Well as you have probably already read and heard, if you come to MCC, we have been given 94 perfectly good, blue, upholstered, metal frame chairs for our new Sunday services at Grosvenor Park School. Now all we need is the people to fill them. So how do we reach that goal?!! Well I think it’s become pretty obvious to us that prayer is on the priority list, and also asking people to come, but I think when people see that there is a mighty move of God going on at MCC they will be attracted to it and the whole thing will just snowball. We are seeing the first fruits folks!!! It was great to see one our ex-clients from the drop in get baptised on Sunday down at Oswaldtwistle and I can see that picture of a drop in a pond which then ripple out and make waves in the whole pond. I know that James’ life is having such an amazing effect of our lives now and also the lives of the people who he used to deal drugs to and his family and other friends. God is so good and I really feel that as the foundations of MCC are laid we will start to see the bricks and motar coming in now. We are so excited about what is happening @ IMPACT youth and what a knock on effect that is going to have!!! God is so good, faithful and true, he provides all our needs. Just remember he can do far more than we can ever ask or imagine! That includes filling 94 chairs!! Make that our goal for this year.
Tracy
there is, as Emma said, much to give thanks for as God continues to bless us in so many ways. It really is great to see Him move in power in peoples lives and I feel that it’ll be great to pray together and just praise and worship Him for who He is, because He’s worthy of it - whether we feel particuarly blessed or not, he’s always God and always worthy of our wholehearted worship. So please feel free to join me 6.30pm - 7.15pm.
For once I’m stuck for words - it was an amazing evening at the hope centre for James’ baptism and I’d liked to be able to convey some of that but I’ll have to leave it until a later date . . .
I had a phone call from Alison Kinnon from the government initiative ‘Winning back Morecambe’s West End’. It was good news they have approved our application for £2000 towards replacing the shop front windows at West End Impact. We will presented with an over sized mock cheque and we will be in the local paper sometime in the near future. Then we will be able to go ahead with having double glazed windows and door, which will make a big difference to the whole appreance and safety of West End Impact. We have also managed to attain 100 upholstered chairs free this week, so things are really started to happen as far as resources are concerned. God’s blessing is really upon us and the work of Morecambe Community Church/West End Impact - let’s not take it for granted!!!
Tracy
Just a quick one to say that on tuesday at 6:30pm-7:15/7:30pm my home will be open to any who want to get together to pray. With MCC on the move and all sorts of great things happening, I think praying together is important - we’ve got lots to give thanks for aswell!
Neil has pointed out that parking on my street rivals that of college on a car boot week but there is plenty in the surrounding area! cheers
Just to let everyone know that our Sundays services will be moving on the 17th June. We will be ‘crossing over’ to Grosvenor Park School which is just at the entrance of Grosvenor Park Estate and just over Ovangle Road from ASDA. There will be a few changes to the service, it is proposed that we start at 10.30 am with tea coffee and even a light breakfast and then start worship at 11am. We are looking forward to what God is going to do with this new start. We are having a ‘Relaunch’ and dedication service on 8th July and hopefully loads of people will be there. It has been a long process but God lead us to this move over the last 18 months or so. The secretary of Grosvenor Park School joined MCC just before Christmas and was really excited, as this is something she has been praying about for many years. We have been going into the school to do JAM (JESUS AND ME) club for well over a year now and it is great to build relationships with all the children. There are around 500 homes on Grosvenor Park estate and it is the middle estate of the Fairfield estate near McDonalds and the Scale Hall Farm Estate on the ASDA side. This is an exciting time where we are sure God is going to move us forward into new ground as we widen the tent pegs. Look forward to seeing you all over there soon!!!
Tracy
I just feel really sad about Madeleine McCann.
I just want to add some prayers because i cannot imagine how something like this can happen.
I pray that whoever has taken her will come to there senses and she will be found soon.
I pray for her parents that as they hold that little girl in their hearts she will come back to them.
Everyone out there parent or not please join us in praying for her.
Michl spoke today about faithfulness vs fruitfulness and the tension between the two, whether one takes precedence over the other. It was a really interesting and worthwhile subject. One thing he pointed out at the start was how many times he could think of that each is mentioned in the New Testament - fruitful occurring lots more than faithful. Jesus seems to have a particular dislike for un-fruitful fig trees - perhaps as bearing fruit is their purpose in existing and if they’re not fulfilling that function then what use is there in it existing at all? I think this highlights that being faithful should natuirally produce fruitfulness. - if we’re not fruitful, we’re not doing what we’re naturally intended to do, it’s our function in life and if we’re rooted in faith then fruit is the natural sign of our growth.
In the fig tree passage, Jesus goes on to say “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree but you can also say to this mountain ‘go, throw yourself into the sea’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer”
We were talking about our dream as a church and how this dream/vision is becomming realised amogst us, and the goals and aims we have to take steps towards this. Michl raised the very important point that the goals we have should be impossible for us to accomplish - that the only way they can be acheived is by God, and by Him only. So that it is all to His glory. - if we believe and ask in prayer He will throw the mountain into the sea for us. This raises the other point, if we want to see God moving in big ways we have to pray. (more on oppertunities to pray corporately to follow) . Maybe this is also where the fruitful / faithful thing comes in again. if we are faithful in prayer God will enable the fruit - again to His glory.
Just as we were talking aboutthe importance of taking stock of our spiritual life personally , it was really helpful to look again at the Dream of MCC and remind ourselves of the vision and what is ahead as well as celebrating what God’s done so far.
Lots of things stood out for me this morning but as am getting keyboard version of writer’s cramp will limit myself to just a couple more points!
We talked about the 10 values of MCC and how they should be tangible in our midst. (the 10 values being - Christ Centered, balance, openness, worship, acceptance, outreach, relevance, freedom, wholeness, excellence) I think this is really important that these values should be the commonly held reality of our fellowship - the values that we not only believe in but also care about and actively maintain. this is the development of our ethos as a church - ethos being described as the fundamental character / distiguishing character of a community. When we care about our values and share them throughout our fellowship then our actions both as a corporate group and as individuals will display the values our church is built on.
Another point we touched on was taking stock of our own spiritual life and how was it possible to “measure” our fruitfullness or lack of it. I think Michl was right in that a good indicator is to look at how much the fruit of the spirit is visible in our lives. We went through the list of fruit of the spirit from Galatians and individually contemplatedwhere we were with each - wether its something that’s growing more visible in our lives, something where we feel it’s really evident or maybe its an area where we haven’t seen much growth. When done honestly it provides a helpful picture of where we are with God.
Altogether lots to think about this morning, and thinking about it, much of the above comes under the umbrella of one of the first things mentioned which was the greatest commandment from Matthew 22: Jesus replied “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ this is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’”
I think if we’re really faithfully, actively, sacrificially loving our neighbours as ourselves and loving God with all our heart, soul and mind, then the fruit of the spirit can’t be far behind!
There endeth the ramblings of Zofia.
By the way, we concluded that both faithfulness and fruitfulness were of the greatest importance.
God is so good!! I have been having one of those days where I know I need to be more organised and get things in order. I can’t get my mind straight and concerntrate on one thing, even when I am doing things my mind gets distracted and I start to do something else. I must learn to finish one job before I start another. The danger is though, when I get like this, which is very often these days, that I get so over-whelmed with everything that I end up doing nothing. I guess that’s when I decide to turn to God. I should just perhaps turn to Him first, it reminds me of the book ‘Too busy not to pray’ Bill Hybels. I should read it again. Anyway to get to the point, we have 2 new groups at West End Impact and God just seems to be sending more things to us than I ever imagine or thought of. This morning a Hepetitis C awareness group started, which will be very helpful to many of our folk who come to the IMPACT sessions on Thursdays and Sundays. A lady called Lorna started the group up at Inward House but unfortunately couldn’t continue to run it from there, and rang me on Monday to ask if she could run it from West End Impact. If anyone is interested it will be the first Thursday in the month from 1pm-2.30pm ish. Maybe you know someone who is affected and want to learn more on how you can help. There is also a literacy group happening on Mondays from 3-4.30pm for adults who struggle with literacy. Janet is the lady who runs that and is looking for more people. She is doing it as part of a course and qualification that she is working towards in helping adults who have difficulties in this area. Please let us know if you know anyone who is interested in joining them. info@mcc.uk.com Oh and not to forget the new INNOVATE art group that started yesterday you will see the details on another post. God is so good!! He is building His church, and now that I’ve written my mind feels a little bit straighter.
Tracy
Tomorrow we start an exciting new group, called innovate.
We are inviting people to come and explore how they thing and feel through art.
Only in the last few months have i realised that our talents are so linked to how we react and feel about God.
I’m very excited to see how God will work through this group.
If you would like to come along we are at West End Impact first wednesday of every month from 2-4pm.
Every time i write something which starts every first wednesday i get a little scared that Adrian Plass will laugh!
lots of love #Emma