In my last blog I mentioned how I had attended a gambling industry event accompanied by my friend Ian A.
Up until recently Ian A led the men’s ministry at the church we both go to (the Vale of Aylesbury Vineyard church) and we both gave our testimony and were baptised in the same pool on the same day in 2010. Oddly, even though we were friends we never talked about gambling until July of last year while we were attending New Wine’s summer conference in Shepton Mallet. It turned out that Ian A has a wealth of experience in the gambling industry and now the Lord has brought us together and it seems that we each have skills that complement each other.
So Ian A and Ian B (me) went to this gambling industry event and since that occasion one memory kept coming back to me time and time again. There were hundreds of playing machines at the event, yet I only observed a handful of people playing them. Then I realised no MONEY was being used to play them. So the attraction to play had diminished and the machines were just empty shells.
What is next for us? Well, we have just completed our website which you can access at (www.gamserve.org.uk) and CVM have been absolutely great to us. We will have a table at The Gathering this month and we will be handing out pamphlets and our fact sheet and we will be showing a short 2 min promo video on Gambling in the UK. We will be easily recognisable as we will be wearing t-shirts with our logo on the front, so please don’t hesitate just come and say hello, we would appreciate your prayers as we move forward.
I am also going to be interviewed by premier Christian radio at sometime over The Gathering weekend. I was also interviewed by New-Wine radio at last year’s summer conference and that was one of the things that made me realise that reaching a big audience would need real organisation, hence the website.
So things are really getting exciting now and I pray the Lord will keep me moving forward as I follow His lead.
“God rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11.6
“For I know the plans I have for you ( declares the Lord,) plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29. 11-13
See you at the Gathering.
Blessings and Peace
Ian Bartlett
