God – our helper
Dear All,
It is good at the end of the year to remember to give thanks. It is also important to look forward and to place our future in God’s hands. This January we can do both.
I look back and give thanks for what I’ve seen of God working among us in 2022. I think of Messy Church, Stay and Play and the wonderful return to social events in church life. I also remember those times with children in our church. At All Age Worship, also when the school have been in church singing their hearts out, and when we as church have gone to schools and shared Christmas in a Box. I think of the great times at the Ukraine Hub with summer BBQ and Christmas party.
Then there is the looking forward. With new developments for our church interior being formulated already, we look forward to inviting many more to come and taste the goodness of Gods’ grace in church.
I’m reminded of a passage in scripture. In I Samuel Chapter 7 we have the early days of the people of Israel recovering from defeat by the Philistines, with the ark of the Lord having been captured. 20 years of 
lamenting followed, with the people agreeing with Samuel that they would put away all their false gods and serve the Lord only. Then the Philistines gathered together against Israel who had made Mizpah their capital city. Samuel was Israel’s leader and he made intercession for the people. The way God rescued Israel on that day led Samuel to make a special memorial and call it ‘Ebenezer’ (Hebrew for ‘Stone of help’) and he declared, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us’.
I find this story helpful at the turn of the year. We can put a marker down and say, ’To this day the Lord has proved Himself faithful to us, as we have sought to rely upon Him totally.’ Covid has been a huge test for us, yet we are rallying and will continue to reach out to our community again and again. We trust the Lord for growth as we dedicate ourselves again to Him.
God bless you in 2023
Charles
