COMMUNITY CHURCH

The last Sunday in the month is given to us to engage in taking the church into the community, and that is always done through various way. This month all three areas were encouraged to come together and meet as church over food and fellowship on the new estate in South Willesborough. A good number shared, and we enjoyed a picnic. There was also opportunity to chat with some of our kingdom kids and other children, and we concluded with some prayer walking within the community, where we recognised the amazing priviledge it was for us to be praying for God's People. Thank you to District Pastor Lyn for arranging this, and to the other district pastors and community church areas in coming together to take The Light to these people. Next month - FIREWORKS, at Envoy Vals.

SUNDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2007

Despite quite a number not being able to share with us today, our school hall, where we meet on a Sunday was fairly full with about 80 people coming together. It was a little different in that we did not have a set 'Word' but this was spread throughout music which helped us to reflect on 'how we really were'. Pastor Lyn started the meeting by encouraging us to come to the cross, and from there God seemed to have got the whole meeting sorted - and there was a Word for everyone, reminding us that we needed to be honest before God, and seek to allow Him, in the everyday moment of the day to be God. Various people testified in the meeting, and others responded in making prayers and being prayed with.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.....

Our church center was buzzing Saturday night with members and friends of our church gathering together to celebrate the 18th birthday of Arnold. What was great was meeting so much of his family - and hearing his family testify to the blessings of this church community. The party reflected the best in African Culture, which showed us all how to celebrate, but also to respect one another, and encourage through words of blessing. We sincerely thank God for Elsie and her catering team, and Carl who oversighted much.

AUTUMN MINI MARKET

A massive thank you to those who were able to share with us on Saturday for our Autumn Mini Market. Sadly, it was not that well supported by the general public, but we still raised just over £300 towards the funds of this church, and that was great. People worked very hard to put out goods to sell, and to put them away again at the end of the day. So, thank you all, and to those not able to be with us, thanks for your prayer support

THIS SUNDAY

Join us at 10.30am for our celebration meeting, to be held at the East Stour School. Following this you are very welcome to join us for our community church outreach - a picnic event at Clover Court. Bring a packed lunch with you.

MISSION MATTERS

The new Mission and Programme Ministries Team met together this week to start to work and pray through this important essential within the life of the church. It was good to bring leaders and other gifted people together in this way.

WORSHIP GROUP

A group of people met together last evening to discuss the setting up of a worship group / band - a group of musicians who want to offer something to their church, to aid it in its worship (the longer title). For the next few weeks the team will start to worship together (rather than just practise) and get to know each other better, before it is hoped the band will go 'live' in January 2008./

PRAYERS

Please remember Envoy Valerie Barkley and her family in your prayers. The Envoy was bereaved of her mum on Monday.

SUNDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER 2007 - DISCIPLE COLLEGE

Twenty or so people shared together for Disciple College this evening which continued on from last week looking at Breaking the chain - unpacking the essentials. Recognisng again the importance of growing up - Captain Ian looked at how there was time in our lives when we needed our food cutting up, when we needed our clothes laid out for us, when we needed our rooms to be cleaned, when the stabliers needed to be on our bikes. But there comes that time when we grow out of needing that to be done - and its the same in our Christian lives. Many of us rely on people to help and aid us in our early years, we need God in a certain way at first - but there comes a time when we have to grow up and move on. There comes a time when we have to feed ourselves and depend on God still and others, but in a different way. Relationships change as we grow up. As we concluded a number of people responded by coming to the cross and making prayers or being prayed with. We thank God for all He has taught us and challenged us through in these days.

SUNDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER 2007

PEACE WITH GOD - PEACE OF GOD - the focus of our thoughts today. A full hall shared together in worship, testimony and celebration. The all age presentation was shared by our childrens ministries officer, Clare, and our prayer team led prayers. Everything fitted brilliantly together and we thank God for His clear word to us. Reflecting on the sudden death of Annie Wheeler, and hearing the same from a family the senior leaders conducted a funeral for this week, Captain Ian challenged us by asking - Are we ready to meet our Maker? Have you got Peace with God? Are we trying to keep the peace - or living in Peace? As well as recognising peace with God, recognising the importance of peace with one another was also shared. At the conclusion of the meeting, several people came forward to make prayers or receive prayer.

THIS SUNDAY

PLEASE JOIN US THIS SUNDAY at 10.30am at the East Stour School, Earlsworth Road, in a celebration meeting to be led by our senior leaders, and focussing on PEACE WITH GOD, PEACE OF GOD. At night we join together at our church centre for refreshments from 5.30pm and Worship from 6pm, looking at the second in our teaching series - breaking the chains, this week unpacking the essentials. This is another day of worship and empowering not to be missed. We hope to see you x

THANKSGIVING SERVICE

The Service of thanksgiving for the life and influence of ANNIE WHEELER will take place at our church centre on Wednesday 3rd October at 12noon, led by our senior leadership. Following this at 2.40pm the committal will take place at Charing. Refreshments will then follow at our church centre

HEALED & PROMOTED TO GLORY

Annie Wheeler has today received full healing, and received her promotion to Glory!

Annie has been a soldier of Jesus Christ in The Salvation Army for about two plus years, and we have been blessed to serve Jesus with her. Despite her battles in life, she fought well, and had a deep love for Jesus. This morning, we received word that her early body had now died, and she is now at home with Jesus. We thank God for the blessing of knowing such a lovely lady, who gave us many a laugh, and challenges at times too. We will miss her deeply! We will inform you of more details in the next few days, regarding funerals etc

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

A new addition to this blog is the opportunity to say what you think! On the right coloumn is a voting questionnaire, and from time to time this will change. This week we are asking what you value about your church. Please spend 30 completing this. Thank you. Any suggestions for future discussions, let us know.

SUNDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER - DISCIPLE COLLEGE

A two week series commenced this evening looking at Breaking the Chains, and the importance of packing away the toys. We recognised how so many of us are carrying around stuff that holds us back; and how sometimes the church can be a creche that is looking after children, instead of being a place that is helping children to grow up! So many allow the past to hold them back, instead of recognsing that God teaches the past has gone, and the new has come, that we have been born again. We did note that the past might continue to teach us, and protect us from further harm, and the scars may still be the same, but actually should not be an excuse anymore for who we are today. But the past can be those chains that hold us back. God - the great deliever, comes to set us free. We recognised the childish reactions we can have to God, instead of embracing reactions, and how so many of us are not maturing as we grow older, and battling with maturity in worship, faith and prayer. The session continues next week, lookg at what we need to unpack.

SUNDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER

We started this day of worship together with our morning celebration at the East Stour School. Captain Ian led the worship through, and featured the all age presentation by Heather Whitewood. Prayers offered included those still setlling into new schools and classes, and those in education; for those who were far from well, including someone who had been taken into hospital that morning, and quite a number with virus'. We also welcomed back a brother who had been home to Zimbabwe for some weeks. Captain Ian did some teaching from Luke 10, prior to that having heard again the words of James about faith without action is dead - and Captain looked at the importance of putting our faith into action and not just talking about it - linking it with the annual appeal and how we need to be reaching into the darkness in so many different ways. We started by recognisng that the first section of Luke 10 encourages us to GO - Go and make a difference - knowing we are appointed by God, and sent by God, to Go into the world, and to Heal the Sick - to reach into the needs faced by so many people. We recognised this would vary and for some our mission field is where we work, for others its where we serve through church ministries, others at school, college and indeed where we live. The second passage - The Good Samaritan - reminds us to BE - to Be the answer to the needs because we have found the answer to the needs in Jesus. All too often like those who walked past the need, we can think its other peoples jobs, we can think we are too busy, we can think its not for us to get our hands dirty - but we are all called, appointed and sent out into the world, empowered by Him - and its a calling for us all. Finally, the latter section on Mary and Martha reminds us to RECEIVE. Martha had rushed about and said to Jesus to notice what she was doing, yet He valued Mary - who sat at His feet - and thats where we all need to be - and putting our belief into action starts with worship - and responds with our act of worship in reaching out to the needs - knowing who to point and direct people to. Mary is an important reminder to us to not do things to be noticed, but for Jesus to know that we are where He wants us to be - receiving from Him, and then going out to be Jesus!

HELP STILL NEEDED

A small army of people have been out and about engaging in the annual appeal - thank you so much for this. However we are still far from our target of £6000. This army have been engaging in delivering volunteer packs, door to door collections, enveloping and counting. We still need more people to be involved in some way, and all active people are asked to do what they can. There will be collections on Saturday and then next week on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday - although people are welcome to go out at any other times. All you need to do is contact Captain Sue and this can be sorted in no time.

Thank You in His Name.

NEW TERM FOR DISCIPLE COLLEGE

Just over twenty people gathered for the first Disciple College of the Autumn Term. The evening was one of praise, worship and testimony, and we focussed on Trust, and Proverbs 3 - reminding ourselves of the importance of Trusting in God. The question was who do we trust our lives with - and do we trust God with it! After all, if we don't trust God with our lives, then who do we???? God's Spirit moved, and several people responded to pray, for others God bowled them over, and filled them with much Joy! Hallelujah! What a day, and what a great way to see God's Spirit touch so many. Next week we start a two week teaching series on Breaking the Chains!

NEW MEMBERS

Today we welcomed two new members. Olister Makatore started to attend after being encouraged by his sister. He had not attended since moving to the UK and now says he will belong to the church forever. Nancy, his sister, spoke some words on his behalf, and then sang a song in Shona. She spoke on how this church had been a blessing to him and for him. Angeline Diplock joined us some months ago, linking again to the church after speaking with a War Cry Herald and having links in other ways as well. She had been a member of the Army in Africa. Having struggled with faith, she has testified to how in recent months she has now returned to the Lord and thanks her church for helping to save her again - recognising though, its to do with Him! Angeline shared some words from Scripture, and also sang, supported by Nancy. Both have reflected that this church has helped them in many ways, and its family to them, which is what it is all about. They have also thank God for bringing them among us, which we also do.

SUNDAY 9TH AUGUST - PART TWO

Click on images to see larger pictures

SUNDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER

Today was a first again for our church, we celebrated the gift of God in one of our members, Rachel Whitewood. Our church was full today with people of all ages, and it was good. So many commented that there was a togetherness, and a real celebration. We celebrated the annual appeal in a presentation, we shared songs of praise and worship, our adult ministries officer did an amazing all age presentation, we welcomed two new members, and Rachel preached, on the Temple of the Holy Spirit. It was a real challenge, and good to see many challenged about this, but also apply it to their lives. A further celebration was the birthday of Viv Sanderson, who is 80 this week, and her family and church family joined together to rejoice in this, and we shared a buffet after this. More pictures to follow....

NEW MEMBER

A week late we know, but last week we welcomed Diana Anderson into membership, and we thank God for another person to be part of our growing family. Diana has been worshipping with us on and off for sometime, but when life took a major change for her, she decided it was time for a new start, and that included commiting to her church family. We thank God for Diana, and she is seen her with Senior Leader Ian, supported by some of the members of the leadership team who were available.

SUNDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER

IF YOU CAN JOIN US THIS SUNDAY, THEN DO. We would love to see you with us. We start at 10.30am for our morning celebration at the local school (as normal) and this will be led by our senior leaders, and also include the welcoming into membership of two new members! As part of this meeting we will also be looking at the purpose of the annual appeal. Additionally our speaker will be Rachel Whitewood, preaching her first sermon in the church. Please support all thats happening. PLUS, we would love to share with you at night for the first Disciple College in the Autumn Term, and this will be an evening of worship, praise and testimony. Do share with us. It would be great to see you.

HOME AND FAMILY TEAM LEADERSHIP MEETING

The Home and Family Leadership Team met for discussion and planning this week. Led by Captain Ian, and supported by adult ministries officer, Sara, we explored where we are at the moment, and looked ahead to the year ahead and all that that could mean for this programme within the church. We thank God for the opportunities He has given us this year already

FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

Next Thursday will see the return of the Welcome In Project in South Ashford - and an exciting new home. The Parish Rooms in Stanhope Square will be our new home and will be open from 10am-12noon every Thursday. Please pray about this important ministry

MISSION & PROGRAMME

Next Monday sees the return of our mission programme. Throughout the summer group leaders have been preparing for the return of these groups, and time has come to welcome back people again. On Mondays our community group meets, Tuesdays our Toddler Group, Wednesday our Light Living Home and Family Programme, Thursday our toddler group, and Friday our Childrens and Youth Ministry Groups. Please pray for these and be involved if and when you can. Last year on average 200 people passed through our doors.

THE ANNUAL APPEAL

The Salvation Army's Annual Appeal is an important opportunity to ask the public suppport in helping the organisation/movement to continue to be able to Be The Light of Jesus into the darkness that many people face. The money collected support the social and community expression of the army - which means that its will support the ministry everyday of the year, as the work of the army never ceases - whether it be in a social centre, a community programme, supporting people in desperate need and much more. The army is the largest provider of such care after the government, in this country. This year, Ashford still has a commitment to collect at least £6000, and we need people to help and support us in this as much as possible. Please do come and help us collect door to door - most evenings we leave from our centre at 5pm. If everyone helped to do something then we would be able to share the responsibility and not exhaust just the handful that might! If everyone collected £70 within the church, we would raise our target! So, if you can help and support, contact Captain Sue or Carl Whitewood - or if you do not live in the area but would make a donation, please do forward to us as soon as possible. Thank You so much.

RELIGION

The following is taken from an article in the times, published today - Sunday 2nd September

From The Sunday Times
September 2, 2007
Religion causes harm, says poll
Richard Brooks

NEARLY half the British think that religion is harmful, according to a poll carried out by YouGov. Yet more than half also believe in God “or something”. The YouGov poll commissioned by John Humphrys, the broadcaster and writer, found that 42% of the 2,200 people taking part considered religion had a harmful effect. “One reason might be the publicity attracted by a handful of mad mullahs and their hate-filled rhetoric,” writes Humphrys in his new book, In God We Doubt, an extract of which appears in today’s Sunday Times News Review. Only 16% of those polled called themselves atheists; 28% believed in God; 26% believed in “something” but were not sure what; and 9% regarded themselves as agnostics - like Humphrys himself, who had a religious upbringing in Wales but calls himself a “doubter”.

He writes: “Even though the dominant faith - by a massive margin – is Christianity, only 17% thought the influence of religion was beneficial. That is even fewer than those who claim that they believe in a personal God. And yet when we asked which of the main religions was ‘most effective’ in getting its message across, most thought it was Christianity. Only 10% cited Islam compared with 32% who said Christianity.” In the survey 43% said they never prayed, 31% hardly prayed, and 10% prayed every night. “More than half of those who say they believe in a personal God cannot be bothered to pray to him every night,” writes Humphrys.

What do you think?

SUNDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER 2007

Today, the first Sunday in the month, was our monthly all age 'event' and about 70 people met together. Some still away due to school holidays and others catching up with family and friends before schools are back, or routine gets going again. We had a good morning, this month looking at 'THE FAMILY TREE'. Lots of different things happened, but through creativity and the Word, we were reminded we are Created, we are Created to Belong, and We are Created to Belong and behave!!!! God is our Family, and we are called to connect to Him. During final moments many people came forward in prayer response and placed their name on 'the tree' recognising that their belong to God, or asking Him to help us 'behave' - the importance of connecting to Him. As part of this celebration we welcomed Diana Anderson as a member of the church. The meal at the end of the Event saw 50 people enjoying a really lovely meal thanks to Elsie and her team.