Events July 2008

Sunday Services

• 10.00 am Family Service, with crèche and SALT (children's groups.) Communion on 3rd and 5th Sundays in the month.

• 6.30 pm Evening Prayer 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays. Communion 2nd and 4th Sunday
  
• 7.30pm Informal service in church Centre (except 1st Sunday in month)

Diary of events

Thur 3rd July	2.45pm	Women's Fellowship Speaker - Noel Hetherington
Mon 7th July	1.45pm	The Ark - Bible Story
Mon 14th July	1.45pm	The Ark - Summer Art
Thurr 17th July	2.45pm	Women's Fellowship Cream teas and Hymns
Sun 20th July	10.00 am	Open Air Service in the Park
Mon 21st July	1.45pm	The Ark -Picnic in the Park Day of Prayer - The Church will be open from 10-12noon and 2-4pm
Mon 18th-22nd Aug		Children's Holiday Club at Hutton School.

From the Registers

Baptism: 22nd June - Jamie Draper

Wedding Blessing: 23rd May - Gillian Moore and Kevin Jones

Funerals/Memorials: Eileen Roberts - 17th June

Click for Locking Parish Events July/Aug

The Ark
The Ark is a mother and toddlers’ group which meets on a Monday afternoon from 1.45 - 3.00 pm during school term time in the Church Centre. We have a spacious hall, and a good variety of toys for the children to enjoy and use and we provide art activities for the older children. Once a month we have a visit from ‘Lucy’ who shares stories about Jesus. We have tea and biscuits and the opportunity to chat and meet new friends.

Women's Fellowship
Meets on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday in the Church Centre at 2.45pm with guest speakers. All ladies are very welcome to come and join us.

Home Groups
Regular meetings for Bible study at homes around Locking. Please contact Tony Coles or June Gorton for further information,

Youth Group
Youth group for teenagers meets regularly for Christian activities, fun and days out. Contact Julian and Wendy Richards. Locking Youth Group Web site

Prayer Ministry Team
Available for ministry and prayer for all in need. Contact David Jackson, Cliff Dumbell or June Gorton. We also hold regularly services of Prayer for Healing.

To contact any of the above please use the Contact form

From Psalm 86 v 6 and 7

Trust in Him

Our world seems to spin faster every day. As we struggle to keep up, we grow tired physically, mentally, and spiritually. At our deepest level - in our very soul - we feel a deep emptiness. The Bible offers refreshment for your soul. Since the days when Jesus walked the earth, people have found strength and meaning in the life-sustaining wisdom and truth of the Holy Scriptures.

Whether you thirst for the presence of God himself or for peace, love, hope, and truth, the Bible can answer your need.

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it.

Just One Step

One step won t get you very far —
You’ve got to keep on walking.
One word won’t tell folks who you are —
You’ve got to keep on talking.
One foot won’t make you very tall —
You’ve got to keep on growing.
One trip to church won’t tell you all —
You’ve got to keep on going!

Anon

10 ways to read the Bible

How well do you know your Bible? If you would like to know it better, but find it daunting, here are some tips to get you started:

1. Study with others Find a friend or two and agree to read the same section of the Bible each week. Make notes, and when you meet for coffee, be that weekly or whatever, chat about what you have read. Try it!

2. Fall in love See the Bible for what it really is: a love letter from God to you. Start with the gospels or the Psalms and make your reading a dialogue with him. When you read a verse that touches you, tell him. Worship him as you go along. If you can’t understand something, stop and tell him. And so on.

3. Write your own Bible Read a passage and then try saying the same thing in your own words.

4. Use a system There are some excellent daily Bible reading notes around — sample a few and see how you get on. Any Christian bookshop will stock them.

5. Verse on the move When you read, be on the lookout for a verse or verses that mean something special to you in your situation. Copy them out onto a card, and carry them about with you. Memorise them. Let them sink into your soul.

6. Respond in your own way If a passage moves you, draw a picture of it, write a poem about it, or create a dance inspired by it.

7. Create a sense of place Sometimes having a set place in which to meet God can help us. A certain chair, the kitchen table, whatever. You can enhance this with an icon or candles —anything to help focus you down on the spiritual side of things.

8. Vive Ia difference Vary the way you read the Bible. Sometimes, read a whole book through at once. Other times, follow a character like David or Peter. Or, with the help of a concordance, work on a biblical theme such as gentleness, grace, prayer, or whatever.

9. Be honest about yourself When are you most alert? Give that time of day to God. Don’t give God the part of the day when you are at your most sleepiest.

10. Listen You can listen to the Bible

SERMON NOTEBOOK: ‘Location, Location, Location’

Malta: Acts 28: 1-10
At the end of the book of Acts we find Paul sailing for Rome, following his trial before Festus, when he appealed to Caesar. As a result of a violent storm the prisoners and crew were shipwrecked on the island of Malta. This story is an object lesson in how God is alongside of us in our trials and difficulties.

The Shipwreck

There is no denying that the hardships we face as Christians often come from the way life is. Even Paul was not exempt from the violent storm and shipwreck. However, his confidence in God enabled him to take control, and save the lives of all those on the ship.

After being shipwrecked on the island of Malta, they immediately set up camp and built a fire. Paul’s practical side is shown in the way he gathered brushwood and dealt with the viper that fastened to his hand. Despite the difficulties, he was able to take the necessary practical action.

The Sickness

Publius, a key man in the island of Malta, and one who had shown great kindness to Paul and the others, fell ill with fever and dysentery. Sickness stuck as suddenly as the shipwreck. However, Paul lay hands on him and prayed for him, resulting in his healing. We are also called to pray with expectancy to God in the face of disease and sickness.