Extra church meeting

There's some stuff on the website here about the extra church meeting taking place after the service on the 9th September.

Refreshments and childcare will be available.

Summer in the Community

I was going to post this two days ago but I guess better late than never.

Several churches have been hosting the "Summer in the Community" event for the past two days and it will be on again tomorrow. There's free fun for kids who are almost at the end of their Summer holidays. Bouncy castles, face painting etc. are all happening outside HMV.

It's a great opportunity to provide a service, make conversation and maybe even a contact of two.

It's not too late to check it out if you're down that way and it's certainly not too late to pray...

Happy Birthday to you

Hazel let slip on her blog that not only is it her birthday today but quite a significant milestone too.

So I thought I'd share that with you all and here's wishing you, Hazel, a wonderful day.

Promised link

Just got back from a week in sunny Norfolk (most days anyway) and I've found the web evangelism link I mentioned a post or two ago. The website is here and the newsletter which you can subscribe to is here.

A lot of it is relevant to America but there are some useful points here and there...

We need to do more of this

Some time ago we were brainstorming about how to interact more with each other and with our neighbours, and I shared how I was trying to establish more contact with our care group, particularly with some young families.

Our home group had an end-of-session 'Just Desserts' evening to which we invited all our care group, but the response was very poor. Did any other groups have a better response?

On a more successful and encouraging note, however, one member of our home group who herself has young children invited Robin and myself and two other couples and their children for tea and cake one Saturday afternoon. We were blessed with good weather, and the children all played happily in the garden while the adults chatted and got to know one another better.

We need to do this more! Perhaps some people will always avoid bigger gatherings, but might respond to a more individual, less formal approach. The same format would work just as easily with our non-church-going neigbours.

Has anybody else got any experiences to share?

a seasoned blogger

I just thought I'd alert you to a seasoned blogger in our midst.

Hazel has a wonderful blog of her own here which is dedicated to her other passion of crafting. Check it out and be prepared to be amazed at the glorious cards she makes and in particular, at the wonderful comments she always receives from fellow crafters. I've always thought it is a fantastic example of people really connecting with a shared love of doing the same thing.

Anyway today she and a team of crafty Christians (not in the sense that they are anyway sneaky you understand) from around the world have launched their own blog called the Salt Faith Challenge blog which challenges people to produce something creative and post it - I think that's right but you'll have to check it out for yourself. The first challenge is 'Praise.'

I also subscribe to an online newsletter called Web Evangelism (I've temporarily lost the link but if I find it I'll post it.) and what Hazel is doing is exactly how they suggest we should be using the web to connect with people and share with them. Just join in a conversation on a forum or set up your own blog (it suggests not a Christian one because only Christians read those!) and through that chat about life in general. I love some of the comments on Hazel's blog that ask how she manages to do it - maybe they'll catch a glimpse of that.

All this challenges me and although I can't post a card on their site (although you never know) I will certainly be praying for her and her venture - won't you join me...

Scripture meme

Lorna, others, If you wanted to read the posts that Liz refers to then Simon's is here and Jonathan's is here

Welcome aboard

Hi Brenda

I'm really glad you made it here and look forward to hearing from you soon...

Jeremiah 11:29

It is very difficult to pick out one verse, but this one has certainly been a key one for me:

Jeremiah 11:29 '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 hope and a future.'

In 1984 my Dad gave me a New Year present of a tear-off block calendar and at the start of the year this was the verse that was given. I tore off the sheet and put it in my Bible. For me 1984 was quite a difficult one, but a year in which God blessed me so much. I felt that in many ways it was a turning point. As year followed year, this verse has kept with me and I have been very much aware of God's promises for me whatever the circumstances.

I could tell of many answers to prayer that confirmed this and certainly God's plans for me were revealed when John and I got together and married in 1991.

This verse starts with 'For I know ...' and many of my favourite verses start with either this or 'For we know ...' (look them up - there are many). When things are difficult and it's hard to see what God's plans are it has been a comfort and encouragement to me that He knows. One of the most famous 'And we know ...' verses is Romans 8:28. These three words are so important, because sometimes we quote the verse without them - for me, they are vital.

Encouragement indeed

Thanks for your comment, Roy and I'm putting the verses up here in full because they are encouragement indeed...

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:5-6

By the way if you've yet to discover Biblegateway where this came from, it really is worth checking out for loads of Bible translations and increasingly more commentaries too. In fact I quote 'The Bible Gateway is a tool for reading and researching scripture online -- all in the language or translation of your choice! It provides advanced searching capabilities, which allow readers to find and compare particular passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.'

So there you go...

Scripture meme

Jonathan and Simon have both posted (admittedly a while back) a verse or story of Scripture which is important to them, which they find themselves re-visiting time after time.

They make for really interesting reading and it set me thinking about what Bible verses have particular meaning for me. Loads, I'm afraid, and it's hard to pick one. However that's a bit of a cop out so I'd have to say a verse that has strengthened me, particularly at difficult times is Isaiah 40:31

'...but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength,

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not faint.'

It's a reminder to me to be patient and to trust in the One who is unchanging and to draw on his divine strength for everything - usually easier said than done!

Anyway the way is works is this, I tag you lot, that's Linda, Karen, Phil, pixie, Hazel, Mike, Bob, Ruth and David, Anthony, Roy, Lorna, Dave and Michelle and anyone else who reads this - to do the same...

I therefore look forward to reading your posts about a verse or story which has particular meaning to you!

Sunday's church meeting

I thought we had a very useful discussion at our lunch time church meeting today and that this format is very suitable for discussing these kinds of issues. However, we clearly ran out of time and were unable to cover other important matters.

Maybe we need to have a rethink about the frequency of these meetings as it is not practical to make them longer. Perhaps we could have some occasional Wednesday evening meetings as well to cover more routine matters and use the lunch time meetings for issues that need more in-depth discussion. This would allow people who can't be there Sunday lunch time the opportunity also to be involved.

What do others think?