Anyone who follows this blog or occasionally drops by, or hears of anything, Grace Church related will know that we are currently looking for a permanent home from which we can serve the community and reach out with the gospel more effectively. Having exhausted current buildings, such as office and retail spaces, as regards a new home and been told 'No' at every stage we had contacted Peel Holdings who own much of the land around Hayfield. However, last week we heard back from them that they had no suitable spaces available for us to use. This was immensely frustrating as they pretty much seem to own Hayfield.
So where now? Firstly, we have contacted our local MP who has written to both Peel and the local authority about our need of premises from which to serve the community. She has promised to be in contact once she hears back. We are very grateful to God for her advocacy on our behalf and will continue to pray for her as she serves our community.
Secondly we are going to put some feelers out and enquire about the price of land that is for sale around about us just to gauge prices, though we fear it will be exorbitant due to the airport. We do all of this grateful to God for the security we enjoy at the school where we meet and aware that we need to seek his will and trust his purposes and timing. As a church we covet the prayers of God's people for our situation and our future.
Showing posts with label need. Show all posts
Showing posts with label need. Show all posts
Thursday, 18 August 2016
Friday, 18 January 2013
We sleep because we forget we are in a war.
In Gospel Group last night we used this quote to try to fire some discussion:
“Church is not a sleepy, comfy lounge in which you pick out your favourite chair and relax, taking a breather from the pressures of everyday life. It is a barracks where soldiers get trained and equipped and help one another sharpen their weapons and put on their equipment ready to go back out into battle."
It lead to an interesting and honest discussion about how we don't approach church like that because we don't view out life as being like that. We forget that we are in a spiritual battle, we get lulled into a false sense of security and simply breeze along confident that we will just muddle through. So when we come to church it is with no sense of urgency, no real sense of needing this to get me through another week. Is it because we are sure we will be at church again next week, is it because we hide away from the war that rages around us and don't feel the pressure, is it because we are most middle class and move in those polite circles.
I find myself, therefore, praying today both for myself, our church and the church in the UK that God would make me desperate to hear the word of God, to meet with and know the encouragement and brotherhood of the people of God, and aware again of my need of him to make it through everyday as he works in me to change me and make me more like Jesus. Prayer is not safe and that is certainly not a safe prayer to pray because it may mean God making me and us uncomfortable in order to make us dependent (see Isaiah 1-5).
“Church is not a sleepy, comfy lounge in which you pick out your favourite chair and relax, taking a breather from the pressures of everyday life. It is a barracks where soldiers get trained and equipped and help one another sharpen their weapons and put on their equipment ready to go back out into battle."
It lead to an interesting and honest discussion about how we don't approach church like that because we don't view out life as being like that. We forget that we are in a spiritual battle, we get lulled into a false sense of security and simply breeze along confident that we will just muddle through. So when we come to church it is with no sense of urgency, no real sense of needing this to get me through another week. Is it because we are sure we will be at church again next week, is it because we hide away from the war that rages around us and don't feel the pressure, is it because we are most middle class and move in those polite circles.
I find myself, therefore, praying today both for myself, our church and the church in the UK that God would make me desperate to hear the word of God, to meet with and know the encouragement and brotherhood of the people of God, and aware again of my need of him to make it through everyday as he works in me to change me and make me more like Jesus. Prayer is not safe and that is certainly not a safe prayer to pray because it may mean God making me and us uncomfortable in order to make us dependent (see Isaiah 1-5).
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Perspective People
Its not often I sit and watch the news at 10 but last night I did and I was utterly appalled. One of the main stories was about Britain's commitment to pay for vaccines for pneumonia and diarrhoea for developing nations in the world, I was pleased that we were not cutting our commitments.
But what appalled me was the snippets of interviews with the public and the way people spoke of needing to look after ourselves first. It shows how tragically we live in a bubble that assumes we at the moment are not well off! I know the recession has had an impact on the lives of many, but lets not kid ourselves that Britain is impoverished; as many people feel the pinch they are buying cheaper alternatives when shopping, or they are cutting back their gym membership, or going to one car or whatever other measures they are having to take. Some people have been affected very badly and are having to make major adjustments and are experiencing real hardship but not the majority of us. And even so it will not put the lives of our children in danger from pneumonia or diarrhoea!
It illustrated again how ungrateful we are, how we assume that a high standard of living is our right, our normal standard of living, and the utter sinful selfishness that dominates our hearts and therefore our society and skews our perspective on justice and fairness. As Christians we need to have God's heart for the poor and support the giving of aid to help those less well off than us, it is a small beginning in easing need and sharing our plenty with those who have little.
But what appalled me was the snippets of interviews with the public and the way people spoke of needing to look after ourselves first. It shows how tragically we live in a bubble that assumes we at the moment are not well off! I know the recession has had an impact on the lives of many, but lets not kid ourselves that Britain is impoverished; as many people feel the pinch they are buying cheaper alternatives when shopping, or they are cutting back their gym membership, or going to one car or whatever other measures they are having to take. Some people have been affected very badly and are having to make major adjustments and are experiencing real hardship but not the majority of us. And even so it will not put the lives of our children in danger from pneumonia or diarrhoea!
It illustrated again how ungrateful we are, how we assume that a high standard of living is our right, our normal standard of living, and the utter sinful selfishness that dominates our hearts and therefore our society and skews our perspective on justice and fairness. As Christians we need to have God's heart for the poor and support the giving of aid to help those less well off than us, it is a small beginning in easing need and sharing our plenty with those who have little.
Sunday, 28 December 2008
Africa Needs God!
Matthew Parris is a well known Atheist so I always look out for his column in the Times. I have to say I wasn't expecting what I found though.
“Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it’s Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.
It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I’ve been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I’ve been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.
Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good…”
To read the rest of the article click here.
The gospel is as true is Britain, as life changing, as dynamic, as necessary as it is Africa.
“Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it’s Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.
It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I’ve been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I’ve been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.
Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good…”
To read the rest of the article click here.
The gospel is as true is Britain, as life changing, as dynamic, as necessary as it is Africa.
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Praying for wisdom to take the right opportunities
In modern England it is a privilege to be in a position of having too many opportunities. It has struck me that we live in a time of unrivalled opportunity in one sense. In many places old peoples homes are welcoming of Churches putting on afternoon services because so many of their residents grew up in church. They need to hear the gospel and it is an opportunity we must take.
But on the other hand there seem to be lots of opportunities in schools to be involved in assemblies and to deliver RE. Again another opportunity which we pass up at our peril. But which is very different because so many of these youngsters have no other contact with the gospel or with those who genuinely have faith that changes them.
In a world with so many opportunities - all those in between those mentioned above - we need to pray that God would give us wisdom in where we allocate resources and time, we need to find out what our peoples and our own passion is for and where we are best equipped by God's spirit to plant, water and reap the seed.
But on the other hand there seem to be lots of opportunities in schools to be involved in assemblies and to deliver RE. Again another opportunity which we pass up at our peril. But which is very different because so many of these youngsters have no other contact with the gospel or with those who genuinely have faith that changes them.
In a world with so many opportunities - all those in between those mentioned above - we need to pray that God would give us wisdom in where we allocate resources and time, we need to find out what our peoples and our own passion is for and where we are best equipped by God's spirit to plant, water and reap the seed.
Monday, 19 March 2007
Good or bad?
I was reading the paper on Saturday and there was a two thirds of a page advert reminding me to buy my mum something for mother's day just in case I'd forgotten - which I hadn't by the way. Calling on me to celebrate love, self sacrifice and dedication, in short reminding me to celebrate everything that is good about humanity.
The irony was that sat next to it was a 2 column, 3 or 4 paragraph story reporting on a young mum and dad who had been sentenced for killing their 11 month old through neglect, the little girl had starved to death.
A reminder to celebrate all that is good but also a reminder of everything that is bad about our world. It is right to celebrate what is good but the bad is never far away, a reminder of the fallenness of the world and our need of God's gospel to save and change us.
The irony was that sat next to it was a 2 column, 3 or 4 paragraph story reporting on a young mum and dad who had been sentenced for killing their 11 month old through neglect, the little girl had starved to death.
A reminder to celebrate all that is good but also a reminder of everything that is bad about our world. It is right to celebrate what is good but the bad is never far away, a reminder of the fallenness of the world and our need of God's gospel to save and change us.
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