Weekly News 8th June 2014/ Choosing Team Leaders

CHOOSING TEAM LEADERS

I hope that you’ve had some time in the last few weeks to think about the teams we are looking to develop and their leadership, as well as discuss the whole idea in home groups. If you’ve been away and you have no idea what I’m talking about, then can I point you towards the website and the downloads available, which should help bring you up to speed.

I would like to encourage you to try and carve out some dedicated prayer time for this in the next couple of weeks. On 22 June, I will be inviting the whole church to nominate their choice of two leaders for each of the seven teams (listed inside). It might be that you feel it would be difficult to provide a full 14 names. That’s not a problem. You can put forward a smaller number, as we only want people to offer meaningful nominations.

Questions are likely to keep bubbling to the surface as we go through this process, so please don’t hesitate to ask me or one of the PCC members about it. Thanks Jon.

Click here to download   Weekly News 8th June 2014

Weekly News 1st June 2014/ Nick Lang writes on Spiritual Gifts

Nick Lang writes on Spiritual Gifts...  “Preparing to preach soon at Pentecost, Jon recently showed me a self-assessment test on “spiritual gifts”. It’s a simple paper and includes a quick response test. The idea is to score yourself and see what your predominant giftings might be. I did the test myself and was surprised how accurate it seemed. It’s far from perfect or comprehensive, but it was quite revealing. Maureen did it too and hers came out just as accurate and it certainly gave us some stuff to talk about. So, if anyone else wants to have a go, Margaret has the paper in the church office. She’ll be glad to e mail it to you, or give you a hard copy if you don’t have a computer. If you decide to give it a go, you will probably get most out of it if you chat to someone about your results. That could be done in home groups, over coffee with a friend, or simply with your partner. Equally, Jon and I would be delighted to hear from you too.”

Click here to download Weekly News 1st June 2014

Weekly News 25th May 2014/ London Festival Sinfonia Concert

LONDON FESTIVAL SINFONIA CLASSICAL MUSIC SPECTACULAR

in support of LINK TO HOPE

As many of you know, as a church we support Link to Hope, an organization that looks to help some of the poorest people in Eastern Europe. Our very own Paul Showell will be conducting the LFS, performing a fantastic concert programme in support of their work. It would be great to see you there, but it would also be a real boon if some of us could be cheerleaders for the event, by helping publicise it and sell tickets.

Venue: ‘The Space’, Pamoja Concert Hall, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1HU

Date: Saturday, 20^th September 2014 at 7.30pm

Price: Tickets £22, the programme includes Wagner – Weber – Rachmaninov

Booking: Online at boxoffice.sevenoaksschool.org, by email to boxoffice@sevenoaks.school.org, or by phone on 01732 467765.

Come and enjoy the music and support Link to Hope as you do so.

Click here to download   Weekly News 25th May 2014

Parenting Course

Our lives are so busy and we rarely have time to take stock of its pressures and priorities. This course creates a safe space to discuss together various family topics and review how you are doing and where you are heading as a family. Spaces are limited so book early. The course is aimed at parenting 0-10 year olds. It is led by experienced trainers Barry and Chrissy Turner who are licenced by Time for Families.

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Who:

Ideally both parents, but great for just Mum or Dad too.

Where:

Parklands Nursery on Coney Hall Recreation Ground, Church Drive, Coney Hall, West Wickham, BR4 9HJ

When:

Tuesday evenings June 24th, July 1st ,8th,15th

Timing:

7:30pm for welcome drink. Sessions start at 7:45pm finish by 9:45pm

Cost:

£35 per family

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[box icon="down"] Download Parenting Course Application Form (PDF)[/box]

Form to be completed prior to course returned with fee by 7th June 2014

Our contact details:

Address: Barry and Chrissy Turner 135 Gates Green Road, Coney Hall, West Wickham, Kent. BR4 9DF Mobile: 07513 586873 (Barry) Email: barryturner1@btinternet.com

Team Development Downloads

Following our time in the Assembly Rooms discussing the development of Teams in the church, here are the following documents:

• A list of the proposed teams we will develop and the next steps for appointing leaders to those teams.
• The powerpoint from the meeting in the Assembly Rooms and detailed notes to explain the slides.

[box icon="down"] Mobilising for Mission - Team Development Next Steps [/box] [box icon="down"] Team Development [/box][box icon="down"] Mobilising for Mission - Team Development [/box]

Weekly News 18th May 2014/ Wardy Summer BBQ

WARDY

SUMMER BBQ

As we enjoy one of the hottest weekends of the year so far, it seems an opportune time to put out the invitation to the Rectory for another Ward barbecue. It’s a little way off, but pencil Sunday 6 July into your diaries.

As in previous years, it will run from after church through to the evening and you can pop by any time you like. Bring all the family, and any friends you’ve got in tow as well, and hopefully there will be enough space for everyone.

We’ll provide more details nearer the time, but we hope you’ll be able to join us to enjoy a relaxed catch-up with one another over some food and drink.

Click here to download Weekly News 18th May 2014

Weekly News 11th May 2014/ Parenting Course

PARENTING COURSE Our lives are often so busy that we rarely have time to take stock of the pressures and assess what we want the priorities to be for our family. This course creates a safe space to discuss together a whole host of topics and review how you are doing as a family, and where you are heading.

This course is aimed at parenting the 0-10 year olds. It will take place at Parklands Nursery on Coney Hall Recreation Ground at 7:30pm on a Tuesday evening, starting on 24 June and running for 4 consecutive weeks, at a cost of £35 per family. Space will be limited, so get in there early.

There are application forms by the noticeboard in church, but if you need further information then contact Barry and Chrissy Turner on:

Barryturner1@btinternet.com or 07513 586873.

Click here to download   Weekly News 11th May 2014

Weekly News 4th May 2014/ Mobilising for Mission

‘MOBILISING FOR MISSION’ Next week we begin a new 4 week series entitled ‘mobilising for mission’.

We will focus our attention on some of the priorities we identified under the perspectives of ‘Looking Up’, ‘Out’ and ‘In’, when we were forging our vision. A significant element will be the development of new team structures that aim to shape us to respond more effectively to the priorities we believe God has put before us. This will be a long work, which will draw together many strands of our vision. The church leadership hopes that it goes way beyond an organisational shuffle, but affects our discipleship and the way we engage in God’s mission.

An important launch pad for some of this work will take place on 18 May, when we will meet in the Assembly Rooms for a 10am start, and finish up with a ‘Bring & Share’ meal. We hope you can make it. If you are unable to do so for whatever reason, and you would like to receive a summary ‘catch-up’ after the weekend, then let Jon know.

Click here to download  Weekly News 4th May 2014

Weekly News 27th April 2014/ APCM Day

APCM DAY! AGMs might not have a reputation for being the hottest ticket in town.

However, we hope that conducting some of the necessary business associated with running the church doesn’t obscure the fact that we are taking stock of the ways God has been at work, and thinking about how we can grow in faithfulness to His call on us.

If you are unfamiliar with what happens, there will be some voting, a few appointments, consideration of our financial statements, a review of the year gone by, lots of thank yous, some thoughts about what lies ahead, space for people to ask questions and most importantly time to pray and worship.

If you’re here this morning as a newcomer and it’s not quite what you anticipated, we trust you’ll bear with us. There’s no guarantee that if you had come on a ‘normal’ Sunday it would have been quite what you were expecting(!), but today should give you a broad feel for what goes on in the life of St John’s.

Click here to download  Weekly News 27th April 2014

Weekly News 20th April 2014/ Happy Easter

HAPPY EASTER …and a big welcome to St John’s as we celebrate the joy of Easter Sunday – the day of hope. There is a great resurrection quote that goes:

‘The tomb of Christ is famous for what it does not contain.’

St Paul doesn’t pull his punches when he talks about the central importance of the resurrection to the Christian faith:

‘And face it –if there is no resurrection for Christ, everything we have told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you have staked your life on is smoke and mirrors.’ (The Message)

We often paint on too small a canvas when we try and capture the significance of Easter Sunday. Thankfully, it takes a whole lot more than the front of the News Sheet to capture all that God was doing. By the same token, one service together on a Sunday morning will only scratch the surface.

But we hope you get a taste this morning. We hope that whatever state you arrive in, you catch something of the joy, the promise, and the power of resurrection. And we hope it whets your appetite for more.

Click here to download Weekly News 20th April 2014

Weekly News 13th April 2014/ Palm Sunday

PALM SUNDAY

            Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, when we concentrate on Jesus’ journey to the cross. It all starts with a mood of celebration and optimism, but the pendulum swings. The undercurrent of foreboding gains strength and takes us to a painful place.

We all know that the Easter weekend sees the pendulum swing back the other way – from the darkness of Good Friday to the joy of Easter Sunday. It’s worth following that arc through Holy Week. It helps us to frame the ups and downs of our own lives into the story in which we all sit – Jesus’ story. It is in that narrative we discover hope and our true fixed point.

This week, our loose collection during the service will be for Bishop Christopher’s Lent call. We will contribute to a number of projects that are looking to help people experience the pendulum swing from darkness to light. The focus of the projects this year include:

Our neighbours in the Diocese – Create, Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers, The Joel Community and St Mildred’s Addiscombe Drop In.

Our neighbours in our Link Dioceses in Zimbabwe.

Our neighbours in the wider world, featuring Five Talents, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and the Institute for the Healing of Memories.

Normal cash donations to St John’s may be left in the plate by the door after the service.

Click here to download Weekly News 13th April 2014

Weekly News 6th April 2014/ Easter Programme

EASTER PROGRAMME

 Here are details of all the services taking place over the coming weeks to help you mark our most important festival of the year:

 Palm Sunday  13^th April

8am & 10am Distribution of palms & collection for Bishop’s Lent Call

Maundy Thursday 17^th April

8pm Joint service of Holy Communion at Coney Hill Baptist Church

Good Friday   18^th April

10am March of Witness from St Mark’s Church to Swan car park

11am United Service at St Francis’ church

2.30pm Reflections on the Cross service at St John’s

Easter Sunday   20^th April

8am & 10am Holy Communion

6.30pm ‘Breakout’ service of Prayer & Praise

Click here to download Weekly News 6th April 2014

Weekly News 30th March 2014/ Greetings & Thanks from Krupa

GREETINGS & THANKS FROM KRUPA

Krupa has recently sent through thanks from Mumbai for our support and passes on some encouraging news.

On 15 March 2014, 26 women completed their Sewing Class and received the Certificate and Money from Mitcon Project of Maharashtra State Government. All the women who came for training were able to learn to stitch cloths of India traditional dress, baby cloths, etc.  They can now sew at home to earn money for a living to take care of their home needs and children’s education. Many of the women share their testimonies and through this training they receive prayer and support.

Krupa asks that we continue to pray for some of other projects too, including: The Day Care Centre for all the Slum Children, Tuition Classes for all School-going children, Childrens Clubs, HIV/Aids Awareness and Testing Programs, Widows and Orphaned Children’s Support.  The team need prayer and more leaders are needed for small house fellowships and bible study groups.

‘Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.’

Proverbs 19:17

Click here to download Weekly News 30th March 2014

Weekly News 23rd March 2014/ Church Leadership

CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Over the next few months at St John’s, there will be a number of moves to develop our internal structures and see a wider range of people take on leadership roles within the church. More of that to come, when we get together in the Assembly Rooms in May for ‘Mobilising for Mission’.

Before then, we have our APCM, which includes elections to our PCC – the church’s governing body. Every year, a third of the PCC (4 vacancies) stands down to ensure that we keep our leadership fresh. If you have a heart for helping steer the vision of St John’s, then speak to Jon and he can share a little more as to what is involved. This year, we also have two Deanery Synod positions available, which gives people the opportunity to be ex officio members of the PCC. There is a leaflet in church explaining in some detail the role and qualities required for a Deanery Synod Lay Representative.

Please also note that this weekend is the closing date for adding your name to the electoral roll. You need to be on the roll if you want to stand for election to the PCC and vote at the APCM. See inside for further details.

Click here to download Weekly News 23rd March 2014

Weekly News 16th March 2014/ Dates for the Diary

DATES FOR THE DIARY

After Lent and Easter, we will press on with some of the on-going development of the church’s vision. In this regard, a couple of dates worth noting in your diary are:

•  Our  annual general meeting (APCM) on Sunday 27 April, 10am.

This is when we refresh our leadership team, reflect on the year gone, and engage in a bit of a stock take on our current position;

•  On  Sunday 18 May, 10am we will meet in the Assembly Rooms.

On this date, we will focus on a new series called ‘Mobilising for Mission’.

The plan is to spotlight some of the work that is already going on around the parish, but significantly, roll out 2 important ventures: i) the process for developing different teams for our life and mission as a church; and ii) present the proposals for the redevelopment of the look and use of the Beacon Centre.

Click here to download Weekly News 16th March 2014

Weekly News 9th March 2014/ Belonging at St John's

BELONGING AT

ST. JOHN'S

It’s that time of year again when we ensure that our Electoral Roll is up to date. If you’ve joined us more recently and consider St John’s to be your spiritual ‘home’, then we’d love you to put your name on the Roll. It’s a list of our regular worshippers, and whilst you don’t have to include your name to be a part of St John’s, it does help us keep a track of our membership.

Being on the roll also gives you more of a formal say in what happens in the church. In particular, it enables you to vote in elections at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on 27 April, and stand as a candidate for our leadership body, the PCC.

If you wish to add your name to the Electoral Roll, you must be baptized, at least 16 years of age (or sixteen on your next birthday), and live in the parish, or have worshipped at St. John's for at least six months. Please speak to Jon if you have any doubts about whether you are eligible.

Application forms are on the table by the entrance to the Side chapel and on the little table, where the Welcomers stand, as you leave church. Please return it either by putting it in the box in the porch or by giving it to Geoff Batten or Paul Kingman by Sunday, 23^rd March.

Click here to download Weekly News 9th March 2014

Weekly News 2nd March 2014/ World TB Day

‘WORLD TB DAY’

 It may not be something that you’ve heard about, but 24 March 2014 is being billed as World TB Day.

Tuberculosis remains a significant global problem, with the disease still taking the lives of nearly 1.5 million each year, with 9 million new cases emerging each year. It is the second single biggest infectious killer worldwide, secondly only to HIV/AIDS, and yet is preventable, treatable and curable.

One of our church members, Sarah Morgan, is a trustee for a company called Target TB. It is one of only two UK based charities, who focus solely on the global TB epidemic, and who aim to re-write some of those sad statistics. In particular, their mission is to stop vulnerable people in Africa and Asia dying from TB by improving their access to information, care and support.

Sarah will provide us with some further information about their work during today’s service, and then we will take a collection for Target TB - we hope you can chip in. Thank you.

Click here to download Weekly News 2nd March 2014

Weekly News 23rd February 2014/ 'When I Needed a Neighbour'

‘WHEN I NEEDED A NEIGHBOUR’

Is the theme for the Bishop of Southwark’s Lent Call this year.

You can find further details of the projects, which are the focus for 2014, on the Southwark Diocese website. We take a collection over Easter for these projects, but Bishop Christopher would also love for them to be the subject of prayer. They are as follows:

Week 1: Our neighbours in the Diocese – Create, Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers, The Joel Community and St Mildred’s Addiscombe Drop In.

Week 2 & 3: Our neighbours in our Link Dioceses in Zimbabwe.

Week 4 & 5: Our neighbours in the wider world, featuring Five Talents, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and the Institute for the Healing of Memories.

Click here to download Weekly News 23rd February 2014

Weekly News 16th February 2014/ The Power of Prayer

THE POWER OF PRAYER

‘One of the best ways to get on your feet is to first get on your knees.’

There is a rich seam of quotes to mine when it comes to the topic of prayer. Not least of all because Christians, down the ages, have recognized its significance in the life of anyone who wants to walk closely with God. We don’t want to be people who treat God like a lawyer, only going to Him when we are in trouble.

Following on from our ‘All In’ series, we are going to explore together the subject of prayer over the coming weeks. I hope that it will give us big imaginations  as to how and when we can pray, and the impact that prayer can have on us individually, and as a community. As someone else said,

‘Prayer will put backbone where your wishbone is.’

 Click here to download Weekly News 16th February 2014

Weekly News 9th February 2014/ Sacred Space

SACRED SPACE

 On Saturday 22 March, we are privileged to have singer songwriter, John Nuttall, join us to lead another retreat day.

John has composed many songs, and his albums ship out to over 35 different countries. He uses his acoustic, devotional music to convey the nature of God and the love He has for His children. The day will explore our identity in God and how that affects the way we become more Christ-like. It will be an unashamed opportunity ‘to receive’ from God through music, scripture, story, poetry and meditation, and there will be plenty of space to reflect and enjoy the surroundings of Holmshaw Farm.

Time:   10am – 4pm, Saturday 22 March (Lunch Provided)

Venue: Holmshaw Farm, Off Layhams Road

Cost:    Free - although we will invite people to give towards a collection for John as a Thank You.

If you would like to come, please sign up on the sheet in church, or let the Parish Office know.

Click here to download Weekly News 9th February 2014