Some Welcomes

First up, welcome back to all of you who have been away over the Summer and you’re returning to some of your normal rhythms – hopefully it’s not too much of a shock to the system, and it’s softened by coming together as a church community to worship.

Next, a special welcome to the Lotto family and their friends, as they celebrate Arabella’s baptism this morning. It’s great to have you with us. We hope you cope with anything that is less than familiar, and can bask in the joy of the occasion.

And finally, an equally special welcome to all of those from Hope Church joining us this morning. It’s possible you may discover some unfamiliar stuff too! But it’s a genuine pleasure to gather as brothers and sisters in Christ, and praise our Maker together – we hope you feel at home.

Fruits of the Spirit - Joy

We continue our Summer Series exploring the fruits of the Spirit, and this week we focus our attention on ‘joy’. People don’t often employ that three letter word, but the search for happiness is something that most people understand. A lot of us run after it…chasing the things we imagine will bring it…not always finding it.  We’re going to look at what Jesus has to say about the matter. But in the hunt for joy, it’s worth starting with this realisation:

“The greatest moment of your life is now. Not because it's pleasant or happy or easy, but because this moment is the only moment you've got. Every past moment is irretrievably gone. It's never coming back. If you live there, you lose your life. And the future is always out there somewhere. You can spend an eternity waiting for tomorrow, or worrying about tomorrow. If you live there, you likewise will lose your life.

This moment is God's irreplaceable gift to you.”

Possible Openings

This week we have a selection of possible mission/job opportunities. Firstly, OM (Operation Mobilisation) are putting out a plea for people to deploy their everyday work skills in the mission field. It could be as a career break, or those moving towards retirement, but their Africa director is looking for people in the following areas:

• Financial Developer
• Personnel Manger & Personnel Officer
• Administrator
• PA to Associate Area Leaders

The place of work would be either South Africa or Zambia. They’re also looking for a financial manager and administrator in OM Malawi and OM Mozambique. If you’re interested then speak to Jon.

Southwark Diocese are also advertising a number of jobs at Trinity House and Southwark Cathedral via the Church of England Pathways Jobsite:

 http://southwark.anglican.org/about-us/vacancies/ The jobs include:

• Property Administrator & Part-time Admin Assistant
• Finance Officer & Choir Chaperones