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Hello Bilton Grange United Reformed Church! If you read this letter before the 12th January 2008 it is your joyful Minister elect writing to you. If you read this after 12th January it is your doubly joyful Minister writing to you. You have made Anne and I, really welcome and we want to praise God for that and thank you for it. Please consider the following question when considering Bilton Grange United Reformed Church 2008:

'What do you see?'

 Do you see a church that 'rocks,' meaning that our church is a place where God speaks and the people respond? Do you see a church that meets the needs of those outside its walls? Do you see a church that has a positive attitude towards change without compromising its beliefs? Do you see a church that welcomes people of all ages, as families, single parents, single people, etc with grace, love and care? How you respond to the question 'what do you see' will be influenced by what you want to see changed or by what you want to hold on to. In any congregation there will be differences of opinion and the way to move forward is by having the Lord Jesus is at the centre of our worship both in church and outside it. For any Christian the reason, not just the season, but for life, is Jesus Christ. As Christians we live to worship him in church and outside by the way we live our lives. In 2008 what will guide us to live out our Christian lives?

 The lectionary gospel and personal guide for 2008 is Matthew. The key to understanding the gospel of Matthew is that in Jesus, God's purposes have come to fulfilment. Everything in the gospel is related to Jesus. By the time you read this it will be 2008 and one thing you should take with you in this New Year is the Kingship of Jesus. Matthew links Jesus to the fulfilment of Kingship in the Old Testament as prophesied. In Matthew 12:3-4 Matthew records that Jesus is the son of David, the Old Testament king. Jesus is a direct descendant of David and first in line to the throne. (Read Matthew 1:1-17 to see his family tree, it is impressive). Further on in Matthew 12:42 we read again that Jesus is wiser than King Solomon (Read 1 Kings 4:29-34 to understand Solomon's level of wisdom and then think how wise Jesus is in comparison. You don't need to phone a friend when you have our Lord). In Matthew 21:4-5 we read that in Jesus' entry into Jerusalem the prophecy of Zechariah 9: 9 is fulfilled, no wonder the disciples were excited!

In Matthew 13:41 we see Jesus' authority in heaven after his resurrection and ascension. (Read it and it will make you think!) In 16:28 Jesus speaks a fulfilling word about himself. If you want a picture of the Kingship of Jesus look no further than 19:28 and can you see yourself in verses 28-29? This is a taste of what the Kingship of Jesus is about for you, for me and for those still outside his Kingdom. In the suitable words of another gospel writer, John: 'But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that by believing you may have life in his name.'

 'What do you see?'

 Let King Jesus guide you in and outside of the church in 2008. There is nothing that you are going through that he does not understand. There is nothing he cannot help you with. There is nowhere you can go that will separate you from his presence. He loves you from the top of your head to the toes of your feet. He knows you and loves you and accepts you unconditionally and he will never leave you. He holds you in the palm of his hand and you are his child, for EVER!

 From your friend and Minister: Bob

*****

         

         December 2007

Hello All

Christmas again!

How easy it is to groan when we think of the expense and work ahead in the run up to the Christmas season.  When we try to remind ourselves that 'Jesus is the reason for the season'.  That trite expression always makes me want to grit my teeth but really it is true!  It is the time when we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, unapologetically and unreservedly.

It might appear to have been hi-jacked by the secular world, turned into a time when commercialism seems to have run out of control and, when the work parties are over, it seems almost as though Christmas itself is an anti-climax and not 'how it used to be'.

We know different!  It's not just a time when 'little baby Jesus' was laid in a manger and we all sing carols and remember past Christmases with nostalgia.

It is a time when we know that we have a Saviour who grew up to be a powerful man who brought a message of hope to a broken world; who through his teachings made a difference and when his people follow those teachings there does come hope and change and peace.

So, whether you're celebrating quietly or noisily, let's all enjoy this wonderful celebration and thank God for Jesus in the knowledge that he didn't stay in the cradle but did grow up to become the most important man in history.

Hallelujah

Norma

*****

 

          November 2007

Dear friends,

 

We are now approaching a wonderful time in our Christian calendar, the celebration of the birth of our Lord.  I know you will say that I am getting a little ahead of myself like the stores in the high street, but by the time of the next newsletter we will already have had our Christmas Fayre.

We must now work hard together to make the Fayre a successful event, please look out for the lists in church and in the hall and put your name down against any of the jobs which take your fancy.  The more the merrier as they say.

We will then be moving swiftly into December and our wonderful Christmas services, the Candlelight Carol Service, the Christingle and of course our Nativity.  It would be lovely to see as many people as possible filling the church as we prepare for the celebrations of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

We will also be giving a warm welcome to our singing group once again, they sang so beautifully at our Harvest and will next be singing on 18th November.  We are really looking forward to hearing their songs over the Christmas period.  Thank you all for your hard work, dedication and enthusiasm, it is lovely to have so many talented people taking part in our services.

Sharon

*****

October 2007

Dear Friends,

 Here we are back and settled into the autumn term.  Doesn't take long to get back into a routine does it?  It's good to hear Laura Potter and Jack Harrison have had a good start to Secondary School.  We have all enjoyed a fairly warm and pleasant month and all of you who took late holidays I hope are all back safe and nicely refreshed.

 Alas, the nights are drawing in.  Some of us find them cosy; others will not be looking forward to them.  Well, we have exciting times ahead!!  As most of you will have heard the good news, we now have a new Minister which we will be sharing with Knaresborough URC.  We are both delighted to announce that the Rev. Bob Jones and his delightful wife Anne will be starting with us hopefully around Christmas time or early in the New Year.  The feelings and feed back from both churches about our future partnership are very positive.  God has and still is working out His plan for us.  I have been playing a CD track called 'The Suddenly of God' by Godfrey Birtill and it is so appropriate.  We seem to have been in a state of 'waiting' and then 'suddenly' it all happened.

 God is good to his people and it is in that time of preparation and waiting that I believe he has taught us many things and brought us closer together.  May the Holy Spirit continue to work in our future together as we move forward and endeavour to enrich His Kingdom.

 Karen

*****

September 2007

Dear Friends,

As most of you will know by now, we have a prospective candidate preaching with a view over the weekend of 14-16 September.  As confidentiality is of the utmost importance, the name of the candidate will not be announced at the moment.

 The Elders will meet with the candidate on Friday 14th September for further discussions following on from the interview.

 I hope that you have put the date in your diary as your chance to meet the candidate is on Saturday 15 September, at our Dinner for Darfur, which will take place in the hall at Church at 7.30p.m.  I hope all members and friends will try and get along to this event to meet the candidate and hear him preach on the Sunday.

Due to the fact that the candidate is preaching at both churches on the Sunday, the service at Bilton will start at 11.15a.m. approximately.  Coffee will be served first from 10.30a.m., which will allow time for the candidate to preach at Knaresborough and then to get to Bilton for the second service.

The Church meeting will be held on Monday 17th September when members will be voting on whether or not to issue a call to the candidate.

This is a very important time in our Church life and I ask that you all keep praying and also make the effort to come along and take part in the weekend!

We could do with another volunteer to take the children on the Sunday morning, allowing members to stay in Church and hear the candidate preach;  Alex Brown has volunteered to help so we only need one more person who is available and not a Church Member.

Thank you

Colleen

 *****

August 2007

Hello Friends

 August is here and for many it is a time to think of  'rest and recuperation'.  The time of year when everything seems to slow down and people generally want to take things easy and just enjoy the summer (that is if the weather improves!).  For those of you who are going away on holiday, have a safe journey and come back refreshed and ready for the time ahead. September promises to be both challenging and exciting as we look to fill our ministerial vacancy.  Please note the our Church Meeting has moved from September 10th to 17th.  It is very important that, if you want a say in the future of our Church, you attend this meeting.  Those of you who have not yet committed to membership but come regularly are also very welcome to join us on that date.

 It is crucial that we all keep praying for guidance and wisdom at this time for direction for our Church.

 Isn't it wonderful that although we may be on holiday our Mighty God isn't?  It is hard "to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know that this love surpasses knowledge - that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God"  Ephesians 3 v.18-19.

 Love to you all

 Norma

*****

July 2007

One of our points for discussion at our last meeting of the Elders was the money being raised by Ladies  Fellowship for Mikoroshoni Primary School, Shanzu Village, Mombasa, Kenya.  We wondered if as a Church we would like to sponsor a child or children, £25 a year on the Gift Scheme can help educate a child for one year.

It was also put forward as an alternative supporting the Christian organisation Tearfund which also desperately needs money to support its work helping children whose lives have been damaged by poverty, war, famine, disease or abuse.  Tearfund’s Children at Risk programme reaches tens of thousands of children in 53 countries around the world.  The work is carried out by local churches and Christian groups within each country so the people involved have a unique understanding of how to meet the children’s emotional, spiritual and physical needs in their own environment.

A third option would be raising money for a school in Malawi where a friend of both Jill Harrison and myself is working for fifteen months helping to teach teachers.  You may have been asked to sponsor Jack as Richard Taylor School is raising money to support Rosy’s project.

We would appreciate some feedback as we feel it would be an opportunity to support children in other countries who are so deserving of our help.

We could do this either by specific fundraisers, donations or a combination of both.  We do feel strongly though that we must continue to support Hyper and Youth for Christ in the very important work they do locally.

Please give your ideas and views to one of the Elders, Brenda P., Brenda D., Norma, Karen, Colleen or me Sharon.

Yours in Christ,

Sharon

*****

June 2007

Dear Friends 

We are moving towards exciting times. God has a great plan for our lives and this will inevitably mean change. If you want to become a catalyst, you yourself must change and we are never too old to do that. Change has nothing to do with our age but everything to do with our attitude. We are also never too old to learn as you all know I work in a school and I'm learning new things everyday. I believe older people can be excellent learners. It is a mistake to say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, well it may be true if you are teaching dogs and teaching tricks. Young people in their 20's can be dead in the head whilst others in their 80's are plugged in and going places. The Apostle Paul was near the end of his life and should have been settling into his rocking chair when he wrote. . . .Forget what is behind and look forward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me. . . . Paul learned from his past, but he refused to live in it. His goal was always before him. Every day when Paul's eyes opened he thought 'It's a new day full of possibilities; Lord help me to make the most of every moment.'  I like the saying 'the older the fiddle the sweeter the tune -  but only if you keep practising and stay in shape, and we must all stay in shape. Let's keep our eyes front, may the Lord Bless us and keep us in tune with each other no matter what our age, change is good for us.

 Karen Brown

*****

May 2007

Hello Friends

Well, it seems that before we've taken a breath a third of the year has gone.  Where has it gone?  What have we done with it?  How quickly life can slip by, sometimes without us even noticing because, we're either too busy to stop and smell the roses or, we're in a rut and don't even realise it.

 Psalm 144  v 3-4 ….O Lord what are mortals that you should notice us, mere humans that you should care for us?  For we are like a breath of fresh air, our days are like a passing shadow.

Thank God that he does care for us and he tells us how to live a fuller life during our allotted time in that wonderful book of wisdom that most of us have in our homes, the Bible.  I've just looked up the words 'life' and 'lifestyles' in the Concordance at the back of mine and, after reading some of the references, realised how much richer my life could be if I followed more of the advice given.

For those of you who, like me, don't always spend as much time as we could reading our bibles, can I encourage you to open it more often?  There're lots of good things from God that we are missing because we don't look at our 'manual' enough. Remember ….. Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

As we are reminded in 1 Peter 2

People are like grass that dies away, their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of wild flowers.  The grass withers, and the flowers fall away, But the word of the Lord will last forever.

Life is short!  Don't miss out!  Get the most from your life!  Slogans we often see in the media but they don’t really know how to do it.  We do...don't we?

 On another note please continue to pray for the ministry of our Church.  The good news that we have been scoped to share with Knaresborough means that the Elders of both Churches need your prayers for wisdom and discernment in the selection of any candidate, as well as an application from the right person.  We don't want to miss any of God's blessings for us.

 Norma

*****

April 2007

Dear Friends

Like so many I feel the years flying by, here we are at Lent again with Easter just a few days away.

We celebrate Christmas enjoying the promise that the birth of Jesus holds for us, but we rapidly enter a time of learning, often hard lessons. Then we come to Lent and real life is now very real indeed as we understand what Jesus is telling us, and none of us like it. The time of hardship, of very little growth, the time of punctured egos, 'can I sit at your right hand Lord?' asks the Apostle. 'Peter, you will deny me' says the Lord. Nature seems to reflects this unhappy time as it rests, getting ready for the spring, we hope. Then tragedy, betrayal, denial and Crucifixion. Too horrible to think about. How can this be LOVE?

Then Easter Day and Yes, Yes now we see now we understand, now we know what Jesus meant when He talked of love.

HE is RISEN

HE is RISEN INDEED

Thank you Lord our God for sending us Jesus. May we learn to love Him. May we rise above our sins and be worthy of Jesus.

Happy Easter everyone

Alex.

*****

March 2007

Dear Friends

 Exciting times are ahead at long last, it seems ages since we last had a minister and I am delighted that both Knaresborough and ourselves have voted for the 50-50 percentage split of a minister that was recommended by the Pastoral Committee.

Peter Clarkson will be the Interim Moderator for both churches until we get a minister and will be attending our next Elders' meeting.  Peter tells me that the vacancy should be active by May if all goes well and the finishing touches to the joint pastorate profile sheet that the Moderator uses to advertise the vacancy will be completed in the very near future.

Please continue to pray that all goes well both with the joint pastorate and also in our own church here at Bilton Grange.  Looking forward,  the Annual General Meeting will be held on 16th April, it would be good to see you all there.

I am currently updating the directory, if any of your details have changed recently then please let me know so I can make the necessary changes.

I pray that God will continue to guide us in all that we do and that the joint pastorate with KURC will be a long and happy one.

May God bless you all.

Colleen

*****

February 2007

Dear Friends

We are now at the beginning of February and I would hazard a guess that most of the physical gifts we received at Christmas are now just a distant memory.

 The gifts we now need to think about seriously as a Church are the Gifts we can offer to help spread the name and the word of Jesus in our community.  We need to consider carefully what we can offer to our Church.  Could you perhaps be a Junior Church Leader/Teacher, can you sing or play a musical instrument, but are you keeping your talents a secret?  We would love to encourage any musical talent within our Church.  Have you any ideas for social activities to encourage others to join us?  We are always pleased to hear from you. 

 Please do not hesitate to speak to any of the Elders if you have any ideas or hidden talents. 

 We have discussed from time to time the idea of a change in the format of the Sunday morning service.  We would love some input, what would you like, more hymns, less hymns, maybe a different form of address, perhaps less formality?  How about services with themes which are linked together for example, prayer from different perspectives?  Please give some thought and prayer to this.  We really would love to hear from you about all the things mentioned above. 

Yours in our Lord

Sharon

*****

January 2007

Happy New Year

 Here we are and it's all over, all the planning, the preparation, the joys, the sorrows, the mishaps, the over indulging, the unwanted gifts, all the family gatherings have been and gone and soon all the trimmings will come down and be stored back up in the loft and cupboards.

 Oh!! How sad …... for these are just some of the motions that so many of us go through at this time of year and yet for us as Christians our celebrations are still taking place for a saviour was born to us and remains with us. Baby Jesus is now a man and we must tell people that  "Jesus is very much still with us"  and that we do have a responsibility to continue talking about him and spreading the good news.

 I hope all of you have had a wonderful time at this special time of the year and joined us in our celebrations at our Christmas church services and a big Thank you to all those who work so hard behind the scenes. We now turn our attention and thoughts on what 2007 will bring us and have hope in our hearts that our future will bring changes that will enable us as the body of Christ to move forward and walk in confidence with Jesus at our side.

 Prayer is mandatory for our destiny and we must continue to pray earnestly, together when possible and on an individual basis at every opportunity. Through prayer we can worship and adore the King of all Kings and show that our love for him is great and in return his love for us is immeasurable and we are truly BLESSED. Let us all pray that 2007 will be a joyous year for everyone and we continue to have PEACE in our hearts.

 Karen

*****

December 2006

Hello All,

 The year has moved on again.  Christmas is almost upon us.  The time when we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It does appear to have been hi-jacked by the secular world and turned into a time when commercialism seems to have run out of control and, when the work parties are over, it almost seems as though Christmas itself is an anti-climax and not how 'it used to be'. 

We know different!  It's not just a time when 'little baby Jesus' was laid in a manger and we all sing carols and remember past Christmases with nostalgia.

It is a time when we know that we have a Saviour who grew up to be a powerful man who brought a message of hope to a broken world.  Who through his teachings made a difference and when his people follow those teachings there does come hope and change and peace.

So let's enjoy this wonderful celebration and thank God for Jesus in the knowledge that he didn't stay in the cradle but grew up to become the most important man in history.

 Hallelujah

 Norma.

*****

November 2006

Dear Friends,

 We have just had a very positive meeting about Ministry here at BGURC.

This set me thinking about the number of Churches in Harrogate, well over 40! Now think about that, it implies 40 plus everything, Ministers, Buildings, Youth clubs, Scouts, Guides etc. and leaders of course, above all congregations MUCH smaller than need be about 45 on average.

Let me suggest a different model. Not mine. Let me assume 2% or 3% active Christians (1500 to 2000+) in Harrogate and in say 3 buildings - Shock, Horror - Catholic, Anglican, Free. This frees up a large number of clergy enabling them to form teams acting from the centres covering, Evangelism, youth work, needs of the ageing, needs of parents, Mission and others, a team of 6 or 8 people working from a busy centre and being a strong presence of Christianity not forgetting the large number of volunteers and lay people gathered together, 20 plus junior church leaders and so on, rather than what we have now. Can you imagine what the singing would be like! Grapevine or Spring Harvest every time.

Is this a pipe dream?

Yours in Christ.

Alex.

*****

October 2006

Dear Friends,

 It seems a long time ago since we had any movement on the vacancy front, but as I reported at the Church meeting, the scoping team will be meeting with the Elders on Wednesday, 11th October at 8p.m.  (All Elders please note).

 The scoping team consists of Rev. Tony Gardiner, Mrs. Jenny Poulter and Rev. Liz Brown and the same team will be meeting with Knaresborough URC during the week before our visit.Following these visits the scoping team will make various recommendations to both churches and we need to pray about these recommendations as well as keeping an open mind.

 Rev. Peter Clarkson tells me that if both churches agree with the recommendations of the scoping team, then we should be on the vacancies' list by the New Year.

 If you have any strong points of view that you wish taking to this meeting, then please let one of the Elders know beforehand and please keep this visit and the whole process on the top of your prayer lists.

 Colleen

*****

September 2006

Dear Friends,

We are now moving into a new season and with that the activities within our church family are beginning again in earnest.  Once more we are privileged to share our Bible study with Derek Carr from September.  Last time we studied Acts and we were able to increase our knowledge and deepen our faith, but in a very informal atmosphere, (which of course involved food).  Please do come and join us, either for the first time or once more.  This time we will be studying Genesis.

 Our Church is also still moving towards a possible new beginning with Knaresborough United Reformed Church.  We must pray about our future that we are led to follow the wishes of God for us.  Is it our Mission as a church to try to continue our growth through our social activities or can we bring people to know Christ in other ways?  We must be flexible and our hearts must be open to the ways in which we can be led by God.

 When we start again with all our meetings in September let us remember that it is important to come and air our views at Church Meetings, we need to know how everyone feels and would really appreciate any new ideas that you as members may want to share.  The meetings are usually quite brief and lifts can be arranged so please ask your Elder.

 Let us pray and worship together in His name,

 God Bless

 Sharon

*****

July 2006

Dear Friends,

 This is my first letter I am writing as an Elder of Bilton Grange URC.  I  must say I was very happy and honoured to be asked and to accept the position.  At last I'm a Very Important Person!  On a more serious note I did feel that the time was right and I knew in my heart God was calling  -  how could I  refuse?

 Many things are important to all of us but the care and love we show to one another is paramount.  We are many parts but all one body.  When your  feet ache you give them a rub.  When your head itches you give it a scratch. Each one is given the attention it requires.  And we too must give each other the attention we require when we need it.  All our needs are different, but in love and unity we are strong. I've been told we can move mountains, so let's not settle for mole hills.

 God teaches us to rise above earthly things and to pray earnestly and to seek and we shall find.  What are we looking for? What am I looking for? I know this much, the most important piece of clothing we must wear is love.  Love is what binds us together in perfect harmony. We must always be joyful and always thankful for this is his will.

 Yes, perhaps we are living is uncertain times but we can be certain that our God is with us.  Who was the fourth person in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? God is for us and God is with us.

 I pray I may serve you all sincerely and faithfully and look to a beautiful future God has planned for his people at Bilton Grange URC -  Remember we didn' t choose God, he chose us!! He has a perfect plan for our lives.

 Karen Brown

*****

June 2006

Dear Friends,

 Having made the decision to go it alone we need to ask ourselves - what will the future bring?  Hopefully a new minister but who knows when that will happen?  Even then s/he will depend on us for help and support.

 We are in days of change and that very idea can make us uncomfortable.  We need to be open to all possibilities, open to think and pray how God will lead us in the days ahead.  As a church there has been little growth in the past few years but for many members there is a desire to see God moving amongst His people.  If change needs to happen perhaps it should start with us, a greater desire to pray, to read the Bible, to witness the moving of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Are you willing to consider your relationship with God and make any necessary changes?

 If we want to make a difference in our community, if we want to see real growth then change, real change has to begin with ourselves.  Let us pray and support each other as we consider where to make that change.

 Ian Morris

*****

May 2006

Hello All

 We've just celebrated Easter THE big day of the Christian calendar.  The power of the resurrection is the power of personal regeneration.  Resurrection spells regeneration.  The two things should always be kept together - the new world and the new person.

Resurrection is the power to change us now.  To know Christ today is to come under the influence of the same power that raised him from the dead.  Have you got the power of the Holy Spirit in your life to enable you to be regenerated?

Do you want to be regenerated or are you trapped in the past?  Don't waste today and perhaps tomorrow by not looking for new life.  Life is too short to stand still and miss the future that God has for you if you are brave enough to seize the moment. 

Pray for a refreshing of the Holy Spirit or, better still, bless one of your Church family by asking them to pray with you.

Regeneration also applies to our Church as we look to the future.  Standing still is not an option.  Pray for wisdom for the Elders as they seek to lead the Church forward and ask for God's blessing as we look at our Mission field that Jesus's name will be glorified.

 Norma

 (With regard to last month's Newsletter, I must apologise if anyone mistook my personal opinions for that of the Eldership.  Although written by Elders, these letters are all only personal thoughts and feelings and are in no way to be read as official policy documents. June)

*****

March 2006

Dear Friends,

Ministry, or lack of it, is still very much on our minds as we continue to explore all the possibilities.  My choice would be to advertise  'Urgently required - non-stipendiary, evangelical minister with an interest in youth.'  However, I know in my heart of hearts that what would be best for the people of Bilton is working together with Bar and Grove for the benefit of our local community and to the glory of God.  But I, together with many others, am afraid to make that leap of faith and step into the unknown.  So I pray for the courage that Abraham showed when asked to go he knew not where.  Please , Lord, help me to put my hand into yours,  which will be better than a light and safer than a known way.

May God's blessing remain with us all as we continue to wrestle

June

*****

(Nov 2005)

Dear Brothers and Sisters

As most of you know a few of us went to Grapevine in Lincoln at August Bank Holiday where we had a real experience of God's presence, love and power. I've been remembering that time and trying to hold onto the feeling of closeness to God that comes when we cut ourselves off from our daily life and come together for a few days with thousands of other Christians for a big celebration to worship and praise God. The sense of excitement and expectation there.    Things happened ...... we saw

miracles!

How hard it is to hold on to that same sense of excitement and expectation in our day to day church life. To guard against becoming 'familiar' with God so that we do not lose our sense of 'wow' and become mundane. To ensure that we don't lose our reverence and fear of the Lord so that He just becomes our 'buddy'. To look at our expectations of Him and how much of Him we will allow into our lives. To talk to Him regularly and to read His words of wisdom and teaching in that manual He has given us called the Bible.

All these things and more are essential to our growth as Christians as we seek to become more like Jesus. It is not an easy walk. We are urged to seek earnestly the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit and fear not, because Paul says in Romans 8 verses 31-32:

"What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us who can be against us? Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave Him up for us all, won't God who gave us Christ, also give us everything else? "

Next month is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, but let's remember that he didn't just stay in the manger, he grew up to be a man of power, our Intercessor our Champion. We matter so much to him that He died that we might have life in abundance.

 

Hallelujah

Norma

    ******

(Oct 2005)

Dear friends,

 

September 2005, sitting in Bilton Grange Church, Harrogate reading the magazine you could ask the questions, what am I doing here? And how did I get here?

 

Made a commitment to follow Jesus, to love and serve him, follow him and he has led us here.  Go back to remember the time when Jesus came into our lives – the joy, the newness, the excitement when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

 

What are we doing here?  All around us are our brothers and sisters in Christ, to serve and share our lives, companions on a journey.  To be a reflection of Jesus, attractive and joyful people.

 

May the Holy Spirit be our guide and lead us into a greater understanding of what we are to be in these times.  Jesus does not change; He is always there. 

 

Some of you we have not seen for weeks and look forward to seeing you all again.  Some of you will have been at Christian gatherings and experienced a great time with other Christians.  Don’t let that enthusiasm go, share it with everyone.

 

God Bless

 

From David H. 

**********************

(Sept 2005)

Dear friends

It is now just twelve months since Bob moved onto pastures new. A year without Spiritual oversight and this fact alone highlights such an important need of any fellowship.

As I was thinking of Spiritual renewal, I thought of what have the great known figures of the Bible done, quite often on a daily routine, but especially in times of stress. They have sought the haven of stillness - the peace of the desert - Jesus himself renewed his Inner peace on a regular basis and sought his Father in the stillness. And we, like Jesus, need to be able to be still and know He is God.

To develop His still centre Jesus went to quiet places, The Mount of Olives, the seashore, the desert. We too can have our own desert place, the sanctuary we create wherever we may be. It may be in the quietness of the church or it could just well be in the garden or in a corner of a room. Gaze upon a part of creation, a flower, a plant, even a piece of wood. Consider where it came from, the size of the tree, its root system the amount of water it consumes daily, its production of oxygen, the size of the seed it grew from. It is in the knowledge and acceptance of our creator that we are uplifted.

The desert place is where we meet God in the stillness and know he is there. The desert place is also the place where we meet ourselves where we can face the pain of our weaknesses and our sin. It is here, however, that a miracle takes place and we know the full redeeming work of the risen Christ. We know God is with us.

Forgiving - redeeming - assuring - renewing. It is in this experience of a loving God that we find the stillness we seek. True serenity comes from knowing God as a living loving presence. Equipped with such peace we can face the secular, practical world with calmness and confidence, aware of our weaknesses and frailties we become more sure that the divine strength of the Holy Spirit is within us flowing through our whole being.

Such stillness is not of our making it is Gods gift. You do not have to be on your own to enjoy this gift, it can be enhancing to share it with others. You may wish to join with a small group at Norma's house for a quiet "Appointment with God" 2^nd Wednesday of the month. (Please listen for announcements in the notices on Sunday morning).

 

"Drop thy still dews of quietness,

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess  

The beauty of thy peace.

Mick

**********************

(Aug 2005)

Dear friends

During ministerial vacancy, pastoral care of all members and friends takes on an even greater significance and has up to now been done exclusively by the Elders. It is one of the Elders' duties I personally have opted out of, thus putting an even greater burden on the remaining Elders, especially those working and/or with young families. However in recent years, I have felt that each and every one of us should endeavour to develop pastoral skills; for if we cannot talk to each other as members of God's family, how can we seek to spread the message of His love to those as yet unaware? Over the past year, a small group of eight of us have been sharing pastoral responsibility between us. Each member of the group was given a list of those in the group and asked to pray for them regularly (daily, weekly, monthly - the choice is yours). In addition, each person takes it in turn to contact the other members of the group on a monthly rota. This does not interfere in any way with the many informal networks/friendships that exist but does ensure that no-one slips through the net or feels left out. Soon after this letter reaches you, I hope this scheme will be extended to two pastoral groups (with two elders in each group) and, hopefully, within another year, to the whole church family. If you have any queries or reservations about the system, I will be pleased to discuss these with you.

May I take this opportunity to wish anyone taking an early break a very happy and relaxed holiday.

God bless you all

June

************

Dear friends,

 At our last Church Meeting on February 14^th we were challenged to look at the “vision” for our Church.  Do we have a “vision” or are we content to just be? The 75^th Anniversary we had in 2003 and the number of visiting ministers and past members confirmed that, although we may be a small Church, in the past God has greatly blessed us and enabled us to send out workers. But what of now and the future?  What is our way forward especially now that it seems most unlikely that we will have a minister of our own?

 The Home Group are presently studying the book of Revelations.  When we looked at Chapters 2 & 3 we asked ourselves which church are we most like?  What can we do as a Church to make sure our lamp-stand shines brightly among the churches and in the community?  We must ensure that we are not like the Church in Laodicea Rev:3 v 15 – 22 neither hot nor cold but lukewarm.

 The Elders are hoping to form small working groups to look at the areas of Worship, Pastoral Care and Mission and Outreach.  We require your prayers for God’s wisdom and blessing at this time.  This is an awesome responsibility and we need your support.  We are not looking to simply have more committees and meetings!

 There are members in the Church with untapped gifts that can be used for the good of us all.  If you feel you have something to offer please let us know.  God could be speaking to you.  If one of us asks any of you to help please think carefully and prayerfully before saying no.  You could have a hidden talent that others see.

 This is a call to arms!

We are fighting a spiritual battle but we are on the winning side and remember…. “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them”.  (Romans 9v28)

 Let us show God our love.

 Norma

 

*****

 Dear Friends,

 How long ago it seems since we packed the Christmas decorations away and finally managed to get through all the turkey. I guess that for you as well as me, we lose sight of the reason for the season sometimes in all the frantic rushing about to get last minute jobs done and presents delivered.

God gave us a wonderful gift that Christmas morning that will stay with us for all time and his promises are as firm today as they were then. I can certainly feel and see the presence of God in our Church during our time of vacancy, there is a vibrancy about the place and people seem far more willing to undertake tasks, let us pray that we can build on this.

The Christmas Fayre was a perfect example; there was a wonderful atmosphere about the whole event and how quickly everything was cleared away afterwards, adding weight to the old saying of many hands making light work.

God's plan will be already mapped out for us and I feel he has great things in store, let us be ready and willing when he leads us forward. Please keep praying for ministry within the Church and also for Mick & Freda as they endeavour to find preachers for us.

On a personal note I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to you all for your prayers (most importantly), during my recent illness as well as your cards, flowers and good wishes. To those people who took my place during the times I could not be with you, thanks also to you. I have been overwhelmed by your offers of help and gifts of baking etc.

Keep up the excellent work on a Wednesday morning folks, I know that 6.30am is early, but what wonderful answers to prayer we are being blessed with. I would also like to thank Knaresborough URC (especially Ray & Edythe) and Sefton Road URC in Morecambe (Helga's Church) for their prayers and concern and please pass on my thanks to all involved. What a wonderful God we worship!

May God richly bless you all.

Love Colleen

*****

Dear friends,

Do you have goals? Do you set your goals for next year? Where do you want to be? What do you want to see in your Church for next year? "Where there is no vision people perish". A good Christian friend of ours used to echo this statement every year and I used to cringe. I found it difficult looking at the clean pages in a diary for the next year, 365 days so many hours so many seconds, but he had it all worked out.

What are we are doing on this earth at this time? Why are we here?

God had a plan for Jesus and he died fulfilling it and knowing he had been obedient to death.

Has He got a plan for you and me? If so do you know what it is? I would like to know, like Simeon in the bible, (Luke 2 v:25), when he saw baby Jesus and recognised that Jesus was the Messiah. Just a simple thing but it would be great to know as in 1 Corinthians 13 v:12 "It is the same with us. Now we see a dim reflection, as if we were looking into a mirror, but then we shall see clearly. Now I know only part, but then I will know fully, as God has known me". We shall fully know one day.

Do not be afraid the Bible tells us many times, but when we look at the world this Christmas it is frightening: terrorist attacks, wars etc. this is what the world throws at us.

Let us keep believing in our Hope, Jesus. Fill ourselves with the fruits of the spirit, Love, Joy, Peace and Kindness and may they grow in us all in 2005. Keep praising and encouraging it will keep us above what the world will throw at us. God has set us a pattern for living, "Families" our own, the Church family, God's family, we are all under threat, do not be afraid always read the last chapter in the Bible. "Jesus is coming back for us He will never leave us". If this is not the truth then I am lost and so are you. Have a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year. Keep Praising.

David Hardcastle

***** 

Dear friends,

In the recent vote taken as to what route we as a church should follow, I along with the majority of people voted to go it alone. _ The West Park option being a non-starter as they have their own agenda, whilst to join with the two Methodist churches is quite complex and is not an immediate option. Putting a tick in the box was the easy part, the reality of making it happen is somewhat different.

Setting aside the more spiritual aspect of running a church i.e. ensuring we have good preaching - teaching - pastoral care - a good outreach programme etc., being a practical person I think daily of the task of maintaining the upkeep of the fabric of the church. Alex informs me we are due a five yearly inspection of the property by a property expert from the district, and I have no doubt this will highlight many areas of maintenance which will mean expense in time and finance. I am already aware all the outside woodwork requires painting, we have a garage base to lay and a garage to erect. There is a large area at the back of the church which requires attention where a concrete area has collapsed. Oh! and the boundary wall between the church and the adjacent club requires pointing plus the normal upkeep of the garden - hedge and grass cutting. Coating up the vinyl floor in the hall and don't let us forget the possible removal of the organ and the subsequent decorating this would entail. All this faced by a small band of very willing people but none the less a very daunting prospect. (For a message of assurance and faith see article in the last magazine "He cares for His Own") Am I despondent or downhearted? No I'm not, each day I pray for spiritual insight and guidance and I depend upon my personal relationship with my - our God - to lead us in his way, i.e. what is best for his kingdom. I rejoice in the faithfulness of you my brothers and sisters in Christ, I rejoice in a small but active prayer group, I rejoice in an active caring homegroup. At this point I pause and ask you to share my thoughts that possibly the same scenario of the above applies in some major degree to both Grove and Bar Methodist Churches.

People no different to ourselves, three bodies of Christians seeking to retain their own identity and independence. I am not trying to make a case for us uniting together for there are many differences also, and here is not the place to air them. But what I will go on to state is we are all citizens of God's Kingdom and were we a strong well attended church I would still be advocating that we share in their prayers and discussions endeavoring to seek the will of God for this community. It is in seeking the heart of God that it has been suggested the three churches hold a joint Sunday service once every three months. The first of these has been arranged to meet at Bar on the 13^th February 2005. I trust we as one family can be faithful to our Lord Jesus head of the World-Wide church and join our brothers and sisters in Christ, in Praise, Worship and Prayer with a willing heart on that day.

Your brother in Christ Jesus

Mick Stead

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