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Showing posts from March, 2021

Word Online

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Enjoy something of Word Alive from the comfort of your own home! This year Word Alive is Word Online the strapline is 'Plug into the Word', as this is a chance to be refreshed and energised as we hear from God. There is something for everyone as you can see from our daily timetable. Tuesday 6 April – Friday 9 April Here's the basic schedule for each day; a more detailed version is available here . 4pm–4.30pm Children's meeting – Awesome Cutlery, Ed Drew, Colin Buchanan 6.30m–7.15pm Youth meeting 7.45pm–7.55pm Count Everyone In 8pm–9pm Main meeting - with talks by David Cook on Proverbs and music by Olly Knight There are also sessions for international students running throughout the day – more information here . Seminar Tracks in April & May The Word Online continues after Word Alive week itself. Starting on Monday 12 April 3 seminar tracks  will run weekly for 5 sessions, ending with a live Q&A with the speaker. Three outstanding speake...

GOD IS BIGGER - IN LEGO!

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    A very loud and noisy video for the children! GOD IS BIGGER!

Weekend of Wonder!

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A resource that is full of great ways to explore the Easter story with children over a whole weekend! Starting with a 'Meal with Jesus' on Good Friday, it then takes you on a 'Walk with Jesus' on the Saturday before focusing on celebrating that he is alive on Easter Day. Download the Pdf or see images below

Caring for the carers

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Roger Hitchings spoke on Dementia at one of the last Equip sessions we held before lockdown began. In this article he reflects on the impact that the past year has had on those who are carers or work in the social care field and how we as a church can look out for them. Read article 

Reaching your neighbours - the Mezei's front window!

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It feels like yesterday we were doing Christmas in our house. Last year we so enjoyed getting ready for it, celebrating Advent, probably the proper way for the first time. Lockdown has its uses J ! As Lent came round we asked ourselves why we give more importance to Advent and not to Lent. Surely both are as important! Both are amazing news for humanity. So we decided to do Advent the ‘right’ way this year. Of course, with a one and four year old, it might look a lot different to how others celebrate it, but we found ways to involve everyone in our family and to make it meaningful. In December, like others in the church, we made use of our front window to make a giant nativity scene. Let’s just say that if anyone had any doubts we were Christians, they now knew better! The kids so enjoyed making it and adding to it as Advent progressed (although Clara was not too sure she liked her baby doll in the window!). But most of all we loved seeing people stop to look at the scene and read ...

Staying Salty

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Watch again our recent housegroup session on 'Staying Salty' If you want to think further about the themes raised why not take a look at the book that is mentioned. 'Stay Salt' by Rebecca Manley Pippert

Giving voice to the grief of miscarriage

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Whilst some will anticipate celebrating Mother's Day (Sunday 14th) with great joy, others will step into the day in the shadow of a loss and grief that is often hidden or silent.  Andrew Peterson and his wife experienced a traumatic miscarriage in the early years of their marriage, here he reads a liturgy for those who have suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth. This is taken from 'Every Moment Holy Vol 2' by Douglas McKelvey.  The full script can be downloaded   A liturgy for those who have suffered miscarriage of stillbirth Leader: O Christ Who Gathered Children in Your Arms, You know our ache. You know this void no human words can fill. You understand this grief for our little one, lost while in the womb. You were witness to our rising joy. You saw our crumbling hope. Now you behold our sinking sorrow. People: Christ, be merciful, for we are frail. And in our frailty we have suffered such loss. Heavenly Father, see what room our love had already carv...

The power of three words!

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'I believe you' Several weeks ago Krish Kandiah helped us begin to reflect on the evils of racism.  Today we have the opportunity to enter into the story of one woman's experience and hear the power of just three words - 'I believe you'. Read 'Hard conversations and the Power of Belief. '

A prayer for times of uncertainity

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Seasons of Uncertainty Listen to this prayer, taken from Every Moment Holy Vol 2, being read by Kristen Getty or ponder the words below. In the midst of whatever follows, O Lord, let me meet your mercies anew, and anew, and anew. In the midst of my dismay, fix my eyes again and again upon your eternal promises. How this ends—that is up to you. If the next news is favourable, I will praise you for the ongoing gift of life. If tomorrow’s tidings are worse, still will I proclaim your goodness, my heart anchored ever more firmly in the eternal joys you have set before me. And when, whether days or decades from now, you finally bid me rise and follow you across the last valley, I will rejoice in your faithfulness even there. Especially there— praying Thy will be done, and trusting by faith that it will be done. That it is being done. Even now. Even in this disquiet. I am utterly yours, O Christ. In the midst of this uncertainty, I abandon myself again to you, the author and...

'All of our tomorrows'

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Take a moment to give thanks that our hope is not based on good intentions or easing restrictions but our days are held in the hands of a loving heavenly Father. Sit back and turn up the volume! This spinning world by Your own hand Hurls ever on around the sun The seasons march at Your command The old departs, the new year comes And though celestial is Your gaze You search and care for all our ways We offer up to You this day And all of our tomorrows May zealous youth and cautious age Determine not the steps we choose Great Shepherd, guide us through each day Oh, how we want to follow You Come Living Way, our way make clear Let perfect love drive out our fear Be Thou our vision, now and here And all of our tomorrows When winter makes us reminisce Of warmer days so distant now Of cherished saints the sun once kissed Whose beauty passed behind the clouds Let all our fond and longing tears Remind us we are pilgrims here We trust You, Sovereign of our years With all of our tomorrow...

Little Me Big God

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Introducing a resource for Bible storytimes with toddlers