July Newsletter

Dear friends

How are you all? It is a delight to be able to begin this letter by saying how blessed we are at Gillingham United Reformed Church to have fantastic children and young people in our midst. Each one very special and of course very precious to God, all seeking to exercise his gifts in their lives.

Last Saturday we were delighted to again welcome to Gillingham Tom Hackett, the Children and Youth Development Officer for the Southern Synod of the United Reformed Church – this time to present the Lundie Memorial Award for April to Dan for his much appreciated and committed contribution to worship at the church through his organ playing. Our congratulations to him and our grateful thanks for his initiative in organising a musical afternoon on the organ with a variety of contributions from him, from Dan’s tutor John, and from Colin. We are grateful to them all.

We have also been delighted to congratulate Tawonga who is the new Youth Representative for the Southern Synod of the United Reformed Church. Tawonga has written an article about his new role which can be found in the News section of the Southern Synod website and which will also be displayed on the website of Gillingham United Reformed Church.

Congratulations too to Annisha, an amazing, hard working and committed gymnast, who at the age of 10 has the wonderful opportunity to train and compete overseas next year. We look forward to hearing all about her experience.

Our focus in worship yesterday was about seeking to place Jesus at the centre of our lives and concentrating on the things that really matter in a world full of distractions. Our text was ‘Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.’. Colossians 2:6-7.

As I said yesterday, and hope it is helpful to repeat here, immediately in that text we identify images used by Jesus which help us to focus on what it really means to follow Him. Roots growing into him, lives being built on him, faith growing strong in the truth, overflowing with thankfulness. When our strength is in Christ we thank God but we also need to own the truth that receiving Christ as Lord of our lives is the beginning of the life in which we must continue to follow Him by being rooted, built up and strengthened in the faith. The illustration of a plant being fed from the soil through its roots is helpful in confirming to us that our life-giving strength comes from Christ. The more we draw on his strength the more we will discover what it really means to overflow with thankfulness that Jesus is Lord who is at the heart of our Christian life.

Michael Frye in his song Jesus be the Centre and which we sometimes sing, captures the prayer which encompasses a living desire on the part of us all when we seriously want to throw out the rubbish in our lives and be rooted in Jesus. Frye’s words are very straight forward: Jesus, be the centre, be my source, be my light, be my hope, be my song, be the fire in my heart, be the wind in these sails, be the reason that I live, be my vision, be my path, be my guide.

What helps us to focus on what is important in life? What practices help us to find stillness? To help us and, as suggested yesterday, try writing about one day you have had in the last week in 30 words. As you read and re-read those 30 words ask yourself what was it that really mattered? Now reduce your writing to 15 words and then to 8 and each time ask yourself what does my writing show what really mattered in my life in that day.

And now some diary dates.

BUBBLES AND ICE CREAM AFTERNOON WEDNESDAY 30TH JULY AT 2 PM. AN AFTERNOON FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY. PLEASE INVITE FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO COME ALONG. ALL CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED AND SUPERVISED BY ADULT PARENT/CARER THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON.

WEDNESDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER AT 2 PM WELCOME BACK TO DUNCAN WARMINGTON WHO WILL BE SPEAKING TO US ON BEHALF OF EMBRACE THE MIDDLE EAST.

WEDNESDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER AT 2 PM. THE BIBLE STUDY GROUP RESUMES AFTER THE SUMMER BREAK.

FRIDAY 26th SEPTEMBER FROM 4.30 TO 5.45 PM OUR CHRISTIAN PUPPET MINISTRY. INTERACTIVE TIME, CRAFT AND TEA. NO CHARGE. ALL CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED AND SUPERVISED BY ADULT PARENT/CARER THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON.

HARVEST SUNDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER. THE SERVICE WILL INCLUDE THIS YEAR’S LAUNCH OF THE BLYTHSWOOD CARE SHOEBOX APPEAL. BRING AND SHARE LUNCH FOLLOWS THE SERVICE. MONDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER CHURCH AND COMMUNITY SPONSORED KNIT TO BENEFIT THE BLYTHSWOOD CARE SHOEBOX APPEAL.

God bless you all as we journey through the summer.

Pam