Welcome!

Christian Aid week commences on Sunday 15 May and we look forward to welcoming Christian Aid workers Martin Gage and Lelise Duga to our 10am service at St. Paul’s.

A former member of our church family, Martin worked for 15 years in the local voluntary sector before rejoining Christian Aid in January this year. He will be preaching on the shepherd’s love for the sheep from our reading in John 10.1-10. Martin is a very gifted preacher with the ability to stir and gently challenge his listeners - be prepared!

Lelise Duga holds a degree in Foreign Languages and Literature in addition to a Master’s degree in Health Monitoring and Evaluation. Married with two children, she has spent six years working with churches and interfaith groups in Development and HIV work. She will be sharing her experiences of her role as an HIV and Health Program Officer in Ethiopia.

Do come and join us to hear from two people with a real heart and compassion for the sick, the poor and the disadvantaged. We look forward to welcoming you.

Farewell!

Yesterday's All Together Worship service was also an opportunity to say farewell to Sandhya and her family as they move back to India. Derek, one of our children's workers, presented some small gifts on behalf of St. Paul's and led us in prayer for the family. They go back to India and to a new phase of 'Living the Life', accompanied by our love and good wishes.

Live the Life!

Are you a list-maker? Or someone who prefers being a little less ‘organised’?
And, anyway, what do lists have to do with holiness? And what, exactly, is holiness?
Yesterday, in our ‘All Together Worship’ service, Neil Griffiths encouraged us to think about the lists which we use in our everyday lives and to see if they help in our understanding of living holy lives; of obeying God’s command to ‘Stand out as outstanding, like I (God) do’.

A list of eleven points was suggested to us (amongst which were regular times of prayer and Bible reading, meeting together and encouraging one another, caring for each other) and, not entirely by coincidence, this list led to some participation by the congregation. The picture shows what happened when the letters written on the back of the eleven points were rearranged - the theme of our service then became clear, ‘Live the Life’.

As Christians we are called to reflect God’s holiness in this world. As the writer Rob Lacey puts it, ‘The one who picked you stands out as Pure, right through. So you are to stand out from the crowd in everything you get into. Like it says, Stand out as outstanding, like I do'.