It’s the beginning of September. I am not camping in a field in Shropshire.
The transition process has gone to a whole new level.
If you are wondering why I WOULD be camping in a field in September you must not be acquainted with UCCF’s Forum conference – happening this week! Let me introduce you.
Friend, meet Forum. Forum is a massive, muddy, student-riddled, grace saturated, Christ permeated, training fest – a week poured out in teaching and training, in relationships and resources; students sent back to their Universities spilling over with grace-received, ready to proclaim grace-given.
Oh….and hundreds of students camping in a field in Shropshire!
And of course the sun always shines….well at least that was mostly my experience. I managed to miss the famous ‘John-Piper-almost-got-swept-away-in-a-river-of-mud’ year. Though I am sure even that year everyone was glad to be there. Because Forum is like that. It is good to be there.
Memories and futures have been forged there. I am sure I am not the only one who feels like so many of their life priorities were shaped in a field in Shropshire.
And I am sad to not be there this year, but praying for all those who are there right now.
And so, in the spirit of trnasitioning well, here are my top 10 memories of Forum:
1. Being there as a student, a relay worker and a staff worker and finding that whoever you are, whatever your role, you need Jesus just the same.
2. A gazebo falling on Rob in the night and him not noticing til the morning when he heard people’s voices outside: ‘is there someone IN that tent??’
3. My first ever meeting (as a Staff Worker) with Swansea students in the Forum cafe: me and Katherine Beard (now Kist) making a desert island out of plastercine while Lara and Tiff discussed important CU things – a sign of things to come!
4. My first ever Forum as a student in 2004 – realising that Jesus dying on the cross was ‘a big deal’! Getting to share this with Melinda, who later became my Relay supervisor.
5. Sleeping in the big marquee with these jokers for the purposes of protecting the technical equipment:
(What help we would have been in the event of an actual break-in I have no idea!!)
6. Leading Seminars – managing to convince Cat that we should ‘dress up as internationals’ for our seminar on running an International Cafe. I personally think it added to the ambiance.
7. The only time in the year when I managed to stay up past midnight for late-night chats – perhaps just once, but all the same….hardcore!
8. The time spent getting to know people who would inspire me and point me to Jesus for years to come.
9. Having my focus shifted beyond the UK – with loads of mission organisations in the Hub exhibition tent and the night of World Prayer.
10. Definitely not the toilets. The toilets were unremarkable. I can’t even remember them. UCCF – take note: this is a definite area for improvement. New Word Alive paved the way this year with their ‘posh portaloos’, I hope to hear of something similar in place at Forum in the near future.
New Word Alive’s ‘Posh Portaloos’
Redeeming Clouds 
Love this Ali! So glad we could share some Forum Moments together. The hat wearing and the staying inside the big tent were my fav! At one point I think we thought there was someone walking on the roof of the tent!!
I couldn’t find a photo of the hat wearing incident Cat – do you have one? I thought one of us took one on our phones – looked everywhere though and don’t seem to have it!