Leaders Letter – Spring 2016

Over the past couple of months there has been much to both encourage and challenge us as a church. We are seeing growth in many areas of our life together. All growth is encouraging – numerical; relational; spiritual; financial, the most encouraging growth from my perspective has been amongst the members of the congregation both old and new as each person discovers their calling to involvement in ministry and mission.

Just in the last few months we have seen several new start up projects:

• Chomp helping people who find themselves eligible for Free School Meals but who do not receive them during the holidays. This is soon to expand with the help of another local church.
• ESOL Classes in partnership with one local school are proving very popular in a community with over 43 different languages.
• Knit, Stitch and Sew which locks into the growing interest in all things material.
• Persian Bible Study which is what is says on the tin.
• Tuesday at 12 which is a new reflective Bible Study for those interested in exploring how faith relates to everyday life.
• A Friendship and Support Group at Sunrise Care Home.
• Parenting Courses in the local secondary school.
• CAP Money is restarting with a new team after a long break.

As you can see it has been a productive couple of months. However, it isn’t the projects themselves that have encouraged me it is the fact that pretty much all of them have been about members of the church feeling a sense of calling and getting on with doing! We are seeing fresh shoots springing up all around the church and from the church to the community.

One of the great delights for me in ministry is to see the church become a permission giving place where people can explore faith in practice. Where together we can encourage and equip one another to do what God is calling us individually and corporately to do. We want to be increasingly a seed-bed for new initiatives not that the leadership dream up, but that the congregation feel led into.

What has God laid on your heart? Where do you see yourself being led in the next 12 months?

• Nothing is impossible with God – Matthew 19:26. Do you believe it?
• Nothing will be impossible for you – Matthew 17:20. Do you believe that too?