St George’s Go Walking: Summer/13

“We thank God for a summer full of special memories.”

St George’s walking group has made the very most of the excellent summer weather this year enjoying beautiful walks in some beautiful dales.

July saw us sweltering in sizzling Skipton. We hiked over some hills, along a canal and round a castle. In some of the hottest temperatures of the year we were glad of an ice cream pit stop in Skipton town centre, even if the choice of flavours was a bit overwhelming; ever heard of snickers or candy floss ice cream?

In August we returned to lovely Grassington and 21 energetic souls walked a 12 mile route through Wharfedale enjoying good conversation and excellent views, as well as a good cup of tea at the end of the day.

September brought our annual weekend away. This year we went to the Derbyshire dales and enjoyed 2 walks: a 14 mile hike from Edale and along Mam Tor – a rather unexpected problem of dodging the para-gliders on Mam Tor – and then an 8 mile walk through Millers dale to Monsal head. We stayed in Eyam youth hostel and enjoyed sharing a meal together at a local pub on Saturday evening.

We thank God for a summer full of special memories.  The views over sunny dales, the breeze through high trees and long grass. Making new friends and catching up with old ones. Stretching the legs, and sometimes pulling a few muscles, as well as the unsurpassed pleasure of a cup of tea at the end of a long hike!

We look forward to what God has in store for us this Autumn. Our next walk will be on 12 October. If you’d like to join us please contact Lindsey Pallant or Alison Oldfield.

Visit our website for more details on Walking Group.

A New Season: Welcome

Even if you are not involved in school or university, September always has the feel of a new season beginning.

We have had the privilege of welcoming lots of visitors over the summer and now we prepare to welcome all those moving to Leeds to start new jobs or begin at university.  If you’ve joined the church in the last six months or are thinking about joining and want to know more, then do come and join us at one of our welcome events on the 14^th or the 18^th of this month to hear about who we are and what’s going on.

As Network and Small Group leaders gathered to pray for the term, it was great to hear of groups growing in their care for one another and of the many varied ways in which networks are reaching out to show God’s love to different groups of people across Leeds.

If you’ve not found a group to belong to yet, this month is a great time to join as there are lots of new groups starting. (Visit the welcome desk in the foyer or speak to anyone serving coffee after a service to find out more about the groups you can join.)

As we seek to reflect God’s heart of welcome let’s pray for the equipping of the Holy Spirit to enable us to keep on ‘being devoted to one another in love. Honouring one another above ourselves. Never lacking in zeal but keeping our spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Sharing with God’s people who are in need and practising hospitality.’  Romans 12:10-13

 Joanna

Sept/13: Pray for

Points to pray for this month…

For the new interns and part time staff to settle in well.

Roots and Explorers Networks as they start again; pray for strength and energy for Jenny and Lottie and the relationships with children and young people to grow.

The Alpha Course which is due to start in October; pray for Jon and Lisa as they organise the course and also for table leaders.  Pray that lots of people will step up to serve. Also pray for the launch event; that many people will come and join the course.

Church family students going off to university this month, pray that they find a Church and Christian community to connect with. Pray also for new students joining St George’s, that they will be welcomed into our family and feel at home in Leeds.

SBTC as it starts this month; pray especially for Mark Powley (Director), and ordinands Jimmy Lawrence and Chris Sayburn.

Sept/13: Thank you

Answers to prayer:

Network and Small Group leaders
Leaders gathered to pray and share stories of God at work and how their Small Groups and Networks are growing!

New Roles
We have a team of new interns as well as Dan Hebden and Rachael Fox who have joined our staff team part time.

Play and Pray
We welcome Fiona Jarrett in her new role as leader for Play and Pray.

Sept/13: Mission Partners

Andy and Uta Buckler

Andrew and Uta ask us to pray for their involvement in their local church, Eglise Protestante Unie du Marais, in central Paris.

Please pray for:

Uta as she helps out with the children’s work, which need for leadership team for the 7-11+ group. Also for her involvement in the pastoral team who offer spiritual counselling, including deliverance ministry.

The boys’ involvement in the youth work especially as the youth group has been invited to lead services and preach in order to help integrate them into the wider church family.

Give thanks that Thomas has been one of those to have preached.

Andy who meets with the church pastors, Gilles and Caroline, to pray and develop training and evangelism initiatives (St. Paul Project) that are rooted in the local context, but which can be a blessing and a catalyst for growth in other parishes too. Please pray in particular for Andy as he discerns how this local initiative may impact more widely on the church in France.

Read their latest news letter here or visit the family blog.

God is a God who keeps his promises

Rachael Fox, Communications Assistant at St George’s shares her story:

“Seeing God to continue working in my life and those around me has made me more faithful.”

How do you know Jesus? I grew up in a Christian home but made a decision to follow Jesus at Spring Harvest, a Christian conference for families.  I heard about this love that God has for us all, and although I’d been to Sunday school since a young age, when I was 12 it was the first time that I really found that love for myself. I’ve been on a real journey of faith since then, with some real ups and downs, particularly through my teenage years, but I’ve learned so much more about who God is in that time because I’ve seen him working in different situations. Seeing God continue working in my life and those around me has made me more faithful as I know that God is a God who keeps his promises.  If you want to find out more about my story, get in touch and I’d love to tell you more about how great God is!

What do you do? I have just started my new role at St George’s as the Communications Assistant working 2 days a week.  I use my media skills to assist various ministries and communicate the Church vision both within St George’s and across Leeds. The rest of the time I teach Media Studies at a Further Education College which is great fun! It’s a privilege to work doing something I love and serving God at the same time. My husband Richard and I also lead a small group within the Transit Network.

What can St G’s pray? Firstly, thank Him for blessing me with 2 jobs. But this term is going to take some getting used to as I’m going from working 4 days a week to 5 across 2 different jobs; pray that I settle in and find a routine easily.

Get in touch by email or twitter.

New Network: Salt

“We’re a group of young adults who want to share God’s love through building community and being salt and light in our everyday lives.”

Beth Lingard and Alice Simpson have just spent the last year as interns at St G’s and are now living in Leeds finding jobs and becoming new Network leaders. Alice shares with us a bit about the vision of ‘Salt’.

How did you become a Christian? I think I could say that I’ve always called myself a Christian, I grew up in church and always knew that God loved me and Jesus died for me. But I think it was coming to university that really forced me to make a decision about whether ‘being a Christian’ was actually going to impact the way I lived.

Why did you want to set up a new Network? Our vision for Salt is that it will be a place of real community where people are supported and challenged and that out of this will come a boldness to live distinctively (as salt and light) and to be deliberate in the way we spread the knowledge of Jesus amongst our friends.

What can St G’s pray for Salt? We’re really new! So we’d value your prayers as we get to know each other and go from being a chaotic group of people to a supportive community. I’m full of faith to see God bring us together as a group and grow us in faith and numbers as we step out and become invitational. 

Email Alice or Beth to find our more about Salt Network and how to join.

New Network: Home & Away

“To befriend and show God’s love to asylum seekers, refugees and all who attend the St G’s English classes.”

Rachel and Chris Baxfield, who have been attending St George’s for over seven years, are now the leaders of the new Network ‘Home & Away’. Rachel is a GP registrar and Chris is a Housing Support Worker at Faith Lodge Hostel. The vision is to reach out to asylum seekers and refugees in Leeds.

How did you become Christians? We both grew up as Christians, Rachel as a Catholic and Chris as an Anglican. We have both been tested in faith, Rachel in her late teens and Chris through his mid 20s, but have found our faiths rejuvenated over the last seven years at St George’s.

Why did you want to set up a new Network? For a number of years we have helped run English Classes for Asylum seekers, refugees and other non-English speaking people on Monday evenings at St George’s Centre. Recently, we have felt called to integrate it more with St George’s and invite church members to share friendship and God’s love with the students.

What can St G’s pray for Home & Away? That Monday evening English Classes will flourish, with plenty of students and volunteers.  For God-infused conversations between students and volunteers, and also for stimulating and enjoyable Network events that appeal to all.

How is Home & Away going to share life and love Leeds? We envision local outings in Leeds, shared meals, trips to Ilkley and other local towns, walks in the countryside, and other activities that will help build friendships between St George’s members and the English Classes.

Email Chris and Rachel to find out more about this Network or how to get involved.

Romania Mission 2013

A team from St George’s visited Romania again this year from 26th July to 4th August. They joined forces with others from around Leeds and a team in Hunedoara at the Bethlehem Children’s Centre to run projects such as kids clubs, and to serve and bless the local community. Here are a few reflections on the mission trip:

“I feel that God was bringing about peace. There was a deep sense of that in the team, despite anxiety, and nerves. As we served the community, and walked alongside the permanent staff at the Bethlehem Centre, God powerfully took away fears, and gave confidence in his gospel.” Che Seabourne

“God brought us together as a team from different and often difficult situations. He stripped everything away and made us vulnerable to serve him. We shared our vulnerabilities with each other and God and then we served. ‘When I am weak then I am strong’ 2 Corinthians 12v10” Mary Booth

For more stories, visit the blog that the team wrote during their week in Romania: www.romaniasaltandlight2013.blog.com

Healing @1830service

On Sunday 1st September at the 1830 service Jon Swales preached on miracles and healing.  Here are some resources and further thoughts following his sermon.

The best resource to read, for those academically inclined, on the subject of miracles in the two volume monograph by Craig Keener entitled ‘Miracles’. These can be picked up for about £20 from Amazon and would of interest in particular to those who wonder about the credibility of New Testament or contemporary accounts of Healing or who want to strengthen their faith or apologetics in this. Obviously a two volume work like this is not for everyone. Fear Not! As some of his teaching and research is available online for free. See here, and an interview available here.  See also, here.

Jon also made mention of Heidi Baker. Online we can watch a documentary about her work, for free here and here.  Some of her books are extremely powerful; see ‘Compelled by Love’ and ‘Always Enough‘.

Here is a blog post summarizing some recent research into the medical evidence supporting Heidi Baker’s ministry and the journal article itself entitled ‘Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Proximal Intercessory Prayer (STEPP) on Auditory and Visual Impairments in Rural Mozambique’.

Although some of the miracle videos on YouTube are fraudulent and care needs to be taken. The following videos I find particularly interesting… A lady healed from over 20 years of paralysis, here, and a boy healed from 80% deafness, here.

Some of Jon Swales’ own teaching on the Kingdom of God and inaugurated (now-not yet) eschatology can be found here. These are degree level and have a particular focus on the synoptic and the historical Jesus.

If you were healed on Sunday night and would like to share this with us at Church then do get in touch with us on twitter @1830service or email reception@stgeorgesleeds.org.uk