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" Blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD?"
Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD?"
Deuteronomy 33:29 (NIV)
ACTIVATE
July 2005 saw four Stanway girls (Ruth, Rachel, Michelle and Mandy) on a road trip to the women's Christian camp at Culford. This was truly a spiritually blessed time and deepened all of our friendships.
Saturday saw the Regional Director of Activate present a session to us. This we found both challenging and motivational. It focused on outreach and questioned whether the church is really effective in its activities?
Activate put forward from their research that many people view church as daunting and feel threatened by us' Christians whom they perceive out to save their souls!' With this in mind when invited to church many people feel threatened and are unlikely to accept.
Activate go on to suggest that to befriend, nurture and love our neighbours is the seed that is needed to witness the Lord¹s love before any invite is given and that once trust is established an opportunity may arise to share the gospel in a non threatening environment.
Befriending starts by simply considering who is in your circle of influence', this might be 5-10 neighbours, work colleagues, mums or people in a club where you attend, anyone really whom you have contact with and whom you could offer love and support to. Consider inviting them into your home in friendship. If you feel uncomfortable with this, you could structure the time or consider doing it with a friend.
Activate provided many ideas for doing this including, chocolate parties, DVD nights, book clubs, pamper evenings, cookery demos, car treasure hunts, basically any skill or hobby that the Lord has blessed you with could provide an opportunity for an outreach in your circle.
In Activate's experience where people enjoy these evenings they tend to become a regular event and as friendships blossoms the spirit moves. (Many of the ideas provided even came with Christian companies who offered to provide thoughts/gifts/ideas to sharing at your event for using their products etc).
So, Culford left us with plenty of ideas that we pray may inspire you also.
And to close Mandy and I want to be the first at the door to anyone who decided to run that Chocolate Party!
Michelle Wilkinson
SONGS OF PRAISE
It was a joyous occasion at Stanway Evangelical Church on Saturday evening 14th May when Songs of Praise took place, presented by a choir from London called "Sing Immanuel", conducted by Mr. Alan Crosskey. The Sing Immanuel is a group of singers formed at the beginning of 2004 soon after the leaders of the London Emmanuel Choir (namely Muriel Shephard and Robin Littler) decided to resign after at least 20 years of sharing their Christian faith with other churches through song.
(Personally as a member of the Colne Gospel Choir I can honestly say it certainly was an unforgettable experience to join in song with the London Emmanuel Choir and other choirs every 3 years at the Royal Albert Hall from about 1974 onwards).
On Saturday the programme began with "To God be the Glory" firstly sung by the choir to music by Chris Mallett - a modern version and then at the end the congregation joined in with the original tune by W H Doane. There were about 130 in the congregation. "There is more to life" went off with a "bang" as they let off streamers to the words "Beneath the Noise and Laughter, with all the parties and fun" and other items of song like Gospel Train - "Get on Board Little Children" with train whistle etc., both entertaining and giving the Christian message.
Vanessa Cozens and Lionel Blackburn did well, not forgetting Nathan (Alan Crosskey¹s son) on the cello, and our very own Lighthouse Magazine editors gave their testimonies.
Janet then thanked Eric Spurgeon for organising this event for the past 8 years in memory of Eric's mother Bertha, as he was now retiring leaving it to the younger ones!
Eunice Stubbs
July 2005 saw four Stanway girls (Ruth, Rachel, Michelle and Mandy) on a road trip to the women's Christian camp at Culford. This was truly a spiritually blessed time and deepened all of our friendships.
Saturday saw the Regional Director of Activate present a session to us. This we found both challenging and motivational. It focused on outreach and questioned whether the church is really effective in its activities?
Activate put forward from their research that many people view church as daunting and feel threatened by us' Christians whom they perceive out to save their souls!' With this in mind when invited to church many people feel threatened and are unlikely to accept.
Activate go on to suggest that to befriend, nurture and love our neighbours is the seed that is needed to witness the Lord¹s love before any invite is given and that once trust is established an opportunity may arise to share the gospel in a non threatening environment.
Befriending starts by simply considering who is in your circle of influence', this might be 5-10 neighbours, work colleagues, mums or people in a club where you attend, anyone really whom you have contact with and whom you could offer love and support to. Consider inviting them into your home in friendship. If you feel uncomfortable with this, you could structure the time or consider doing it with a friend.
Activate provided many ideas for doing this including, chocolate parties, DVD nights, book clubs, pamper evenings, cookery demos, car treasure hunts, basically any skill or hobby that the Lord has blessed you with could provide an opportunity for an outreach in your circle.
In Activate's experience where people enjoy these evenings they tend to become a regular event and as friendships blossoms the spirit moves. (Many of the ideas provided even came with Christian companies who offered to provide thoughts/gifts/ideas to sharing at your event for using their products etc).
So, Culford left us with plenty of ideas that we pray may inspire you also.
And to close Mandy and I want to be the first at the door to anyone who decided to run that Chocolate Party!
Michelle Wilkinson
SONGS OF PRAISE
It was a joyous occasion at Stanway Evangelical Church on Saturday evening 14th May when Songs of Praise took place, presented by a choir from London called "Sing Immanuel", conducted by Mr. Alan Crosskey. The Sing Immanuel is a group of singers formed at the beginning of 2004 soon after the leaders of the London Emmanuel Choir (namely Muriel Shephard and Robin Littler) decided to resign after at least 20 years of sharing their Christian faith with other churches through song.
(Personally as a member of the Colne Gospel Choir I can honestly say it certainly was an unforgettable experience to join in song with the London Emmanuel Choir and other choirs every 3 years at the Royal Albert Hall from about 1974 onwards).
On Saturday the programme began with "To God be the Glory" firstly sung by the choir to music by Chris Mallett - a modern version and then at the end the congregation joined in with the original tune by W H Doane. There were about 130 in the congregation. "There is more to life" went off with a "bang" as they let off streamers to the words "Beneath the Noise and Laughter, with all the parties and fun" and other items of song like Gospel Train - "Get on Board Little Children" with train whistle etc., both entertaining and giving the Christian message.
Vanessa Cozens and Lionel Blackburn did well, not forgetting Nathan (Alan Crosskey¹s son) on the cello, and our very own Lighthouse Magazine editors gave their testimonies.
Janet then thanked Eric Spurgeon for organising this event for the past 8 years in memory of Eric's mother Bertha, as he was now retiring leaving it to the younger ones!
Eunice Stubbs
