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t gives me
great joy to report that there has been quite a lot happening in the parish
over the last couple of months. It has been both exciting and encouraging, and
it is wonderful to be able to inform you that our first Healing Service held on
September 21 was very well received by all who attended. Because of that wonderful
response, it will continue on a regular basis.
Our
Soup & Sandwich outreach has reached its first birthday, which has been
well covered in the Weekly Beacon and
on our website. I am proud to say that it has been a huge success and I am
reminded by this passage from James 2:14-17:
What good is it, my brothers, if someone
says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a
brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you
says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the
things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it
does not have works, is dead.
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hose words are a
wonderful reminder to keep reaching out into our community, bringing as many
people as possible into closer contact with the love of Christ. I would like to
take this opportunity to express a great deal of thanks to Nigel Hall for the
fantastic work he does in putting all our events out into cyberspace through
the many different social media networks, This, together with the work done by
Peter Surridge on the Weekly Beacon,
goes a very long way in getting our message out into the community; so a big ‘well
done’ to them both.
We
are now into the third week of our Bacon Butty Brunch initiative, which takes
place on Tuesdays at 10.30am in the Church Centre. Again, this is a direct
outreach into the community which is moving along quite steadily and gaining
more popularity. Please do try and come along to support us, and if you are
able, perhaps bring a neighbour or friend who may well enjoy the company.
Scripture give us a good directive when it says in Ephesians 2:10:
For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk
in them.
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ontinuing on a positive
theme, our Deanery Songs of Praise Service was very well attended and was given
an encouraging response from Archdeacon Mike. It was good to have a larger
congregation than on previous occasions and that it was well received by all
who supported the event. A big thank-you must go to our ladies for providing
wonderful refreshments after the service.
Messy
Church has been launched with a wonderful response from the community, with all
the thanks going to everyone involved. It takes a lot of time and planning to
get such a response as we achieved on Saturday, October 18. We had 175 parents
and children involved in playing games, messy crafts and worship, all on the exciting
theme “Jesus is the light of the world,” and I would like to thank Peter Ham
and Jane Langley for the immense work that they both did.
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rowing a church
involves many different aspects and different talents and it is really
wonderful to see those many different talents being used to grow God’s Kingdom
here within our church.
We
are told in 1 Peter 4:10:
As each has received a gift, use it to
serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.
To
see 105 children really enjoying themselves in church and having such good fun
is a great sign for the future and I can’t wait until January to carry on the
good work of Messy Church (date to be announced).
Your friend,
Rev’d Paul
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