Archive for Church Life
Love that excludes no one
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This Valentines day service is going to be a bit different from normal. We have an activity morning with something for everyone.
For starters
For those who would like time to find out about someone else – and share a little something about themselves – we are starting with a short encounter session. This will be guided at the start and do join in if you can. When we’ve done these in the past everyone who took part said how good they were.
Upstairs and downstairs
In the Pullman Suite, Doug will be guiding a group thinking about showing God’s Love.
Alternatively there will be 4 hands on activities in the Great Eastern Room, where you can do one or all at your own pace, either alone or with people.
Back Together
After this we’ll all come back together for a short time of worship.
Join in / chill out / share
We obviously hope you feel free to join in all that is happening. However, if you’d prefer to sit out and watch and drink coffee until you see what is happening and then join in, that’s fine. If you’d prefer to and either share with someone else or even get someone to pray with you, that’s fine too.
We’ve got a structure but it’s up to you how you want to use it. However it works out we hope you’ll enjoy the morning and go home blessed.
God’s Love in the Old Testament
Posted by: | CommentsWe live in a world where atheists are given public platforms and sound so confident. To the unwary their seeming confidence may almost appear overwhelming. We recently posted a simple comment on the Haiti crisis here. Since then Richard Dawkins has burst into print again denigrating the Christian faith. Because these things undermine the faith of the unwary, Tony has added an Appendix to his recent on-line book, God’s Love in the Old Testament, analysing this latest atheistic outpouring. If you would like to read this rebuttal, please click HERE
A Podcast of our sermon
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Today I have made available, on-line, last Sunday’s preach from Tony. We are in the process of looking at how we run the sound on Sunday mornings and one option open to us is to record the sermon’s digitally. This is a test for us to see if the technology works as well as the delivery of the audio and not forgetting how user friendly it will be.
Ultimately with the system i am trying to provide you will be able to search through bible verses, key words, who the preacher was, and when the preach took place. But before we commit to anything I would be very grateful if you could go to the sermons and have a listen. (or at least try!) Then either on this post or via email or a phone call give me any feed back you think will be helpful to get a good application for you.
Welcome
Posted by: | CommentsTo those of you who have recently signed up to receive email updates from Rochford Community Church, welcome. Please feel free to have a good look around the new church website. Whenever a new article is posted to the site you will be informed by email. Click on that link and read the whole thing. I am always looking to improve it and make it clearer for people to discover more about us so if you have any ideas please feel free to let me know.
Will’s Future
Posted by: | CommentsI, that is Will, have applied to CPAS to join their Arrow leadership training course which will be starting next year and running for 18 months. It is by far from a foregone conclusion that I will be accepted onto the course. I have had to complete a very in-depth application form, there have been 3 references and they go through a discerning process.
But you may be asking yourself “What is Arrow?” While society is changing. The Church faces huge challenges. Yet Christ’s commission remains constant. Leaders today need particular skills. Evangelism, leadership and the church will all look different in the future. And leadership is more than simply skills. It is based on call and character. It involves vision and commitment. Hear are some main point on the course:
- Be guided by people who understand leadership.
- Discern God’s particular calling for your life.
- Develop your character as much as your skills.
- Balance the various demands on your time,
- Lead people more and drive them less.
- more effective in evangelism.
- Join a network of people prepared to be honest about issues that matter?
A recent article from ChristianToday.com website sums the course, and it’s purpose up well.
CPAS finds training has ‘positive’ impact on church leaders
A new report by Anglican mission agency CPAS into the Arrow Leadership Programme has found that it has “positive long-term effects” on the life and ministry of church leaders.
Arrow was first founded in the US in 1991 by evangelist Leighton Ford with the vision to raise up young Christians into the next generation of church leaders.
The 18-month programme caters for leaders in churches and Christian organisations aged between 25 and 40 and is based around a development model covering the five areas of covenant, call, competency, character and community.
The report has been released to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the programme’s launch in the UK.
It found that graduates of the programme were 38 per cent more likely to have a sustainable pattern of ministry and life than other church leaders, and were 28 per cent more likely to understand their call and gifting.
The report also found that Arrow graduates were more likely to be able to discern where God was calling their corporate ministry (40 per cent) than other church leaders, and more likely to minister acts of compassion (28 per cent).James Lawrence, who led Arrow when it first came to the UK, said the report demonstrated the “measurable and significant difference” made by the programme to ministry and leadership.
“The results are very encouraging because Arrow is designed to bring about transformation which lasts well beyond the end of the programme,” he said. “The responses and comments indicate that many participants move on from Arrow better equipped for a healthy future life and ministry.”
What Now?
Now, pray. As i have said there is a discerning process that CPAS now goes through with Leaders of the course to see who gets a place. There are only about 20 places per 18 months. Simply pray that if this is the right thing for me to be doing then I get a place. Any questions about the course please feel free to ask.
Coffee Morning
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We have recently be running a series of coffee mornings for anyone to come along to. Today we had a Christmas fare shopping morning. We had many visitors, many of whom were old friends from our old Monday morning Tot’s & Toys session. It was great to re connect with people again. It has made us really understand the value or relationships with people and we are encouraged and plan to continue these coffee mornings. It will be interesting to see where this leads. I think we have to remember that we should value people above all else.
Thursday House group
Posted by: | CommentsAt one of the house groups tonight we are looking at 1Thessalonians 5:11-23 i would recommend it as a challenging read. Already i am feeling there are areas i need to tighten up in in my life. The benifit of meeting with people tonight is that i know that i am not going to be alone and i also know that i will be encouraged.
Worship Group nosh up!
Posted by: | CommentsSo on Sunday the worship team went out for a bit of a feed up. Straight after church we made a bee-line for East, a Chinese Restaurant in Southend-on-Sea. It was great to get out together and just enjoy the company of each other. I can thoroughly recommend the restaurant as well as going somewhere with you church team. Food is a great way to do this.
