Programme
A Journey in the Company of Jesus – New Sermon Series
It was Christmas 1985 when I received the trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings” as a gift from my brother-in-law. It couldn’t have come at a worse time as I was on the final lap of my A Levels and here was a novel I simply couldn’t put down. My revision, as a result, came in a very poor second over that Christmas period.
“The Lord of the Rings” describes a journey of adventure, a theme that deeply resonates within us all. It’s hard not to find oneself drawn to Frodo and his companions, who go on a journey, face challenges that stretch them to their limits and beyond, who find companions to travel alongside, suffer with, encourage and be encouraged by, and at the end arrive at their destination triumphant and changed. “The Lord of the Rings” has it all, as does “The Hobbit” and dare I say, so does L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz”.
But journeys of adventure are not limited to fiction or films nor are they limited to great men and women like Bear Grylls and Ellen MacArthur. This December saw the Military Wives Choir reach Number One in the UK Charts (so sorry Little Mix – honest!). If you have never heard of the Military Wives Choir, they are a group of wives and girlfriends whose husbands and boyfriends served with Three Commando Brigade in Afghanistan this year. Brought together by the charismatic Gareth Malone, the Military Wives Choir wrote a song based upon the letters written home by their husbands.
The birth and development of the choir was followed by the BBC who charted the journey which saw a disparate group of women come together through thick and thin, pain and grief, personality clashes, and crises of confidence, to produce something that has impacted a nation. That in itself is a journey of adventure.
This winter we are going to relive another great journey together, indeed arguably one of the greatest journeys in human history - the journey of Israel’s captivity in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land as described in the Book of Exodus. Three Millennia later even our secular world remains familiar with aspects of this journey – the Passover, the Parting of the Red Sea, and the Ten Commandments. For Christians, the Exodus and journey to the Promised Land remain a major part of our faith. Words such as Passover and Redemption come straight out of Exodus; great events such as the Parting of the Red Sea, the pillar of fire by night and cloud by day, the Ten Commandments, the Golden Calf, Manna in the Desert and so on, all come from this remarkable journey of adventure.
To be part of a local church is to be part of a community who are on a journey together – the great adventure of following Jesus, which is arguably even more challenging than the one Frodo found himself on. I know that our studies in Exodus will provide us with the resources we need to continue on this adventure together.
Father’s Heart Course
Starts Sunday 15th January at 19h00, Church Hall
As men and women, many of us struggle with the same issues over and over again. Many of us struggle to experience the reality of our Heavenly Father’s love. Sometimes the truth in our heads fails to impact our hearts. The Father’s Heart Course is aimed to help you experience the depths of God’s love for you and to equip you to get rid of the things that stop you from daily walking in this truth. Some of the topics covered will be, How do I experience God’s love for me? How can I forgive? Why do I struggle to overcome sin in my life? How can the Holy Spirit be my Counsellor? The Course is for both men and women and will be led by Maxine Vorster and Pat Household.
Women’s Alpha Course
Starts Tuesday 14th February, 09h00-11h00 in All Saints. Crèche available.
Holiday Bible Club 2012
Tuesday 17th April until Friday 20th April.
Please keep these dates free if you would like your child (aged 4-10) to take part in the fun and games on offer and please consider volunteering to help as a station leader or supervising crew leader. For more information, please contact Janine Beringer pjberinger@bluewin.ch
A Walk Through the Old Testament Seminar
Saturday 28th April at All Saints
This is an exciting and interactive seminar which will bring the Old Testament to life in a new and fresh way. The day will be led by “Walk Through the Bible”, a ministry dedicated to bringing the Bible alive. On the day you will discover a timeline to fit the events of the Bible into order; the context into which these events fit into world history; a greater understanding of the geography and travels that take place and so much more. The day will consist of an interactive presentation with tools to allow you to learn the complete story of the Bible and how to apply God's teaching to our lives. Registration details in the new year.