There was a Church Service on 1 February 2020
The Service was held in St. Peter’s as usual at 11am.
The Opening Prayer was given by Roger Fowler
Hymns were
led by Sueann Henderson:
Hymn 1. Praise My Soul The King of
Heaven
Hymn 2. Tell Out My Soul
Announcements were given by Kevin Harris and included:
**Jill Newman is in hospital with a fractured hip
*Phillip Halford is back in hospital and requests prayers
*SEP will be in Morfa bay, Wales once again this year from 25 July to 4
August. Applications are on-line at the
SEP website sepuk.org
*The Prayer Meeting will begin half an hour after Services in the Westfield
Room behind the Church Hall. This will be held on the first Saturday of each
month
*Prayers are requested for Joan Esom who is unwell. She has been in hospital
this week but is now back home
*The Thought for The Week was read out and is on the notice board
Hymn 3. Will You Come And Follow Me
Intercessory
Prayer was led
by Winston Bothwell and included:
*Thank you Great God for your plan of salvation and that we can meet to worship
you in peace and safety. Many Christians do not have this freedom and indeed
are persecuted for their faith. Please protect, guide and encourage them
*Brexit occurred last night in the UK and we have now left the
European Union. We pray for your guidance for our leaders as we face a
uncertain future in this transitional period
*The damp weather here is sometimes uncomfortable but we think of those in
Australia still facing extreme heat and bush fires. As they struggle with the
aftermath of loss and destruction continue to protect the firefighters as well
as the people, livestock and wild animals contending with fire and smoke
*Please comfort the bereaved family of Ron Hitchcock in their loss
*Be with those sick among us, particularly Phillip Halford. Guide the doctors
as they assess and treat him.
*Be with Joan Esom who has not been well, and with Irene Wilson who is not here
today after undergoing tests
*Debbit Thomas remains in our prayers as does David Plumley. You have all power
and wisdom, so we pray for you will in their lives
*Be Wish Jill in her senior years, give her relief and peace from her confusion
as well as healing after her fall and fractured hip
*We pray for the neighbour of Tony Shevlane, Ken, and ask that you show him
your mercy
*We think of those affected by this new strain of virus and help the doctors to
treat and eliminate it
*The homeless suffer in the winter cold and wel. In compassion we pray for
mercy, safety and hope in their lives. Bless the charities that strive to help
them
*give hope and peace to people struggling with depression and feelings of
hopelessness. Bring your good news to them with a vision for the future
*Street Angels seek to help people in the late hours of the night and we ask
your blessing, protection and wisdom for them
*It is your will that we seek and desire, so we put ourselves into your loving
hands
Hymn 4. Crown Him With Many crowns
Hymn 5. Trust And Obey
There was a Reading of Mark 5:22-42 given by Linda Halford
The Sermon was given by Richard
Fowler. Do we need renewal? Brexit occurred last night and heralded in a new
era of interesting times. The world has a great need for renewal and peace. The
reading contained two instances of renewal with the daughter of Jairus and the
woman with an issue of blood. We come to Church to meet God for weekly
renewal.Renewal comes when you turn to Jesus, the Son of God.
We turn and acknowledge our need of His help through repentance, which is not just
a one-off event but an on-going constant attitude. Richard showed a clip of a Boeing 747 being
given its’ six-year maintenance overhaul where every part is checked and
renewed where necessary. We need regular spiritual overhaul and maintenance
checks to combat apathy. We cry ‘search me O God, and know my heart
today…cleanse me from every sin and set me free!’ Some simple sin can have
great impact if left to grow. Another flight in 1978 was only 2 degrees off at
departure point, the the 28 miles off many miles later cost everyone on board
their lives.
Three simple ideas when seeking repentance and renewal are
Checking—Choosing—Changing. We want to
change big things, but start with the small things. Faith can move mountains
but it might have to be a stone at a time. Hebrews 12:3 says not to grow weary
and lose heart.
The final Hymn was Who Is On The Lord’s Side, after which the Closing Prayer was led by James Esom
Fellowship continued over Refreshments in the church hall.
Young People’s Church took place during the Service and was led by Jean & Geoff Sole. The children read the Ladybird book about ‘The Parable of the Two New Houses.’ The parable is based on Matthew 7:24-27 about building your house on rock, not sand. The young people especially focused on verse 24: ‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock’. The young people then built some toy brick houses in two large plastic containers which were half full of sand.