april 2017 - chinnor community...
TRANSCRIPT
I first started writing this message looking out over the debris left by
Storm Doris (yes remember her, she swept through the country on
23rd February bringing snow to Scotland and gale force winds to
much of the rest of the country). There were trees strewn across roads
and cars squashed under fallen debris looking like broken children's
toys. There were images on our screens of everyday scenes looking
upside down and shaken up. In many ways our world seems topsy
turvy not only in the natural world but also in the political sphere
both home and abroad. It is easy to feel unnerved by all this lack of
order but at the same time we believe in and follow a God who uses
topsy turvy situations to enormous benefit.
In the Message version of Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 5: 3-10 it says:
"You're blessed when you are at the end of your rope. With less of you
there is more of God and his rule.
You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you.
Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
You're blessed when you're content with just who you are -no more, no
less. That's the moment you find yourselves the proud owners of
everything that can't be bought.
You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's
food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
You're blessed when you care. At that moment of being care-full, you
find yourselves cared for.
You're blessed when you can get your inside world - your mind and
heart- put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of
compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and
your place in God's family.
You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.
The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom."
How incredibly counter cultural are these statements made by Jesus
several millennia ago and yet how amazingly liberating, "You're
blessed when you're at the end of your rope....." What a relief not to
have to pretend for one minute that we have our lives sorted. Not only
that, but there is even more of God in our lives precisely at the point
when we have failed from a human perspective.
"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are -no more,
no less. That's the moment you find yourselves the proud owners of
everything that can't be bought. "
We live in a world that encourages us to constantly acquire and
believe that we need everything we desire in order to feel satisfied.
Jesus assures us that if we can liberate ourselves from the need to
have more and more, then actually we gain something that money
cannot buy.......contentedness. Please do not think I am saying that we
shouldn't have possessions in life, there is something very valuable in
a beautifully designed object that does the job perfectly (a teapot that
pours without dripping, for instance, or a raincoat that actually keeps
out the rain) or a piece of art that does something inexplicable to your
insides when you look at it. Let's not fall into the trap though of being
owned by our possessions.
So how do God's counter cultural, upside down values help us in this
crazy world of fake news, uncertain political futures, post truth and
other alarming concepts?
Well, it is worth considering why we find such things unnerving in the
first place. I suspect that the majority of us like to feel that we are in
control of our lives. We find change that is out of our control worrying,
precisely because we do not have the final outcome in our hands. It's
very clear in the Bible however that God doesn't consider it healthy for
us to be in control to the exclusion of him. Remember how Paul
describes the situation with the thorn in his flesh.
2 Corinthians 12: 8-9 "Three different times I begged the Lord to take
it away. Each time he said, "My gracious favour is all you need. My
power works best in your weakness".
It is the same principle quoted above, "With less of you there is more
of God and his rule".
We really need to learn that habit of "letting go and letting God". Our
God is reliable and dependable if we allow ourselves to trust him.
Psalm 34:19 reads, "The righteous face many troubles, but the Lord
rescues them from each and every one."
This verse is really important because it contains an important truth,
we will have problems in life and it's crucial that we understand and
accept this basic truth about life. It is so easy to go through a really
difficult time in life and be tempted to wonder why God has
abandoned you whereas God clearly tell us that we will have difficult
times in life. This should not be a shock to us. The enormous BUT is
that there is resolution through God for each and every one of our
troubles. The resolution may not be instant, easy and pain free but he
promises to never leave us or forsake us and there is a way through it.
Finally, learn to practise the "divine exchange" with God.
1 Peter 1 v 7 "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares
about what happens to you."
God loves us pouring out our hearts to him when life is rubbish. He
has "broad shoulders" and when we offload onto him we can
experience that divine exchange, we give him our anxiety and worry
and, in return, he gives us his peace.
Susie Kelsey
Tearfund News
HOPE AMID HUNGER
East Africa is in crisis with 16 million people facing desperate food
shortages. As is so often the case, it is women and children who suffer the
most; more than 800,000 children under five are severely malnourished.
Famine was declared in parts of South Sudan in February and the
situation is worsening as food stocks are being depleted. In the midst of
this, Tearfund are providing food assistance for over 17,000 people who
have been displaced as well as clean water and sanitation to around 65,000
people who don’t have access to these basic needs. They are also providing
malnutrition treatment for approximately 50,000 children and pregnant
mothers.
In need of a miracle
In one community in Uror County they run a feeding programme,
established by funding from the Office of US Disaster Assistance (OFDA).
They provide preventive and treatment services for children and pregnant
and breastfeeding women suffering from malnutrition. In the year to the
end of August 2016 this centre alone saw more than 1,100 cases – more
than twice as many as the previous year.
Baby Amira* had been ill since birth, with a combination of vomiting,
diarrhoea, fever and skin rashes. Her mother, Najiyya*, was unable to
access health services for her child. The already limited health services in
the area had been overloaded by an influx of people fleeing violence in
other parts of the country.
‘I felt there was nothing to be done,’ recalls Najiyya. ‘I was so hopeless, her
condition was out of control. God was the only way to help my child.’
Hope restored
But then Najiyya was referred to the feeding centre. She dared to hope
that her child might get well. The treatment Amira received had an
immediate impact and her health was soon restored.
‘I am happy and so excited with my child being rescued,’ Najiyya exclaims.
‘She is the fourth child and youngest in the family – the eldest is not able
to walk since childhood. I thought that Amira would have also been like
her.’
The project also addresses other needs, such as education in health and
hygiene and the rehabilitation of boreholes to ensure safe water supplies.
As a result, we see children like Amira saved from death and disability. We
see families like Najiyya’s able to cope better with the challenges they’re
facing.
But with the escalating food crisis there are many more that need
immediate help. Somalia is also on the brink of famine and parts of Kenya
and Ethiopia are in desperate need. Please pray with us and consider
giving to our East Africa Crisis Appeal. Thank you.
*Names changed to protect identity
PLEASE PRAY
Give thanks for the work that Tearfund and our partners have been
doing for many years in communities in these countries, for the
relationships they have and the help they are already bringing to
people.
Lift up those across East Africa who are facing critical food shortages;
pray that the Lord will comfort them and provide for them through
the generous giving of his people.
Pray for those on the ground responding to the crisis – ask God to give
them wisdom and protection as they reach out to those in great need.
A HEALING OF THE HEART
For several years, the Central African Republic has been torn apart by
conflict. A conflict that resulted in the killing of civilians, and the burning
and looting of houses.
But amid the conflict, there is hope. The church is very much alive and
active in its local community and for people like Suzanne, the church has
been the lifeline she needed.
In the 1950s, Suzanne married Antoine, a man from a different village,
and they lived together just outside Bangui, the capital city. Following her
husband’s death, Suzanne was sharing her home with her daughter and
her three grandchildren. When the conflict erupted, they thought they
would be safe in the family home.
Before long, however, Antoine’s family came to Suzanne’s home. They
blamed her for his death, saying that she was an ‘outsider’ who had caused
problems by marrying someone from a different village. They chased away
Suzanne, her daughter and the grandchildren, threatening to kill them if
they returned.
Suzanne’s daughter and the children were able to find shelter with a
family in the local area, but there was no room for Suzanne, who had to
sleep in the bush or on the floor of the local church.
Tearfund has been working with the local church in CAR through a process
called Church and Community Mobilisation (CCM). Tearfund organised
several training sessions to inspire, and equip the church to reach out to
the vulnerable in their communities; to rescue the lost and to heal broken
hearts.
Following CCM training, the church in Suzanne’s community was deeply
moved by Suzanne’s story and wanted to help. Brick by brick, the church
was able to provide a new home for Suzanne. The pastor raised funds, and
the church members brought in bricks or lent tools. The church worked for
three months to raise the walls with some of the more wealthy members
financing the roof.
Together, they were able to be a new family for Suzanne – and helped heal
her broken heart. She says, ‘seeing what my brothers and sisters have done
for me has healed me. I have felt their love, their compassion. I am grateful
to Tearfund who made it happen. I praise the Lord for now being in my
own house, I can move on, and feel that the future is brighter than ever.’
PLEASE PRAY
Praise God for the churches that have attended Tearfund's CCM
training and for the desire they have to see change in their local
communities.
Lift up Suzanne and her family as she settles into her new home.
Pray that the church in CAR can continue to be salt and light even in
a very difficult context.
HOPE FOR HONDURAS
With an average of 20 murders committed every day, Honduras is one of
the world’s most violent countries. Living in a crime-riddled riverbank
slum in San Pedro Sula, Honduras second largest city, it’s no wonder
families like Angela’s go to bed frightened.
River of death
Angela, her husband and five children live in a two-room hut made of
salvaged wood and plastic sheeting, perched precariously above the river.
It gives little protection when it rains. In the last rainy season, the family’s
latrine was washed into the river.
Gang violence and drug trafficking regularly take a terrible toll. The river
that runs beside the slum and through San Pedro Sula is used as a
dumping site for bodies. This is the same river that Angela’s children must
wade through to reach school since the bridge was damaged.
Desperate circumstancesThere is no school in the slum, the government
won’t provide any services as the people aren’t legally settled. Angela and
her family are one of 40,000 families living in the riverbank slum, without
access to any facilities.
These are the very places where Jesus calls us to make the most profound
difference. This Lent, the cross reminds us that redemption is a gift for
everyone, no matter how desperate the circumstances.
Finding her voice Tearfund’s partner, Comisión de Acción Social Menonita
(CASM), is helping women like Angela set up committees to be a voice for
their community. CASM helps the community come together, support one
another and create a better life, despite the dangers.
Today, with training from CASM, Angela and others on the committee are
calling for changes that will give the riverbank slum families a safe place
to live.
PLEASE PRAY
Dear Heavenly Father, we pray that the violence and corruption that
characterises Honduras will give way to a peaceful and just society for
all. We pray for a dignifying relocation process for the riverbank
community and that they may be able to live in safety. Please may joy
overflow where it seems impossible right now. In Jesus’ name we
pray. Amen.
John Gravett Tearfund Representative
This month’s guide to encourage our partnership in prayer
Through April …
On a SUNDAY pray for:
The people who live near the church
The High Street, The Avenue, Grafton Orchard, Doveleat, etc
Those of the fellowship living there and their neighbours
On a MONDAY pray for:
The Glynswood Estate
Those of the fellowship living there and their neighbours
On a TUESDAY pray for:
The Mill Lane and Cherry Tree Estates, Old Garden Centre Houses
Those of the fellowship living there and their neighbours
On a WEDNESDAY pray for:
Elderdene, Lower Road, Lower Icknield Way etc
Those of the fellowship living there and their neighbours
On a THURSDAY pray for:
Rectory Meadow area, Golden Hills etc.
The Kiln Lakes Estate
Those of the fellowship living there and their neighbours
On a FRIDAY pray for:
Station Road, Duck Square,
Those of the fellowship living there and their neighbours
The doctors surgeries and schools
The other churches and their leadership teams
On a SATURDAY pray for:
The villages and towns around us
Those of the fellowship living there and their neighbours
HANDY LITTLE CHART
- GOD HAS A POSITIVE ANSWER:
YOU SAY
GOD SAYS BIBLE VERSES
You say: 'It's impossible'
God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)
You say: 'I'm too tired'
God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: 'Nobody really
loves me'
God says: I love you (John 3:16
& John 3:34)
You say: I can't go on' God says: My grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9
& Psalm 91:15)
You say: 'I can't figure
things out'
God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)
You say: 'I can't do it'
God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)
You say: 'I'm not able'
God says: I am able (2 Corinthians 9:8)
You say: 'It's not worth it'
God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )
You say: 'I can't forgive
myself'
God says: I forgive you (1 John 1:9
& Romans 8:1)
You say: 'I can't manage' God says: I will supply all your
needs
(Philippians 4:19)
You say: 'I'm afraid' God says: I have not given you a
spirit of fear
(2 Timothy 1:7)
You say: 'I'm always
worried and frustrated'
God says: Cast all your cares on me (1 Peter 5:7)
You say: I'm not smart
enough'
God says: I give you wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30)
You say: 'I feel all alone' God says: I will never leave
you or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)
Your Heart Will Know Joy Again
Do not fear only trust in my word and my love
I am near and I’ll make a way
Do not run, do not hide, I’m here at your side
And your heart will know joy again
Chorus:
Though tears may last the whole night long
And darkness may seem to reign
Surely as night time gives way to the day
Your heart will know joy again
Many may say ‘Where is your God?’
How can He stand by in your pain?
But know, precious child, as you rest in My arms,
Your heart will know joy again
The trials you walk in, full of grief at the time
Will one day bring praise to My name,
And like jewels in a crown you will treasure their worth
And your heart will know joy again
Based on Psalm 30
Dean Gardner, Ellel Ministries
The Twelve Disciples in 12 Months Number Three
After Simon the Zealot, let us have a look at Bartholomew. He is only mentioned four times in the New Testament and these are in conjunction with lists of the disciples. Bartholomew is always mentioned after Phillip and it appears that there may be a link between the two, but this is only perceived.
Bartholomew was empowered by Jesus to go to the lost sheep of Israel. Jesus said to him, as he did with the other disciples, "As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." [Matthew 10 v5-8 and Mark 3 v13-19]
Many scholars equate Bartholomew with Nathaniel (John 1 v45–49), but no proof of this identification exists, except by inference. According to church tradition, Bartholomew was a missionary to various countries, such as Armenia and India. He is reported to have preached the gospel along with Philip and Thomas. As a disciple of Jesus, Bartholomew’s main goal was to become like Jesus, an impossible task on this earth. He placed his trust in Jesus, mainly due to his close contact with Jesus and being able to experience the Saviour at work. He followed and obeyed Jesus in the tasks he was given.
Even though we do not have the written proof that Bartholomew went to Armenia and India, it is apparent that tradition shows that he learnt the lessons that he heard from Jesus. In Mark’s Gospel we can read the following words, ‘Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." ’[Mark 16 v14-16] The word of God was not carried throughout the world by television, radio or the internet, but by word of mouth.
We may not be famous, well known or a ‘star’ but followers of Jesus are empowered to do His work here on earth. "Go into the world and preach the Gospel." is just as valid to-day, for us, as it was in the time of Bartholomew, for him. Let us live our lives, every day in every way, serving the living Lord. Peter Brown
Hearing the Lord Speak
“The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.” Psalm 25:14, NIV
A snare is a cruel device designed to trap the legs of an animal in a hidden
wire, so that it cannot run away. The animal can then easily be caught and
killed. The psalmist uses this dramatic picture to describe how the enemy
will try and trap us, as we walk through life, into making wrong choices
and falling into his hands. Many is the person I have prayed with who has
taken the bait of the enemy and finished up hobbling through life, being
constantly reminded of his or her past and, as a result, failing to fulfil
God’s purposes for their life.
But not only does the psalmist describe the consequences of the enemy’s
actions, mercifully he tells us how we can hear the voice of the Lord for
ourselves and hear God’s voice showing us how to escape from the snare.
We can’t change the fact that we have been in a snare, but God delights to
set us free so that once again we can step forward on the journey of life
going in the right direction.
The key lies in having a holy fear of the Lord – not the sort of fear that
makes us shake with fright, but the sort of fear that directs our choices
through love so that our desire is always to please Him. This does not
mean that we stop being our own person, but it means that God rejoices in
seeing us free to be the person He made us to be – able to be blessed by
Him and be a blessing to others. Hebrews 11:7 tells us that it was in holy
fear that Noah built the ark – it was vital for Noah to be constantly
hearing the Lord’s voice, guiding and directing him in the building of the
most important ship that humanity has ever known. It saved the human
race!
When our heart is right towards the Lord, then because of His covenant
love He will delight to show us the way to go and how to both resist the
enemy and be set free from his snares. If there is sin we need to confess it.
If there is hurt from others we need to forgive them. If we have walked
away from God’s plans for our life we need to tell the Lord we love Him and
ask Him to help us get back on track. As we keep our eyes fixed firmly on
Him, he will lead and direct your steps. For as the psalmist says in Psalm
119:44-45, “I will walk about in freedom for I have sought out your precepts.”
Peter Horrobin Ellel Ministries
Hope Deferred an (un)helping hand
‘I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; and all
peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’ Genesis 12:2-3
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an
Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has
kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can
build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said. Genesis
16:1-2
Sometimes the waiting can be so long. Abram was 75 when God first
said he would make him a great nation. Presumably he and Sarai had
been hoping for children, and here they were promised at last.
So they waited.
After eleven years, Sarai came up with a plan. God hadn’t actually
said she would be the mother of Abram’s children, so why not try
something that was totally acceptable in the culture of the time, and
have children by her servant, Hagar?
We don’t know Sarai’s motivation here for sure, but given that Abram
hadn’t been sleeping with Hagar up to this point, it seems very much
as though Sarai was tired of waiting for God to come through and
decided to help him out.
Although God did make the resulting son, Ishmael, into a great
nation, he was not the child of the promise, who was born to Sarai 14
years later.
What are we to learn from this? God has given us brains, abilities and
resources to be able to help ourselves, and we don’t expect to sit back
and wait for everything to drop into our laps. How do we know when
taking initiative – signing up with a head-hunter, moving house to
increase your kids’ chances of getting into your preferred school,
sitting outside someone’s door until they give you the break you need –
is the responsible thing to do, and when it’s giving up on God’s plan?
I think the key is in knowing what God has said to you. Abram and
Sarai had heard clearly from God. Their promise was repeated several
times (Genesis 12:7; 13:15-16; 15:4-5) – they knew they hadn’t
imagined it, and that God hadn’t forgotten, or said it on a passing
whim. They knew, but they lost hope.
God still speaks to us today, through Scripture, through prophecies,
and through that ‘still, small voice’. If he’s made you a promise and
you’re not sure if you need to take action, ask. Speak to a godly friend
and pray with them about it. We can trust that we’ll recognise when
God says ‘Yes’, when he says ‘No’, and when he says ‘You can if you
want, but my plan will be better’ (he actually said that to me once. I’m
waiting).
‘Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised
is faithful’ (Hebrews 10:23).
Jennie Pollock
LICC
It is better to take
Many small steps in the
Right direction
Than to make a great leap forward
Only to stumble backward.
Church
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘Church’? Growing up,
many of us may have been ‘strongly encouraged’ to go to church at
least once a week. A couple of things might stick out in your mind –
ancient buildings or uncomfortable clothing. The church we may have
attended with our parents might have met in a medieval building with
one of those special ‘heating’ systems that seemed to be able to turn a
summer’s day into a winter’s day and a winter’s day into an arctic
blast.
Maybe you were made to wear you stiff starchy best clothes or the
legendary Christmas jumper your granny used to knit – with those
special string cuffs and neck that were so tight that once it was on it
could not be taken off for a week.
Perhaps Church seemed to be not only uncomfortable but also out of
date and rather boring – a rather quaint irrelevance in the then 20th
century.
Now, contrast this fairly common view of the Church today with that
of the author Bill Hybels in his book Courageous Leadership, ‘there is
nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is
indescribable. Its power is breath-taking. Its potential is unlimited. It
comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of
community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the
confused. It provides resources to those in need and opens its arms to
the forgotten, the downtrodden and the disillusioned. It breaks the
chains of addiction, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the
marginalised of this world. Whatever the capacity for human
suffering, the Church has a greater capacity for healing and
wholeness. Still to this day the potential of the local church is almost
more than I can grasp. No other organisation on the earth is like the
Church. Nothing even comes close.’
Dave Smith Transformed Life
CCC Services for April 2017 Theme for the Year ‘Knowing God’
Sunday 26th March
Cafe Church 9:00-9:45am
Morning Service 10:45am Mothering Sunday - All In Service
- Power in Prayer - Tabby Crawforth
Sunday 2nd April
Cafe Church 9:00-9:45am Jess Merrow Smith
Morning Service 10:45am Hindrance to Prayer
- Jess Merrow Smith
Sunday 9th April
Cafe Church 9:00-9:45am Bruce Crawforth
Morning Service 10:45am Relationship not Religion
Bruce Crawforth
Sunday 16th April
Sonrise Service 7.00am at the top of Chinnor Hill
NO Cafe Church
Morning Service 10:45am Easter Sunday - All In Service
- Tabby Crawforth
Sunday 23rd April
Cafe Church 9:00-9:45am
Morning Service 10:45am Speaker TBC
Sunday 30th April
Cafe Church 9:00-9:45am
Morning Service 10:45am Speaker TBC
Dates for your Diary
Mar 31 Praise and Prayer for CPP
7.30pm
Apr 01 Chinnor Passion Play 11am
and 2pm Whites Field
Apr 03 Girls Group 4.30pm
CLT Prayer 8pm
Apr 04 The Bridge 7.30pm
Older Teens Group 8pm
Apr 05 Small Groups 8pm
Apr 06 Prayer for Israel 9.30am
Mums Alpha 9am
Mums Bible Study 10.30am
Apr 07 Retreat at Stanton House
Trustees Meeting 8pm
Apr 10 CLT Business 8pm
Apr 13 Prayer for Israel 9.30am
Apr 14 Cross Walk 9am
Apr 15 Coffee by the Shops 9.30am
Apr 16 Sonrise Service 7am
Apr 20 Prayer for Israel 9.30am
Coffee Pot 10.30am
Apr 24 Girls Group 4.30pm
Apr 25 The Journey 11am
Older Teens Group 8pm
Apr 26 Small Groups 8pm
Apr 27 Mums Alpha 9am
Prayer for Israel 9.30am
Mums Bible Study 10.30am
Apr 28 Small Group Leaders 7.30pm
See www.chinnor.org.uk for more info
If you have any articles
for the next Connect they
need to be in by
23 April 2017
Sunday Services
Café Church 9am - 9.45am Morning Service 10.45am to 12.15pm
Chinnor Community Church High Street, Chinnor, Oxon OX39 4DH
Coffee Pot April 20th
At the Village Centre
from 10.30am
Rainbow Tots
Tuesdays (Term Time)
9.45am at CCC
FN@6 and 7 April th and th
Small Groups April 5th and 26th
More Dates For Your Diary
And things for you to pray for …
CCC Retreat at Stanton House - Friday 7th April 2017
The cost is £25 per day, but there is an offer of help with funding if money is
an issue. Transport is available.
Easter at CCC:
Village Cross Walk Friday 14th April 2017
09.00am Meet at car park at the top of the High Street
09.10am Carry the cross around the village square
09.40am Carry the cross up Donkey Lane to the top of Chinnor Hill
10.00am Short Service at top of Chinnor Hill
10.30am Breakfast at CCC (depending on walking conditions)
Meditative Service Friday 14th April 2017 - 11.10am
Coffee by the Shops Saturday 15th April 2017 - 9.30am
Sonrise Service Sunday 16th April 2017 - 7am at top of Chinnor Hill
Celebration Service Sunday 16th April 2017 - 10.45am
Church Meeting Monday 8th May 7.30pm
Just One Event Saturday 8th July 2017
J John at Emirates Stadium. Speak to Ann Long for details
___________________________________________________________
HOUSE OF PRAYER Prayer moves mountains and there are a few to move!
Pray continuously, gather together and seek the Lord.
If we are going to change things we need to pray
Our revival opportunity is now so let’s pray
And see how the Lord works sovereignly
The Bridge - Encountering the Presence of God
Alternate Tuesdays 7.30 - 8.45pm
Prayer for Israel
Thursdays
9.30 - 10.30am at 14 Hill Farm Court (Please check over Easter)
CHRISTIAN AID WEEK: 14th
-20th
May
Standing with the refugees Nejebar and her family have fled the horrors in Afghanistan, where her husband was threatened with torture and death for being a government worker.
Nejebar, with her sons Hinayat (left) and Sudai, outside their home in Agios Andreas, Greece
But now they’ve arrived in Greece, all they have is a tent. They have no other protection against wind and rain. There’s no school for their five children and they have no certainty or clear idea of what will happen to them now. They thought they would stay here for 10 days, but it’s already been six months and there’s no end in sight.
Nejebar’s husband Noor describes their initial reaction to arriving in the camp in Greece: ‘It was like suicide for us. But we took the decision that it is better to die here than to die there from war.’
You’ve helped us be there for refugees since 1945 Thanks to you, Christian Aid has been there for refugees like Nejebar since 1945, providing essential food, shelter and legal assistance for people far from home.
This Christian Aid Week, 14-20 May, our churches are continuing to walk with refugees. There will be a Christian Aid service at the Methodist Church on Sunday 14th May and a house to house collection during that week. Our other fund raising activities will include a Charity Fashion Show Evening at the Village Hall on Friday 5th May and a musical coffee morning on Tuesday 16th May.
If you can deliver and collect Christian Aid envelopes or get involved in any other way, please contact :-
Mavis Shortman 01844350014/email [email protected]
Fliss Akehurst 01844698843/email [email protected]
A Ugandan pastor had tried to start a Sunday school with little
success, but the week after his church held an Operation Christmas
Child shoebox distribution over 200 children came to Church. Half of
them were from a village 15 miles away. At God's leading he founded
a church there and a year later it had a congregation of 290 adults and
children. Isn't it great how God can take these simple boxes full of just
small things and use them in His almighty plan? I feel so privileged to
be able to be just a very small part of it.
Over the first 3 months of 2017 you folk at CCC have been as
generous as ever and we have a lovely amount of stationery items for
our shoeboxes this year. We're moving on to toiletries now! In April
we'll start with soaps and flannels - but toothbrushes and toothpastes
will be coming up soon so if you see any great offers on these whilst
out shopping don't pass them by!
As ever thank you so much for all you give,
God bless you,
Pam Dunn x
https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/operation-christmas-child-knitting/
CCC Coffee Pot
CCC Coffee Pot & Line Three
One thing about the morning’s activities is the fact that only the MC
and pcb [sort of] are aware of the programme. It all adds up to
anticipation of what will happen. This week was no different. After
the Birthday cake [thanks Sandy] and coffee, etc, Viv was introduced
as our MC. With clipboards and pens at the ready our challenge for
the morning was revealed. We were given a sheet of paper with the
first two lines of a song and all we had to do was to write down the
third line. There were 30 songs to attempt to recall. Easier said than
done. The room was soon a cacophony of singing, humming and
whistling as members tried to recall line three. The first song lines
were ‘Happy Days are here again, the skies above are clear again
…???…,’ Line four was ‘Happy Days are here again. Line three was
NOT ‘dum-de-dum dum dum dum dum,’ but ‘Let’s sing a song of
cheer,’ Days should have been spelt Daze as we continued onward and
downward. ‘The stars shining bright above you, night breezes seem to
whisper I love you, birds singing in the sycamore tree’ should have
elicited the answer ‘dream a little dream of me’. NOT ‘Deep in the
Heart of Texas’. Our musical experts, June and Barbara, could not
understand why the ‘Texas’ answer was erroneous. They even tried to
sing it to us to prove that they were correct. The romantic song that
starts ‘Yours ‘till the stars have no glory, yours ‘till the birds fail to
sing, yours ‘till the end of life’s story,’ finished up with the line ‘I won’t
be coming if it’s raining.’ Our two experts were at it again.
Anyway, the morning was a great success. Someone got more points
than someone else, but the memory is a bit confused after this
morning. Viv created a great atmosphere of happiness in a very short
time. A happiness that cannot be bought, so thanks Viv.
CCC Coffee Pot & General Knowledge
Leslie and Sandy gave us the opportunity to have a coffee and a chat
before they, collectively, challenged us with their GK quiz. I think that
previous experience ensured that we were faced with a much easier
quiz than last time they were in charge; at least I think that was the
idea. Questions from ancient Greece, via Paris, to little glass things at
the bottom of bottles were all part of the mornings challenge.
Everyone rose to the occasion and mutterings were the order of the
day. What fabulous creature had the head of an eagle and the body of
a lion? Was it a Gruffalo or a Griffin?
Of course it was easy, if you can remember! Next came our visit to
France where a lot of our members failed to see their retrousse in
front of their face when it came to Quasimodo, the deformed bell
ringer of Notre Dame. Pantile was not a tile that one puts a frying pan
on, nor was it a row of houses. That was close, but not close enough for
L&S. Pantile is, of course, a curved roof tile. What was another name
for the Rowan Tree? Yes, the one with the red berries hanging from
the branches, that the birds love; they have a lot of them in Scotland;
there is a song about the Rowan Tree; yes, yes, that one. I know the
Latin name, Sorbus aucuparia, but what is the English [or Scottish]
name? So the morning continued, Henry VIII’s wives, or at least one
or two were answers to a question, but with a choice of six, which wife
would be the correct answer. I was not bothered, it was nothing to
loose my head over, so I divorced myself from answering, which is my
normal par for history questions. Margaret and Barbara managed to
answer most of Leslie and Sandy’s questions and so were the
morning’s champions.
We finished the morning with Leslie and her solar lights and, until
they were charged by the sun, did not light or remained dim. She
reminded us that without Jesus we also were in darkness and that
Jesus could lighten our lives. [Some of our mature members started to
sing an old Elim chorus, “Jesus bids us shine….”] Before my time, of
course.
Sandy reminded us, and also gave thanks to God, for making us free
and giving us freedom.
CCC Coffee Pot and the Pub Quiz
Nina was in the chair again and, because the answers would be easy,
she had prepared thirty-five questions for us to answer. The answer to
the first question was Pope Paul II, but it should have been Pope John
Paul II. Pope Paul II died on the 26 July 1471 but it was Pope John
Paul II who died on the 2 April 2005; this being a week before the
marriage of Charles and Camilla. I forget what the question was now
and I had to Google who died when and whom married whom, etc, etc.
[Oh for the little grey cells of some famous detective!]
William Haig got mixed up with William Rufus who got mixed up with
William Tell who got mixed up with William II who got mixed up with
Will.I.AM. So one question received various answers from the
gathered crowds.
What is the capital of Hawaii? Was the answer Honolulu or is
Honolulu the capital of the Hawaiian Islands and Hilo the capital of
Hawaii (The Big Island). Nina’s answer was the last word and her
decision was final. Honolulu was her answer, and that was that.
Another question was what does a Misogynist hate? The answer
being, of course, someone who has a hatred of women. Everyone
present had the correct answer and it even had someone comment,
“….my husband is one of those….” Alopecia related to baldness, which
is the loss or the absence of hair, especially from the human head and
NOT a domesticated, long-haired South American animal related to
the llama and similar in appearance. That is an alpaca! (Will the
person who gave that answer please contact confused.com).
So we continued the morning answering Nina’s questions to the best
of our ability, but even so she is hard with her marking. Not
surprising really, considering the hullabaloo people make when trying
to justify their own answers, so well done Nina for managing to keep
us all under control.
CCC Coffee Pot and Pointless
Spring is in the air and a happy feeling pervades the Chiltern Room as
the morning sun filters through the windows and lightens our hearts,
but maybe not for long. Another pointless meeting lays ahead, I
suppose. Oh; ah; no! It is Jacqui that is bringing us the POINTLESS
challenge, by common request it may be said. How to score in
Pointless is simple for most of us, others have difficulties, though.
After a chosen letter is announced, all we have to do is to find a word
that no one else has thought of that starts with that letter [score nil
points]. If two people or more have the same answer, score one point.
If you have no answer or a completely wrong answer then score two
points.
The first round letter was N. This brought with it a multitude of
answers such as Norway; Nicaragua; Nepal; Newt; Nehemiah; Noah
and Knee. Knee! Needless to Note that Knee was Not aN aNswer
Needed.
A was the chosen letter for round two. What was in the fridge starting
with A? Apple; Apricot; Avocado; Alpo, A piece of ham; Ale plus a few
other odds and ends. [A piece of ham was disqualified by the way.] L
was the round three letter. Lick ten stein was a country beginning
with the letter L, as was Lima; Libya. Other L words included Lemon
Sherbet; Lynx; Lark; Ludo; Lacrosse and for sports equipment, Lasso
was allowed. Richard and Joan did exceedingly well.
The room was generally a cacophony of voices most of the time,
hearing aids were turned down and complaints of the noise were
ignored, mainly because of the noise. Eventually Jacqui brought the
gang of miscreants under control after an exciting and most enjoyable
morning, where friendships were strengthened and fun abounded.
Jacqui closed by reminding us that God’s promises were true and
unchanging. In times of trouble, need and difficulty He could be relied
upon to keep His word, as well as in times of great joy. The LORD is
faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. [Psalm
145 vs13]
So ended another enjoyable morning in the company of Jacqui and
friends.
Peter Brown NOTE. No Coffee Pot on April 6; the next Coffee Pot will be on April
20th 10.30 at the Village Centre, Chilton Room when …………… will
be our guest.
Easter Quiz
01. A 'Crucession' is a procession headed by which symbolic object?
02. At the Last Supper, what food did Jesus liken to his body?
03. Does Easter fall on the same dates every year?
04. Easter Island belongs to which South American country?
05. How many days does Lent last for?
06. What day precedes Ash Wednesday?
07. How was Jesus fastened to the cross?
08. What symbol of the empty tomb is commonly decorated at Easter
by kids?
09. What comes first Easter Week or Holy Week?
10. Jesus prophesized that Peter would deny him how many times?
11. On the side of which hill was the garden of Gethsemane?
12. Pascua is the name for Easter in which language?
13. What came first, Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection or the Last
Supper?
14. Which job did Zacchaeus hold in the bible?
15. What sweet objects are commonly 'hunted' by children at Easter
time?
Last Month The Answer: 01. Lilac 02. Crocus 03. Snowdrops 04. Daffodil
05. Iris 06. Violet 07. Tulip 08. Freesia
01. MSOSBOL Blossom 02. RWAM Warm
03. RBISD Birds 04. OFDIADLF Daffodil 05. WGOR Grow 06. OWSEFRL Flowers
07. LTEM Melt 08. NPTLA Plant
09. HCAHT Hatch 10. IPNCIC Picnic
Easter facts and statistics
CHOCOLATE FACTS
Britons love chocolate. In world league tables of per capita
consumption the UK comes joint 4th behind Switzerland,
Germany and Austria.
On average, each person in Britain eats approx. 9.5 kg of
chocolate per year.
The first chocolate factory in Britain opened in 1657.
J.S. Fry and Sons developed the first solid chocolate bar and it
went on sale in 1847. Cadbury Brothers produced their first bar
of chocolate in 1849. Both bars would have been made from dark
chocolate as milk chocolate was not available until after 1875
when Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter developed the process for
making the sweeter lighter version of chocolate.
The Ivory Coast in West Africa is the world's leading producer of
cocoa - supplying 43 per cent.
Make Chocolate Fair estimates there are 2 million children
working on cocoa plantations in Ghana and Ivory Coast, 500,000
of them in exploitative conditions.
Fairtrade Chocolate sales now make up almost 12 per cent of UK
chocolate confectionary sales and is worth £542m.
Thorntons made the world’s largest chocolate bar to celebrate
their 100th birthday. It weighed 6 tonnes and was equivalent to
75,000 of their standard size bars.
EASTER FACTS
Eggs were traditionally used in pre-Christian festivals as the
symbol of new life, purity or fertility. Later customs concerning
eggs were linked with Easter because the egg provided a fresh
and powerful symbol of the Resurrection and the transformation
of death into life.
The tradition of wearing Easter bonnets is also related to the
celebration of new life and the coming of spring. The first bonnets
were actually circles or wreaths of leaves and spring flowers but
the tradition eventually developed into the wearing of
extravagant hats often decorated with spring flowers.
The Real Easter Egg, a Fair Trade Easter egg that explains the
Christian meaning of Easter is on sale again for Easter 2017.
There are four eggs in the range this year plus a pack of 30 small
eggs suitable for Easter egg hunts.
Decorating and colouring hen, duck or goose eggs for Easter was
the custom in England during the Middle Ages. The household
accounts of Edward I, for the year 1290, recorded an expenditure
of eighteen pennies for four hundred and fifty eggs to be gold-
leafed and coloured for Easter gifts.
Papier-mache Easter eggs started being produced in England in
the 18th century and then the first chocolate eggs appeared in
the 19th century with the earliest ones being completely solid
The first chocolate Easter egg was produced in 1873 by Fry's.
The most famous decorated Easter eggs are those designed by
Peter Carl Faberge. In 1885 the Russian Tsar, Alexander III,
commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife,
the Empress Marie. This first Faberge egg was an egg within an
egg. It had an outside shell of gold and white enamel which
opened to reveal a smaller gold egg. The smaller egg, in turn,
opened to display a golden chicken and a jewelled replica of the
Imperial Crown. The Tsar and Tsarina were so impressed with
their gold that they ordered the Faberge firm to design further
eggs to be delivered every Easter. In later years Nicholas II,
Alexander's son, continued the custom.
A previously unaccounted for Faberge egg was found by an
American scrap metal dealer in 2013. It sold for £20 million. He
had bought it for its scrap metal value of $13,000 and had been
trying to sell it for a while before he realised it may be a Faberge
egg.
Approximately 80 million chocolate eggs are sold annually in the
UK.
The record for the largest Easter egg tree was set by Rostock Zoo
in Germany who decorated a tree with 76,596 painted hen's eggs
on 8 April 2007.
The most expensive egg on sale in 2016 cost £25,000 and was
available from Brighton Chocolatiers Choccywoccydodah.
The most popular chocolate egg worldwide is Cadbury's Creme
Egg, which first went on sale in 1971. The Bourneville factory can
make 1.5 million Creme Eggs every day, 500 million are made
each year with one third being exported overseas.
Easter chocolate sales make up 10 per cent of Britain's annual
spending on chocolate.
In 2016 the UK’s Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
estimated that the country would discard some 3000 tonnes of
packaging from around 80 million Easter eggs.
Dietitians have warned that eating five Easter eggs (the average
given to most children) plus the bars included with them, could
see youngsters doubling their recommended calorie intake for a
week, risking becoming hooked on chocolate and seeing their
weight increase by several pounds within days. The
recommended daily amounts are around 2,000 calories a day for
an average 11-year-old boy and 1,500 for a girl, but many could
be eating up to 10,000 calories over the Easter period.
The world's biggest handmade Easter egg was unveiled in
Argentina in April 2015. It was made using 8,000kg of chocolate.
One of the most expensive eggs on offer in 2006 was the unique
Diamond Stella Egg - a chocolate egg laden with diamonds -
which came with a £50,000 price tag.
Easter Eggs 2017 were seen in shops just before Christmas 2016
when people reported seeing Cadburys Creme eggs and Mini eggs
in some supermarkets on 19th Dec.
All the above statistics from a variety of sources including
dailytelegraph.co.uk, guardian.co.uk, foodproductiondaily.com,
bbc.co.uk, chocolateexpert.co.uk, thecalendercompany.org,
guinnessworldrecords.com, talkingretail.com,
realeasteregg.co.uk, makechocolatefair.org, worldvision.com.au,
http://eauk.co/1Cvkbee, fairtrade.org.uk,
cadburyworld.co.uk, Birmingham Mail, The Standard
DECLINING RELIGIOUS IMPORTANCE OF EASTER
A ComRes survey carried out in 2012 found that the majority of
Christians feel there is a disassociation between the religious
traditions of festivals and the way they are perceived today.
Some other findings from the survey were:
90 per cent of Christians think children today know less about
the crucifixion and resurrection than children did 30 years ago.
95 per cent of Christians believe that Jesus was raised from the
dead on the third day after his crucifixion.
77 per cent of practising Christians believe Easter is a more
important festival than Christmas.
63 per cent of Christians think that Easter egg hunts or egg
painting and similar activities are a good way of engaging
children with the Easter story.
The 2015 Talking Jesus survey conducted by Barna and ComRes on
behalf of the Evangelical Alliance, Church of England and Hope found:
Only 43% of people believe in the Resurrection
CHILDREN’S KNOWLEDGE OF THE EASTER STORY
A survey conducted amongst children aged 8 to 15 in 2014 on behalf of
Bible Society found that:
28 per cent think the hare and the tortoise feature in the Easter
story
29 per cent did not know that God raised Jesus from the dead
90 per cent knew that Jesus was nailed to a cross
80 per cent knew that it was Judas who betrayed Jesus
Source: biblesociety.com
CHURCH-GOING AT EASTER
The most recent statistics, published in October 2016, from the
Church of England gives the attendance figure of 1.3 million for
Easter services in 2015.
Cathedral attendance on Easter Sunday in 2015 was 54,000 and Holy
Week (Palm Sunday to Good Friday) attendances have been
increasing dramatically in recent years from 68,800 in 2013 to 92,500
in 2015.
http://www.eauk.org/culture/statistics/easter-facts-and-statistics.cfm
Who’s Who at
Our Leadership Team: Janine Adams Will Austin Bruce Crawforth (Elder) Tabby Crawforth (Youth Leader) Viv Haywood (Church Administrator) Peter Hopgood Ann Long
Small Group Leaders: Viv Adams Will Austin Karen Dewar Barbara Francis Sheila Hazell Peter Hopgood Ann Long Pete Merrow-Smith Susie Kelsey Sheila Tipping Steve Tipping
Youth Work: Sundays: Pebbles: Barbara Francis The Rock (Yrs 2-6): Anna Chalk Rock Solid (Yrs 7-9): Sarah Mak
Fridays: FN@6 6-7.15pm (Yrs 2-6): Viv Haywood FN@7 7-9.00pm (Yrs 7-9): Tabby Crawforth
Men’s Own: Peter Hopgood
Coffee Pot: Peter Brown
Ladies Nights: Kim Hopgood, Sarah Mak, Anna Chalk
Meadowcroft Residential Home Services: 2
nd Sunday
Gail Roberts
Tear Fund Rep: John Gravett
Evangelical Alliance Rep: Janine Adams
Christian Aid via Church Office 01844 352938
Samaritans Purse – Pam Dunn Health and Safety: Bruce Crawforth
Child Protection: Fiona Ludlow
Connect Editor: Barbara Francis [email protected] Contact Details: Church Administrator:
Viv Haywood 07974442967 [email protected]
CCC Prayer Chain operates 7 days a week from 9am – 9pm. If you have a prayer need and want it to go onto the chain, contact Angela Martin on 01844 344945, Viv Haywood on 01844 355935 or Sheila Gravett on 01844 353138.