Growing Deeper in God and Larger in Mission

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2 Vicar Youth and Family Worker Administrator Churchwardens Goodshepherdfourmarks.org.uk Revd. Howard Wright. The Vicarage, Four Marks, GU34 5AA ( ) Children's Worker : Lorna Randall Jane Hughes ( ) Matt Senior ( ) Alan Thain ( ) Lynn Vine ( ) Jane_COGS@btintern et.com aandsthain@gmail.com lynn.vine@live.co.uk Treasurer Richard Gillard (Assistant Treasurer: Tim Wettone) Deanery Synod PCC Licensed Lay Ministers Keyholder Magazine Editor Janet Foster, Kennett Westmacott, Howard Short, Frank Maloney. Roger Buckley, Kate Collins, Paul Dorey, Jan Evans, Janet Foster, Alison Frater, Rich Gillard, Helena Hunt, Val Lucas, Bob Moore, Kennett Westmacott, Chris McGrath (Sec.) David Bush, Lesley Edwards, Janet Foster, Robert Hughes, Christopher King-Smith, Jonathan Rooke, Alan Thain Val Lucas, The Flints, Lymington Bottom, Four Marks. ( ) Valalucas@aol.com Robert Parker. 20 Blackberry Lane, Four Marks, GU34 5BP (563433) Contributions no later than the 15th of the month please Other Ministries at The Good Shepherd Rev. Howard Wright leads the Discipleship, Prayer, Mission and Pastoral ministries Chris McGrath leads the Worship ministry Roger & Colette Buckley lead the prayer ministry team Page 2

3 The Vicar s Letter Who Cares about Christmas? God does! He cares about all of life. But does he know about the travelling, the guests, the preparations and presents? Why did God have to come at Christmas, the busiest time of the year? It is funny, and sad, how we can so easily miss the point. What s the point of Christmas? there are many points, and most of these are positive. But what was God s point? God so loved the world that he gave Jesus (John chapter 3, verse 16). God s point is always love. He is love. In the incarnation he demonstrates his love most completely. He visits us he s been a visitor and one that wasn t always welcome. He becomes human and experiences the range of human emotions. He receives gifts and gives everything he has as a gift. Take time during the season to reflect on what God has done. It is absurd, over-whelming, that God should care at all, but love us enough to suffer and die for me, for you, for all of us (John 15:13). This is truly amazing. The mas in Christmas comes from mass which is used of the communion (or Eucharist) service in some traditions; but it originates from the Latin word (missio), which means sending. Christmas, then, has the potential double symbol of Christ sent, but also Christ sending. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. John chapter 20, verse 21 As we think about God s love, we might like to take time to think about how we respond to this love. There will be numerous special events over the Christmas season. Who can we invite? As we go about our preparations, enter the temples of materialism (shopping centres) and visit others, can we remember that we are sent by Jesus Page 3

4 to love to love in the same way that the Father has sent Jesus. Wow! What a challenge, what a gift, what an invitation, to participate in God s Christmas. Yours In December Who Cares about my future and aging well? Who Cares about my money concerns? The Freedom in Christ Course If you would like to participate in the next course being held on Wednesday evenings please contact Roger & Colette Buckley More at Our Vision Growing Deeper in God Through Jesus Christ by prayer, praise, worship, Bible study and fellowship with one another Growing Larger in Mission In the power of the Holy Spirit through evangelism, social action, support of missionary activity and the use of our God given gifts and abilities. Page 4

5 Each Month in the Church (You are welcome to attend any of our meetings) Our Sunday Services are at 8 am (a quiet contemplative style), at 9.30 & am, and at 7 pm (a celebration service). Most, but not all, are Communion Services. Children also come to: Messy Church: 4-6 pm on the 2 nd Saturday in the month (except it in August). Kid s Church: Sundays at 9.30 & am. COGS Clubs during the year. Crèche: Sundays at 9.30 am. Tea and Praise 3 pm on Sundays. several times a year. Alpha Courses As required Youth (Year 7 up) also come to: Seeke:eR and Worship:eR (Sundays). Deep:eR Three Cell Groups on Mondays (7 pm). Re:grouP on Wednesdays (7 pm). Soul Survivor and New Wine. Prayer Clinics Held by Colette and Roger are usually held fortnightly. See the Weekly News-sheet for details. Prayer Meetings See the Church diary for morning, daytime and evening meetings. Holiday at Home For the over-60s held three times a year. Further information from Matt in the Church Office or the diary on Page 5

6 Pop in for Prayer 10 am December 11 th All welcome for 10 minutes or more Tea and Chat & Tea and Bowls TBA More information from the office (560622) Coffee and Communion 11 am 6 th December More information from the office (560622) Toddlers Lunches December 14 th More information: Caroline c/o the Church Office Prayer Chain If you have any urgent requests for prayer through the Prayer Chain, please both Matt in the Church Office (cogsoffice@gmail.com) and Howard Wright (howardwright.cogs@gmail.com); or ring either Matt ( ), Howard ( ) or Romola Harper on Pastoral Care If you would like a visit by a member of the Visiting Team or you know of someone who would, please contact the team leaders, Debbie Norgate ( ) or Gilly Cobb ( ), or Howard Wright ( ) or Matt in the office ( ) Page 6

7 Messy Church Meets 4 to 6 pm on the Second Saturday each month except in August Next: Saturday Dec 9 th Setting up at 9.30 am and preparation from 3 pm For further information contact Jane Hughes, the Families Worker, on or Jane_COGS@btinternet.com Cell Groups Thirteen groups meet at various times and frequencies during the week. For further information contact Val Lucas, the ministry leader for Cells ( ) Care Homes Ministry Belford House: 12 th December Westlands: 13 th December For further information contact Janet Foster ( ), Rob Hughes or the Church Office (560622) Litter Picking. Next: Sat. Dec 16 th am on the third Saturday each month. Meet in the car park behind the garage at Oak Green. For further information contact John Fowler-Wright ( ) or the Church Office ( ) Page 7

8 Home for Good Here s a teaser for you. What do Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Clark Kent, Lindford Christie, Annie, Bill Clinton, John Lennon and Nelson Mandela all got in common? The answer is... at the end of the article. It is well known that our son was adopted by us after a 4½ year journey from initial inquiry in 2006 to the Adoption Order being granted in It has not been an easy journey as he has inherited ADHD from his birth mother and through adoption into the church, we have had people laugh and literally cry with us. Special thanks to our cell group who have travelled with us every step of the way. This is why we are very pro-adoption but we have to say that whilst there are many adoptions that are great, we realise that there are many placements that are not and possibly break down. Home for Good is a Christian charity set up by Krish Kandiah in It seeks to promote adoption and fostering through the churches in Great Britain. There are currently over 7,000 children waiting for foster carers and more families are needed to come forward to adopt children, especially those who are over four years old as they are harder to find a placement for (figures are from Home for Good s website). St. James tells us in Chapter 1 verse 27 to look after orphans and widows in their distress ; St. Paul wrote in Romans 8, verse 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba, Father. So we have all been adopted one way or the other. Page 8

9 Annually on the first Sunday in November, Adoption Sunday takes place when Home for Good seeks to raise the profile of adoption and fostering through all Churches in the UK and ordinary people like us. Churches can sign up to be a Home for Good Church or individuals can be Home for Good Champions, which we have done. As the year progresses, we ll write further about adoption and fostering and hope that we can get COGS involved next year. If you would like to know more about our story, please do come and find us after the 09.30am service. Jonathan & Alison The answer is that they w ere all cared for by other people other than their birth parents. The Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. [The Apostles' Creed, an early statement of Christian belief, is widely used by a number of Christian denominations, especially by liturgical Churches of Western tradition. The Creed was based on Christian theological understanding of the Canonical gospels, the letters of the New Testament and, to a lesser extent, the Old Testament. Source: Ed.] Page 9

10 Worship Matters Pudding & Praise Evening 7.45 pm, Friday 19 th January 2018 in the Church Join us for a fun social evening in celebration of our amazing and dedicated worship team, as we explore ways to help and support each other and grow our worship ministry. Whether you are a current member of any part of the team music / singing / audio /visual or would like to be involved, or are just a little curious, please come along. Mission is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. (John Piper) Bring your instrument if you have one however unskilled you are! For more information, please speak to Chris McGrath / or chrismcgrath175@gmail.com [Chris is Ministry Leader for Worship Ed.] A Communion Sentence Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour. By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us; he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death by dying for us; and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life; so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people. Page 10

11 A notice inside the door of Beauvais Cathedral, Picardy Welcome This is God s house. No matter who you are, God welcomes you with your joy and pain, your success and your failure, your hope and your deception. Whoever you are, welcome! You follow generations of people who loved this cathedral, who built it, who made it beautiful and prayed here. Respect the cathedral, go quietly. If you believe, pray. If you are seeking, reflect. If you are in doubt, ask for light. If you suffer, ask for strength. If you are joyful, give thanks. May you dwell in that joy. In the Lord s house you can also meet brothers and sisters, and, with them, raise your prayers towards God. May your visit here warm your heart and give pleasure to your eyes. Whoever you are, God welcomes you. May you have the grace to welcome God too. Submitted by Tim and Janet Griffiths Page 11

12 Sermon on Anxieties, Worries and Fears by Chris King-Smith in November Readings: Psalm 55, verses and Matthew 6, verses Chris, in his opening remarks noted that giving no thought to clothes is countercultural in today s society. Psalm 55 is, in effect, a prayer for God s help when King David, now in Jerusalem, is threatened by a powerful conspiracy under the leadership of a former friend. The city is in turmoil: danger everywhere, no one knows who can be trusted anymore, rumours and false reports are circulating everywhere. I guess David was feeling a bit let down if this is what blessed by God means, then he can keep it? Perhaps we ve felt that way too, sometimes. David expresses that feeling, in fact, in verses 4 8 (below) and beyond. Don t we wish, also, we could just turn our backs on our anxieties and fears, shut the door and walk away from it? If we do we are in good biblical company. There s no harm in praying that the problem might just go away so did Jesus on the night of his betrayal! But it wasn t God s will for him. It rarely, if ever, does for us. It didn t for David but his approach was entirely appropriate for us Christians: Verse 22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Well that leaves me out I can never be considered righteous in God s eyes! None of us can, see Romans chapter 3, verses (below). Jesus urges us to place our burdens on him. He knows exactly what s going on and our anguishing over them: to whom all hearts are open, all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden (from the Anglican Collect Prayer for Purity). Isn t that what we said, but do we live it as if we mean it? So talk it over with God, let him do the worrying and take the decisions. Our faith and trust demands we stay the course. I m reminded of the scene in the film Zulu. This young lad from the Welsh valleys has escaped the toil of the mines and finds himself in sunny South Africa with 2,000 Zulus after his blood. Why us? he asks the Sergeant Major, Because we re here was the reply. Why Page 12

13 me? you may ask too. Because we are where God has put us, if necessary to demonstrate to the world around us the way in which we deal with our anxieties and fears. That just sounds like a cop out but talk to others, fellow Christians, who have been bold enough to let go and let God in their lives. Share the problem not in its detail, ask for prayer. Draw on the spiritual strength that is around us as we look to God first and foremost. We can t opt out just as David couldn t just fly away. It is appropriate that David first thought of opting out but then realised he couldn t. So he took the only course of action he knew he let go and let God. It is also a betrayal of our faith if we are naïve enough to let others believe that our anxieties and fears will dissolve if they become a Christian, that belief in Jesus Christ is some sort of a quick fix. But the first pointer is that being a Christian does not isolate or shelter us from the fallen world around us, as though faith and God s kingdom have nothing to do with our everyday affairs. We will experience anxieties and fears. For me they actually increased, as there was now another yardstick which became paramount in the conduct of my life and personal relationships. What should distinguish us Christians from the world is the way that we face them. Jesus makes the order of priorities clear in the New Testament passage. After all, the people to whom he was talking had their share of anxieties and fears. They suffered under a brutal occupation by Rome, taxed to the hilt, further burdens placed on them by sanctimonious, over-zealous religious leaders. At least we don t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from! Jesus acknowledges that we will have anxieties about substantial things, once we have stopped worrying about our appearance because of what other people might say or think. What matters is what God thinks about us and our efforts to be right by him and his purpose for us what is called righteousness Matthew chapter 6, verses (below). A sort of quid pro quo? David came to a similar conclusion in Psalm 15 (below). He was of course later to appear to deny the very truth of that in his adultery with Bathsheba. Psalm 51 was his lament at his transgression. Page 13

14 If we don t quite see the solution in the Bible to our anxieties and fears in quite the form that fits what we are experiencing, I believe it is a betrayal of our faith to deny that God cannot or will not help us on this. I seldom find that words of scripture alone suffice. I find it from the lives of characters in the Bible who put their trust and faith in God when the chips were down, even though it may have been thousands of years ago. Being one of God s chosen people didn t shelter Moses, Joshua, Job, Isaiah, Nehemiah, David, et cetera, through to Jesus, Peter, Paul... What was their approach? Take Nehemiah, for example, who worried about what was happening, or not happening, in Jerusalem and read again what he did in chapter 1. And here in our reading we have David s solution. Jesus urges us first to seek God s kingdom to ensure that we possess its blessings now, one of which is to help us counsel our anxieties and fears. In that way we endeavour to serve it for God s glory, so that others may be persuaded to join us. That s enough, Jesus says, for any day s work! Chris s closing prayer was one used two days earlier at the celebration for the life of the wife of a good friend. Psalm 55, verses 4-8 My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert. I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm. Romans chapter 3, verses This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Matthew chapter 6, verses Do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given Page 14

15 to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Psalm 15, verses 1-2 A psalm of David. Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose way of life is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart. Messy Church in October Great fun, as always. For further information and offers of help, please contact Jane Hughes. Hospitality team: Julia, Elizabeth, Pip, Gilly; Ros Sylvia. Hannah & Dee; David; Neil; Debbie; Ali; Lynn; Jane & Rachel. The set-up team: Jonathan, Jane, Jane, Mike, David. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/messychurchcogs Page 15

16 Boundaries Sue and I (Alan Thain), together with Roger and Colette Buckley, spent the day with CWR at Waverley Abbey House, Farnham, on October 14 th for a day of teaching on Boundaries. The input was from three presenters, all Christian Life Coaches. Session 1 started with Dr Kara Lawman, who explained the Functions of Boundaries. It defines who you are and also clarifies what you are responsible for. She used the example of a semi-detached house where neighbours can live happily together as long as they recognise and respect each other s boundaries. She encouraged us to feel responsible to others not responsible for others. She was very knowledgeable about the functioning of the human brain, asking the question: Does your rational behaviour agree with your core principles? I was encouraged by the frequent use of scriptures to reinforce a particular point. Session 2 was entitled Boundary Problems when we were given examples about different types of people who do not exercise healthy boundaries with spouses, or children, or work colleagues, or even friends. Therefore they get more and more resentful as these relationships are not healthy. After a very pleasant lunch we had Session 3 with Henry Ford, who looked at Resistances to Boundaries. First, External Resistances, which are relationship others have with us. It is important that we recognise when someone is expressing anger or trying to manipulate us so that we acknowledge their feelings but don t change our approach simply to please them. Second, we looked at Internal Resistances. One particular comment that challenged me was that When you serve out of guilt you are not loving, you are not serving out of compassion. Remember that Jesus chose to go to the cross Session 4 was entitled How to Develop Healthy Boundaries. It is possible to renew your mind as the brain does change its structure in response to repeated mental activity. Also stop focusing on the behaviour of others. And one final thought we were left with: Rejoice in Page 16

17 how much you are loved by God. That is the very briefest comments about what was covered. It was a very practical and interactive day. If you wish to know more, then any of the four of us who attended would be happy to speak with you although if you get a chance then I would recommend attending the day itself. Alan Thain Book: Boundaries When to Say Yes and How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Dr Henry Cloud & Dr John Townsend, published by Zondervan, which Colette has. Remembrance, 2017 Photographs below of the Village memorial, and the memorials in Church and the flowers for the occasion. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. Page 17

18 Mission of the Month: CAP (Christians Against Poverty) COGS Mission of the Month for December is debthelp charity Christians Against Poverty. But I can hear you say Hold on, that s come round quickly! And you re right because CAP was the Mission of the Month back in September. However, whereas previously CAP shared a month with the Food Bank, your Missions Team recently agreed to upgrade both these valuable Christian organisations to a full month each, meaning they will receive an equal share of the regular tithe sum allocated amongst the mission charities. The extra money is much-needed as Alton CAP Debt Centre is now supporting the work of two volunteer Debt Coaches, of which I am one, as well as running CAP Money Courses. From early next year, our new CAP Release Group will also be helping anyone with a controlling habit such as alcohol misuse, drug addiction, gambling, shopping and internet obsession or pornography, which sadly are prevalent in churches as well as wider society. CAP will also be distributing Christmas hampers to many of our local clients. Money Worries was one of the major sources of hurt in the Who Cares survey and this will be addressed during the sermon talk on December 10 th. Also, debt and money pressures come to a head for many people around Christmas due to over-spending on presents, excessive drinking, family arguments leading to relationship breakdown, and even the extra cost of feeding children during school holidays who would normally receive free school meals. It therefore seemed very fitting that CAP should be the mission for December. Isaiah chapter 58 verse 10 says: if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. Locally CAP has made contact with 88 families, from which we have been able to help 65 adults and 51 children. We do this in many ways: sharing advice on routes out of debt, inviting them to courses & events, sometimes blessing them with an emergency weekly food shop, and telling the Good News of Jesus as their Saviour. Subse- Page 18

19 quently 19 adults and children have also made a commitment or re-commitment to Christ. We openly promote our Christianity, yet we will help anyone who calls , regardless of their beliefs, free and in the comfort of their own homes. Nationally, CAP have brought over 7,000 individuals to commitment to Christ their saviour. If you would like to give even more generously to our work, please talk to me. Blessings, and thank you for your support. Brian Hubbard. The CAP Christmas Party Could you invite someone to Friday 8th December 6 9 pm at the Alton Maltings Centre? Welcome drinks followed by a free Christmas meal Children's crafts, games and illusionist tricks too Local debt-help charity Christians Against Poverty s Christmas Party is aimed mainly for our clients living in financial hardship. This year we re also inviting anyone who would benefit from listening to our special guest speaker, Rod Williams, particularly those with a pattern of drug misuse. Rod was himself addicted to drugs and gambling and his life spiralled out of control into cocaine and heroin dealing. But he will be telling how he found the answer The Real Deal - which rescued him from his destructive lifestyle and began his journey of fulfilment and freedom with the Lord. If you would love to be personally invited, or you would like to propose a suitable individual or family, please contact Brian Hubbard on or at brianhubbard@capuk.org Watch out for this year s Advent opportunity with: Page 19

20 Advent Today Today, the season of Advent lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas. At that time, the new Christian year begins with the twelve -day celebration of Christmastide, which lasts from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on January 6. (Advent begins on the Sunday that falls between November 27th and December 3rd each year.) Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these last days (Acts chapter 2, verse 17; Hebrews chapter 1, verse 2) as God s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Israel looked back to God s past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis they called for God once again to act for them. In the same way, the church, during Advent, looks back upon Christ s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ s kingdom when he returns for his people. In this light, the Advent hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel perfectly represents the church s cry during the Advent season: O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. While Israel would have sung the song in expectation of Christ s first coming, the church now sings the song in commemoration of that first coming and in expectation of the second coming in the future. [Source: Page 20

21 Prize Crossword from 2 Samuel Across 1 Who said a son of Jonathan was alive? (4) 5. The last son of Jonathan was? (12) 8. The second king of Israel was? (5) 9. David s son with the hair was? (8) 10. David s song of praise, The Lord is my... (4) 12. David s general was? (4) 13. The prophet who castigated David? (6) 14. David son of? (5) 15. David had thirty mighty? (8) Down 1. Altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the what? (8) 2. The Priest? (5) 3. Who was the prophet, David s seer? (3) 6. my shield and the horn of my... (9) 7. Who s advice was better than Ahithophel? s (6) 9. Who kept David warm in old age? (7) 11. David disastrously commanded a what of Israel and Judah? (6) Page 21

22 Crossword Answers Across: 4: Ziba, 5: Mephibosheth, 8: David, 9: Absalom 10: Rock, 12: Joab, 13: Nathan, 14: Jesse, 15: Warriors Down: 1: Jebusite: 2Zadok; 3: Gad, 6: salvation, 7: Hushai, 9: Abishag, 11: Census A New Rendition of Amazing Grace This Is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham, Jeremy Riddle, Josh Farrow [Verse 1:] Who breaks the power of sin and darkness? Whose love is mighty and so much stronger? The King of Glory, the King above all kings Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder? The King of Glory, the King above all kings [Chorus:] This is amazing grace This is unfailing love That You would take my place That You would bear my cross You laid down Your life That I would be set free Oh, Jesus, I sing for All that You've done for me (Continued) For Christ s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14,15 Page 22

23 A sample from UCB s The Word for Today Bible Notes Why go to church? Christ loved the church. Ephesians 5:25 The story s told of a mother, who woke her son one Sunday morning and said, Get up you re late for church! He replied, I don t want to go. I ve no friends there, the music s awful, and the sermons are boring! The woman replied, You ve got to go you re the pastor! Seriously, why should you go to church? Because Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish (verses 25-27). Pastor and President Emeritus of Taylor University, Dr Jay Kesler, gives us five reasons for going to church: 1) It s the only organisation that still deals with issues like salvation, death, judgment, grace, purpose, heaven, and hell. 2) It adds value and dignity to human life. We live in a secular culture that contributes to our sense of inner worthlessness. The church counteracts this negative message by preaching God s love and acceptance. 3) It provides a moral and spiritual compass. Society has revised, resisted, and rejected absolutes, embracing relativism, but the church stands on the timeless bedrock of God s Word. 4) It s where you find compassion, healing, and community. There we re all on par. There God s Spirit is working to knit us together as believers, guaranteeing us all equal access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). 5) Unlike other institutions, it has motivated the most lasting, unselfish, essential, courageous endeavours on earth. Things like missions, schools, hospitals, food pantries, rehab centres, and orphanages. Why go to church? Because Jesus loves the church and so should you. Bible in a Year example: Ezekiel 30-32, James 4 Copies of The Word for Today are available from Page 23

24 What do Anglicans (Church of England) believe? That there is only one God, but there are three elements to this one God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit; that human beings' decision to reject this eternal God and live according to their own standards (sin) causes a relational breakdown between them; that God the Son, Jesus Christ, lived and died to give people a model and a way to be reconciled with God. The Bible to be fundamental to life as a Christian and believe that "the Scriptures contain all things necessary for salvation." That the Christian life involves regular praise and prayer, both private and public, and that Christians must practise what they preach and pray both on Sundays and every day, as they seek to live out their worship. That people become members of God's Church through Baptism, and all Christians celebrate Holy Communion (also known as Eucharist) as a shared meal (of bread /wafer and wine) which they eat together in Jesus name. Accept the major Creeds as expressing their Christian faith: The Apostle's and Nicene Creeds. [Source: Find us at GU34 5AA and On-line at: Web: facebook.com/cogsfourmarks facebook.com/messychurchcogs and twitter.com/cogsfourmarks Page 24