Sunday 15th November 2009
Pause for Thought…
When you read this I will either be in, on the way back from, or be back from Belfast. Belfast I hear you say. Yes Belfast and I went leaving my family at home. No. I wasn’t being selfish; I was undertaking not only a fact finding assignment but also some spiritual feeding.
I took the pleasure of attending a Men’s Christian Conference called ‘Mandate.’ Sorry ladies - it’s for men only ( but look out; Jo is arranging a trip to Harrogate for a women’s conference in the New Year).
If we look at statistics, which sometimes totally lose me, it is evident that men are missing from the UK churches. My questions have always been: ‘Why?’ and ‘How do we change these statistics?’
It’s always been a great saying ‘that if you bring a lady to church you may get the children, but if you bring a man to church you will usually bring his whole family.
So this fact finding assignment to Belfast, what was it all about? It was about seeing how we can develop a church’s understanding of how we need to be relevant to men and their faith.
If you talk to a man about love and commitment it is usually about football and family. You can’t usually have that same discussion about Jesus because it’s not manly.
So how do we reach out to the hundreds of men in our society? I don’t know the answer yet, but I’m working on it.
With love and prayers, Richard
Please pray…
… for the sick:
Christine Smith and Stern Hughes.
… for the continuing recovery of:
Simon Beilby, Bill Owen, Michael Read and Oliver Shaw.
… for the housebound:
Pat McGregor, Mary Bell, Muriel Cunnington, Geoffrey Oates, David Gagg and Nora Mason.
… for the bereaved relatives of:
Rhodora Dunn and Tim Handley.
… for those who live on: Church Way and Churchill Road.
Second Sunday before Advent
(15th November 2009)
Sunday Service:
10.30 Holy Communion Daniel 12 1-3 (p.898)
Mark 13 1-8 (p.1019)
Wednesday
10.30 Holy Communion Luke 19 11-28 (p.1053) 6.00 WOW Psalm 107 (p.610)
Please join us at 6pm for fellowship, with worship beginning at 6.45pm, followed by a short study on the Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness.
Collect
Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son was revealed to destroy the works of the devil and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life: grant that we, having this hope, may purify ourselves even as he is pure; that when he shall appear in power and great glory we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
For your diary…
November
19th 1030 Amphion Lodge
1400 Walton Grange
1445 Amphion View
21st 1830 Labyrinth (St Andrew’s)
22nd 1030 Morning Prayer
(Isaiah 32 1-8/Revelation 3 7--end)
28th 0900 Garden Tidy-Up (Bacon butties!)
Labyrinth …
You are invited to spend time on reflection, prayer and fellowship walking through the labyrinth and sharing refreshments at St Andrew's Church Hall from 6.30 pm on Sat. 21st Nov.
Welcome …
Garry Ion, our CMS Mission Partner, will be with us next Sunday morning. Please join us to meet him or renew a friendship, and listen to what he has to say about serving God in Sudan and Uganda.
Christmas Fayre…
If you are interested in helping on Saturday 12th December, please speak to Jo Radley.