connections - warfield
TRANSCRIPT
Connections Dece
mber
2015 to J
anu
ary
2016
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JOINT SERVICE Warfield Church 2016 Vision Day
We stand at a critical point in our history. The decisions of 2016 will
shape us for centuries to come.
Join us at 10:30am on January 24th 2016 at Newbold
Church Binfield
Where is God taking us in 2016 and beyond……
Some words from the Vicar:
Let me take you to 0AD. The world is dominated by
Augustus Caesar. The Roman Empire under his command
stretches from Rome to England to India. Rome’s borders
continue to extend through it’s army - a ruthless and highly
efficient killing machine.
Rome maintained control by a network of rulers that they appointed. And in
Israel the role goes to Herod. A brutish tyrant who some say was the richest
man in the world.
Rome extracts taxes from it’s people to pay for it’s war machine. Herod extracts
taxes to pay for his army and for his lavish dwellings. Some people are paying 80
to 90% of their income in taxes. Caesar is getting richer, Herod is getting richer.
If you disagree you die. If you don’t pay your taxes you die. And now you’re
selling your home and your family land to pay the taxes and now you’re paying
rent to live in your own home and Caesar gets richer and Herod gets richer and
you can’t feed your children. And you cry out in despair. Into the darkness. If
there is a God then why?
And to understand the Christmas story is to place yourself into this world of
despair. Not another nativity
scene. To enter the story is to
encounter a whole nation
waiting, hopeless, in despair.
And into the darkness, into the
paralysing fear, into a world
falling apart. Suddenly….
An Angel appears to a young
Jewish girl – a girl 13 or 14 years
old.
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary,
you have found favour with God. You will be with
child and give birth to a son, and you are to give
him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will
give him the throne of his father David, and he will
reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his
kingdom will never end.”
And Mary responds, “May it be as you have said.”
She literally says “Bring it on.”
Not from Herod’s line, not part of Caesar’s house;
an ordinary girl who was ready to be obedient.
“Bring it on.”
And this is the Christmas story. God taking ordinary people and doing
extraordinary things. God taking the seemingly powerless and using them to
transform the world. There is a new Kingdom coming. New rules. Herod’s time
is up. Caesar your power will come to an end. This is a defiant revolutionary
story of a minority oppressed group who have been stepped on for long enough
and among them comes a 14 year old girl. God has been watching the humble,
the stepped on, the hurting, the despairing and God is going to fight on their
side.
The Christmas story is a story of history. It’s the story of those who oppress and
marginalize, of a God who says that will not go on forever. God shows up in
human history and says enough is enough.
And Mary sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my
saviour.”
And Thomas Cahill writes,
Mary’s song “is a larger-than-life song of triumph, thanking God for righting all
wrongs by making a definitive choice in favour of the powerless over the
powerful. No one knows it yet, but the poor, the hungry, and the humiliated have
won! And this unknown 14 year old is their unexpected representative.”
Herod’s Palace is now a pile of rocks, Caesar's Kingdom has long ago
ended, but around our world at this time of year we honour Mary. This 14
year old girl. Just an ordinary girl who will give birth to the Saviour of the
world.
The Christmas story is about the birth of a new Kingdom, a subversive
kingdom. It’s not about accumulation, it’s about generosity. It’s not about
control, it’s about love. It’s not about trying to be your own god, it’s about
submitting to the one true God. It’s not about trying to run from your past
failures, it’s about letting God forgive and cleanse.
And that’s the Christmas story, a historical event that has changed the world
forever.
And all because a young girl said, “let it be according to your will.”
Into Christmas and then on to the Vision Day in January, let us echo that
prayer, “let it be Lord, according to your will.”
Revd Dr Mark Griffiths
PRAYERS FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
Eritrea: Many of our brothers and sisters in Eritrea are enduring
terrible persecution for their faithfulness in following Jesus.
Please pray for all those in prison in appalling conditions. Some of
them have been held for nearly 12 years without trial and have no
idea how long they will have to remain incarcerated. Ask the God of
hope to fill them with joy and peace as they trust in Him, so that they
may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Around the world: Countless Christians around the world are in pris-
on or labour camps because they love the Lord. Alimujiang Yimiti is
serving 15 years in China, Saeed Abedini in Iran is not due for
release until 2020, Aasia Bibi, the Christian mother is on death row in
Pakistan with one last possibility of reprieve. There are many others in
North Korea and Eritrea, Central Asia and many other countries,
unjustly accused and unable to defend themselves whose names
are known to God.
Pray that they will be filled with the assurance that they are never
forgotten by their Lord, that they are engraved on the palms of His
hands and precious in His sight. Ask that He will give them strength to
endure the beatings, hunger, cold, heat, sickness or whatever other
suffering they face.
Prayers from the Barnabus Fund
God of all compassion, visit Your suffering people.
In the time of their troubles, let them not be dismayed.
In their oppression, let them not be destroyed.
In their anxiety, let them not lose hope.
In their alienation and wandering, be their identity and home.
O God, the Father of all mercies, look upon them with Your favour.
Set Your seal upon their foreheads.
Let Your right hand uphold them, Your love encourage them,
Your presence engulf them, Your protection cover them.
In their fragility and brokenness, be their strength and treasure.
Let Your light shine upon them and reveal the glory of Your eternal
Son, In Whose Name we pray. Amen.
The Stables 24-7 Prayer Room is open again! The first week of Advent -
8am on Sunday 29th November
to 8am on Sunday 6th December
At: The Stables, 2 Buttermere Gardens,
Off Ranelagh Drive, Bracknell RG12 9DQ
During the first week of Advent The Stables 24-7 Prayer Room will be
open again to give you time alone with God as you prepare to
celebrate the birth of Jesus.
If this idea is new to you, look at some of the clips at 24-7prayer.com/
prayer.
The Stables sits behind our home at 2 Buttermere Gardens, RG12 9DQ.
Many of you will be familiar with it from previous 24-7 prayer weeks. It
is self-contained with a lounge and bathroom so you will be safe and
undisturbed. There is a kitchen area where you can make tea and
coffee. Parking is available in front of the house.
The room is bookable in units of an hour. Come for an hour, a couple
of hours or a whole night. Come alone or with others. Pray for
whatever is on your heart (we provide resources to help you structure
your time). It is your space, your time and your opportunity to let God
speak.
To book your slot go to 24-7prayer.com/signup/9c9772 or contact
Lynn Molyneux at the Church Office 01344 886900.
Bruce and Nanas Callander
A LIFE STORY OF GOD’S PROVISION FROM A MEMBER OF
OUR ST PETER’S CONGREGATION
When I started to give 10 percent of my income to God, my life changed.
Looking back, I can see God’s fingerprints all over the events of the last 18
months.
God had been nudging me for a while to increase my giving. After a very
inspiring talk at St Peter’s last year, I finally got round to increasing my tithe to
the church. On top of this, I also decided to sponsor another Compassion child.
A few months later (out of the blue), I was offered a small training role for 3 days
a month. This was in addition to the other jobs that I had and I was delighted as
the salary for the 3 days matched my existing monthly income – in accepting this
role, God had doubled my salary!
The new company treated me extremely well and I was very happy working for
them. Unfortunately this did not last long as my position was taken over by an
employee who joined the company soon after me. She was salaried and
therefore it made sense to employ her to undertake the staff training. Although I
understood that it made economic sense to replace me with someone who was
salaried, I was confused and disappointed – why bless me to take it away?
However, God has the authority to give and to take away as He pleases. I was
disappointed, but God had a greater plan for my life.
My finances did not look good from January onwards. Occasionally I became
stressed over my monthly income, but looking back, I was always able to pay the
bills. God’s word says not to worry, as He will provide (Matthew 6: 25-27).
Looking back, I should have trusted Him as I didn’t have any cause to worry,
although I did not know that at the time.
Over the summer I used the extra time that I had to complete my teacher
training qualification, learning loads and reflecting on how far I had come in
confidence and ability. I also became a free-lance Health and Social Care trainer
– this brought in some much needed income. In addition, my confidence soared
as the feedback that I received was always very positive.
In June I completed my teaching qualification and at New Wine, God gave me
scripture about establishing my territory (Isaiah 52: 3-4.) I had a real sense that
something amazing was going to happen – I felt God say to me that I would
have ‘influence’.
I was not planning to go back to permanent employment but I found myself
having conversations with a recruitment agency about a role in a company who
required a trainer with my experience and qualifications. The more I looked into
this role, the more I really wanted it – it sounded like my dream job.
During the 3rd
and final stage of the interview, I was informed that if I got this
role, I would have a great deal of influence over the staff (confirming what God
had told me 2 months previously.) A couple of hours later, I was their new trainer.
What I would like to say is that God has massively blessed me and my family. I
strongly believe that is because I now give 10 percent of my income to Him. His
word says “put me to the test, (and see) if I will not open the windows of heaven
for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need: Malachi
3:10.
This job is going to make the world of difference financially to us, coupled with
the fact that my days are going to be spent encouraging and empowering staff
to give the best care and service to those who deserve respect and dignity.
The last year has not always run smoothly, but I can now see how God
deliberately guided my footsteps. He put me in many situations which I can now
see were strategic in placing me in the position of being super-confident in
applying for this huge training role, and subsequently getting it.
Tithing to me is not about how much money you give, it is about how seriously
you take Him. As a consequence, the blessings received are a demonstration of
how seriously He takes the giver.
Heart to Heart at Warfield
Saturday 6th February
at St Michael’s
Coffee and Crafts A morning to be inspired and learn from one another as we share the
creative talents God has given us. More information coming soon.
WARFIELD WORSHIP COLLECTIVE
Warfield Worship Collective is our initiative to help equip the musical
worship life of the Warfield Church. At the heart of The Collective is
coming together to worship and learn. We spend a good amount of
time in sung worship and learn about worship
from the bible and from the history of Christian
experience. The worship collective is a must
for those already in our worship teams and
anyone wanting to explore and develop their
talents and gifts in the area of musical and
sung worship. The collective takes place every
other month on Saturday mornings.
The next Collective is Saturday 27th February,
at 9:45am until midday. It will be another
opportunity to bring your instruments and
practice playing together, with a focus on
working together as bands of various
sizes. Musicians of all abilities are welcome,
but you will ideally need to bring your own
instrument.
ST ANDREWS EVENING SERVICE – 6pm
An opportunity to come together in the evening to encounter
more of God in worship, word and ministry. If you have had a
busy morning in our congregations its a great time to gather and
r e c e i v e . F o r m o r e
information contact
or
HIGH TEA AND CAROLS
Sunday 13th December
Service from 4pm to 5pm
followed by High Tea
at St. Michael’s Church Join us for Christmas Carols in Church at 4pm
followed by High Tea in the Parish Rooms
(High Tea Ticket £2.00) / Tel: 01344 886900
E-mail: [email protected]
Tickets: £2.00 for High Tea
ACTIVITIES FOR
YOUNG PEOPLE
Relentless is Warfield Church’s
youth group. It meets every
Friday at 7:45pm - slightly
earlier for socials - in the Parish Rooms (behind St Michaels). It is
aimed at all secondary school age young people.
To keep up to date with what our young people are doing we have
an Instagram account @warfieldyouth
Final Autumn Social:
11th December: Relentless Christmas Ball: This is the last evening of
this term.
Dates for your Diary—Spring Socials:
8th Jan: Night Walk followed by Bonfire and Marshmallows
5th Feb: Swimming at Windsor Leisure Centre
4th Mar: Gravity Force
As usual, if I can help in any way, please give a
call.
Matt Davies
(Youth Pastor)
LIFE GROUPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
It’s good to gather as a large crowd, listen to great talks, hang
out, play games, enjoy amazing socials and Relentless will
continue to offer all those things. But we also see a place for
smaller groups (Life Groups) where you can get to know each
other, ask questions and talk about things that you need prayer
for. We would love to see all our young people in a Life Group,
so if you’re not in one yet, have a chat to me soon and I’ll sort
something out.
Life Group Day Time Frequency
Pulse Mondays 4pm to 5.30pm weekly
Rooted Tuesdays
4.15pm to 5.45pm weekly
Elevate
Tuesdays 4pm to 5.30pm weekly
Encounter Wednesday 8pm to 9.30pm monthly
Deeper Thursdays 6.30pm to 9.15pm weekly
As Relentless grows and more young people attend, a need
has come up for more help. We need:
people to come at the end and clear up
People to stop with the young people and help through
the night including set up
It is a great opportunity to see God work in our young people’s
lives. If you are able to help please get in touch.
ACTIVITIES FOR
CHILDREN & FAMILIES
In addition to the amazing children’s
groups we run on Sunday mornings, we
also run a whole range of children’s
activities through the week:
FOR THE VERY YOUNG AND THEIR PARENTS / CARERS
Our toddler group, Little Starz, now meets three times every
week
Mondays 10.00am - 11.30am
Mondays 1.15pm - 2.45pm
Tuesdays 10.00am - 11.30am
All sessions will be held at St Michael’s Church.
And for the even younger, Baby Starz
Mondays 11:45am - 12:45pm
Baby Starz is a session for babies up to 12 months only. It will be a fantastic
opportunity for babies and their carers to come and spend time in a calm
and quiet environment. It will consist of singing from 11.45-12.15 followed
by coffee and chat. unfortunately older siblings will not be able to
attend.
If anyone would like further
information, or would like to come
along and help then please contact:
Jackie Faerber on
AND FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN
All Starz Kids Club is a Friday Night weekly
Kids Club for all primary aged children from
Year 1 to Year 6 inclusive. It is a fun
packed night of games, stories,
competitions, arts & crafts, tuck shop and
bouncy castles in an atmosphere where
Jesus is communicated and children can encounter God.
Admission is £2 for the first child and £1 for siblings.
All Starz meets at St Michael’s Church from
5.30pm to 7:15pm
For more information contact [email protected]
PRAYER “Could you not pray with me one hour?” That was Jesus’ question to his
disciples. And it is the challenge that I want to lay before us as a church.
We now have several opportunities to pray each month. My challenge
to every member of Warfield Church is that we attend at least one of the
prayer meetings below each month (just one a month—not a big
challenge) and pray for one hour. We will also encourage that further as
Paul Collins visits each congregation in the autumn to talk on the need of
any growing church to pray.
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYERS:
As a church, we meet together to pray before our Sunday morning services.
Please ask one of the Congregational Leadership Team for information on
times and locations for your congregation.
EPRAYER - the email Prayer Chain for Warfield Church:
To sign up to receive prayer requests please drop a note to
[email protected] asking simply to sign you up. To make a prayer
request please send the request to [email protected] - if you want to be
anonymous simply let us know in the email. No email addresses are shared
(recipients are blind copied). The chain is administered by Andy Green from St
Michaels.
PRAYER FOR REVIVAL:
Do join the daily prayer meeting that meets at 7 Brownlow Drive each
weekday at 6:30am to 7:00am.
WEEKLY PRAYER CYCLE RIDE:
This is an open invitation to join Sam Mortimer & Mark Barron for a weekly
prayer cycle ride around the new housing development area on Saturdays
mornings, praying that God will prepare the ground for His kingdom (1 Cor
3:11). Meet at Whitegrove library at 8am. The cycle ride is a mixture of roads
and paths and runs till 9am, but if you can’t manage the full hour just come for
as long as you can. Contact Sam on 07505 426763.
PRAYER FOR WARFIELD CE PRIMARY SCHOOL:
Parents, carers, Grandparents, everyone connected to Warfield CE Primary
School are warmly invited to join us for prayer on a Wednesday morning after
drop-off in the Home Economics room.
MONTHLY PRAYER GATHERINGS
IGNITE: Our Ignite prayer meetings take place on the third Thursday of
the month from 8pm. The next Ignite date is on 21 January 2016 at St
Michael’s Church.
HUNGRY: It takes place from 10pm to 11:30pm at St Andrews on the
last Friday of the month. The next meeting will be on 29 January 2016.
Continuous prayer with worship, seeking the heart of God and crying
out for Kingdom breakthroughs in the parish.
CALLING ALL PROPHETS!! We as a Church want to hear the voice of God and
recognise that some have a particular gift in
Prophecy. We are asking those who believe they
have a prophetic gift to gather together and listen to
the voice of God.
We will be gathering at St Andrews Church on Sundays from 5.15 – 6pm. If you are
interested in joining us then please turn up or for more information contact
INTERCESSORS
Prayer changes things of that I am sure. We
value our e-prayer but recognise that not all
who receive these are our intercessors. For
those who are intercessors we would like to be
able to task you with prayer needs from the
Church Leadership. If you would be happy
to cry out to God for the Church then please
contact
ST ANDREWS WEEKLY COMMUNION 11am on Wednesdays
at St Andrews Church, Priestwood
All are welcome. Please note that while children are
more than welcome to attend, there will not be any
crèche facilities available.
GOD IN QUIET
A monthly afternoon Communion Service, held on the third Friday in
the month, at 2pm at St Michael’s Church followed by tea in the Parish
Rooms. The next God in Quiet Services will be on Friday
18th December 2015 and Friday 15th January 2016.
ASH WEDNESDAY service 2016
at St Michael the
Archangel on
February 10th at 8pm.
Be great to
see you there.
MEN ALLOWED MONTHLY EVENT
The final Men's pub evening will be held on Tuesday
1st December at 8pm at the Admiral Duncan Pub. All
welcome to enjoy a festive pint and chat.
In the new year we will be focusing on more
congregation led men's ministry. More details to
follow in the New Year.
WANT TO GET IN SHAPE? A weekly exercise class is run at St Andrew’s
Church, Priestwood, on Wednesdays from 3:45-
14:45. Several of our church members already
attend, but it’s open to anyone, and it’s good fun.
There is a weight loss programme too, for those
who want it. The class is run by Ali Cannon, a
trained instructor and weight loss coach.
Newcomers would be very welcome. Just turn up on the day. Bring a
towel or exercise mat, some water and trainers. For further details,
contact Jenny Bentley (jenny.bentley1@gmail, com)
SWEET PICKLES
LIFE GROUP
(Primarily for 18-30s)
Meets fortnightly for discussion,
support and snacks. For further
information please email
Lynn Molyneux:
Monday
10am & 1pm Little Starz Toddler Group* St Michaels Warfield
10.00am Coffee Morning St Andrews Priestwood
11.45am Baby Starz Group* St Michaels Warfield
Tuesday
10:00am Communi-tea (Coffee Morning) Bullbrook Community Centre
10.00am Little Starz Toddler Group* St Michaels Warfield
11:00am Drop in Centre St Andrews Priestwood
Wednesday
11.00am Communion Service St Andrews Priestwood
Thursday
11:00am Drop in Centre St Andrews Priestwood
Friday
9.30am CBSi (Midweek Bible Study) St Michaels
2.00pm God in Quiet (third Friday) St Michaels
5.30pm All Starz Kids Club* St Michaels
7:45pm Relentless* St Michaels
* Meets during term time only
There is a range of Life Groups that run midweek. If you would like to join one,
please drop an e-mail to the Church Office and they will ensure you receive a
list of groups.
Sunday Services
Warfield Church Services
All our Sunday morning services have children and youth provision with the
exception of 9am.
Church Office: 01344 886900 [email protected]
WARFIELD SERVICES
9.15am & 11am
St Michael's Church
10:30am
Whitegrove School
10:30am
Warfield School
BULLBROOK SERVICES
10:30am
Holly Spring Junior School
PRIESTWOOD SERVICES
10am & 6:00pm
St Andrew's Church
At Warfield we are privileged to serve both our congregations and our local community. Alongside our regular worship we have many week day activities, including several kids clubs, a breakfast club, a thriving youth group, Autumn Club for the slightly older, midweek bible studies, men’s keep fit to name just a few. We are very active in serving our local community through school’s work and drop in centres and reaching out to those who need help or encouragement. As I am sure you recognise, the costs of this ministry are considerable - currently £45,000 each month. It costs us money to pay the bills that keep our church open and to support the work that we do. All of this money is raised locally with no contribution from central Church of England funds. That is why our Planned Giving scheme is so important. It allows us to plan our ministries carefully based on the financial commitments of our committed members. And the Planned Giving scheme also allows us to express our worship to God through regular and committed giving.
Making payments to the Warfield Church:
You can set up your regular giving directly from your Bank account
via internet banking, phone banking, visiting your branch OR pick
up a standing order mandate from your local congregation or re-
quest for a copy via emil. Banks details for these payments are:-
Warfield PCC * Sort Code 40.13.10 * A/C 90839361
We are able to claim Gift Aid at 25p in every £1 given, so please
pick up a form from Church or request a copy from us at
Giving to