March
Friends of God
Our FoG service offered a variety of themes around Lent and Easter. For Mothering Sunday, the girls' brigade joined us in a heartwarming activity – making candle jars that symbolise the light of faith. The young people participated in the Church worshipful meeting through some engaging activities held at the back of the church on Palm Sunday. Easter Sunday was filled with joy as we decorated donuts together, a delicious way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Easter Messy Church
On Palm Sunday, we warmly welcomed 23 young people and 21 parents or grandparents to our Easter Messy Church! Our theme for the day was "Hope," celebrating the resurrection of Christ. The festivities began with an Easter Egg Hunt, where children searched for eggs representing the twelve events of Holy Week. We also created a "Hope Hanger," featuring elements of Holy Week and Easter that families could take home as a reminder that our only hope comes from God.
Creative activities included crafting crosses from straws, decorating Holy Week story boxes, and making angel and handprint cross decorations. Puppet shows, worship songs, and a delicious tea service rounded out the celebration.
The families expressed their deep gratitude for the event, which provided a joyful space to celebrate Easter together. We are also incredibly thankful for our 15 dedicated helpers as well as Langley, whose time and wisdom are invaluable in bringing the Gospel to our guests.
Good Friday Service
Our beautiful Good Friday morning service, led by Lorraine, began with a powerful "Walk of Witness" carrying the cross along two routes. This joint Churches Together service offered creative reflection on Jesus' death. Despite some wind, the clear and rain-free morning allowed us to share prayers, songs, and a moving drama depicting humanity's sin and God's reconciling act through Jesus Christ. Warm hospitality followed with hot cross buns, hot drinks, and warm chats at our church.
Renew Event
I attended a day-long lay employee gathering in Northampton. We enjoyed a meaningful worship service that included a reflective activity with clay. Following worship, we delved into a Bible study on Isaiah.
Jude Levermore, Head of Mission for the Methodist Church, used a captivating sunflower illustration to represent the four key elements of the Methodist mission: Growing, Evangelistic, Justice-Seeking, and Inclusion. She then explored the concept of leveraging life's polarities. Her message emphasised the importance of balance – we shouldn't focus on one extreme while neglecting the other. This applies to various aspects of our lives, such as self-care versus caring for others, tradition versus innovation, and activity versus rest. Her insights also prompted reflection on our current leadership styles and the potential for new approaches.
Community Work
I was invited to the youth centre for a Lottery Presentation and their Monday Youth Club. The directors were impressed by the growth they're seeing in the young people. I enjoyed some conversations with the youth to gain a better understanding of their experiences.
Tim Wong
Children, Family and Community Worker