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Dear Friends,
It seems that many of the activities I am involved with at the moment seem to come
back in some way to prayer. The fact that we are using some ideas from the Vision4life website at meetings and in services is only part of this. In other areas of my life and ministry there seems to be an
echoing of the same themes. The need for times of quiet and stillness, the lifting up of people we care about, and prayers being answered in different ways. At the Elders' Retreat at the beginning of February,
we had a time of guided stillness, which was introduced to us by making us aware first of all of the things that may distract us. We were asked to listen to the noises around us, be aware of them and then accept
they were there. We were asked to be aware of aches and pains that may distract us; to listen to our own breathing; to imagine that there was a stream running past us and that our fleeting thoughts – which
may constitute our biggest distraction – were leaves floating away downstream. John Preston, who was leading that part of the day, said that in our relationship with God, as with other longstanding relationships, we
should be able to just spend time 'being still' with God. After the introduction, and some music, that is what we did for fifteen minutes. Silence is difficult to achieve in our busy lives, however, I realised
stillness can be taken wherever you go. You can carry a quality of inner stillness with you and it can then have a positive effect on your relationships. Our prayer life is the dynamo that keeps us in touch
with God, faithful and obedient, and ready to serve. Individually and corporately we are dependent on this for our spiritual health. I am not always a very good example as I rush from task to task. I
will certainly be aiming to make the practice of stillness part of my ongoing path.
Yours in Christ,
Mary
Bible Readings for March 2010
7th
Isaiah 55.1-9 Psalm 63.1-8 1 Corinthians 10.1-13 Luke 13.1-9
14th Mothering Sunday All Age Service
21st Isaiah 43.16-21 Psalm 126
28th Palm Sunday Luke 19.28-34 Psalm 118.1-3, 19-20
A Challenge for Lent – if you are looking for one. Some people find it helpful for their spiritual life to sacrifice some luxury during Lent - hoping to concentrate their minds on higher things. Some people like to take up something positive instead. Well maybe there is something else we can do. I received this as part of a series in my devotions that download over the Internet, and I thought it was a poignant challenge for all of us:
"Do everything without complaining…" Philippians 2:14 NIV
Stop Complaining and Start Gaining (3) Isn't complaining really just about words? No, it's much more than that! First, complaining hands your power over to the people and circumstances you
complain about, making you feel like their victim. It diminishes your ability to think of solutions, conditions your mind negatively, and blunts your ability to receive creative ideas from God. Positive outcomes don't
grow in negative soil! You can't complain and create simultaneously. 'Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring… can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?...' (James 3:11-12 NIV).
Complaints are verbal expressions of negative beliefs. They cancel positive intentions and confessions, rendering you powerless to reap the gains God offers. Complaining focuses on a past you can't change. It keeps you
scavenging in yesterday's debris, searching for evidence about 'who did what' and 'when' and 'why', while your present slips fruitlessly away. Second, complaining is toxic to your relationships: '…Do you not know… a
little leaven leavens the whole lump?' (1 Corinthians 5:6 NKJV). Complaining invites others to complain. Injected poison toxifies every part of the body. Subtly, your relationship, your family, your workplace, your
church and your environment become polluted. Complaining polarises relationships. People who don't like stress, anxiety and negativity begin to distance themselves from you. 'The tongue has the power of life and death…'
(Proverbs 18:21 NIV) - your life and death, and the life and death of others. So pray, 'Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord…' (Psalm 141:3 NIV); help me to avoid complaining. 'A Word for Today' by Bob Gass
A few people have spoken to me, and to Mary Thomas, about continuing the Disciple studies possibly doing Disciple 3. In Disciple 1 we covered the whole Bible, Disciple 2 was Genesis, Exodus, Luke and Acts and Disciple 3 works through the Prophets in the Old Testament and the letters of Paul in the New Testament.
If anyone is interested in joining for Disciple 3, please speak to me – we are thinking of starting in January 2011. If anyone wants to know more because they haven't done the previous two courses - don't feel excluded – it is still worth getting the details. I have described these studies as a bit like signing on for a serious evening class (although it doesn't have to be an evening) for a year. There is daily homework but the most important outcome is a deeper understanding of our faith and fellowship within the group. Mary Cooper PUBLICITY OFFICER REQUIRED
Our church is alive with activity and fund-raising events and really needs a person to deal with publicity, particularly outside of the church. The fund-raising work is absolutely essential to keep our church going.
We are looking for a volunteer who would be able to undertake the following duties:
Wendy has prepared some tips and ideas and a list of relevant contacts to help the person get things going. If you like getting to know lots of people and want to help attract people to our events and activities, please come forward...our church needs you!
Please contact Wendy at church or on 02392 469019.
Exciting news
1st Hayling Island Girls' Brigade Company
will be starting on Sunday, 28th February, 2010, at South Hayling URC, 3.30 - 5 p.m.
Girls' Brigade is a worldwide Christian organisation catering for girls from the age of 4 years. It has a four square programme covering spiritual, physical, educational and service activities, with the emphasis on having fun!
Barbara and Lizzie Hemsley will be leading the company and will be looking for volunteers to help us deliver badgework. Depending on the type of activity, this might involve coming into Brigade for half an hour on one or two occasions. Please let us know if you would be willing to help in any way.
Initially we will be aiming our advertising at girls of infant and junior school age, although we will happily accept older girls into the company. If you have neighbours and friends with children between the ages of 4 and 10 years please tell them about Girls' Brigade and give us their names and addresses so we can send them a personal invitation.
Please pray for this exciting new outreach opportunity.
Barbara Hemsley 023 9246 6146 bahemsley@yahoo.co.uk
TODDLER GROUP
Main Church Hall. Tuesdays 9.30-11.30 am
Thanks to all who have supported The Toddler Group over the past few months with offers of help and gifts of toys and games. Without your help, we would not have been able to start. Thanks also to Pullingers who have donated a piece of carpet for use in the parlour.
Please continue to tell all friends and family you feel would be interested. We aim to support parents and carers by providing a happy, welcoming and comfortable atmosphere.
The cost will be £1.50 entry per family and tea or coffee will be 30 pence with squash provided for the children.
If you have any further questions or toys/games that you no longer require and wish to donate, please contact any of those listed below.
Heidi Bailey – 9246 1302 Rosemary Piper – 9246 1392 Mary Thomas – 9246 3521
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