Preparing for the church meeting a couple of Sundays ago was a moving affair – not what you might expect from a ‘business’ meeting! It was moving because in preparing it, I had to think about all that God has done for us and all that God does through us – through you and your support – over the year. Take a look at what we do and what he does through us…
Each week the church is open on five days to give food to local people in crisis. People who are struggling due to ill health, unemployment, accidents, family breakdown, caring for others, and numerous other reasons. Some come once and your help is enough to get them through a brief sticky patch. Others for whatever reason may be stuck in this position for some time, and your provision of time and food either directly or through the church, keeps them going. Life can be tough and the Foodbank offers a lifeline – one guest said to me this week that coming for a parcel and a cup of tea and a chat is the highlight of his week, he suffers with nerves and finds it hard to go out especially when he often feels judged, but at the church he feels safe. On his behalf, and the others who come our way, thank you.
Ever Tuesday afternoon, 15 – 20 mainly elderly folk gather at the Drop In. They are fed wonderful food, listen to music, read the paper, chat and support each other, play dominoes and listen to a short talk about faith. This is a growing group, providing friendship and time with others to those who may otherwise be lonely, and a chance to gently explore what it means to know Jesus.
Every Thursday morning a group of 20-25 parents bring their children into the church, a place they say is welcoming, relaxed and friendly. They play, learn to interact with each other, swap stories and ideas and even sing the Eileen Song! One unexpected spin off is that some of them have volunteered to help at the Winter Night Shelter starting in January.
Once a month we meet to play table tennis, a raucous evening of sporting competition that’s purely for fun, with friends from both in the church and beyond.
Once a month we watch films alongside the Big Local, building bridges with the local community.
Every week the church is involved in school’s work, taking assemblies in Wormley Primary School (and Hunsdon!), being involved in lessons, leading Harvest, Christmas and Easter services for the Nursery and Reception, often continuing with the children who have left Toddlers and their parents too. We also run a Christian Union at St. Mary’s High School.
We take services and sing carols at Wormley Court and High Trees.
We did Alpha (or more accurately, three Alphas)!
We are one of the more active churches in Churches Together.
Our members run the Sierra Leone Mission, take aid to Romania and are members of The Connexion’s Trustees and run Conference and Youth Conference.
Between us we take God’s Presence and love into colleges, staff rooms, classrooms, offices, supermarkets, care homes, hospitals, airports, families, sports centres, laboratories and so many other places day after day.
We pray with and for each other and the people around us, to discover God, to grow in faith, to be healed, be guided and comforted. We read the Bible and share our encounters with God within it. And we sing together, celebrating the God who loves us.
And this is just the regular stuff!
Thank you for all you do and enable, and thank God for using us to build this part of his Kingdom in the places where we meet, live, work and relax.
Church Newsletter Article, 07.10.18
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