Chat with the Head

I went to see the head teacher today in my role as parent governor. A few parents had spoken to me about a few small issues and I felt it was part of my role to pass it on. The head was very open to hearing parents views and pleased that it was happening, they have tried to encourage it before but it hasn't really happened. It was great to feel that I was able to hopefully start something new and help develop the relationships between school and parents. A real privilege.

lent- for giving stuff up or for doing things?

We are having an amazing time doing Lent with some of the members of our little community. However people keep pointing out that there is a new craze of people doing things for lent instead of giving them up!!! Whilst i think that doing things is good, to call it lent is to miss the point. Lent is about 40 days in the desert. Lent is about the stripping back of that which is hindering us from being all God would have us be.

Speaking honestly it's not that I need to do more!! it that i need to put down a loads of habits and attitudes which are making my doing less effective.

Those who know me know i'm usually up for new things and new ways of doing life/church/God. However when it comes to lent I think it should be about the fast not the doing. Typical of the modern world to want to do more and not spend more time reflecting about where we are at in live and with God.

Happy lent time to you!!

R

"i feel clean"

Pancake night was great and people committed to trying to fast for 40 days.

Take a look on face book at events "church 123 40 days of lent" event. but so far it's going well.

Today has been a day of excitement and disappointment.

Firstly there was a role in the local community that i had been hoping to do and dropped a few hints that i'd like to do it, but sadly it's not come about and someone else has it. ( gutted)

Secondly Alison at her thursday morning group has been having more and more chats about God.

Some of those who come have catholic backgrounds and one of them said. " when i attend you events i feel so calm, (which has surprised us as our event are often so crazy!!) the mum when on to say, not only do i feel calm, but i also feel clean.

One of her friends is having us around for dinner tonight and they are coming too and now they want us to share communion together!!!

R

Clearing through the clutter

This weekend we have Emma's commissioning at her home church, which is going to be really exciting.

We also have a pancake night next tuesday:

We hope to have a discussion with those adults who attend at the value of give stuff up to help us see what is important.

Planning this has made me wish the evangelicals (&Baptists) made more of lent, i wish i made more of lent. It such a great opportunity to remind ourselves of what is crowding our true relationship with people and most importantly God.

So much can crowd out that hearing the still small voice of God and what he says about us and wants for us. Most give up chocolate. which is good for the waste line, but what about Facebook, texting all day long, watch tv all night, drinking alcohol. None of which are wrong, but all can stop us hearing what God thinks/ wants of us.

We're not going to challenge people to give one think up for the while of lent as this might be a big first jump we're going to challenge people to give up one thing each day for the 40 days.

please pray for this, maybe you'd like to join us?

r.

Eastern Baptist assembily

It was better than it sounds, promise!!

Glen marshall was one of the speakers and was talking about our need to open to be converted by God away from traditions that we have held dear. He used peter and his encounter with cornelius ( in acts) to illustrate this.

This i found most comforting. Over the last year and a half not only has i had most of my ideas about church shaken and turned upside down, but I've also had lots of my ideas about God shaken and turned up side down. Those times when from behind the comfort of the pulpit ( not that i ever use it!) i've given easy, often over repeated statements about God, which when you're face to face with your own sinfulness or the mess of those around you just don't seem to be enough. I've realised that i'm not sure what i know/ think about God in so many areas of my life.

Now don't panic i've not lost my faith, i think if anything i'm finding it!

Thank you God for continually converting me.

the sound of laugher

Hi all, hope your well, the sound of laugher is a great sound, to be honest when i'm feeling a been flat and low it's the comedy section on the bbc iplayer i head for, ( makes me think about why i've lead so many dull services, instead of helping people have a laugh.) Now Laughing and real joy are not the same, but to hear families coming together and laugh is surely a sign of the coming kingdom. The challenge is that following jesus requires the emotions that lead to laughter and tears, but this week at our love gathering, eat 123 and a couple of other encounters we've had with people we've heard real laugher from people i know spend a lot of time crying! ( thank you jesus for fun, please bring real and deep joy to the lives of those we know.)

Our new arrival

This week, both parenting courses went well and Alison and i have had some time to spend with some of our families individually as well. The biggest influence on our time this week as been our new Dog!! we have an 9 week old choc lab. I know crazy, but we've always wanted a dog and with the amazing garden etc we though it was time.I also need thing to stop me working all hours under the sun. (we'd saved some the money shoebury had so generously given us when we left.) So Rocky arrived on monday.

Next week we have our first gathering of 2011, which is to be a family games night next thursday night, loosely based on the theme of LOVE. We will be using the LOVE IS passage from 1 Cor 13 to do some informal teaching but our main aim is to build community and help people get to know each, we don't know to have gathering were people are strangers.

On a very practical note, could you pray for a book keeper for our money group. the person who is done it for the last two years has done a great job, but they now need to hand it over to someone else. This is a really important role and so we'd value your prayer about this.

Love and Prayers

R.