(settle down with a cup of tea for this one - it's a longish blog on this wet bank holiday!)
I love our Church! I'm usually at all 3 Sunday meetings (although sometimes a bit tired for the evening!) and especially love to hear my husband preach. Recently I've been asking God what He wants me to do for Him on a Sunday - who does He want me to speak to? All kinds of things happen to me at the end of a Church service. This week was no exception - here's an insight!
I was Site Pastor in the morning (it may not look like we do much, but seriously, one day I'll post the job description here, its scary!) but that means I lead us all praying before the meeting starts, I liaise with the Welcome team leader and the Building administrator - we talk about chairs and temperature, curtains and offerings. I'm also the one that checks the preacher has everything they need, and I liaise with the worship leader about timings and contributions from the congregation. The "up-front" bit is the welcome, any additonal information to Reveal, and the Offering. We have a quick meeting between the meetings, to talk about if anything needs changing for the 11 am meeting, then we meet the worship team, then we go again for the 11 :)
Not much time for anything else, but I did get a chance to chat with Sue Ranger on the REAL table - she excitedly told me who had signed up, who had sponsored another lady, and who she was hoping would sign up to come - she's great!
After the 11, a wonderful thing happened - a fantastic answer to prayer in the form of an envelope placed in my hand. Opening the envelope and reading the letter, I burst into tears, because it was a gift for an area of REAL, where we really want to bless some women. I had been praying specifically for someone to "sponsor" that amount for us, and was wondering who I should approach and ask. Well, I didn't need to do that because God moved a lovely woman's heart to give the money!!!I don't often get surprised (apart from Simon singing at last year's REAL!) but I was completely surprised by this generous act! Blown away by another woman's generosity, and by our Saviour who knows everything and who answers prayer and provides - wonderful!
Having blown my nose, I didn't have any more Site Pastor duties, so met some visitors and new people, and chatted with a lovely Nigerian lady who has come to England with her brother so that he can have some medical treatment for cancer in London. It was a privilege to stand together and pray for him. How did she come to be with us? Great story! She phoned the taxi company and asked the driver if he knew of any churches..the taxi driver was Besnik, and he drove her all the way to Kerith!!! He also delightedly told me that his wife is waiting for her Visa, so she can come over from Albania to REAL, and he also knows of 3 or 4 other Albanian ladies in London who would like to come!
Simon and I like to stay late after the 11am meeting, to chat with people, so it was great to have the time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and a chat with an old friend who was visiting - great to reminisce about fun times we spent together when our children were small. I also had the opportunity to thank Judith Jackson, who is part of the Deaf Hope Community, for contributing to REAL's programme. The programme has gone off to the printers (thank you Sarah Farley- great job!) and I know you'll enjoy reading Judith's story in it.
We celebrated the Jubilee with friends and lots of cake in the afternoon, then it was back to Kerith. Revolution led us in worship, and I was particularly proud of Alice as she played the keyboards with such confidence, grace and sensitivity - she's taught herself, and I'm in awe of her determination and gifting. Simon was great (again!) and then I caught up with Sue and all things REAL before the (obligatory) trip to the kebab van (where Jacob is now striking up a regular conversation about Church and faith with the kebab-van owner!) then family TV together, winding down after a brilliant, busy day!
I'm seriously not superwoman, and sometimes I am so rubbish on a Sunday, and don't feel I've been very available for God to use me at all, but this was a good week (thank you God).
I'm going to keep asking the Lord that question, and pray for the energy and love to keep up!
I love our Church! I'm usually at all 3 Sunday meetings (although sometimes a bit tired for the evening!) and especially love to hear my husband preach. Recently I've been asking God what He wants me to do for Him on a Sunday - who does He want me to speak to? All kinds of things happen to me at the end of a Church service. This week was no exception - here's an insight!
I was Site Pastor in the morning (it may not look like we do much, but seriously, one day I'll post the job description here, its scary!) but that means I lead us all praying before the meeting starts, I liaise with the Welcome team leader and the Building administrator - we talk about chairs and temperature, curtains and offerings. I'm also the one that checks the preacher has everything they need, and I liaise with the worship leader about timings and contributions from the congregation. The "up-front" bit is the welcome, any additonal information to Reveal, and the Offering. We have a quick meeting between the meetings, to talk about if anything needs changing for the 11 am meeting, then we meet the worship team, then we go again for the 11 :)
Not much time for anything else, but I did get a chance to chat with Sue Ranger on the REAL table - she excitedly told me who had signed up, who had sponsored another lady, and who she was hoping would sign up to come - she's great!
After the 11, a wonderful thing happened - a fantastic answer to prayer in the form of an envelope placed in my hand. Opening the envelope and reading the letter, I burst into tears, because it was a gift for an area of REAL, where we really want to bless some women. I had been praying specifically for someone to "sponsor" that amount for us, and was wondering who I should approach and ask. Well, I didn't need to do that because God moved a lovely woman's heart to give the money!!!I don't often get surprised (apart from Simon singing at last year's REAL!) but I was completely surprised by this generous act! Blown away by another woman's generosity, and by our Saviour who knows everything and who answers prayer and provides - wonderful!
Having blown my nose, I didn't have any more Site Pastor duties, so met some visitors and new people, and chatted with a lovely Nigerian lady who has come to England with her brother so that he can have some medical treatment for cancer in London. It was a privilege to stand together and pray for him. How did she come to be with us? Great story! She phoned the taxi company and asked the driver if he knew of any churches..the taxi driver was Besnik, and he drove her all the way to Kerith!!! He also delightedly told me that his wife is waiting for her Visa, so she can come over from Albania to REAL, and he also knows of 3 or 4 other Albanian ladies in London who would like to come!
Simon and I like to stay late after the 11am meeting, to chat with people, so it was great to have the time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and a chat with an old friend who was visiting - great to reminisce about fun times we spent together when our children were small. I also had the opportunity to thank Judith Jackson, who is part of the Deaf Hope Community, for contributing to REAL's programme. The programme has gone off to the printers (thank you Sarah Farley- great job!) and I know you'll enjoy reading Judith's story in it.
We celebrated the Jubilee with friends and lots of cake in the afternoon, then it was back to Kerith. Revolution led us in worship, and I was particularly proud of Alice as she played the keyboards with such confidence, grace and sensitivity - she's taught herself, and I'm in awe of her determination and gifting. Simon was great (again!) and then I caught up with Sue and all things REAL before the (obligatory) trip to the kebab van (where Jacob is now striking up a regular conversation about Church and faith with the kebab-van owner!) then family TV together, winding down after a brilliant, busy day!
I'm seriously not superwoman, and sometimes I am so rubbish on a Sunday, and don't feel I've been very available for God to use me at all, but this was a good week (thank you God).
I'm going to keep asking the Lord that question, and pray for the energy and love to keep up!