for emerging leaders programmes such as UrbanChangeMakers.org as well as CMS immersion courses for mission workers and Pioneers as well as accredited Masters and PhD programmes with NTC. Pray the especial that the new pathways we are designing as part of University of Manchester with Nazarene Theological College will connect with urban leaders of all kinds.  

Praise God for the national launch of RedLetterChristians.org.uk in 7 cities with 27 events with Shane Claibourne, Tony Campolo and local Jesus and Justice activists. Pray that a new generation of Jesus and justice activists around the UK will grow through connections, amplification of voices and empowerment. A vision day (19 Sep) and retreat (4-6 Dec) are important days. 

Looking for Lydia is a brilliant new book by Dr Sally Mann. The Mann family are some of our favourite people who have stood with us and shared their life and experiences with us. I had the honour of doing the foreword to the book and wrote in part, 'This book is what the world needs now from a voice we all need to hear. Sally Mann’s experiences as a fifth generation resident and Minister in the East End of London with a PhD and five lifetimes of stories will make you laugh, cry and, if we pay attention, help us see much needed change.' If you only buy one book this year then this is the one!