CLARE HAYWARD

Blaze - our church magazine will soon be published for May. Rita Clarke has submitted the following article on Clare Hayward, which we thought was worth a wider read:-

Clare was introduced to The Salvation Army when she was just four years old. The band played outside her house and Heather (Whitewood) spoke to her mum, Sara, and invited them to Parent and Toddlers. In time she came to Sunday School and Kings Club. As the years rolled on she decided she would like to become a doctor but that wasn't to be, and she felt very upset and angry with God about this. She worked hard at school and left with ten GCSE's and 2 A Levels. Her life changed dramatically when she went on the church retreat to the William Booth College. When she went to Soul Survivor amazing things happened and she felt God moving and got really excited. She is now 19 years old and is our childrens ministries officer. She has felt the call to train for full time ministry in the Salvation Army as an officer. She has a very supportive family. God Bless Clare.

LOCAL ELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT that the candidates for election in South Willesborough have been invited to attend an open meeting for them to address the electorates within this area.

You are invited to join us at the Ashford Salvation Army Christian Centre, Cudworth Road, South Willesborough, for 7pm refreshments and 7.30pm for the meeting. Questions can be submitted in advance to this address, or through email to assistant senior leader, Carl Whitewood at:- carl.whitewood@salvationarmy.org.uk

The date for this meeting is Wednesday25th April, the election taking place on Thursday 3rd May.

NEXT SUNDAY AT ASACC

Please join us next Sunday at ASACC. Its going to be another very special week together. Our morning worship at 10.30am will be led by the flame youth group, and our senior leader Ian will be speaking. This will be the first time that the youth group have led worship and we are very excited about this. Additionally, during the morning meeting, Hannah Whitewood will be enrolled as a Junior Soldier of Jesus Christ through the Salvation Army. It is also planned that during this meeting all our junior soldiers will renew their promises before God. Disciple College will be held in the evening with refreshments from 5.30pm, and then worship, praise and testimony at 6pm. Please join us for this if you can, and come ready to share what God is laying on your heart. This week - please remember Hannah and her family in your prayers.

DISCIPLE COLLEGE - SUNDAY 15TH APRIL

Reverend Gregory Marlam, pastor of Ashford Baptist Church, visited Disciple College this evening to speak. Our Senior Leader Ian, led worshipped, and many people shared words of witness and testimony. Reverend Marlam spoke from 1 Kings 17: 7-24, and from this passage taught us so much including the following:- expect something new from God; God is a God of miracles - a God of provisions; the importance of crying out to God with all our heart; prayers are prayed to God not to people; a God who takes things away and gives something back; the importance of not seeking the many solutions in various situations, but asking God for what is His; the increase of faith; the importance of coming to God, recognising who He is, and allowing Him to do greater things......

DEAD TO SIN.......ALIVE IN CHRIST!

Sunday 15th April followed on from last Sundays Easters Celebration, reminding us that Easter was not limited to one Sunday a year - but was a continual celebration. Numbers were a little lower today because of holidays and illness, but there was still about seventy sharing with us, which was great. Junior Soldiers Ben and Rebecca Marshall shared a little about their junior holiday week, followed by Captain Susan interviewing Samantha and Chelsea James who also shared the week. Pam Quinn shared the all age presentation on God#s love, and the prayer team shared some thoughts on prayer around colour. Finally our senior leaders shared some teaching from Romans 6, looking at the reality that we should be Easter People and no longer bathing in our sins. The three headings were:- What has happened, What needs to happen now, What could happen (if we are not careful). Severeal people responded for prayer ministry at the end of the meeting.

THIS SUNDAY

Please don't miss this forthcoming Sunday. At 10.30am we meet at the East Stour School, and then at 6pm we commence again our Disciple College events. Our guest speaker this week will be the Reverend Gregory Marlam, who is the pastor of Ashford Baptist Church

EASTER FAMILY OUTING

Family Groups from throughout the church enjoyed an Easter Outing, representing the toddler ministry, childrens ministry, youth ministry and adult ministry. Over sixty people travelled to Greenwich and enjoyed the various shops, market stalls, museums and much more. Thank you to our family ministry leaders for arranging this event.

MORE EASTER PICTURES

SHALLOW END?

During our Holy Week Meditations, Rachel Whitewood shared the following from a book she has been reading, entitled 'The Power of a Praying Teen' by Stormie Omartian. This fits in brilliantly with our thoughts from last week

1. If you love the Lord only for what He can do for you, then your walk with Him is shallow. If you love Him enough to ask what you can do for Him, then your relationship is growing deeper

2. If you only pray to God when things are tough or you need something, then your walk with Him is shallow. If you pray to Him often just because your love to be close to Him, then your relationship with God is growing deeper

3. If you get mad at God or disappointed in Him when He doesn't do what you want, then your walk with Him is shallow. If you can praise God and pray to Him no matter what is going on in your life, then your relationship with Him is growing deeper

4. If you praise God only because of what He does for you, then your walk with Him is shallow. If you only praise Him because of who He is, then your relationship with Him is growing deeper

5. If you feel you have to beg God or twist His arm to get Him to answer your prayers, then your walk with Him is shallow. If you believe that God wants to answer your prayers according to His will, then your relationship with Him is growing deeper.

How are you doing?

NEW SOLDIERS

Easter Sunday saw the enrolement of three new soldiers. Jan Chittenden who has been attending the church for 18 months, felt called by God to go deeper with Him and take the step to be a soldier of Jesus Christ through the Salvation Army. We thank God for this. Ellie Durston has also been with us about 18 months, and wanted to honour God by taking this step. Nathan Hayward has been with this church for some years, where his mum, dad and sister are involved in many ministries. Nathan has been a Junior Soldier and felt called by God to move on with His experience of God and trust Him to take this new step in his life. We are very excited about what God is doing in the lives of our three friends, and excited to be part of sharing in this celebration with them.