My Beloved Congregation
It has been a while since I wrote to you all about what has happened and what is happening in the life of our church community. The one constant that we can all rely on is that God has never and will never change, God’s love for us is always and ever present in our lives. As you all know by now, I have been ill, had a few surgeries, and have now almost completely recovered and am back in the saddle as it were, [ and glad to be]. If it were not for your constant prayers, I would not have recovered but am glad that by your prayers and the grace of God, I am still able to serve you all.
Covid is still with us…
It has become a daily reality. We are all responsible for staying safe and keeping each other safe in these very trying times. I had to wait a while for my lung to recover but have now been able to have my first injection. I was talking to my step daughter in London the other day and was encouraged by the news that things seem to be returning to normal in the UK after many have received their vaccination. To be or not to be vaccinated, however remains a personal preference, one that I will never judge you on.
Have you seen our WEBSITE? Are you making use of it? I hope that you are. It is a platform for many things, namely, my blog, information regarding our churches life and of course our Sunday Sermons.
We will be adding a new feature next week. Mandy Hackland will be adding a daily devotion that will be available from the beginning of September. She will also be writing a Bible Study on Sunday sermons which can be used individually as well as in your Bible Study Circles. I am really excited about having Mandy on board and so as a way of introduction, I offer you the following bibliography on her life…
Mandy Hackland is a Christ-follower. She met Jesus fifty years ago as a shy teenager in England. A friend was leaving to work in Singapore – something that did not happen often in the 1970’s – and she found herself wondering what gave him the courage to go. As she was going down the stairs from her loft bedroom, she heard Jesus say to her “I am the one who gives him the courage – and I can do the same for you.”
Mandy invited Jesus into her life straight away and has never looked back. He has kept His promise to her and her faith in Him has grown over the years. Having worked in both secular and church environments she is astonished, looking back, at the journey she has travelled in His company. Many goals have been achieved, including becoming a published author – a dream she has had since she was seven years old when her grandfather let her bash out the early chapters of her first ‘novel’ (unpublished!) on his manual typewriter.
Today, she has a passion for encouraging others to grow a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and believes that God has given her the gift of writing with this goal in mind. She enjoys challenging people to view God in a new way – either through finding Him in creation, in the little things of life or through the imaginative re-telling of Scripture stories.
God is central to her writing and Mandy has written several non-fiction and devotional books. She has now completed a series of four Christian novels based on both Old and New Testament stories. She also enjoys writing poetry. She loves every moment she spends writing and it brings her great joy to share God’s love with other people through her work. It amazes her how God has used her simple writing to touch people’s lives around the world. She is thrilled to have this opportunity to share her work with you and deeply moved that God has called her to this task.
She says: “As in all my writing, my prayer is for God to touch the lives of both my readers and myself. To God be the glory!”
Welcome aboard Mandy, here’s to many wonderful inspiring moments with you. May God continue to bless us all as you serve us faithfully.
This is really an exciting moment for me. I urge you to make use of these resources. They will be available on our FACEBOOK page, on our mailing list weekly with our bulletin and on our webpage.
Please also continue to support all our efforts as a part of this community, Granny’s Attic, Singing Kettle, Bible studies, W.A. Please also note that our church is open for worship and you are all welcome.
And so with this news and these few words, I greet you until next time.
I Love you all
Rod