For Prayer and Reflection…

Thanks to Dorothy, our President, for the prayer points below, to the people who have contributed various other parts to the page, and to the people at Sermon Central, who have made it possible to share with you some video messages of hope and encouragement in these unprecedented times.  Please feel free to pray on the points given, reflect on the thoughts shared, to watch the videos below, to read the suggested Scriptures, and to reflect on what a great and awesome God we serve.

Alan Harrison (Communications Officer)


Week Commencing 19th July 2021

“I myself will tend my sheep and make them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

(Ezekiel 34:15, NIV)

Today is the day all legal restrictions are lifted in England.  How that will be worked out in practice remains to be seen.  The temptation is to think we can disband everything, but we know the advice from the Government, is that we all remain cautious.  Please continue to pray for your Leaders as they work through the implications of how we keep one another safe.

Ezekiel Chapter 34 was directed to the people of God who had been in exile in Babylon.  Many people are feeling they have been in a kind of exile these past 15 months with the different ways of living we have had to adapt to.  The Lord comforted His people and assured them that He would gather them together again and He would feed and water them, tending to them and giving them peace.

Our recent experiences have taught us again of the faithfulness and goodness of God.  As we go forward into the future – uncertain as it is – it is in the knowledge that God will not abandon us.  He will remain faithful and His love endures for ever.  We read of Jesus being the Good Shepherd throughout the Bible, including the Gospels and the Book of Psalms: we are witnesses to how God has fed us, comforted us and filled us with His peace.

This is the last of these Prayer Sheets.  They were started as a means of drawing the churches together, helping people to connect across the Connexion and supporting churches in a very difficult time.  Although the Prayer Sheets are ending, let us continue in our quest to build one another up in the faith, to seek the unity that God calls us to that we may indeed be the family of churches we call ourselves, and to enable His Spirit to continue His work in us that we may all be fit for God’s purposes.

May God richly bless you, protect you and keep you in His love and care always.

Dorothy Kendrick, Connexional President

Prayer Requests from our Churches

Moorside:  Please continue to pay for Eric who has been diagnosed with a bone infection and is in hospital.

Hope Street, Spring View:  Thank you to you and everyone for the weekly Prayer Sheet over the last 67 weeks.  Thanks for everyone’s prayers during the most difficult of times.  Let’s keep praying for one another, for our churches in the Connexion and for the Connexional Committee as we go forward in God’s service.  Thanks to Dorothy for her leadership throughout the past two years.  God bless, Pam & Andrew Rigby.  Prayers would be appreciated for Emma Gore, who this morning registered a positive lateral flow COVID test.  Emma is feeling okay but is 31 weeks pregnant.  We pray and hope that her Covid PCR test shows a negative result.

Roman Road, Failsworth:  Guide and lead Derek as prepares to take on the role of Connexional President.  Pray for continued healing.  Pray for the technology in place for Annual Meeting as the induction and service will be screened from Roman Road on Zoom to the other IM Churches and church delegates.

South Hetton:  Marjorie Collins has been quite active in our Church for a number of years now, but now is in poor health, we think of her family at this difficult time and ask God to put HIS loving arms around them.

Staple Hill:  After spending three weeks in a rehab centre, Paul Gee had an angina attack and was taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath where they discovered that one of the stents was blocked.  On Sunday 11th July, he had an angioplasty to release the blockage – this went well.  Lisa saw him in the evening and, although he was in pain, they said that was the result of the procedure.  Unfortunately, on Monday morning he suffered a significant bleed on the brain, and after an MRI scan, they were advised that they would keep him sedated for a further twenty-four hours, then reduce the sedation and see if there was any reaction.  On Tuesday, after the boys went in to see him, they turned off the machine and he was gone in seconds.  The family are very grateful to all the doctors, nurses and carers who tried so hard for him to be able go home and have a good quality of life, but unfortunately that was not going to be.  Please continue to pray for Lisa, Jamie and Luke in the coming weeks and for us as a church as we have lost our treasurer and “chief bacon sandwich maker”.

A prayer from CARE

Lord of mercy, to whom all lives are precious,

comfort those who suffer and grant skill and patience to their carers.

Please help us to defeat Baroness Meacher’s Bill,

and to reassure people with disabilities who feel unwanted,

and those nearing the end of life, that they are not a ‘burden’.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen

Table and chairs available

Bethel, Newtown have four children’s coloured tables (red, green, blue and yellow) measuring 3′ x 2’6 x 20″ high, and 18 small, coloured chairs which they no longer need.

If anyone could make use of them, please contact Pauline Smith on 07897 335036 or via email

Final Prayer Sheet

As this is our final Prayer Sheet, we would just like to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Prayer Sheets since they first began on the 23rd of March 2020.

It has been a real privilege to join with people across the Connexion in prayer and thanksgiving throughout these past months and we hope that they have been a blessing to everyone who has received them too.

Every blessing, Dorothy and Kathy


Week Commencing 12th July 2021

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:19, NIV)

Well, later today we will know for definitely whether all Government legal restrictions will be lifted in England.  Whilst some are rejoicing in the freedoms, others are very concerned of the consequences of stopping everything at once.

Churches will have to decide their own individual stance – and that will vary according to their individual situation, size and shape of building, congregation age and vulnerability.

What we want and what we need are often two very different things.  Paul brings us back to the basics in his final comments to the Philippians.  Writing to them while he is imprisoned, Paul is able to say with authority he knows what it is to be in want and to have plenty.  Also, his relationship with God is such that he knows that God has provided all he has needed.

So, he is able to offer the Philippians – and us – the same assurance.  All your needs will be met by God because of what Christ has done on Calvary.  That doesn’t mean we will get everything we want; life can be hard, cruel, unjust, challenging, dangerous and painful at times BUT we are not on our own.  Christ is in us and in Him we have life in all its fullness.  He is indeed all we need because, in Him, we will also experience deep love, immense joy, wonderful peace and constant guidance, even in the most difficult of circumstances, as we seek His will and are obedient to His Word.

So do not be afraid.  Rather be sensible, take care of one another and live the Gospel.

We have a long way still to go in coming out of lockdown and it is not going to be easy – but we have Christ and He will provide all we need as we live to His glory and honour.

May God’s blessing be on you, His peace be with you and His love flow through you.

Dorothy Kendrick, Connexional President

Prayer Requests from our Churches

Enfield Road, Seaham:  Prayer is requested for Dawn Hughes who is on dialysis three times a week.

Moorside:  Marjorie Berry has now returned to Beechfield Lodge Care Home but is in isolation after her hospital stay for a cut to her head.  Eric Chaloner is awaiting further tests.

News

Evangelical Alliance: Some Thoughts and Guidance for Churches

Many legal requirements are set to become advisory, which could cause some confusion around what to do next, so why not check out this article link to find out what the changes mean for your church?

The final Prayer Sheet will be issued next Monday the 19th of July.

As always, please do submit any prayer requests or good news stories to share from your churches, by sending them to the Resource Centre.  It really would be great to hear from you.