Since getting married and moving up to Birmingham almost 26 years ago now, we have progressed from a 2-room (that's 'room' not 'bedroom')student 'flat' through 3 houses right up to our present one, as our family has increased in size from just the two of us to six! Why do we go through the hassle of moving and all the change that involves? Usually because we have needed more space, with more children and then discovering that children get bigger!

 

I've seen in recent months too that we need more space in church to fit in everything that needs to be done. Up to now we've tended to squeeze things into our Sunday morning time together or just left various things out because there isn't time or room. Starting from today, we are consciously making more time available for us as a church on alternate Sunday evenings to do some different things together that will hopefully help us as individuals and a church grow.

 

Tonight, we have our first Church Vision evening where we are going to focus on our mission to the elderly and to the community. Come along both to listen but also to share and pray.

 

Later on this month, we will be having our first topical theme - 'What would Jesus vote for?' Very topical indeed and hopefully worth coming out for. The next topical talk will look at 'Assisted Dying.' Maybe not an obvious crowd-pleaser but so important and very much a relevant and contemporary issue.

 

We are also going to be having some praise & worship evenings where those who are beginning to lead worship and playing will have an extended opportunity to lead worship and we too can have an extended time to worship. We need to support them in this important ministry.

 

Part of these evenings will also involve prayer. We will be specifically praying for those areas talked about in the Church Vision evening. We will be praying for those topical themes and we will be using our time of praise & worship to also lead into a prayer time.

 

Please support these evenings and at least discover what is going on. As I said at the beginning of this year - my role is to help each one of us grow and develop as Christians in 2010. I trust this new Sunday night program will really do that and we will know God's blessings through it.