Weekly News 15th May 2016/ Date for the Diary 5th June

DATE FOR THE DIARY  5th JUNE  Normally our first Sunday of the month would be a Family Service at our 10am gathering. We’re changing this for 5 June. We will meet for ‘Morning Worship’ and Sunday Club will be running.

Why the change?

There are some important things that we want to share with the church about our current position and encourage us all to commit them to prayer in a concentrated way.

Don’t worry there are no scandals, resignations, or shocks in store, but we would like as many people as possible to be there, so we can engage together in some of the challenges facing us moving forward. If you could put this one in the diary in bold that would be great.

Thank you, Jon.

Click here to download   Weekly News 15th May 2016

Weekly News 8th May 2016/ Thy Kingdom Come...

THY KINGDOM COME… The Archbishop’s of Canterbury and York have recently written to every parish in the country inviting them to put out a call to prayer in this week running up to Pentecost.

We are invited to focus our prayers towards:

• All Christians deepening their relationship with Christ;
• For all of us to have greater confidence to share the Gospel;
• For our nation to respond to the call of Jesus Christ to follow Him as disciples, to live out the Gospel and seek God’s kingdom daily.

If you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to visit www.thykingdom.co.uk in which we are invited to join together in praying for the evangelization of the nation.

Let’s commit together to praying for these great things every day in the coming week.

Click here to download   Weekly News 8th May 2016

Weekly News 1st May 2016/ Ascension Day

ASCENSION DAY This week marks ‘Ascension Day’, or as many evangelicals know it ‘Thursday’. It doesn’t feature significantly in our tradition and this isn’t a rallying cry to have a special day to commemorate Christ’s ascent into heaven. However, you could do worse than spend some time this week dwelling on the significance of the ascension in our understanding of God. Here are just a few things you might want to ponder and give thanks for:

• Jesus’ ascension establishes his Kingdom. The bible pictures Jesus as arriving in heaven and sitting down at the Father’s right hand – his rule has begun.
• Christ’s ascension ensures we have an advocate with the Father, pleading our case– our own prayer partner in heaven.
• Christ’s flesh in heaven is a guarantee that ours will be there too someday, not a disembodied soul, but real resurrected bodies in God’s presence;
• Jesus’ departure heralds the arrival of the Helper – God’s Spirit. Happy Ascension Day one and all.

Click here to download   Weekly News 1st May 2016

Weekly News 24th April 2016/ Slavic Visit

SLAVIC VISIT Today we’ll hear testimony from Milly Johnson about the way God revealed Himself to her, as well as some of the work to which she has been drawn since becoming a Christian.

It won’t be any great surprise to discover that Link to Hope forms part of her story of God’s goodness. One of the people connected with that organization is Slavic, a pastor from Moldova. It doesn’t quite seem possible that it was over 2 years since Slavic’s last visit, but we’re pleased to confirm that he’s coming over for another trip and will be joining us in May.

Slavic is going to preach at our 10am service on the 8 May, so ring that Sunday in your diary. There will also be a more informal opportunity to soak up some of his passion on Monday 9 May @ 8pm at Holmshaw Farm, together with some tea and cake.

If you would like to come along, please let Milly know so she has an idea on numbers.

Click here to download   Weekly News 24th April 2016

Weekly News 17th April 2016/ APCM Update

APCM UPDATE For those of you receiving the News Sheet electronically, don’t forget we have our annual meeting after the 10:00am service this Sunday.

We’ll aim to start at about 11:30am.

We will be working on the assumption that people have read the reports in advance to streamline the meeting. You can find the reports themselves on our website under the ‘News & Events’ section. We experienced some delay in receiving the financial reports back from the Independent Examiner, but they will also be posted on the website (there will be some hard copies to hand at church) and our Treasurer, Christine Blackburn, will produce an easier-to-digest summary for us at the APCM.

If any questions crop up as you read through the reports, you can raise them at the meeting itself, or send them to Jon (jjhward@btinternet.com) in advance. If you get them to him by 8pm Saturday evening, he will ensure they are addressed at the meeting.

Click here to download   Weekly News 17th April 2016

Weekly News 10th April/ APCM - Next Week

APCM - NEXT WEEK We will be holding the church equivalent of our AGM next Sunday after the 10:00am service.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but you have to be on the electoral roll in order to vote on any matters, or stand for any of the roles we have publicized. There remains space for new PCC members and it’s not too late to throw your hat into the ring. Equally, Jonathan Tickner would love to hear from anyone who might contemplate helping out on the Welcome Team.

This year’s reports, last year’s minutes and the accounts will be going up on the website this Monday. We are encouraging people to access them electronically to save paper, but a few hard copies have been printed off for those who don’t have access to a computer.

We appreciate that not everyone feels comfortable standing up and posing a question in front of the whole church. Therefore, if you have a question you can raise it in advance by emailing it to Jon and he will ensure that it is read out and responded to at the meeting.

Click here to download   Weekly News 10th April 2016

APCM 2016 Papers

APCM 2016 will be held on Sunday 17th April in church at 11.30am. Please click here to download  APCM Agenda and Minutes 2016

Please click here to download  APCM Reports 2016

Please click here to download Financial Reports 2016

Weekly News 3rd April 2016/ A Warm (and Wet) Welcome to Isabella

A WARM (AND WET) WELCOME TO ISABELLA Today we extend a really big welcome to Tom and Yulia, as they bring the new addition to their family, Isabella, to be baptized.

They are of course accompanied by friends and family who have come along to support them, not least of all Yulia’s parents who are all the way over from Siberia - Спасибо, что присоединились к нам. Это здорово, что вы можете быть частью этого праздника.

We hope you all feel at ease and enjoy celebrating with us, as we cheer Isabella on and observe you put down a marker with God in baptism. We trust it will be a memorable occasion and you will experience God’s blessing.

Click here to download    Weekly News 3rd April 2016

Weekly News 27th March 2016/ Happy Easter

HAPPY EASTER Alleluia, Christ is risen.

 He is risen indeed, Alleluia.

That is the great Easter acclamation – a greeting testifying to the truth of Resurrection Sunday.

We may not personally experience the immediacy of all the confusion and excitement of that first Easter Sunday. But we, and our world, need the hope that was breaking that day no less than those first witnesses to Christ’s resurrection.

Raising Jesus to new life was not the end of God’s miraculous work. Every time a believer receives the touch of God’s Spirit and is filled with His hope, His resurrection love and power is at work.

I pray that whatever the complexion of your circumstances this Easter, you may experience and be renewed by the risen Christ. God Bless.

Click here to download   Weekly News 27th March 2016

Weekly News 20th March 2016/ Palm Sunday

PALM SUNDAY Today is Palm Sunday.

It has been our practice for a while now to distribute Palm Crosses this weekend. They are a simple prompt to take away and help you focus on the events central to the Christian faith in this final week of Lent.

We also take a collection for the Bishop’s Lent Call, which this year has had the theme of ‘Caring for the Whole Person’. The diocese is looking to provide financial support to a selection of projects from the Holy Land, Zimbabwe and Southwark. They are wide-ranging projects covering education, healthcare, church building, specific hospitals, vocational training and refugee centres.

If you would like more specific details, then there are materials on the table by the Missions noticeboards in church. We hope you feel able to give generously and thank you for your support of these ventures.

Click here to download   Weekly News 20th March 2016

Weekly News 13th March 2016/ Photo Shoot Weekend

PHOTO SHOOT WEEKEND You may have picked up that we are redesigning our website, as well as refreshing in the church building itself some of the ways we publicise who we are and what we do.

To that end, Jonny has been given license to wield his camera with wild abandon this coming Sunday in a bid to catch some shots of our church family. We would like a stock of pictures that we can draw on to convey the life of our church and make our website as personal to us as possible.

There will be a ‘photo booth’ after the service, which we’re encouraging as many people as possible to visit. It won’t be like having your passport photo taken – smiling is permitted, and there’ll be some props to introduce some fun. However, if you find yourself already lining up your excuses, don’t worry, we’re not going to strong arm you into it – you can still come along on Sunday and not end up on the Home Page of the website.

Click here to download   Weekly News 13th March 2016

Weekly News 6th March 2016/ APCM Preparations

APCM PREPARATIONS An important part of our annual meeting is the election of people to different formal posts in our church. These include:

• PCC Members 

1. In a bid to keep refreshing our leadership, each year a third of the PCC members resign. Those who have resigned can stand for a second term. It means that there will be at least 4 positions available for the PCC. If you are interested in standing, and want to know more about what is involved, please enquire with Jon. There is also a Deanery Synod representative position available, which automatically entitles you to sit on the PCC.

• Wardens

1. Our existing wardens, Jonathan Tickner and Richard Cienciala, have agreed to stand for another year. However, we would like to think about succession now. Ideally, if there is someone who might contemplate taking over from Jonathan or Richard in 2017, we would like them to voice that as soon as possible, so we can acquaint them with some of what is involved in the latter part of this year. If you might be interested, please contact Jonathan or Richard.

Click here to download   Weekly News 6th March 2016

Weekly News 28th February 2-16/ It's Official ...

IT’S OFFICIAL… I am pleased to announce that Bishop Christopher has given formal approval to Peter Churcher joining us to serve his curacy. Peter, Josie, and the kids (Sophie, Faith, Izzy and Xander) will move to the area in June. Please pray for them as they prepare and all that comes with moving. Here's a photo of 'family Churcher':

Click here to download   Weekly News 28th February 2016

Weekly News 21st February 2016/ Electoral Roll

ELECTORAL ROLL It may not be the most eye-catching of titles to front the News Sheet, but we are coming round to the time of year when we have the church equivalent of an AGM (scheduled for 17 April after the 10am service)

Part of preparing for that is to update our list of members. You don’t have to include your name on the electoral roll to be a part of St John’s, but it does give us a snapshot of our numbers. It also gives you a more formal say in what happens in the church, by allowing you to vote in elections at the APCM, and stand as a candidate for our leadership body - the PCC.

If you’ve joined us more recently and your name isn’t yet on the roll, we’d encourage you to submit an application form. You must be baptized, at least 16 years of age (or sixteen on your next birthday), and live in the parish, or have worshipped at St. John's for at least six months.

Application forms will be available in church. Please return one either by putting it in the box in the church, or by giving it to Geoff Batten or Paul Kingman by Sunday, 13th March.

Click here to download   Weekly News 21st February 2016

Weekly News 14th February 2016/ Slowing Down

SLOWING DOWN As we move into Lent, Geoff starts our ‘Letting Go’ series by encouraging us to think how we might drop living at a pace which inhibits our ability to receive God’s direction.

Living frenetically is a contemporary curse and it impacts our spirituality.

It’s not easy to rectify, but we want the church to take seriously the call to ease off the accelerator and give ourselves more fully to God. As part of that endeavor, we’ll be running a ‘Quiet Day’ for prayer and reflection on Saturday 5 March, from 10:00am – 2:00pm.

You can drop on at any point during that time window. There will be different things to explore around the church at your own pace, as well as some suggestions for on-going practices that you might want to continue into Lent.

It’s slowing down to know again that ‘He is God’ (Psalm 46:10).

Click here to download    Weekly News 14th February 2016

Weekly News 7th February 2016/ Ash Wednesday

ASH WEDNESDAY This Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent – the season of waiting, reflecting and fasting – with a call to repentance.

It’s not a word that is going to win any awards for popularity these days. The church, not always famous for its unity and grace, can throw the word around too easily, using it as a weapon by which to beat others. But the invitation to ‘change our thinking’ (the literal meaning of repentance) runs much deeper than confession of wrongdoing. It cuts all the way to how we see the world, and significantly, how we recognize God’s presence in and amongst us.

It’s no bad question to ask ourselves how open are we to seeing things differently?

If you want to mark Ash Wednesday there is a Churches Together joint service at Emmanuel URC at 8.00pm. There will be an opportunity to be marked with the cross in ashes and receive communion, as well as experience a little how different traditions see the season of Lent.

Click here to download   Weekly News 7th February 2016

Weekly News 31st January 2016/ 'Letting Go' for Lent

‘LETTING GO’ FOR LENT It doesn’t seem so long ago that we were taking down the Christmas decorations, but the season of Lent is fast approaching, with Easter in its sights.

Lent is used by people around the world to prepare themselves for the marking of the events which are central to the Christian faith. It’s a good time to clear out some clutter – let go some of the things that might hamper our walk with Christ. That’s usually stuff that runs a little deeper than the amount of Cadburys we munch in a week. So this Lent, as a church we’re going to be looking at some ‘beneath the surface’ things that with Christ’s help we can surrender. Our ‘Letting Go’ series will consider the themes of ‘Hurry, Complaining, Comparison, Fear, and Hiding’.

We’ll also be running a retreat-style morning and a prayer day during lent, so there will be plenty of opportunity for us to draw closer to our Saviour.

Click here to download    Weekly News 31st January 2016

Weekly News 24th January 2016/ Next Sunday at SJ's

NEXT SUNDAY AT SJ’s As we’ve already hinted, our gathering together as a church next Sunday will take place at SJ’s. This is to give as many people as possible a chance to see the changes that have been made, in the hope that it will generate some further excitement about the vision for SJs, help each of us contemplate our individual involvement, and inspire us all to continue in prayer for its use.

Obviously, the place isn’t big enough to cope with everyone descending on it all at the same time. Therefore, SJs will be open from 9:30am-12:30pm and you are welcome to drop by at any point during that window. The team who have been steering the refurbishment will be on hand for discussion, and there will be activities lined up for the kids.

Don’t forget if you would like communion beforehand, then the 8am service will be taking place as usual.

Click here to download   Weekly News 24th January 2016

News 17th January 2016/ Unveiling SJ's

UNVEILING SJ’s This week we’ll be putting most of the finishing touches to SJ’s, following which there is a wealth of organizational matters to deal with, including risk assessments and familiarizing ourselves with how everything works.

We’ve said all along that we hope as many people in St John’s as possible will take ownership of how we will utilize this resource for God’s purposes. With that in mind, on the 5^th Sunday of this month (31^st January), we will not be meeting up at church at 10:00am in the usual manner. Instead, we will be opening up SJs over an extended period and are inviting you to come in and have a nosey. There will be materials for people to engage with – not least of all, things encouraging us to exercise our prayer muscles for how the place will be used.

We’ll roll out further details of timings next week, and if you would like to receive communion that week, then the 8am service is running as usual.

Click here to download   Weekly News 17th January 2016

Weekly News 10th January 2016/ Link to Hope Vulcanizare Project

LINK TO HOPE VULCANIZARE PROJECT Would you like to join the next working party helping out in Dancu, Moldova, between 26 March & 2 April?

The main Vulcanizare project is now complete, so the party will be working alongside a team of Moldovans to build an extension onto the Vulcanizare. This will be used as a classroom and workshop, where skills in wood and metal work will be taught to the young people to give them a trade and learn skills to help them secure employment.

You don’t need any building skills – just enthusiasm and energy!

You will need to be able to raise £300 which will be used for building materials, as well as cover your flight costs (currently about £250) and provide a £100 contribution towards accommodation and food.

Please speak to Milly Johnson if you are interested.

Click here to download   Weekly News 10th January 2016