Creative Day: Oct/13

“We have a creator God, who made us to be creative and for some time we have been exploring how we can use the arts in our worship.” Sue

On Saturday 19th October, 50+ Network gathered together some of our church members to share their skills by leading creative workshops.  The day was about sharing life and sharing skills and enjoying fellowship over activities such as; painting, lace making, pyrography, card making, electronics, calligraphy, jewellery making, knitting, sewing and creative writing. They also shared lunch together and the day was enjoyed by people from all parts of the church. Sue Bishop, one of the organisers shares some reflections with us:

“It was great to explore our creativity, to meet new people and to engage in good conversations.” Sue

We have a creator God, who made us to be creative and for some time we have been exploring how we can use the arts in our worship. Two years ago we held an art exhibition where members of the congregation exhibited their art and craft work and it was clear that we had a pool of talented people. Two things grew from this: firstly, a steering group to oversee visual art at Christmas and Easter (eg. the painting, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” at Christmas, the graffiti wall at Easter and the flames at Pentecost – all which help us to worship). The second, was the idea of organising an event where people could share their skills and the first Creative Day was born.

“Being creative together breaks down all sorts of barriers and encourages inter generational understanding and the building up of the Church as family.” Sue

Providing lunch made it welcoming and gave guests the chance to socialise. We hoped that people would be able to invite their non Christian friends too. The first Creative Day was a great success; we had several people bringing their friends and many people asked to do it again.

This year there was a mix of age groups; being creative together breaks down all sorts of barriers and encourages inter generational understanding and the building up of the Church as family. The event was covered in prayer. On the day, in a relaxed atmosphere people were able to talk and share; we felt truly blessed!

“We encouraged one another, sympathised when things went wrong, shared our frustrations, laughed together, admired each other’s progress” Jenny

Debbie works hard throughout the year organising lots of the art work for events like Christmas and Easter.  This can be a big operation so lot’s of help is often needed. Creative Day was a success because she “not only got to know people I didn’t know before, but finding no less than 3 lots of people who will help make the Christmas banner – a real answer to prayer.” Debbie

How did Creative Day help you to share life and love Leeds?

“Fellowship was built as we jointly learnt a new skill. We encouraged one another, sympathised when things went wrong, shared our frustrations, laughed together, admired each other’s progress. Around our tables we introduced ourselves and learnt something about each other. God was in the sharing of our lives on that day. We had made new and reinforced old relationships. People came from all over the city, the fellowship of the 50+ Network was strengthened.” Jenny

“It was a great opportunity to get to know other members of the Church, of all ages, and spend time together doing something creative. I met new acquaintances with similar hobbies and learnt new sewing techniques from other members in the group. It was a very enjoyable day and the food was brilliant!” Grace

“For me, the creative day is something of a response to the ‘Shape Course’ in that it was a way to share a gift that I believe I have with wider group and encourage them to see if they are like minded. I think that seeds of growth that we plant as Christians aren’t limited to faith but also to a realisation of ministry, which is what I hoped to inculcate via sketch writing. It was also good, cathartic even, to be able to share how I have written stuff in the past and some of my reasons for writing. It’s quite difficult to explain a part of your life that is usually a fairly solitary experience and open it up for analysis, so I suppose the experience for me was a test of my trust in my fellow Christians as well as in the ‘Boss upstairs’ that I was right to offer the workshop that I did. Having said all that I found the morning fun and the time just flew by!” Clive

If you’re interested in finding out more about creative arts at St George’s get in touch here.

Network Sunday: Oct/13

We asked all the Networks who gathered on 13th October to grab a mobile phone or camera and capture what they got up to!

Also find out what Internationals Network got up to here.

Find out more about Networks at St George’s here.

Network Sunday Oct/13: Internationals

An update from Internationals Network…

“It is always nice to see how God is guiding us all the way ahead in different ways.”

For the welcome day and two Sunday lunches, we had around 25 students. Amazingly,  some students are really interested in knowing about Jesus and almost attend every event we are having. They made friends with each other and some of them started inviting their own friends along!

This year, we are not going to do regular Sunday lunch. Instead, we will encourage students to go to student teas to meet more local students and attend evening service.

For our Network gatherings, we have small group bible study every Friday night and three Network gatherings every month, e.g. weekend away 18th-20th, baking day at Cecilia’s house and international students retreat, etc.

Last Sunday was amazing! Three international students from China, HongKong and Malaysia shared their testimonies. It is always nice to see how God is guiding us all the way ahead in different ways. We had music and curry, the atmosphere was really good. Most of them really enjoyed it!

If people can pray for students they can balance their study and time coming to church will be great. Please pray for our small group bible reading because we are expecting more students come and grow faith together.

Email the student team to find out more about Internationals Network.

 

Find out more about Networks at St George’s here.

Home for Good: Louise’s Story

Home for Good  is a national campaign to raise the profile of fostering and adoption in UK churches, organised by Care for the Family and the Evangelical Alliance.
If you are interested in finding out more, there is an event by Home for Good on 18th November.

Louise shares her story with us:

“…a glimpse of what Jesus meant by ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’”

Tell us about yourself… It’s nearly 10 years since I voiced aloud the idea of fostering whilst out with my housemates at the time. I can still picture the scene of us at dinner in Hammersmith, but I think those friends and others would say that it was as if they’d already known I wanted to be involved with fostering way before that. My career has been involved with children as a teacher but I’ve always known alongside that, I would not remain full time in that environment forever. That has unfolded to be true with my involvement with Kidz Klub, fostering and most recently my role as Children’s Champion in Hawksworth Wood, supporting the young people in my area as they make the transition from primary to High school and growing relationships within the community that engage with children for the long term.

“Although it’s costly when you invest in others it also further blesses your own family.”

How do you know Jesus? My best friend’s family was instrumental to my coming to know Jesus and tasting the love God has for us. They live their lives invested in forming secure and affirming relationships within their family that allow them to be entirely welcoming of others to ‘belong’ to that. Although it’s costly when you invest in others it also further blesses your own family. I wouldn’t be who I am today without their example and that was definitely the starting point for me in wanting to be involved in fostering, to live my life open to others in a way that can be a blessing. My own family background has not always been straightforward but has both equipped me with skills to offer in fostering through the way I was parented, alongside motivation to do so and some understanding that life isn’t always as you’d like it to be; my Dad died when I was 8 and my Mum married again when I was in those tricky teenage years!

“My own family background has not always been straightforward but has both equipped me with skills to offer in fostering…”

What are your experiences of fostering? I have always thought I would foster after I’d established my own family but God has a sense of humour and through the unlikely prompting of a TV series called ‘Gilmore Girls’ nearly 5 years ago, I recognised that it was time to investigate if there was a type of fostering that I could be involved in now, and there is! I am involved in a scheme now called ‘Supported care’. The scheme runs on many different criteria but is generally designed to support families and prevent the children being taken into the care system. There are many families without a wider network of other adults in life that they can trust with their children. The extra time out can benefit both the children and parent or parents. A placement is suggested to last approximately 18 months so that there is the momentum of improvement. However, a placement may end quite suddenly because the situation has improved or deteriorated but this isn’t usually the case.

“The challenge to see life differently and not fit into conventions and expectations that society implies life should hold, is exciting and liberating, definitely a glimpse of what Jesus meant by ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’”

What are the challenges? Although I can expect and hope for change and improvement in the lives of the young people I engage with, it is rarely at a pace that you’d hope; leaving a lot of loose ends and messiness as you go which is challenging to live amongst. Building IKEA furniture, making advent candles, baking, etc. activities with a definite end, are a blessing that God is revealing to balance that challenge. I certainly hadn’t realised that was why I found building IKEA furniture so satisfying!

“…he had the opportunity to find faith because of the foster family…”

Why would you encourage others to foster or support those who do? ‘Home for good’ is a fabulous book that I would encourage anyone to read. It celebrates that fostering and adoption is something for the whole church to be involved with, whether in a tiny or life consuming way! I continue to be inspired that Viv Thomas, a worldwide speaker, who I have learnt so much from, had the opportunity to find faith because of the foster family he found himself with. They would never have known that he would become a powerful communicator of God’s love to more people than can be counted!

So with only a weekend a month, ­I get to be a little bit involved in this vision and hugely blessed by it! Some of the blessing comes through the challenge of course and being outside of my comfort zone, although I have had quite straightforward placements so far. The challenge to see life differently and not fit into conventions and expectations that society implies life should hold, is exciting and liberating, definitely a glimpse of what Jesus meant by ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’

Find out more about Home for Good here. Read stories of others who adopt and foster: Ruth and Yvonne.

‘Beautiful Feet’

‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who
publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”’
Isaiah 52:7

In Isaiah we read that some people have ‘beautiful feet’ because they bring good news of happiness and salvation. One of the privileges of being on staff at St G’s is regularly hearing stories of how others also have beautiful feet as they seek to share the good news in and around Leeds. Without exaggeration the blind see, the hungry are fed, the broken addicts find freedom, the kingdom is preached and people who are coming into the City of Leeds are hearing about and experiencing, first hand, the love of Jesus.

In recent months we have been blessed to have many internationals attending church. Some are followers of Jesus seeking to connect with a church, and many others are unfamiliar with Jesus and have little experience of the church. In the last month several have decided to embrace the love of Jesus and become committed followers of Jesus.

On the topic of mission I was encouraged in meeting the students of the recently launched St Barnabas Theological Centre. They have a passion for God and already show evidence of having beautiful feet and a confidence to move out in mission.

In this issue of St G’s LIFE do be encouraged about what is happening this month; with our home grown discipleship course, ‘Academy of Life’, beginning again and opportunity for us to think, pray, be encouraged and challenged as we look at the topic of adoption in one of our morning services.

We should rejoice and be glad when we hear these stories but, like Jesus, we should continue to recognize that the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few.

Will you join with me in praying that God would raise up more men, women, boys and girls, who have beautiful feet and will share the good news of Jesus to this lost and broken world?

Jon

Oct/13: Pray for

Points to pray for this month…

God’s blessing on the new Alpha Course, for people to attend, to enjoy it and come to know Christ through it. Pray also for strength and wisdom for the team; for Jon, Lisa, table leaders and all those who serve.

God’s blessing on families who foster and adopt, and also for the ‘Home for Good’ service in October that many will learn from it and be open to God’s calling.

God’s blessing on Joanna and Che as they get married this month, and adjust to a new lifestyle.

Finally, for God to guide the committee choosing the new Bishop of Leeds for the new Diocese.

Oct/13: Thank you

Answers to prayer:

St Barnabas Theological Centre (SBTC)
For a good start but continue to pray for strength for Mark and his family.

Alpha Launch
A great curry and comedy night at the start of the month. 5 signed up to Alpha at the launch night and hopefully more will join the course in following weeks.

Internationals Service
For lots of international students who attended and thank you for the resources we have to accommodate and welcome them into our Church family.

Oct/13: Mission Partners

Hugh and Heather Nelson

Hugh and Heather lead a small rural church in Nirayama, Japan, where they have served for 19 years. Last year they wrote, “The church is currently independent but we would like to be part of a larger group or network within Japan, for fellowship, mutual encouragement and accountability, and to help ensure the future of the church.”

So we give thanks for Quan Nguyen and his wife Ree who are the South Asia Field Leaders with World Horizons.  Quan is responsible for overall vision, Ree for field member care. Ree prays with Heather weekly and Quan prays with Hugh about once a month. Quan and Ree live in Indonesia, but Ree has recently returned from visiting the Nelsons. Quan has invited Hugh to Singapore in early next year to be part of their core regional leaders team to seek a vision for the region corporately,  to pray for and support each other and to strengthen relationships so that no one would feel isolated.

Please continue to pray for this dear family and for their church. Please pray also for the process of becoming part of a larger network, that, as they seek a vision for their region, God will inspire them through his Spirit, encourage them with wider fellowship, and equip them for the work ahead.

Tearfund Uganda

St George’s church has linked up with a church in Lale, Uganda. This is part of an initiative by Tearfund to help Christians in poor villages to recognise the strengths and resources they have and use them for the benefit of their communities.

It involves training pastors and other Christian leaders to expand their ministries from exclusively saving souls to embracing the concept of lifting themselves out of poverty by their own efforts. Other villages have already proved the worth of the scheme. They have improved literacy, supported the most needy, learnt better farming ways, promoted a deeper understanding of the Scriptures to see how they can help each other and their fellow villagers.

Pastor Daniel from the Lale Pentecostal Church wrote to us: “We send our greetings to our brothers and sisters in Christ at St George’s Church. We are pleased to be starting this new relationship with you and praise God that you are joining us in prayer. We would love also to pray for you so please send any prayer requests so we can ask God to bless you.”

Please pray for the Christians and villagers of Lale; for more information see Alan and Lindy Spicer. Click here for more information on our partnership and prayer points for Lale.

For more information about any of our mission partners visit our website.

Academy of Life: “You will be changed”

“God stepped into my life and began putting the broken pieces of my heart and life back together.”

School of Theology is back. Saturday mornings once a month in the Church Centre will be the opportunity to explore theology in 3 tracks; Discipleship, Bible or Life Track. Wendy Thompson took part in the Discipleship track, Academy of Life, last year and she shares her story with us.

Tell us about yourself… I am a native New Zealander and have lived in Leeds for 28 years. I have been a Christian for 12 years and a member of St George’s Church for the last 5. I am a garden designer and horticulturist, owning and
running a small business.

How do you know Jesus? I was privileged to be born and raised in a loving, supportive Christian family. In my teenage years I gave my life to Jesus. However, I made the decision with my head, without a heart connection which resulted in me straying from God’s ways for too many years. When I was at rock bottom with a broken marriage, 3 young children and not working, God stepped into my life and began putting the broken pieces of my heart and life back together, according to His instructions, not mine! I rededicated my life to Jesus, but this time it was most definitely with my heart. God had opened the eyes of my understanding, gave me an anchor and set me on firm ground. God amazed me then and continues to amaze me as I walk with Him. He is always good and always faithful.

What did you learn from Academy of Life? Where to begin! This a
wonderful, intense, rewarding, discipleship course. I found each session hugely exciting as I, and all who attended, discovered hidden depths, experienced new revelations and gathered life’s gems to carry and use every day. I was challenged in many areas, theologically, spiritually, intellectually and practically. I really want to encourage anyone who is keen to go deeper into God, eager to increase your understanding and live more vitally, to just do it! Go for it! You WILL be amazed. You WILL be changed!

How has it impacted your life? Well, the practical challenges remain but there is so much to keep on discovering and the resources provided contain a wealth of wisdom for life, to enable each one of us to do life better in all areas. Wow! I keep dipping into the booklets and am always amazed at what God shows me. I feel equipped to live life so much better!

To find out more about School of Theology or Academy of Life at St George’s visit our website or email Kim.

Loving North East Leeds

North East Leeds Network is led by Stuart Roberts, and comprises 5 small groups who link with other local churches and charities in North Leeds in order to contribute in a practical way to the voluntary work that is already taking place.

How is North East Leeds Network Sharing Life and Loving Leeds?
So far, we have connected with three main projects: Christians Against Poverty (CAP), the North Leeds Foodbank and Gledhow Christian Care Home.

We were welcomed very positively by a CAP debt counsellor who works as a volunteer. Several Network members have accompanied the debt counsellor on her visits to give them support and to pray with their clients. In future we hope to help by taking clients on shopping trips and organising special events or treats for them. Another member of our Network circulates a prayer chain, so that we can pray for the clients’ needs.

Eleven Network members helped members from other churches to promote the new North Leeds Foodbank during a two-day food collection in glorious sunshine at Tesco, Roundhay Road, in the summer. It was great to tell the public about the scheme and to receive and sort their generous donations of over two metric tons of food. Tesco contributed an extra 30 % as well.

A small team has been set up to help run the services on Sundays at Gledhow Christian Care Home and also to assist with activities for the elderly residents there.

Where have you seen God working? We’ve seen God at work in leading us to get involved in CAP just at a time when the debt counsellor was thinking they would have to give it up if no one stepped up to help. God provided the right premises for the North Leeds Foodbank, which was also pretty amazing; the Network was not instrumental in any way in achieving this.

What can St G’s pray for North Leeds? Please pray for continued co-operation and strengthening of links with these 3 organisations in North Leeds. Also pray for another potential debt counsellor to train and visit clients, as there is a high demand for help in this area.

 

To find out more about Networks at StG’s visit our website or email us.