Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
COMMUNICATE!
‘How?’ was the curt reply. Nathan badly needed some answers.
One night he was feeling so desperate that he turned up at
the Farm. He found Noel and Rufus very helpful. Over a period
of months they talked things through; Nathan, rash, confused,
defensive, trying to understand himself; Noel and Rufus
quietly listening and giving help where they could. Often
Nathan rang up in the middle of the night, stoned. They understood.
At one Jesus Revolution meeting in Coventry Nathan
brought his girlfriend along. But when she started to mock,
he lost his cool. ‘I would die for these people,’ he shouted.
Realising what he’d said, he rushed backstage and wept.
The next evening he appeared with the band in Northampton
(to the delight or dismay of many). Noel invited Nathan,
Phil and two others to the parents meeting at Cornhill the
following night. He intended to focus on our community teenagers
and wanted the ‘rebels’ to speak for themselves.
Nathan’s frank sharings had alerted Noel to the acute needs
of our youth. Growing up within the ‘straight and narrow’,
some had struggled with feelings of frustration and rejection.
As they now entered maturity they needed to be trusted
and given space. Many had made friendships with older brothers
and this helped enormously to work things through outside
the family circle. Parents could often do little more than
step back and cling to God’s promises.
At the packed meeting in the King’s Room Noel spoke of
his vision for our somewhat neglected teenagers. We’d given
much to evangelism but these young men and women were
destined to be the springboard for greater things amongst
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