The Dream Network

This Blog Has Moved!

2010-04-12T16:51:00.003Z

On 14 April 2010 we launch e-Dream, a weekly email newsletter. This links to articles and our weekly bible reading so everything from then is part of the main dream website at www.dream.uk.net

If you’d like to subscribe to e-Dream, just go to www.dream.uk.net, and you’ll see a space to subscribe at the top of the homepage by adding your email address.

It will include

1. A thought for the week. This is kind of “Dream to go”. A very short article to mull on, with a link if you’d like to add a comment or read the comments of others.
2. Lectio. Many of you have already subscribed to ‘Lectio’ our weekly bible passage. We’re now going to build that into e-Dream so you don’t get too many emails. The idea is that there will be a bible passage to read and reflect on and then a link for adding a comment or asking a questions, and reading those added by others. Lectio has been a wonderful way to read the bible together as a dispersed community.
3. News and Events. It can be difficult to keep track of when different groups are meeting or events coming up, so e-dream will always have a list of events coming up in the next month.

There will also sometimes be information about news and events, interesting links or useful resources.

It’s going to take quite an investment of energy to send e-dream each week, but we’re excited at the potential it has to increase our connectedness and nurture us as we seek to follow Jesus in a busy and confusing world.

Dream in Lent

2010-02-16T12:59:00.007Z

Starting on Wednesday 17th of February, we will be posting 40 short Lent reflections, preparing us for Easter. These will include prayerful reflection, some suggestions for personal application and ideas to serve and encourage others.

You can connect to receive daily, bite-sized updates by signing up to our email list at http://www.dream.uk.net/dream-in-lent/, 'become a fan' on our Facebook page, or following us on Twitter.

So join us for 40 days of inspiration & challenge!

Guerrilla Worship #2 - Crosby Beach Labyrinth

2009-07-20T18:40:00.013Z

Last Saturday we held our second "Guerrilla Worship" event.

This time we created a 32m square labyrinth drawn in the sands of Crosby Beach - among the 'Another Place' iron men. There were then a series of reflections based on our surroundings.

See http://www.dream.uk.net/index.php/guerrilla-worship2.html for details.

It was a really windy and cold day, so no 'passing trade' from visitors to the beach, but a hardcore of about fifty from the network braved the elements (well done you lot!).

It looked absolutely stunning though, and worked brilliantly as a prayer activity. Now that we've done it once, we're really keen to repeat the idea at short notice on a glorious hot day when I think we'd get a lot of interest from passers by.

For anyone reading this who has access to a local beach somewhere else, do have a go yourself, it's really simple and great fun. Took three of us ninety minutes (of fairly hard work!) to create.

Another idea we had for this event, was to invite participants to bring a camera and upload their photos to a communal photo gallery, so that anyone can create a slideshow using a soundtrack they like - there are a couple of video responses on Youtube.

The stations we used are on our resources section (http://tinyurl.com/crosbybeach), available to download.

Guerrilla Worship - Crosby Beach Labyrinth - 18/07/09

2009-06-22T12:26:00.010Z

It's nearly three months since the L1 flashmob, so we're ready for some more Guerrilla Worship ... This time on the beach!
We're going to meet up and walk through a huge prayer labyrinth drawn in the sand at 'Another Place' with some creative reflections along the path.

We can't all start together, so come anytime between 12pm and 1pm - bring a picnic if you like.

It'd be great to get as many people there as possible. If you're coming along and are on Facebook, goto http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=93787491093, click 'attending' and share the link (share+), then invite your friends ... and invite your enemies!

Once again, we'll be posting a video on Youtube. This time, we want to encourage you to bring a camera - details on submitting the photos for inclusion in the video will be posted here.

If you'd like to feedback any thoughts on Guerrilla Worship (or fancy having a go yourself) we've set up a Facebook page ... go on - become a 'fan'(?) and share your ideas.

Guerrilla Worship video online

2009-04-06T19:38:00.003Z

Our first Guerrilla Worship event last Saturday was really special.

You can check out the details and feedback via our Guerrilla Worship Flashmob page

Guerrilla Worship

2009-03-03T14:33:00.007Z

Put today's date in your diary as the date when Dream Guerilla Worship was born

GW is dream on the streets ... dream in the market place ... dream 'flash mobs' ... random acts of worship.

Creative, intriguing, eye-catching, bite-sized chunks of what we all love within dream, done 'out there'.

We're using a Guerrilla Worship Facebook group to decide together what to do for our first event on Saturday April 4th.

We need your ideas, so come and join the conversation by clicking here.

two important dates

2009-01-19T09:05:00.003Z

We have two important dates coming up.

7th Feb Retreat day. This is for anyone who's at all interested in exploring the rhythm of life.

We'll meet form 10am - 3pm at St Mary's Wavertree.

The day will include some 'input' interspersed with personal reflection. Coming along doesn't mean that you are committing to the Rhythm of Life, it means you are exploring that possibility for yourself.

Do please get in touch asap if you want to say any of the following...

-"I'm coming"

-"I don't quite understand what it's all about please explain x"

-"I'm coming and want to bring a child/children" (we're hoping to have some very limited places for a children's programme if there is demand)

-"I'm interested but can't make that date, can we do another time?"

-"I live far away but want to connect with the Rhythm of Life online"

26th April. 7.30pm. The first annual service at which those from across the Dream Network who are committing themselves to the rhythm of life for the year ahead do so and others in the network gather to support them.

rhythm of life

2008-12-04T15:42:00.002Z

In early 2009, a number of people across the Dream network are planning to commit themselves to a shared 'Rhythm of Life'.

If you are in any way connected with Dream and would like to consider whether it might help you (or if you're just interested) you can read a short two page introduction here.

We're also going to work on a version for children.

We're planning to have a retreat day soon-ish for those who want to explore the idea further, so if you would like to be part of that, or have any feedback, please email me.

Richard

Dream Away Day - report back

2008-11-05T13:39:00.006Z

Last Saturday around 30 adults and children from across the Dream network spent the day together. We explored what it means to go 'deeper' as individuals and as a community.

We then started the process of looking a the possibility of Dream offering a 'rhythm of life' which some of us withing the network might want to adopt.

For those who are interested in that process (whether you were there on the day or not), there is a word document with fairly detailled summaries of all we talked about. Be warned, it's 12 pages long, but this is likely to be a core area in the development of Dream in the months and probably years ahead, so if Dream is your spiritual 'home' (or one of them) then please take some time to read through it and give any feedback either in the comments here or by emailling me.

You can download the document by clicking here.

Thanks,

Richard
Dream%20away%20day%20Nov%202008.doc

Josh hitchiked to Morocco!

2008-04-29T15:31:00.003Z

Here's a post from Josh Bennett (of Dream in Haydock)

On 27th March in the Easter holidays I and a uni friend of mine set off on a journey. Our destination? Morocco (NE Africa, south of spain across the straight of gibraltar). Our means of transport? Hitchhiking!

Although I was initially skeptical about travelling in this way, by it we managed to cross the lengths of England, France and Spain and (with the help of a few ferries) arrived in Morocco. It was an experience like no other and, amongst many other things, involved the Gendarmerie, french female wine business tycoons and tent-pitching beside the motorway.

I'm telling you all this because we did it to raise funds for Link Community Development, a charity working to improve education standards in Africa.

Please take the time to visit www.justgiving.com/joshuabennett where there is more information on the charity as well as the oppurtunity to sponsor me online. Thanks for reading!

Josh

now - dream to go 24

2008-01-30T12:59:00.000Z

What if this is it?

What if this is as good as it gets?
The "good old days" we'll look back on.

Live now.
Embrace now.
This is the only moment that truly exists.

If I lived with the awareness of Now and of God here now, life would transform.

Now counts.
Milk now... no mug it!
Trip it up, grab it by the throat and forcefully pursuade it to give up its treasures... "the kingdom of God belongs to forceful people..."

Stop excusing now.
Stop delegating it and postponing it.

Perhaps one of the biggest dangers in life is to spend my time, energy and money seeking out endless ways to distract myself from now. Maybe the kingdom if heaven is here, but I am elsewhere.

The only battles I need to fight are the ones I face right now.

Now is really happening! It's not a role-play or a practise for the real thing.
Now is the real thing.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6:34 the message)

do you want to be a star?

2007-12-04T18:11:00.000Z

Liverpool is hosting it's very own contemporary nativity play with local stars (Geoffrey Hughes, Cathy Tyson and Jennifer Ellison) and music from Liverpool greats (The Beatles, The La's, The Zutons, etc). It'll be broadcast live on BBC3 (from 8pm on Sunday 16th December) and repeated later on BBC2. I blogged about it 'here' with a link to the BBC press release.

We've been approached to see if anyone from the Dream network wants to take part as an extra in the Herod scene, which will be at St George's Hall. Are you interested?... If so, you'll need to be available for rehearsals on 13th and 14th of December in the evening (from 7pm) and the afternoons of 15th and 16th December (around 2 - 9pm each day, which includes the actual performance on the Sunday).

The BBC need to know pretty sharpish as to who wants to be involved, so if you're keen and can make the rehearsals (or at least, most of them) drop me an email as soon as possible (if you don't have my email address leave a comment here or email Richard!)

Malcolm

Jesus never spoke to prostitues - dream to go 23

2007-11-28T14:33:00.000Z

I’m a Reverend you know. It says so on my credit card, and also on a bit of paper a bishop once gave me. Most of the time I avoid the title – I mean it doesn’t really suit my rugged good looks and street cred lifestyle. But sometimes I quite enjoy it. Like on those days when I’m feeling insignificant and overlooked.

Only problem is, Jesus abolished ‘status’. Seriously, he scrapped it. He even arranged an ancient powerpoint illustration as the curtain in the temple that separated the professional holy people from the others ripped apart when he died.

Jesus started a new community where there are no VIPs. Where children, the homeless and the elderly get as much status as doctors, directors, and archbishops. In the early days they took it really seriously. They even made the rich people sit in the worst seats as a reminder.

But soon the rot began to creep back in. Those who were leaders (Jesus had called them 'servants' – the cleaners and cooks for the community) reinvented priesthood – or gave it new names like 'senior pastor'. Those who were followers happily colluded, welcoming the chance to confirm their nobody-ness and escape the responsibilities of “ministry”.

Of course we need different gifts and roles. And of course there are tools for the job. But does the size of the house, office or car reflect a valid need? Or is it just one more attempt to keep the wretched system going and keep the radical words of Jesus at bay?

Someone said that Jesus never spoke to prostitutes* – because he didn’t see them that way. He saw them as precious women made in God’s image. He saw them as sisters, and the daughters of his father. That's status!

(*I stole this wonderful line from a wonderful book called the irresistible revolution)

dream to go 22 - do it badly

2007-11-14T16:33:00.000Z

If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly (G K Chesterton)

Don’t wait to start. Don’t wait to be perfect. Don’t wait to be good at it. Don’t even wait to be average. Pretty well everything that is really and deeply important in life is worth doing, even if the best you can do is to do it badly.

Get stuck in. Get your hands dirty. Get your nose bloody.
Do it with all your heart and strength even if that is only good enough to do it badly.

Jesus told us to do lots of things. I am bad at almost all of them. But I’m going to do them, even if I make a fool of myself in the process. I’m going to love God and you and other people. I’m going to pray. I’m going to give lots away. I’m going to give up destructive living. I’m going to resist evil.

It will really help me to keep doing those things, if you are willing to have a go to, and to do them even if badly, rather than wait until you are somehow good.

Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? (1 Corinthians 1:26)

Dreamfields

2007-11-13T15:23:00.000Z

Well I loved getting together with nearly forty of you (including seven children) for our retreat day at strawberry field.

For those who couldn’t make it, you missed

-Chaos over caffettieres

-Malcolm’s brand sparkling new Mac powerbook crashing first time it tried to play a video (no I’m not secretly laughing at all)

-Me ‘preaching’ naked twice (you’ll have to ask someone!)

-Seven lifesize murder-scene type outline drawings of the children.

Seriously it was lovely to be together for a day and to build new friendships. The day was relaxed. The worship was intimate. The commitment to one another and to this crazy thing God’s drawn us into tangible.
There seemed to be a keenness to do this sort of thing again before too long (not sure yet how long is too long).

Thanks to everyone who came and took part.

richard w

Dream Retreat Day (+ children’s programme)

2007-10-23T09:34:00.000Z

On Saturday 10th November we’re running a Dream network retreat day at Strawberry Field.

Our theme will be Improve your love life!

We’ll be looking at …

-Devotion
-Friendship
-Passion

…as we reflect on growing in love for God, each other and the world around us.

The day will include teaching but also plenty of time for personal reflection, discussion and prayer.

Times: 10am – 3pm (byo lunch, drinks provided)

There’s no charge for the day but we’ll make a donation to Strawberry Field so bring some money.

We’re really excited that for children aged 5-14, ‘Pure Creative Arts School’ are going to run an event for the day exploring similar themes. Cost £10 per child (subsidised by Dream). If you’d like to bring one or more children please let me know asap (by 30th Oct)

Please email to let me know if you are coming.

You can find Strawberry Field here on google maps, but I’ll send better directions nearer the time.

I'm really excited about the day - got a feeling it's going to be special,

richard w

Dream in Ormskirk

2007-10-03T08:47:00.000Z

A new Dream group is starting tonight in Ormskirk. We're hoping that as well as connecting with the 'locals' it will be a helpful spiritual resource for students at Edge Hill. We'll meet at Ormskirk parish church at 8pm (drinks available from 7.30pm)

We have three gatherings in the diary so far.

-3rd Oct (tonight) - Beginnings

-31st Oct (Halloween) Bad Dream – The living dead!

-28th Nov - The Waiting Room

Releasing Creativity

2007-10-02T16:52:00.000Z

One of the signs of a healthy community is the releasing of all kinds of creativity. When we create, we honour God, since he is creative, and we are made in his image.

Not only does the act of creating honour God, but when the fruits of our creativity are offered in worship, or in service to others, we bless God and build his Kingdom even more.

I've been around Dream for a while, and it has offered many of us a great outlet for our creative energies. For me that's mostly been in digital art so far, but more recently in music too.

1) Thanks to some wonderful new music software (Ableton Live 6 LE), I've rediscovered a vein of musical creativity, and I'm going to post some of it, especially tunes that might be useful to others looking for resources for worship.

So here is the first of what I can sense is a new creative direction - you can listen to it here - I've called it "Distant Voices". I hope you enjoy it, but more than than I hope it finds a place in worshipping our Maker and drawing those around us to worship him too.

2) For some time now, I've had a growing desire to pass on some of my own skills and experience to others, to play my part in releasing the often untapped creative gifts in the body of Christ.

I would love it if even 2 or 3 other people discovered that they love doing this stuff too, and it turn, want to offer it in worship, and multiply it on to others.

If you have ideas about how that might happen, maybe you could leave a comment?

Thanks
Richard L

core

2007-10-01T20:46:00.000Z

We've simplified the page that explains our four "core" values. Hopefully the new one carries the same content but in a clearer more easily digested way.

Do add any comments or reactions.

dream to go 21 - Give us your money!

2007-09-28T18:00:00.000Z

Honestly, we want your money…. so hand it over.

Why on earth would I give my hard earned money away?
We’re really into “spiritual disciplines” in Dream. They’re ancient practises that flow from the teachings of Jesus. They help to change us from the inside as we learn to align our lives with God. We talk about some of them a lot – like silence, time out, prayer and meditation. We haven’t talked about giving money a lot because it’s a bit taboo in our culture, but we should because Jesus talked about it more than all the other ones! He said it was a key to our hearts and to really learning to trust God.

How much should I give away?
Down the ages lots of followers of Christian spirituality have given 10% of their income away as a basic guide. Others said that was just a silly old fashioned rule and God deserved a lot more than that! As a principle give a proportion regularly rather than just on a whim. As a spiritual discipline it seems to work most powerfully when we give until it hurts a bit and then give some more until it stops hurting and we start enjoying it.

Should I give it all to Dream?
No! We don’t deserve it and we aren’t the most important cause out there… there are people dying of hunger for goodness sake! Give lots to them. Also for loads of people involved, their main spiritual home is their local church, so that deserves the lion’s share of their giving. Maybe you could just pray and ask God to help you decide what proportion of your giving, if any should go to dream.

What will Dream spend it on?
Tea lights! Not really because the materials and running costs of each individual group are met by that group, so it’s the central network expenses we need to find. That’s mostly Richard’s half salary (because I’m worth it) and central stuff like network events, the website, etc. It all comes to around £20k per year.

Ok how do I give?
We've added a new section to our website just for you.

blue like jazz

2007-09-26T14:35:00.000Z

Just finished reading (Richard Lyall's copy of) Blue Like Jazz by Donald Millar. It came out a few years ago and I heard about it then but never got around to getting a copy.

It is BRILLIANT. Well written. Hilarious (kind of Rob Bell meets Woody Allen). Deeply challenging and extremely easy to read. I notoriously start book and never finish them (I have around fifteen on the go at the moment) but I got through this in no time.

Buy it!

St Hildas

2007-09-20T10:08:00.000Z

This lunchtime, we're doing a little dream style 'thing' for some of the students at St Hildas secondary school.

The idea is that some people might like to start meeting as a dream group each Thursday lunchtime, working towards a creative worship time once a month. We'll see how it emerges...

Hey if you read this and were there we'd love your comments on this blog.

-What did you think?

-Was it good, rubbish, helpful, useful?

-How would you like to see it develop?

plugged into lectio again

2007-09-04T08:41:00.000Z

One of the most refreshing parts of the Summer hols for me was being offline in a cottage that didn't even have a mobile signal... just what I needed once I got over the withdrawal symptoms!

It's always nice though to reconnect. Clear the 500 emails (mostly spam for services and substances that I really don't want or need thank you), say hello on facebook and start reading the bible as a community.

Well done to those of you who kept going with Lectio over the Summer. I didn't, but I'm looking forward to the next term's journey through Mark together.

btw the next reading is always posted on a Wednesday, I can't remember why. If anyone has a good reason for preferring a different day, it's easily changed.

Greenbelt

2007-08-29T09:25:00.000Z

There were fifteen or so people from Dream at Greenbelt which was fantastic - I was only able to get there for the Sunday.

The service we led seemed to go well. Perhaps we should have added to our risk assesment that after asking people to remove their shoes early in the service, when it came to the part where I smash the mirrors people had written on with a hammer, I would do two normal taps then a third massive crash sending shards of broken glass across me and the carpet!! (I realise now that the lump hammer on the day was a lot more powerful that the one I used before).

Thankfully it turned out that Ellen Louden who has been part of our "online" community was the 'official' on hand and she was VERY gracious (thank you Ellen, a drink on me next time you're around here.. in a safe plastic cup maybe?)

Did anyone take some nice snaps of the service and greenbelt as a whole? Do add them to our group photo album on the main dream website, or the facebook group and tell us here in the comments. Also love to hear any other feedback.

And a massive thank you to everyone who worked to put the whole thing together. Malcolm as always coordinated this big part of the Dream year brilliantly, but I reckon his job was made much easier by the fantastic shared effort.

Signs of Freedom

2007-08-02T08:41:00.000Z

Another wonderful post from naked pastor's blog.

I just had to copy it here in full. I'm sure he won't mind.

If you want to be free you must:

1. no longer worry about money

2. no longer worry about attendance

3. speak only what you know to be the truth

4. be yourself always without apologies

5. allow others the freedom to make their own choices

6. do not exclude anyone; include everyone

7. call bulls**t when you see or hear it

8. coerce no one ever for anything, no matter how important

9. do not cling to anything or anyone

10. trust God for the future in all things