december / january newsletter
DESCRIPTION
Our December/January NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
1
Dec/JanNewsletter
Mustard SeedEvangelical Church
The
For the people of Callington and the greater glory of God
www.msec.org.uk
2
Welcome!We are already in the period of Advent, a time of waiting in preparation for the celebrations of Christ’s birth. One of the great Bible passages that are traditionally read at Christmas services is John 1. The writer of this Gospel speaks of ‘the Word’, because, as God spoke and creation came into being in Genesis 1, so Jesus came to bring God’s word of love and to demonstrate that love in practical ways. He spoke only the words His Father gave Him to say (John 12v 49).
We can read recorded last words of many famous people. For example, Beethoven’s last words were apparently, ‘Friends applaud, the comedy is over’ and H G Wells’ were ‘Go away, I’m all right!’ We cannot be sure that these were Spike Milligan’s last words, but on his gravestone is written, ‘I told you I was ill!’
The Bible records some last words: David recorded his last words in 2 Samuel 23. In them, he reminds himself and his readers that his honour and fame has only come about by God; his kingship was as at a result of God’s promise and that all his inspiration came from God. We can also read the last words of Jacob and Joseph.
The last words of Jesus before he ascended into heaven are recorded in Acts 1 verse 7-‐9. ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’. We can be encouraged that it is not down to our own strength to be Christ’s witnesses, because Jesus promised the Holy Spirit’s presence with us and He will give us the words to say.
Jesus is our ‘last Word’! We have no need of anything or anyone else besides Him. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1 verse 20, ‘For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God’. ‘Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He is standing right alongside God, and what he says goes.’ (1 Peter 3 verse 22 ‘Message’)
We can remind ourselves as Christmas approaches that Jesus Christ is our all in all; we will never have any need of anyone else. Whatever our hopes and fears, we can trust in Him and in His faithful love for us.
3
Monthly ActivitiesDate Time Event Location
Saturday 11/12 08:00 Men’s Breakfast Frank’s
Sunday 12/12 No Evening Service –
Saturday 18/12 18:30Café Church Christmas Party The Mustard Seed
Sunday 19/12 16:00 Nativity in the Barn Dupath Farm
Saturday 25/12 10:30Christmas Day Family Service The Mustard Seed
Sunday 26/12 No Evening Service –
Sunday 02/01 10:45Malcolm & Kerstin Preaching The Mustard Seed
Sunday 02/01 18:30 Prayer Meeting The Mustard Seed
19–22 Jan09:00-‐21:00
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity See over the page
Sunday 23/01 10:45 Release International The Mustard Seed
Sunday 23/01 18:00 Café Church The Mustard Seed
Sunday 23/01 18:30 CTiC Service & AGM Methodist Church
Thursday 27/01 19:30 Church Meeting The Mustard Seed
Contributions for December newsletter:
Deadline: 25th January 2011Speak to: Tim CadouxEmail: [email protected]
4
Week of Prayer for Christian UnityThe churches in Callington will be open for people to pray between 9am
and 9pm as follows:
Wednesday 19th January – St. Mary’sThursday 20th January – Mustard Seed
Friday 21st January – Callington Methodist ChurchSaturday 22nd January – Roman Catholic Church
Why not join us whenever you have some spare time to pray for our churches, our town, our world, or whatever God leads you to pray for?
Our annual nativity is a great way for us to reach out to our local
community.
Why not invite your friends and neighbours to come and
experience what Christmas is really all about, as we go back to
the first Christmas.
We wish you all a happy Christmas! May you remember God at this time, and may he bless you and keep you in the
year to come.
5
Youth Work UpdateThe past term has been a great start to the year in a number of ways.
F i r s t l y , i t has been a rea l encouragement to become more involved at the school; I am now in school most Tuesdays to help with t h e F r i d a y N i g h t P r o j e c t Committee, and on Fridays when I help with the Community Action PEP. These links are growing, and it has been good for me to start forming relationships with young people and teachers from both these groups.
Second ly , Ca fé Church has continued to develop, and it has been encouraging to see how our time together has grown, and how the young people who attend are interacting more with each other, and with God. However, we would still love to see more young people at Café Church, so please pray that young people would be drawn to Café Church; especia l ly the
Christmas Party we have in a few weeks time!
Our time on Sunday mornings is also developing; and we are now using video clips each week to help us relate to the teaching. Again, we would love to see more young people each week, but it has been encouraging to see a few more there over the past few weeks.
Please pray for the young people over the Christmas period, that they might stay safe and come closer to God. At a time when it can be hard to remember what God has done for us, pray that all young people in our local area would hear the nativity story, and learn what it means for them.
Please also pray for us as we look to the future of the youth work at the Mustard Seed, especially that we would hear God’s voice and his calling.
– Tim Cadoux
Please pray on for all our missionaries that they will know God strength and help in there work.We look forward to a visit from Malcolm & Kerstin in the new year before they go back to the mission field.
6
“THE SEASON of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before. What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. And you begin to grasp what it was you missed, like Moses in the cleft of the rock, watching God's back fade in the distance. So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.”Jan L. Richardson, Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas
YOU keep us waiting.You, the God of all time,
Want us to waitFor the right time in which to discover
Who we are, where we are to go,Who will be with us, and what we must do.
So thank you … for the waiting time.John Bell, quoted in The Westminster Collection of Christian Prayers, compiled by
Dorothy M. Stewart
Advent Collections
IT WAS NOT suddenly and unannounced that Jesus came into the world. He came into a world that had been prepared for him. The whole Old Testament is the story of a special preparation. Only when all was ready, only in the fullness of his time, did Jesus come.Phillips Brooks, The Consolations of God: Great Sermons of Phillips Brooks
Late on a sleepy, star-‐spangled night, those angels peeled back the sky just like you would tear open a sparkling Christmas present.
Then, with light and joy pouring out of Heaven like water through a broken dam, they began to shout and sing the message that baby
Jesus had been born. Take Time to be Aware.Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac, p. 196
7
ADVENT.Waiting for the end. The eschaton. The night is far spent.Madeleine L'Engle, The Irrational Season
GOD IS COMING! God is coming!All the element we swim in, this existence,
Echoes ahead the advent. God is coming! Can't you feel it?Walter Wangerin, Jr., from "The Signs of the Times," in The Manger Is Empty
GOD our deliverer, whose approaching birth still shakes the foundations of our world, may we so wait for your coming with eagerness and hope that we embrace without terror the labor pangs of the new age… Janet Morley, All Desires Known
'On Christmas Day, I remember that Jesus was born into poverty -‐ in a wooden house like mine. My family is poor but the Christmas
story gives me hope.' Daniel, aged 12, Peru
A Christmas List:Fear less, hope more;Eat less, chew more;
Whine less, breathe more;Talk less, say more;Hate less, love more;
And all good things will be yoursAnonymous
If you have anything which you think might be appropriate to go in the newsletter, such as a joke, an event which is happening in the future, or a report about something which has already taken place;
please pass it on to Tim.
8
The Back Pew Why Jesus is Better Than Santa Claus
Santa lives at the North Pole... Jesus is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh... Jesus rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year... Jesus is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies... Jesus supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited... Jesus stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited.
You have to wait in line to see Santa... Jesus is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap... Jesus lets you rest in His arms.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly... Jesus has a heart full of love
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?"… Jesus knew our name before we were born. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO... Jesus offers health, help and hope.
Santa says "You better not cry"... Jesus says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."
Santa's little helpers make toys... Jesus makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but... Jesus gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree... Jesus became our gift and died on a tree: the cross.
9
-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐Next weekend's Fasting & Prayer Conference in Whitby includes all
meals. -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your
husbands.-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
Don't let worry kill you off -‐ let the Church help.
-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ For those of you who have children
and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help
they can get.-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that
began in their school days.-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of
several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐Scouts are saving aluminium cans,
bottles and other items to be
recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children. -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment
and gracious hostility.-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM -‐ prayer and medication to follow.
-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on
Friday afternoon.-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric
girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Low Self Esteem Support Group
will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐
The school drama group will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church hall on Friday at 7
PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
The following have all appeared in church magazines:
10
Weekly ActivitiesMondaysMondays
19:30 Home Group at Iris Wilson’s Led by John Cole
19:30 Youth Group in the Hall. A chance for all the young people aged 13-‐18 to get together and have fun playing games, pool and table-‐tennis.
TuesdaysTuesdays
14:30 Home Group at Jenny Jane’s led by David Jewell
WednesdaysWednesdays
09:15 Seedlings in the Hall. For pre-‐schoolers and parents/carers.
15:00 Splash at Callington Primary School. An after-‐school club for pupils at the school.
19:45 Home Group at David Jewell’s led by David Jewell
ThursdaysThursdays
10:00 Ladies Bible Study in the Parlour.
SundaysSundays
10:45 Morning Worship at the Mustard Seed. Join us for a time of prayer, worship and teaching. There are groups for children and young people, through which they will learn more about God and enjoy finding out more about Him.
18:30 Evening Praise with worship, sharing and praying together before an interactive study focusing on what God is saying though the passage, not just trying to gain more knowledge.
11
ContactsLeadershipLeadership
David Jewell(Pastor)
Peter Coombe(Elder)
(01579) [email protected]
John Cole (Elder)
01752 [email protected]
Youth and Children’s WorkYouth and Children’s Work
Tim Cadoux (Youth Worker)
Geraldine Parkyn(Splash)
(01579) [email protected]
OutreachOutreach
Kathy Cole (Seedlings)
01752 [email protected]
Geraldine Parkyn(Residential Homes)
(01579) [email protected]
Other ActivitiesOther Activities
John Cole(Monday Home Group)
01752 [email protected]
David Jewell(Tue/Wed Home Groups)
Maureen Lloyd (Women’s Ministry)
(01579) 351853
12
Who We Are:
The Mustard Seed is a fellowship of Christians committed to discovering God’s love and truth for today. During our worship and study times, in our family and social events, and through our caring and Outreach Ministries we explore and share God’s grace and guidance as He helps us become and grow as His followers.
What We Believe:
•God is real.•Jesus is Lord.•The Holy Spirit gives life.•God speaks through the Bible.•God forgives us.•Jesus cares for us.•Jesus is coming back.
Mustard SeedEvangelical Church
The
For the people of Callington and the greater glory of God
www.msec.org.uk
We warmly welcome you, or anyone else to meet with us!