Sorry it been so long

well what can i tell you:

we've given ourselves a working title 'church 123' i'll example more in our next prayer letter out in the next couple of weeks.

the summer is going to be an amazing opportunity to hang out with people we've met and got to know as well as a chance to have our batteries recharged.

please pray for the follow:

plans for next term, a good summer holiday, time with our new friends.

we what can i tell you that we've been up to.

On Saturday we hosted the graduation BBq for the latest parenting program, it was a really good day. The local MP came and all in all it was a great example of what we're about.

fun family and coming together to support each other. the Parents are asking loads about church so it's all very promising.

rich

Parenting course

I’ve been able to be involved in the parenting course this time round and have been helping with the crèche. It’s been great to get to know the kids of those on the course and has helped me begin to connect with the parents too. We’ve enjoyed a picnic in the park with some of the families and I often see them around in Harold Hill. I guess knowing that I know their kids, the fact that the kids will say hi all helps with building trust in new relationships. Here’s hoping this will continue to develop over the summer.

A

what you did for my dad that was.....

I did a friends funeral from Harold hill, i saw him in the pub the following week, he was very grateful for what i done and said

"What you did for my dad that was the bollocks!"

I love being in such a real part of the world.

r.

my sister's wedding this weekend

hi all, hope you're well, my little sister is getting married this weekend, i'm preaching which is a real privilege.

please pray, kids are being a nightmare at the mo when it comes to sleeping!! the joys of having three!

Are we like social services?

I’ve said it and I’ve heard others say it. “The danger is in serving our local community that we can land up being social services to our local community and not talking enough about Jesus. “

Social services and others in similar rolls on the whole do a great job and I have considered it a privilege to work with these professionals. Below is not an attempt to knock their vital work, it is however an attempt to reflect on how like social services the church isn’t.

We’re not like social services because………………….

We live and share the same community.

We are in it for the long term.

We don’t call people ‘our clients’ or ‘service users’.

We don’t have two mobile phones one for work and one for friends.

We don’t have a high turn over of staff.

We call those we serve our friends.

Most of us don’t get paid to do it.

We don’t judge people even if we’ve seen similar sets of circumstances in other people’s lives.

We are open after 5:30pm

We don’t make, coerce or threaten people to engage with us.

Those we serve have met our children.

We don’t count people, results or outcomes.

I guess if the church is being the church I can’t see why people would think we were like social services.

I guess if the church was like the above it should scream Jesus without saying it.

I guess if we think like we’re being like social services it not that we not talking about Jesus enough, rather we not serving enough like Him.

As I’ve reflected on this I’ve realised I was wrong to say could we could be seen as an extension to social services.

I’m sure we’ll continue to work along side socials services, but not as an extension, as the church of Jesus Christ.

Look what i'm growing

The picture will amaze some people as they can see I’ve got a veggie patch, as I’ve reflected on peoples annual attempt to grow fruit, I’ve seen some similarities between growing fruit and veg and growing a church.

I’ve cleaned the ground

But not eaten from it yet

I’ve exposed the earth

I’m still hungry

I’ve added manure,

But still nothing grows

I’ve worked to get ground ready to plant

I’ve Planted and chitted,

But still no fruit

I’ve planted seedlings and read about how they should grow!

Some have grown others haven’t

Some I really thought would take and others have surprised me.

I’ve passionately weeded and weeded anything that harm my crop,

(sometimes not sure if what I’m pulling up is what I’m meant to be growing!)

I’ve watered and tended,

(Can anyone tell me why my tomatoes have yellow on the leaves?)

I’ve panicked about late frosts; torrential rain and baking hot sun,

Still no fruit?! Still no harvest?! Still no church?!

Am I failing or doing it right?

I'm crying!

only because i've been cutting onions for the dad's parenting course graduation BBQ which is at our house tomorrow.

We are so humble at the number of community contacts we have already. PLease be praying that they move into real friendships.

We don't just want to be seen as profession people, but we desire to have close two way friendships with local people, we are slowly starting to see this, pray we have the wisdom to not get too busy and maintain the personal touch with those God have called us to serve.