From the Minister

This month brings a busy time as we get involved in Hope 08 (1st June), Melbourn Fete (29th June), both events give us a chance to reach into the community and serve as church, our worship group is playing at both events, let’s make every effort to get involved. We also have the Eastern Baptist Regional Assembly on the 7th June which many of us are going to; our worship team is also leading which is a great opportunity.

Following the decision made at the church meeting to call a Trainee Youth Pastor we begin our search. We as a people need to pray, seek God, and be diligent to whom the person God might be leading us to, it's an exciting time for us as a church and we need to make sure all our decisions are surrounded in prayer.

We also have a church work day on Saturday the 21st June, for as many of us as possible to come together to prepare and do a little decorating just in time for the celebration of Naomi and Danny's wedding on the 5th July.

We continue our journey though Nehemiah this month and see the wall completed, as a church we are challenged to bring completion to all that God calls us to as a church.

Blessings,
Stuart

As we move into May we are reminded again of the power of the Holy Spirit to transform, anoint and equip us for ministry as we celebrate Pentecost. We are reminded through Pentecost that our God is a Supernatural God. God builds a spiritual people to have a relationship with Him.

It has been great to be reminded through our study together of Nehemiah that God calls us to wait on Him as the disciples did before Pentecost. We have been reminded that God uses authority to build His people through the way Nehemiah is blessed by the Kings authority and the way that the disciples were given spiritual authority at Pentecost.

We are called to build a people, through prayer, planning and strategy and share the building process in teams from Nehemiah. As the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost God called them together as a ministry team. God’s Spirit lead them forward into the community with spiritual power and all the nations understood what God was doing as they spoke in the native tongues of different nations. The Holy Spirit led them to stand out in the market place. The Secular and the Sacred mixing together!

The disciples stood out at Pentecost through the Holy Spirits power.

Nehemiah in the same way stood out in a different culture from his own.

The challenge is - what Group of people is God building around you? As the secular and the sacred mix, how is that group of people seeing the power of God at work in your life?

Pentecost is an exciting, empowering, and equipping time for team ministry. Let us be ready with Nehemiah to take bold steps together for God and be ready to experience God through Pentecost.

Blessings,
Stuart

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. (Nehemiah 1:11 (NIV))

Nehemiah’s team building was soaked in prayer from beginning to end. It was prayer that started the unity, maintained the unity in oppression and kept unity until the wall was completed in Jerusalem.

As we have journeyed with Jesus together as a church at Easter it has amazed me how God has brought unity through our teamwork, creativity and prayer. The unity that came through our Easter devotion "The Journey of Jesus" has seen us grow as a people together, enriched us as we have looked deeper at the Easter story and enabled us to invite the local community into the church.

This month many of us are making the pilgrimage to Skegness at Spring Harvest we again see God building us closer together as a church.

This month I hope that we will see the rebuilding of the upper room move to completion as the young people, fabric committee and many others have worked together.

As this month we begin to explore Nehemiah. We see a people who were scattered begin a project that leads to great team work. It starts with Nehemiah’s prayer.

As this month we begin to explore Nehemiah. We see a people who were scattered begin a project that leads to great team work. It starts with Nehemiah’s prayer.

Nehemiah then examines what needs to be built through the vision God has given, and then waits for God’s timing to gather the people to begin building.

Lets become a praying church like Nehemiah, a church that is open and attentive to hear God’s voice, a church that examines what needs to be built and a church that builds God’s kingdom like Nehemiah.

Blessings,
Stuart