Dear Friends,
A quarter of the way through the year of our annual theme “behold I set before you an open door” seems a fitting occasion to be underlining the wonderful fact that God is always beckoning us to find ways Christ can be both welcomed into his church and He can direct her. I am the Lord’s servant and so is the Church which is Christ’s. To what is he calling us now? Where does he want us to express his life now? These are key questions whenever we are tempted to look back or be anxious about the future. The opportunities and the challenges are the Lord’s and we are His church and seek obediently to follow.
Prayer – thank you for some informal feedback of how the prayer triplets are being used. This month there are times to invigorate and inform our public intercessors. Please don’t feel this is for the brave few - do pop along to the times we have fixed this month to brief others – perhaps your gift of leading prayers for others can be shared more widely? If appropriate any answers to prayer or encouragement in prayer triplets can be shared more widely on Sunday.
Church Away at Home – thank you for those who have felt able to contribute on this day. If you have had to wait for another time (All Saints has many creative people!) – thank you, we hope there will be other occasions to gather. May I underline that whilst this day is our church at home it is also by your invitation a place that others can be invited along too. Pray that the Spirit will move in our midst that visitors will be compelled to come back. I shall be sharing a word from the Lord accessible I trust to visitors in the evening.
Children – we pray for young people and children as they commence their school terms. We pray too for Rosie, Cam and their volunteers that they would see stability and increasing numbers of families supporting this vital area of our churches life. Many of us are looking back with thanksgiving at so much that has been accomplished recently - not least in the Holiday Club. The staff team are especially mindful of all the work done by Kate Gerrish our safeguarding officer. Kate finishes this role at the end of October. She has served the All Saints family with great distinction and diligence in ensuring the PCC is discharging its formal responsibility for the safe care of children and vulnerable adults. I and many of us have been privileged to have witnessed Kate’s caring, thorough and spiritual attention to this area of responsibility within Church life. Kate we are grateful for your love in the Lord and the sharing of your gifts. Do pray with me that the Lord would call one or two people into this Safeguarding role.
May God himself cause the sleeping giant of his church to be awake to his call!
The Revd Canon Mark Brown