Weekly News 21st June 2015/ How Are We Doing?

HOW ARE WE DOING? Is not a bad question to ask at intervals, in all sorts of different areas – family life, work, down-time, friendships, marriage…our walk with God.

This coming Saturday, our PCC will be getting away together to pray, step back and ask this question of the life of St John’s. We’ll revisit our vision, look at the priorities developed in our Looking Up, Out and In categories, and consider how these might need refining for the coming season.

We’ll have in mind the well-worn adage, ‘Don’t value what you measure, measure what you value’ – deliberately focusing our reflection on the quality of our relationships with God, each other and the local community. Or if you prefer to seize the language of the apostle Paul, we’ll continue to chew on what it means to ‘live a life worthy of our calling’, becoming ‘mature and attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.’

Please pray for our leadership, as they contemplate these things under God.

Click here to download   Weekly News 21st June 2015

Weekly News 14th June 2015/ Good News from Giving

GOOD NEWS FROM GIVING You may recall a while back that we were invited to make contributions towards the work of Target TB; specifically the Coney Hall Motorbike Appeal - to enable Health Visitors to get around more effectively.

Target TB and the Blossom Trust in India wanted to send their thanks to all those who pitched in, and there is a great photo on the MOP noticeboard showing the brand new motorbike and the health driver in action.

Similarly, we managed to raise £445 for the Inter Nepal Fellowship (see www.inf.org) and their on-going work in Nepal, especially the restoration work they are undertaking following the recent couple of earthquakes.

Thank you to everyone who has given generously and I hope you are encouraged to hear of resources making a real difference in people’s lives.

Click here to download   Weekly News 14th June 2015

News 7th June 2015/ "Growing in Faith & Life"

‘GROWING IN FAITH & LIFE’ Southwark Diocese has recently launched a new discipleship initiative with the above title. It is a course broken down into different modules, which include:

• Exploring our identity and the church
• Remembering the people of God and the OT
• Following Jesus through the NT
• Believing the teachings of the Church – faith and doctrine
• Challenging the world and ourselves – ethics and mission
• Responding in the power of the Holy Spirit – in prayer, worship and our vocation.

You can take individual modules, or the whole course, but it is designed to deepen faith and help people apply biblical teaching to the whole of life.

Please see the desk under the noticeboards for more details.

Click here to download   Weekly News 7th June 2015

Weekly News 31st May 2015/ Church Actually

CHURCH ACTUALLY ‘I love Jesus but struggle with the church’

 ‘Everything about the way we do church needs to change’

 ‘I’m so bored’

 I wonder if one of those thoughts, or something similar, has ever crossed your mind when thinking about the Church? It’s easy to take speak uncharitably about the Church. Its current position in our nation doesn’t always inspire confidence, but many recognise the local church as the hope of the world.

Which is a rather grand statement.

So is it true?

In this new sermon series, we’ll explore together what actually is the church and what is the church called to do. In simple terms, what is the church and what is it for? As we explore this God-shaped people movement, we trust God will speak into our local context, hone our identity and encourage us for the future.

Click here to download   Weekly News 31st May 2015

Weekly News 24th May 2015/ 'If We Don't Teach our Children Who God Is, Someone Else Will Teach Them Everything That He's Not'

‘If we don’t teach our children who God is, someone else will teach them everything that He’s not.’ This is an eye-catching quote that I stumbled across this week.

It’s personally challenging when I think of my own family, but it also reminded me of something of which we can all be guilty – impressing on God (and others) our own intuitions of what He is like.

Which is why Pentecost is so important.

Of the many gifts that God bestows on us through the Holy Spirit, the most fundamental reality we receive is His self-disclosure. We occasionally run the risk of talking about the Spirit for the Spirit’s sake, which is to resist the Spirit’s own movement.

His primary activity is to open Christ out to us and open us out to Christ.

As we celebrate the birth of the church, let’s all come before God as children and ask him to impart Himself to us – that we may know Him better and be changed.

Click here to download   Weekly News 24th May 2015

Weekly News 17th May 2015/ Un Accueil Vraiment Chaleureux...

UN ACCUEIL VRAIMENT CHALEUREUX… …to Caroline, Mark and their family and friends, as they join us today to celebrate Sebastien’s baptism. The spattering of French is in honour of some of Caroline’s family who have made it over all the way from France for this occasion – il est bon de vous avoir avec nous.

We can’t promise to conduct our service in English and French this morning, but we hope you pick up a welcoming atmosphere that transcends language – and we do have a few Francophiles lurking in our church family, who may try out their language skills.

Our desire as a church family to extend a warm welcome to all simply reflects part of what God offers us in baptism – an open invitation to join His community of followers and discover life in all its fullness.

Click here to download   Weekly News 17th May 2015

Weekly News 10th May 2015/ Beacon Centre Update

BEACON CENTRE UPDATE Last week the PCC approved in principle the proposal to refurbish the Beacon Centre at a level that is more extensive than simply a lick of paint and a bit of a facelift. The plan includes gutting the place, re-wiring, re-plumbing and a re-fit, in line with the intended multi-use brief.

Full details will follow in due course, but we are at the stage of obtaining comparative quotes for the works, as well as ironing out an interior design, which will help people to get hold of what we are trying to achieve.

You may have noticed the ‘in principle’ in the first line. As a leadership, we were clear that there is much envisioning to be done and gathering of people to drive the vision, without which it’s simply a building project – which we are not so interested in financing. The refurbishment is intended to be the start of a means by which we develop our work as God’s people in the local community.

Click here to download   Weekly News 10th May 2015

Weekly News 3rd May 2015/ Pray, Pray, Pray

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY There’s always plenty to commit to God and you can take any of the news/information snippets inside as a prompt for prayer.

Over and about that, this week I would encourage you to pray actively and persistently for our country as it goes to the polls. Our individual votes may feel like they hold little sway, but the reality of who governs our nation has a very real and significant impact on the detail of many, many people’s lives.

Part of the antidote to feeling frustrated and disempowered in that process is to know God stands over all, and follow Paul’s advice to Timothy,

‘I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority, so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.’

Click here to download   Weekly News 3rd May 2015

Weekly News 26th April 2015/ Newcomers Welcome Event

NEWCOMERS WELCOME EVENT Our new ‘Caring & Befriending’ team would like to build on the welcome that is offered at St John’s, and part of that development will be to introduce some simple welcome events for newcomers.

The first of these will be ‘Tea & Cakes’ on 17 May.

So you can receive an invite, the team would love to hear from you if you have joined St John’s since 2012. It might seem like going back quite a way to be billed a ‘newcomer’, but it will help to hear what it was like to come to St John’s, and what might have enhanced the experience.

Please let Sue Watson (020 8777 3112, email Suejwatson@btinternet.com) or Maureen Lang (8650 650 6151, email maureenjlang23@gmail.com) know and they’ll provide you with some more details shortly.

Click here to download   Weekly News 26th April 2015

PCC Accounts 2014

PCC Accounts for consideration at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on 19th April 2015 at 11am Click here to download accounts   PCC Accounts 2014

Weekly News 19th April 2015/ Christian Aid Week 10th to 16th May 2015

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 10th -16th May 2015

The following message comes from Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury:

“Jesus calls us to love our neighbour and challenges any limit we put on who that neighbour might be. As Christians, we believe that he means our global neighbour, not just those close at hand. Across the world there are around a billion people in extreme poverty – trying to exist on less than $1.25 a day. God’s faithfulness gives us hope that extreme poverty can be ended, that loving our neighbour is a sign of God’s kingdom. This year Christian Aid confronts one of the greatest injustices of all times: discrimination against women. Please join us to pray, act and give for our global neighbour this Christian Aid Week.”

Couldn’t fit better with our ‘Live to Give’ theme of the past 2 weeks, eh! If anyone can help in the house-to-house collection, please contact Anne Ford (020 8289 2432) or Jeff Seabrook (020 8777 0014).

Click here to download   Weekly News 19th April 2015

Click here to download   Giving Flier 2014v5

Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2015 Reports

APCM 2015 This will take place on Sunday 19th April 2015 after the 10 am service. This is a great opportunity to consider what has taken place in the year gone, as well as the direction we hope to move in.

The reports are available by clicking the link below, for you to consider in advance. At the meeting, we will proceed on the basis that these have been read.

Click here to download   APCM Agenda Reports 2015

Weekly News 12th April 2015/ Welcomers Wanted

WELCOMERS WANTED A good and natural welcome is hugely important in a church.

We all know that extends well beyond those in the formal role of ‘Welcomer’, but nevertheless, those people are often first in line on a Sunday morning to extend hospitality to newcomers and existing church members alike.

Volunteers are needed for this role.

If you think you may be able to help out, or you want to find out a bit more of what’s involved, then please see Jonathan Tickner, Maureen Lang or Sue Watson for details. The Welcome Team will be meeting on 25 April, 10:00-11:30am at the Beacon Centre to consider how we welcome people and what makes for a warm introduction to the St John’s family.

Click here to download   Weekly News 12 April 2015

News 5th April 2015/ Who Are You Looking For?

WHO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? It might not seem a particularly relevant question. ‘No one in particular, thanks…just popped along to church to mark Easter’.

Yet, as we’ll hear about in John’s gospel account of an empty tomb, it’s a question which Mary Magdalene is confronted with when her world is in turmoil.

I hope you don’t come here today in distress. But wherever you find yourself, I hope you are able to join us to consider that seemingly out of place headline question.  It’s not so much a question that Jesus asks to elicit information, as it is one he poses as an invitation - to see and recognize that He stands in our midst.

Whether you came actively looking or not – I pray that today you will discover and meet the risen Christ.

Happy Easter!

Click here to download    Weekly News 5th April 2015

Weekly News 29th March 2015/ A Big Welcome to Archie

A BIG WELCOME TO ARCHIE We extend a really warm St John’s welcome to Sarah and Dean, as they bring little Archie to take the plunge this morning.

We hope that all of you who have come to cheer Archie along as he is baptized feel at home. Some of what goes on in the service may feel less than familiar, but we’d encourage you to participate at whatever level you feel comfortable, and we simply ask you to be yourselves.

During the service we will be taking a collection for what is known as the Bishop’s Lent Call. That’s simply Church of England speak for a few projects that our local bishop is encouraging us to support. They include a couple of homegrown projects – XLP (working with urban youth in London) and Pecan (looking to address issues around unemployment), as well as a series of initiatives in Zimbabwe dealing with development, health & education and infrastructure.

Click here to download   Weekly News 29th March 2015

Click here to download   Langley Boys Community Choir A5 Flyer

Weekly News 22nd March 2015/ Marking Easter

MARKING EASTER Maundy Thursday, 2nd April at St John’s, 8pm

This year we are hosting the joint Maundy Thursday service with our friends from Coney Hall Baptist Church. During the hour or so together we will remember how the Last Supper came about, how it fits into the history of God’s relationship with his chosen people down the years, as far back as Moses, and will see how it fits into our Christian worship today. In a gentle reflective setting, with a mix of modern songs and traditional hymns we will honour the command of Jesus to remember and give thanks.

The service will have sufficient story and action in it to engage children of school year 5 and above.

Good Friday, 10am Walk of Witness, beginning at St Mark’s & 11am, United Service @ St Francis

The usual March of Witness down the High Street, followed by a service at St Francis with separate activities for children aged 3-11 years.

Easter Sunday, 8am and 10am Communion Services

Marking Resurrection day at both of our morning services, the 10am gathering intended for all ages.

Click here to download     Weekly News 22nd March 2015

Weekly News 15th March 2015/ Archbishop uses the 'E' Word

ARCHBISHOP USES THE ‘E’ WORD You might not have caught it, but last week Justin Welby chose to use the inaugural Lambeth Lecture to focus on the third of the priorities he has announced since taking up his post – Evangelism.

Not mission, but evangelism.

That’s significant. Renewed interest in mission is great, but it’s used to describe so many things, it is in danger of being evacuated of specific meaning. The Archbishop deliberately chose the ‘e’ word to indicate the significance of ‘proclamation of the Good News’ – not by a select few professionals, but every single Christian.

His address is timely. For the church nationally, but equally for us here at St John’s. I have already been discussing with the Faith Sharing Team that this is an area in which we need to raise the temperature. As Justin Welby said, ‘the best decision anyone can ever make is to be a follower of Jesus Christ.’

Click here to download   Weekly News 15th March 2015 v2

Weekly News 8th March 2015/ Info, Info, Info...

INFO, INFO, INFO… This week we’re using the front page to fill you in on certain things ticking over in the background, as well as provide some details of things to come – all good stuff to pray for!

• St Mary’s & St Francis hold interviews for their new vicar on Monday;
• Their PCCs and ours meet on 20/21 March to further contemplate our joint mission in West Wickham;
• A survey of the Beacon Centre was undertaken this week and we hope to receive design proposals in the coming weeks with tiered quotes depending on what we choose to undertake;
• There will be training for prayer ministry on the evening of 29 March @ 6:30pm, please see Richard Greenhalgh or Barry Clements if you’re interested;
• After Easter, we’ve got 3 new teaching series lined up – ‘Live to Give’, ‘From…To’ – looking at the transformative power of resurrection through the character of Peter, and ‘Church Actually’ – thinking about our identity and purpose as God’s people.
• Jon and some of the Team Leaders have been meeting and you will begin to see signs of their work trickling through.
• Plans for a couple of ‘Quiet Days’ this year are being made.

Click here to download   Weekly News 8th March 2015

Weekly News 1st March 2015/ Electoral Roll

     ELECTORAL ROLL

We are fast approaching our APCM (a church equivalent of an AGM), which will take place after the 10:00am service on 19 April.

 Part of our preparations for that includes ensuring our Electoral Roll is up to date. This is a list of our regular worshippers and whilst you don’t have to include your name to be a part of St John’s, it does help us keep a track of our membership. So if, you’ve joined us more recently and your name isn’t yet on the roll, we’d encourage you to submit an application form.

 Being on the roll gives you more of a formal say in what happens in the church. In particular, it enables you to vote in elections at the APCM, and stand as a candidate for our leadership body, the PCC. If you wish to add your name to the Electoral Roll, you must be baptized, at least 16 years of age (or sixteen on your next birthday), and live in the parish, or have worshipped at St. John's for at least six months.

 Application forms will be available in church. Please return one either by putting it in the box in the porch, or by giving it to Geoff Batten or Paul Kingman by Sunday, 22nd March.

Click here to download   Weekly News 1st March 2015

Weekly News 22nd February 2015/ Politics and Christianity

Politics and Christianity Last week the bishops published a paper on key issues for us to think about in the run up to the election. Criticism followed. “Left Wing C of E”... “Stick to Religion”... “Cameron angry with C of E”.  Politicians felt that the church should keep out of politics.

We all know that Jesus upset the government of his day and was firmly on the side of the poor and marginalised and those suffering injustice but I felt miffed that the bishops seemed to have launched their paper so clumsily, so I prayed about it.

I was led to Isaiah ch1. Here God complains that his people have turned their back on him and should not expect favour until they “learn to do right, seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the fatherless and plead the cause of the widow.”

The issues the bishops address are enormous, and they have not made their case well, but the essential point is this. As long as politics includes responsibility for providing for the poor and marginalised, and for caring for the sick, the homeless and elderly people, then Christianity must make the voice of Jesus heard.

Click here to download   Weekly News 22nd February 2015