Weekly News 5th October 2014/ A Weekend of Celebration & Thanks

A WEEKEND OF CELEBRATION & THANKS This Sunday we come together to mark Harvest and give thanks for everything that we receive from God. Within that spirit of gratitude, we’ll be getting behind the 3^rd West Wickham Scout Group as they celebrate their 80^th birthday.

As we have done in the past, we will take a food collection for the Salvation Army, who will distribute it to those who are struggling. We will also being taking a money collection to set up a bursary for the Scouts, called the ‘Ken Gaved Bursary’.

Many of you will have fond recollections of Ken and his love for Scouting. On their 80^th celebration, it seems a fitting way to honour his memory and mark this occasion, and we’ll provide some more details in the service as to what the bursary will go towards.

In the meantime, we join together to say thank you to our good God.

Click here to download   Weekly News 5th October 2014

Weekly News 28th September 2014/ Team Leaders

TEAM LEADERS We’ll be thinking a lot about mission beyond our parish this weekend, but I also want to draw your attention to the people who’ve been chosen to lead the teams we are developing to enhance our local mission.

You will recall that the PCC got together a couple of weekends ago to pray and vote from a list of people, nominated by the whole church. The following pairs of leaders emerged:

Faith Sharing                                                     Mission Outside the Parish

Charlotte Faint & Mike Slatter                    Milly Johnson & Elzbieta Cienciala

Worship                                                              Children & Youth

Jonny Faint & Barbara Bassot                      Anna Seabrook & Julie Lancaster

Care & Befriending                                         Social Action

Sue Watson & Maureen Lang                     Aston Stockdale & Jackie Barter

Prayer

Richard Greenhalgh & Barry Clements

We will commission these people in due course, and I will outline the next stage for the teams, but in the meantime please pray for them.

Thank you.

Click here to download      Weekly News 28th September 2014

Weekly News 21st September 2014/ ...Mourn with those who Mourn...

…MOURN WITH THOSE WHO MOURN...

I expect that most of you will have heard the sad news that our brother in Christ, John Munns, passed away on Wednesday evening.

 We can’t escape the reality that things moved faster than any of us anticipated. When you’re in shock, it’s difficult to digest too many words. For now, we acknowledge there is pain and use that feeling to stir us in prayer for Sally, Rachel and Andrew.

 Details of how we will mark John’s life and his strong faith are yet to be finalized. They will of course be shared in due course, and then we can put some more words to the man that he was, and the God that he believed in.

 Until then, let’s mourn with those who mourn.

 God Bless. Jon.

Click here to download   Weekly News 21st September 2014

Weekly News Extra 14th September 2014/ Churchill Theatre Event etc

A LIFE THAT MATTERS THE CHURCHILL THEATRE – BROMLEY

4TH & 5TH OCTOBER 2014 - DOORS OPEN 7PM.

Announcing an amazing entertainment and outreach opportunity.

Churches in Bromley, working with several large Christian organisations, have booked the Churchill Theatre for two amazing evangelistic concert evenings. There will be great entertainment and the speaker will be Andrew Palau – son of the famous father, Luis.

Entertainment will include:

Daughters of Davis

J Marie Cooper (The Voice)

LZ7

Tabitha Webb (Lead roles in Phantom and Les Mis)

Rebirth Dance Network

Noel Robinson

Tickets are free: www.sublime.uk.com

E-mail: info@sublime.uk.com

Tel: 020 3012 0059 Charity No. 1131280

BUT...remember this is not just entertainment for us, but an opportunity to bring our friends who aren’t Christians to a great, free evening where they will hear a very clear gospel message.

Click here to download   Weekly News Extra 14th Sept 2014

Weekly News 14th September 2014/ Pastoral Care Course

PASTORAL CARE COURSE Here is an exciting opportunity to explore and learn more about Christian pastoral care.

It’s a 10-session course, certificated by Pastoral Care UK and the Association of Christian Counsellors, which will be run at St John’s in late Autumn and early New Year. It is not so much an academic, as experiential course, whereby people will be encouraged to engage with God as they look to develop their pastoral care.

Whilst the course has a flavour of pastoral care for marriages, plenty of the core material is relevant for general pastoral care training. To that end, the course suits anyone wishing to learn more about pastoral care, those in need of a refresher, or simply people who want to be better equipped to attend to the needs in the community/workplace.

If you want to know more, please speak to Barry and Chrissy Turner (0208 462 6925 or 07513 586 873) or pick up a flyer in church or the Beacon Centre.

Click here to download   Weekly News 14th September 2014

Weekly News 7th September 2014/ Harvest Barn Dance & Supper

HARVEST BARN DANCE AND SUPPER 6pm, Saturday 4^th October

 Assembly Rooms

It’s time to don your cowgirl/cowboy gear and dust off your dosey doe, as we celebrate our Harvest Supper with a Barn Dance again.

It was great fun last year for all the family and we’ve got the same caller returning to send us spinning around the hall. It’s also a great occasion to invite friends along to. No previous experience is required and generally, the more inept the better.   Food is provided and you can bring your own drinks if you want, but soft beverages will be included in the price.

Tickets:  Adults 14 yrs and over - £8.

Children aged 2-13 years - £2

On sale in the Church or the Beacon Centre.

Click here to download   Weekly News 7th September 2014 v2

Mission Weekend 27th - 28th September 2014

Click here to download a copy of the Mission Weekend information leaflet   Mission Weekend 2014

Weekly News 31st August 2014/ Alpha Publicity to go Out

ALPHA PUBLICITY TO GO OUT The materials to publicise our forthcoming Alpha course have arrived. They include postcards to go out to all the homes in the parish, invitations with a tear-off response to be held at church and the Beacon Center, as well as posters to go up around the place.

We’re really grateful to everyone who distributes these materials. Please pray as you dole them out around the local area that God will use the Alpha course to draw people to his side, and these invites will be met with open hearts.

It’s encouraging to have received enquiries as a result of our website, and we hope for more from this publicity. We’ll keep saying it though; the most effective invitation is still the personal one that comes naturally out of our existing friendships. So pray for that open door as well.

Click here to download   Weekly News 31st August 2014

Weekly News 24th August 2014/ Collection for Andrew White

COLLECTION FOR ANDREW WHITE As events unfold in Northern Iraq, Canon Andrew White, continues to try and support Christians who have fled Mosul and Ninevah through the Iraqi established churches. A lot of his relief work is channeled through the foundation he established, Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (FFRME), and as a church we will be taking a collection alongside our usual Sunday offering to contribute to the work the Foundation is doing.

A collection plate will be put out in church clearly marked with Andrews’ name.

Do continue to pray for him and all those involved in the crisis in Iraq and Syria, not least of all, for how they cope with some of the horrific things they witness. Andrew writes almost daily on facebook, so if you want to keep track of what’s going on, look him up there.

Click here to download   Weekly News 24th August 2014

Weekly News 10th August 2014/ Recovering Perspective

RECOVERING PERSPECTIVE… Whilst on holiday, I didn’t pick up a newspaper and rarely went near the ‘on’ button of my computer. The media sabbatical felt great; all part of having a good rest.

But it can mean the return to the fray is a bit of a shock to the system…watching the number by the inbox steadily rise as you download outstanding emails. There’s an itch to return to your holiday destination, if not feel a little post-holiday dip.

And then I returned to the newspapers.

And my tendency to self-pity quickly evaporated. Reading about the plight of our Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq at this moment was a sobering corrective. I’m not knocking enjoying a good holiday, but it’s good to put it in context. If you haven’t read much about what is going on in Iraq at the moment, then can I encourage you to take some time to find out.

I hope it fires your prayers and puts things in perspective.

Click here to download   Weekly News 10th August 2014

Weekly News 3rd August 2014/ Team Leaders Update

TEAM LEADERS UPDATE I wanted to say thank you to all of you who put forward nominations for leaders to the Teams that we are looking to develop and keep you up to speed with where it is headed. All the nominations were pulled together, and before I went away on holiday, it was a great joy of mine to contact individuals to let them know that the church had identified leadership qualities in them.

In order to make the process manageable, I only contacted those who received the weighting of the votes in any given team. However, it was great to see well over 40 different names appear on the voting sheets.

The possible nominees have been asked to think about whether they are prepared to put themselves forward for consideration by the PCC. The church’s leadership will then pray about the shortlist and vote to establish the final choice of team leaders. We will then engage in the process of inviting others to help populate those teams, and get on with the real work of God’s mission.

Click here to download   Weekly News 3rd August 2014

Weekly News 27th July 2014/ Stories Jesus Told

STORIES JESUS TOLD As we move into the Summer holidays, people are off in different directions and there is generally a lot more fluidity to who is around on any given Sunday.

Given that, we are taking a break from our current sermon series, ‘(Re)New – How the Gospel Changes Everything’, and running a series called ‘Stories Jesus Told’. We’ll be looking at a number of parables that Jesus used to communicate different things about the nature of the kingdom of God. Each week will be targeted for all ages and fairly self-contained, so there’s no worry about losing the thread if you’re not around every week.

If you are privileged enough to have some downtime in the coming weeks, whether that’s away or at home, I hope it’s restorative and refreshing. God Bless. Jon

Click here to download   Weekly News 27th July 2014

Weekly News 20th July 2014/ Alpha Course 30 September

ALPHA COURSE 30 SEPTEMBER

Do you remember how this time last year we said there is an Alpha Course running virtually all the time – how somewhere around the globe, in homes, churches, halls, prisons and on patios people are exploring the big questions of life, faith and Christianity?

It’s that time again for us and we’re gearing up for our Alpha this Autumn. It will start on 30 September, so now is the time to start thinking about who you might wish to invite along. There are a few people who have already made enquiries.

In a relaxed, unpressured setting at Maureen and Nick’s home, there will be a meal, a short talk and some time for discussion in groups. At Alpha friendships are made and confidence is gained to ask those challenging questions. No subject is off limits.

If you have friends or family who have asked questions, or expressed skepticism, then think about inviting them along? Start praying now that people will hear about it and will have their curiosity piqued. See the website for more details, or speak to Jon, Nick or Maureen.

Click here to download   Weekly News 20th July 2014

Beacon Centre Next Steps Document July 2014

Click here to download   BC Next Steps July 2014

Weekly News 13th July 2014/ The Future of the Beacon Centre

THE FUTURE OF THE BEACON CENTRE A fair bit of our focus in the last few weeks has been on the nomination of leaders to the teams we are looking to develop. We don’t want you to be under the impression that the other topic, which was under discussion when we met in the Assembly Rooms, has fallen by the wayside.

The small group assigned to consider the future of the Beacon Centre has continued to meet and work through future possibilities. Included with this week’s News Sheet is a summary of where we currently stand and some things for you all to consider and provide feedback on. There is also a write-up of what a new look centre might feel like; this is not a blueprint of what the place will be, but simply a written sketch to spark the imagination.

The small group will continue to work up what different expressions of the centre might entail for us as a church – for our human resources, financially, legally, etc. We do know that this is a venture which will require broad support from the church in order to be a success. So can I encourage you to give it close attention and provide your prayerful thoughts. Thank you. Jon.

Click here to download   Weekly News 13th July 2014

Weekly News 6th July 2014/ 'MOP' Weekend

'MOP’ WEEKEND  Across the weekend of 27-28 September, the spotlight will be on different aspects of mission outside of the parish (that’s where the MOP thing comes from). So far, the programme looks like this:

Saturday, 27 September, 7:15 for 7:30pm – Big Fat Mission Quiz

At Holmshaw Farm with the inimitable Jonny Faint as Quiz Master. Special guests include Tim & Maggie Gaved, Mike & Liz Jeggo and Loraine Pinder-Brown. Bring your own drinks, nibbles provided. Cost £5. Sign up notice to follow;

Sunday, 28 September, 10am – Special Mission Worship

A chance to meet some of our mission partners and discover what makes them tick. Mike Jeggo from Japan will be preaching. There will be attractive displays showing what goes on in different parts of the globe.

Sunday, 28 September, 6:30pm – Youth Service

It may be a Youth Service, but all are invited. The service will feature Steve Reid of Ambassadors Football, some of our own young people who have been on short-term assignments, and Mark Watson will be preaching.

Put it in the diary now, it will come around very quickly.

Click here to download     Weekly News 6th July 2014

Weekly News 29th June 2014/ BBQ Next Weekend

BBQ NEXT WEEKEND

If you haven’t yet clocked the invitation, here it is one last time: Everyone is warmly invited to 30 Coney Hill Road next Sunday, from 1:00pm onwards, to join us for a Bring & Share BBQ.  There will be plenty of people coming from outside of church, so it’s a great opportunity to meet some new faces, as well as catch up with the church family.

As in previous years, there will be drinks provided, but feel free to bring a bottle and garden chair, something to throw on the BBQ, as well as some extras along the following lines, based on your surname:

A-O        Something to accompany the BBQ: salad, potato, bread, couscous, nibbles, etc

P-Z         A pudding.

We are aware of a certain tennis match scheduled for that day, so we’re looking to see if we can throw in a ‘Wimbledon Corner’ to view the action.

Click here to download   Weekly News 29th June 2014

Team Leaders Nomination Form

Click here to download Team Leaders Nomination Form

Weekly News 22nd June 2014/ Nomination Day

NOMINATION DAY  I hope that you have had a chance to think, talk and pray about this over the last few weeks, as today the whole church is invited to nominate their choice of two leaders for each of the following seven teams:

Prayer, Worship, Children & Youth, Caring & Befriending (Pastoral Care), Faith Sharing, Mission Outside the Parish, and Social Action.

As you choose the leaders, bear in mind the following:

• We’re only asking you to put forward names that represent a meaningful response to you. You may not be able to list 14 people – that’s okay;
• Try as far as you are able to allocate people to a particular team, even if you’re not completely sure where their passion/gifting lies. There will be discussions with nominees as to whether they are prepared to act as leaders, and the area for which they perceive themselves to be suited.

If you’re not here on Sunday, forms are available on the website, or from the parish office in the Beacon Centre. Please return them as soon as possible to the box in church, or to Margaret at the office. Any questions, ask Jon.

Click here to download Weekly News 22nd June 2014

Weekly News 15th June 2014/ (RE)NEW: How The Gospel Changes Everything

(RE)NEW: HOW THE GOSPEL CHANGES EVERYTHING Is the new sermon series that will be starting this Sunday. It will run up to the Summer hols, we’ll take a break from it over the holiday period, and then pick it up again in early Autumn.

It begins by thinking about our home now, the world in which we live and finishes by looking at the Eternity, the eternal city, the world to come. In between those 2 bookends, we’ll be exploring together how the gospel changes our hearts, our community and how we live in the world.

There will be materials for homegroups to follow up from the teaching on a Sunday morning. But the series is loosely based on a course on the gospel produced by Tim Keller, called ‘Gospel in Life’, which is available on-line if you wanted to delve into it further.

Click here to download  Weekly News 15th June 2014