Weekly News 10th January 2016/ Link to Hope Vulcanizare Project

LINK TO HOPE VULCANIZARE PROJECT Would you like to join the next working party helping out in Dancu, Moldova, between 26 March & 2 April?

The main Vulcanizare project is now complete, so the party will be working alongside a team of Moldovans to build an extension onto the Vulcanizare. This will be used as a classroom and workshop, where skills in wood and metal work will be taught to the young people to give them a trade and learn skills to help them secure employment.

You don’t need any building skills – just enthusiasm and energy!

You will need to be able to raise £300 which will be used for building materials, as well as cover your flight costs (currently about £250) and provide a £100 contribution towards accommodation and food.

Please speak to Milly Johnson if you are interested.

Click here to download   Weekly News 10th January 2016

Weekly News 27th December 2015 & 3rd January 2016/ Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR You’re may be picking this up with 2016 imminent, or you’ve already seen the New Year in. Either way, it’s quite possible that amidst all the activity of Christmas, the New Year is upon you and there has been little opportunity to consider the landscape of the coming year.

Whether or not you have given dedicated head-space to contemplate 2016, it’s likely you harbor certain hopes and expectations for what lies ahead. And yet, the past year has contained enough personal challenge for many of you to encourage us all to sit lightly to our plans, but cling tightly to God. I hope you will carve out time to ponder the future, and in so doing, commit yourself afresh to the knowledge and security of ‘Immanuel’ – and seek his face.

As an old Anglican prayer goes, ‘Oh God…grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us to do; that your spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and in your straight path we may not stumble; through Jesus Christ Our Lord.’

 Not a bad prayer to start the year.

Click here to download   Weekly News 27th December 2015 & 3rd January 2016

Weekly News 20th December 2015/ SJ's Steeped in Prayer

SJ’s STEEPED IN PRAYER The finishing line, in one sense, is now in sight - we heard from the planning department this week that they are looking favorably on our application and they are just waiting to hear from TFL before approval can be granted.

In another sense, the end of the refurbishment signals the start of something…something which we hope will be more than just a nice redecorating job. It would be very easy for us to rush headlong a full schedule of activities at SJ’s, and then ask God to bless what we’ve decided to undertake. Rather, we want to continue to commit the place and its possible uses to prayer, and seek God’s direction. The team are thinking about ways in which we can all get a feel for the place when it opens, and pray there in groups.

We will start slowly.

And we’ll move when God shows us.

Click here to download   Weekly News 20th December 2015

Weekly News 13th December 2015/ Glory to God

GLORY TO GOD If you were in church last week you would have been in Nick’s “choir of angels.” If you were not here then ask someone who was here to explain. Or listen in to the talk on the web site.

Nick says that he was really surprised, and pleased, at the number of people who said how much they enjoyed singing the words of the angels to the shepherds.

In case you may be wondering, it was not plainsong! Nor was it a high church responsorial anthem! It is called the “Peruvian Gloria” and it is a simple setting of a Gloria put to music by a church in Peru. Nick first heard it at his ordination service in Rochester Cathedral.

Some of us may have noticed this week that the tune sort of sticks in our mind. As we go over it in our heads we are actually continuing to praise God. Whether we sing it or say it let’s praise God as we continue to prepare for Christmas

Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to the Father (repeat)

          To God be Glory forever (r)

          Alleluia Amen, Alleluia Amen, Alleluia Amen.

Click here to download   Weekly News 13th December 2015

Weekly News 6th December 2015/ The Challenge of the Shepherds

THE CHALLENGE OF THE SHEPHERDS The shepherds were minding their own business on the hillside when an angel told them about the birth of Jesus, come to be the saviour of the world.

The story prompts some challenging questions. Try them over a family meal, a coffee or a beer with a friend, or in your church Home Groups. See how far you get.

1.     In what way do you feel the world still needs saving today?

2.      How do you think you would react if an angel appeared to you and told you that God was coming as a human to sort out the mess in our world?  Why did you answer that way?

3.     Consider the statement “Jesus came for everyone.”

How does that apply to us? For instance, where might we need to be saved from ourselves?

4.      Look back on your discussion above...

a.  Why does it take Faith to accept that Jesus came as a saviour?

b.   What is stopping people following Jesus today?

Click here to download   Weekly News 6th December 2015

Weekly News 29th November 2015/ In The Space of a Few Days

IN THE SPACE OF A FEW DAYS! Sitting down to write there has just been a news flash. A Russian fighter has been downed by Turkey.

Earlier this morning the news was about the increased spending on UK defence.

Yesterday, in the wake of the horrors of Paris last week, a body bomb was found discarded.

And, Brussels is in lock down for the fourth day.

We could go on listing but that’s surely sufficient to remind us that our world is very unstable and our peace and peaceful coexistence is so fragile. What should be our Christian response?

Whatever our politics or views on defence, in our democracy of freely elected leaders we are called to pray for those leaders and the leaders of all countries engaged in these struggles. Pray that they will have wisdom and sound judgement in their decision making; that they will be guided to protect us and our way of life; and that they will find a path to defeat evil and restore a lasting peace.

Click here to download   Weekly News 29th November 2015

22nd November 2015/ The Cast of Christmas

THE CAST OF CHRISTMAS! Next week is Advent, the start of our time of preparation for Christmas. To help us prepare, Jon left behind a short sermon series that he called “The Cast of Christmas.” We’ll look at the prophets, the shepherds, Mary and Joseph, the Magi and Jesus himself. That short cast list points us towards one of the purposes of Advent. Looking forward to the coming of Jesus.

The prophets flag up the failings of human kind and our helplessness without someone to rescue us, and then they promise a saviour to get us out of our mess. And, when Jesus comes from the very first lives are touched and changed. His presence is felt.

Let’s resolve to use the time of Advent well. As we approach this series try to imagine how one of the shepherds, or the Magi, might have described the impact of Jesus on their life. “Before I was.....then, suddenly, I was.....”

Or, better still, put yourself into the cast and describe how you would have felt had you been singled out.

Click here to download   Weekly News 22nd November 2015

Weekly News 15th November 2015/ A Week's Thought Process!

A WEEK’S THOUGHT PROCESS! At first Andrew White (vicar of Baghdad!) was talking about his ministry in Iraq. Now with progressing MS and exiled to Jordan for safety, he spoke of the dangers of his work and the tragedies suffered by him and his church members as one after another Christian friends were killed.

Then, a few days later a friend told me about her ageing dad, gone out to Afghanistan again, to support and encourage Christian workers.

On day seven I bumped into someone who told me that his church had a couple of people “behind the scenes” in Afghanistan, helping Christians.

Amazing I thought. As together we learn here about sharing our faith in the safety of, say Costa or the local pub, there are Christians putting themselves on the line in far off parts.

As we pray for these people sharing their faith in danger zones, let’s resolve to grasp opportunities that present here, to tell our story and share our faith.

Click here to download   Weekly News 15th November 2015

Weekly News 8th November 2015/ 100 Years On

100 YEARS ON...! This week a political leader wondered aloud whether it is right for us still to be featuring WW1 in our “remembering”. Then, later in the week, politicians let it be known that there would be little support for military action in Syria. And it is in that second point that we find the answer to the first.

We remember all recent wars not only to give thanks for the noble sacrifices of our troops but to ensure that we keep the horrors of death and destruction in mind when military decisions are being made today.

In our act of remembrance in church together, we will give thanks for the sacrifices of the past, pray for continuing peace throughout the world today and for wisdom and sound judgement in those leaders who are called to make such important decisions. Let that be our prayer in the week ahead.

Click here to download   Weekly News 8th November 2015

Weekly News 1st November 2015/ In 45 Seconds

IN 45 SECONDS..... Here’s a challenge to work on over the next week or so.

In our current sermon series we have been hearing a lot about telling others about the good news of Jesus. Last week Dan gave some terrific pointers helped by some memorable free hand illustrations. Remember!

So, in the quiet of your home, or out walking, practice how you would answer one of these questions, or something like it.

“Why is your faith so important to you?”

“Why do you go to church?”

“What do you believe?”

That’s it. You may be invited to use your answer soon.

Oh... and your answer must not be longer than 45 seconds.

Click here to download   Weekly News 1st November 2015

Weekly News 25th October 2015/ Light the Night

LIGHT THE NIGHT As we have done for many years, we will run our ‘LTN’ alternative to some of the usual Halloween celebrations on 31 October.

The action begins at 6pm, and there will be food, crafts and fireworks. The event is typically well attended, so any assistance that you can give would be much appreciated. Please let Julie Lancaster know if you can help out, either with the set up/clearing away, or with the laying on of the various activities themselves.

There is also an opportunity to pray for the whole evening - for safety and more widely, for our on-going positive engagement with the wider community that this occasion represents. This will take place on Monday 26 October, 8pm, at 11 Sylvan Way.

Click here to download     Weekly News 25th October 2015

Weekly News 18th October 2015/ Jon Taking Time Out

JON TAKING TIME OUT From 23 October to 10 December, I shall be taking a sabbatical break. All vicars are encouraged to do this at certain intervals to recharge spiritually, mentally and physically, and find space to reflect and pray. There might just be a little bit of surfing involved in my case as well.

My absence has been planned carefully with the wardens and cover have been provided for all the usual parish activities. Richard and Jonathan will be responsible for the overall well-being of the church, in the same way they would be if the church was in a vacancy. If there are any concerns with buildings, programmes or other general, church-related issues then please contact them on rcienc@waitrose.com (020 8462 1737) or jtickner@btconnect.com (202 8462 1573)

Nick Lang will be the first point of contact for any matters of a pastoral or personal spiritual nature and he is happy to be contacted at any time on niklang23@gmail.com (020 8650 6151).

Click here to download   Weekly News 18th October 2015

11th October 2015/ Memorial Service Next Week

MEMORIAL SERVICE NEXT WEEK Next Sunday at 3pm we are hosting a Thanksgiving Memorial Service for anyone who has been bereaved in the recent past.

People from our community who have been through a funeral in the last year have been invited along, but the invitation extends to anyone who wants to remember and give thanks for the life of a loved one, no matter when they may have passed away.

Please let friends or neighbours who may find it helpful know, and if they are unable to make it, they can provide the name of the person they wish to be remembered and it will be included as part of the service. Tea and cakes will be provided afterwards.

If you are interested in coming along, please let Sue Watson or Maureen Lang know. Thank you.

Click here to download   Weekly News 11th October 2015

Weekly News 4th October 2015/ Helping Out at Harvest

HELPING OUT AT HARVEST Harvest is rightly a time to celebrate and give thanks for all that God provides to us. Reflecting on the abundance we have, also prompts us to consider how in turn, we can be generous. Perhaps this year more than ever, we are mindful of many families who are displaced and face uncertain futures. We’ve been pointing you to avenues to explore in response to the ‘refugee crisis’, but today there are some specific things we’ll be doing:

• Taking a collection of non-perishable foods and/or clothing (Men’s clothes – small/medium & women’s clothes size 10-12) for the Croydon Refugee Day Centre; and
• Taking a money collection for the work of ‘Open Doors’ and ‘The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East’ – 2 organisations that are helping Christians in the Middle East who have been driven out of their homes, under threat, because of their faith.

Click here to download    Weekly News 4th October 2015

Weekly News 27th September 2015/ SJ's

SJ’s No doubt word has got around, but in case you’ve been away, SJ’s won the vote as the new name to replace the Beacon Centre. It’s going to take a while before ‘The Beacon Centre’ doesn’t slip out your mouth, but we’re encouraging you to try and use SJ’s from now, so the adjustment begins early.

If you didn’t get a chance to see the plans, these will be put up in church for all to look at in their own time. Planning Permission for the front of SJ’s went in this week and we are knocking around designs for the signage.

As was mentioned last Sunday, we’ll shortly be producing a list of ‘fittings and furnishing’ to which people can contribute. It’s a part of helping pull us all into ‘ownership’ of the place. Beyond that we would value your prayers for: i) the on-going planning for the management of the place; but ii) most importantly that what is essentially just a building, would be used well by us to fulfill the vision of ‘serving the local community better and connecting people with Jesus’.

Click here to download   Weekly News 27th September 2015

Weekly News 20th September 2015/ New Look, New Name...

NEW LOOK, NEW NAME… If you’re getting this in advance, then don’t forget that we are meeting in the Assembly Rooms this Sunday. If you got this in your hand, then you’ve already made it.

Today we’ll be focusing on breathing fresh wind into our personal prayer lives, but also looking at some of the reinvigoration that has started with one of our resources – the Beacon Centre. The church leadership is aware that people will have different levels of knowledge about what is happening. We’re going to fill you in more comprehensively about the vision for the place, show you the design plans which have been developed around that vision and invite you to vote on a new name.

If you can’t make it, but would like to vote on the name, email Jon by Sunday lunch time. Thanks.

Click here to download   Weekly News 20th September 2015

Weekly News 13th September 2015/ Responding to Need

RESPONDING TO NEED The photos of a Turkish Gendarme cradling the limp body of Aylan Kurdi have stirred emotions worldwide. It’s an arresting image which will forever define a wealth of issues that are complex and painful – 5,000 camped at Calais, 2,000 drowned this year alone in the Mediterranean, 2 million camped along the borders of Turkey, over 50 million refugees worldwide.

Processing the details is hard enough but formulating a meaningful, personal response that will make a difference is equally challenging. In our ‘Secret Church’ and Harvest Services in the coming weeks we will take collections for organizations wrestling with the refugee crisis. However, there are resources to help us all consider what an authentic Christian response might look like. I encourage you to try some of these for starters:

• http://www.christiantoday.com/article/the.refugee.crisis.a.call.to.compassion/63952.htm
• A resources sheet on the Mission Table, produced by Leicester Diocese;
• The Croydon Refugee Day Center need food, clothing and money for newly arriving asylum seekers – see their website for more details.

Click here to download   Weekly News 13th September 2015

Click here to download the resources sheet  mentioned above   Resources for Christians thinking about migration

Weekly News 6th September 2015/ A Big Welcome to the Scott Family

A BIG WELCOME TO THE SCOTT FAMILY We extend a really warm welcome to the Scott clan and all their friends today. The new (and very cute) addition to the family, Anna, is being brought forward for baptism by Ian and Faye, with her brother and sister, Richard and Beth, cheering on from the sidelines.

We are aware that some of you have travelled a fair old way to be part of the celebrations. Thank you for making those journeys. We hope you feel at home and find yourselves able to take a full part in the service. Some of it may be familiar, other bits less so, but we trust you’ll pick up the spirit of the occasion and enjoy the moment.

God Bless one and all.

Click here to download    Weekly News 6th September 2015

Weekly News 30th August 2015/ New Curate at St John's

NEW CURATE AT ST JOHN’S Many of you will be aware that we were in the diocesan mix as a possible training parish.

Over the summer, Peter Churcher and his family came to visit on a number of occasions, and we are really pleased that he has indicated he would like to serve his curacy at St John’s. The formalities are yet to be finalised, but it is anticipated that he would start with us in September 2016.

Peter is married to Josie. They have 4 children – Sophie, Faith, Izzy, and Xander. They are currently based in Nottingham, where Peter is doing residential training at St John’s theological college. They have plenty of church experience between them, but much more significantly than that, they are people of real character and warmth, and it will be great to have them as part of the church family.

Please pray for them during this final year of training and for all the adjustments that will come later, as they contemplate the move.

Click here to download   Weekly News 30th August 2015

Weekly News 16th & 23rd August 2015

BAPTISM SEASON Who knows whether there has been a local baby boom recently, but it’s great to be welcoming a number of families to St John’s over the coming weeks, as they bring their children forward for baptism.

On the 16^th, we greet Lara, Graham, and their family and friends, as Fenella is entrusted to God’s care. And on the 23^rd, it’s Matthew, Natasha, and their entourage, as they support Joshua in his baptism. We hope you all feel welcome and at ease, and these occasions are a memorable celebration for you all.

The baptism ceremony itself may look similar each time, but every family’s journey to this point is slightly different. We trust and pray that from here, the way God continues to engage and invite a family into a deeper knowledge of Him will be unique to them. God Bless.

Click here to download   Weekly News 16th & 23rd August 2015